Engines & Fuels

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Engines & Fuels

 

Engine Development & Testing

Even the best engine designs need rigorous testing and development. This is why we have invested in our own first class engine test cell using the latest performance monitoring software. It is a superb test-bed for either developing our own race engines or for clients who need to find out if their technologies are reliable at the high speed, high temperature, high power and high stress levels when pushing an engine to its absolute limit.

Our engine dynamometer can run at up to 11,000 rpm and 800 bhp. It is a facility we use to develop engine management systems and investigate engine performance characteristics under varying conditions.

We have pioneered the research and development of a race engine using 100 per cent biodiesel fuel in recent years. With this and other projects, we have built a wealth of expertise in low carbon technologies. We also built the world's first eco-friendly F3 engine running on biodiesel fuels for Warwick Manufacturing Group's (WMG's) EcoF3 car.

Fuel Testing

We have built up a wealth of experience researching and testing the performance of new fuels using our engine dynamometer. This has enabled us to provide testing and technical services to fuel companies wishing to assess and develop the performance of their products. We are able to measure engine performance on different fuel blends and help companies to gain a better understanding of the in-cylinder combustion characteristics of their fuels.

Typical tests include:

• full or part throttle engine power and torque measurement
• fuel economy testing
• real time in-cylinder pressure measurements
• engine temperature measurements
• acceleration tests

These tests can be carried out under steady state conditions, a sweep through the full operating range of an engine or using customised test cycles.

We have particularly detailed knowledge on the performance of biodiesel fuels, as a result of our engine development work and fuel testing. This puts us in a unique position to tackle the problems associated with different types of biodiesel and aid performance related biodiesel development.