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Medium Speed Diesel Engines
SwRI maintains a locomotive emissions test center near downtown San Antonio. The facility was established in 1990 for the Association of American Railroads, and to date, more than 150 locomotives have been tested at this site. Included in these tests have been projects for EPA, CARB, the California DOT (CaDOT), DOE, AAR, railroads, and original equipment manufacturers, with much of the resulting data in the public domain. SwRI owns four EMD-567 test engines. One is used exclusively for lubricating oil qualification and the others are for various research and development projects. Steven G. Fritz, Manager Past projects include: § Development of exhaust emissions test procedures § Baseline exhaust emissions studies § Effects of injection timing and aftercooling § Field testing of in-use locomotives § The California Air Resources Board (CARB) fuel effects study § National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) biodiesel studies Current projects are focused on testing to support EPA certification and developmental support to meet EPA Tier 0 and Tier I requirements. Support facilities are in place to conduct alternative and diesel fueled engine research and development programs proficiently. All test cells have high-pressure natural gas availability. Two 130 CFM compressors are installed for engine testing and vehicle refueling where high-pressure natural gas is required. A 13,000-gallon cryogenic storage facility provides 99 percent pure liquefied methane. Liquid petroleum gas farms are in place, as well as diesel supply storage systems. Hydrogen fuel has been provided with the aid of electrolysis systems and on-site gas compression equipment. Gas blending facilities are maintained to blend fuels of specific compositions per client specifications for emissions certification and knock-tolerance testing. Gas composition is checked and/or monitored continuously using an on-line gas chromatograph to ensure accurate accounting of fuel speciation, heating value and molecular weight. SwRI also maintains two single-cylinder 4-stroke engines for on-site test rental. Current R&D testing includes:
EMD Engine Test Platform:
Fuel Injector Characterization: Fuel injector test stand for flow studies: mechanical and electronic injectors, cam-driven at engine speeds, CC measurements, Needle-life, internal injection pressure, 10us sampling frequency; injection flow visualization: up to 230 mm bore diameter, constant volume pressure vessel charged with N2 or CO2; evaluate spray penetration, hole size, number of holes, machining process, 8000 frames/second Additional capabilities include:
Division Publications
January 24, 2012 |
