Southwest Research Institute has offered comprehensive services in diesel engine and emissions development, as well as other areas of the automotive industry, for more than 60 years. Our services address every aspect of the diesel engine, from clean-sheet design all the way through field evaluations in fleet vehicles. More than 200 engine test stands ranging from 5 kW to 4,000 kW, support these services. We also have extensive capabilities and expertise in the fuels and lubricants used by the diesel industry.

Learn more about SwRI services for the diesel industry at [http://engineandvehicle.swri.org/]

• Complete engine design, prototype build and testing [http://enginedesign.swri.org/]

• Conceptual and detail design

• Analysis

  • Cycle simulation

  • Finite element

  • 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD)

  • Valve train

  • Gear train

  • Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH)

• Prototyping

  • Castings

  • Stereolithography (SLA)

  • Metal sintering

• Supplier selection

• Mechanical development

  • Durability

  • Rig testing including block, rod, head and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler

• Diesel engine benchmarking [http://benchmarking.swri.org/]

• Real-time wear measurement (radioactive tracer)

• Real-time corrosion of intake and exhaust systems

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• Engine performance and emissions mapping

• Cold-start development

• Fuel spray characterization and modeling

• Combustion and emissions development for US 2207/2010 and Euro V/VI

• Light-duty diesel engine development for Tier II and Euro IV/V

• Non-road diesel engine development for Tier III/Tier IVa/Tier IVb, Stages IIa, IIIb and IV

• Locomotive and medium-speed engine development and evaluation

• Model-based control system integration for low emissions

• Fuel injection system integration

• Fuel, emulsion and additive characterization

  • Ignition quality

  • Combustion

  • Emissions

  • Brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC)

• Durability testing

• Aftertreatment integration

• Powertrain control software and hardware

• Alternative combustion concepts

  • Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI)

  • Premixed charge compression ignition (PCCI)

  • Low-temperature combustion (LTC)

• Clean High-Efficiency Diesel Engines VI (CHEDI VI) [http://chedevi.swri.org/]

• Diesel-to-natural gas development

• High Efficiency Dilute Gasoline Engine cooperative [http://hedge.swri.org/]

• Engine and vehicle evaluations [http://hdfueleconomy.swri.org/]

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• Aftertreatment technology design, development, testing and integration

• Catalyst aging, durability and performance evaluations

• Catalyst R&D, all engine and fuel applications

• Synthetic gas reactor and non-thermal plasma studies [http://www.swri.org/3pubs/brochure/d03/usgr/home.htm]

• Exhaust system validation and durability [http://www.swri.org/3pubs/brochure/d08/cataly/cataly.htm]

  • Hot vibration testing

  • Thermal cycling

  • Water quench testing

  • Thermal profile testing

• Diesel particulate filter (DPF) R&D [http://www.swri.org/3pubs/brochure/d03/DPF2/home.htm]

  • Filtration efficiency measurement

  • PM mass and soluble organic fraction measurement

  • Total and solid particle number and size distribution measurement [http://ultrafineemissions.swri.org/] [http://www.swri.org/3pubs/ttoday/Spring06/Particulars.htm]

  • cDPF catalyst formulation evaluation

  • cDPF balance point determination

  • Automated PM loading and regeneration

  • Ash accumulation and analysis

  • Regeneration survivability tests

  • On-vehicle performance and durability testing

  • DPF plugging investigations and cleaning strategies

• Heavy-duty DPF durability test procedure development [http://www.swri.org/3pubs/brochure/d03/DPF/home.htm]

  • On-vehicle exhaust system environment measurement

  • Accelerated test development

  • Durability test validation

• SCR catalyst system evaluations

  • NO_x reduction performance

  • Urea dosing technology

  • Durability testing

• LNT system evaluations

  • NO_x reduction performance

  • Regeneration and desulfurization strategy development

  • Durability testing

  • System integration

• EGR cooler and system evaluations [http://www.swri.org/3pubs/brochure/d03/EGR/home.htm]

  • Thermal cycling

  • PM fouling

  • Accelerated corrosion testing

  • Vibration durability

  • Metallurgical analysis

  • PM deposition rate determination

• Lubricating oil effects on diesel aftertreatment and sensors

  • DPFs, cDPFs, DOCs, LNTs, SCRs, NO_x sensors [http://www.swri.org/3pubs/brochure/d03/dasl/home.htm]

  • Catalyst deactivation

  • Poisoning mechanisms

  • Ash exposure

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• Part 1065 compliant heavy-duty engine test cells

• Not-to-exceed (NTE) capabilities[http://www.swri.org/4org/d08/emmres/HDEmiss/default.htm]

• EPA, CARB and European emissions certification, audit and compliance

• Regulated and unregulated emissions measurement

• Fuel effects and environmental technology verification (ETV) studies

• Particle characterization and measurement (particle size and number)

• Engine altitude simulation

• Options for confidential, dedicated OEM facilities

• Heavy-duty and light-duty diesel vehicle evaluation and development

• In-use testing service using portable emissions measurement system (PEMS) [http://in-use.swri.org/]

• Non-road engine emissions programs

• Locomotive emissions technology center studies [http://locomotivetesting.swri.org/]

• OEM and retrofit evaluations

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• Fluid flammability evaluation

• Alternative fuels impact studies

• Jet fuel use in diesel equipment

• Injection equipment durability testing

• Bench test development

• Field and fleet evaluations to validate product performance

  • In field 2007/2010 NTE diesel emissions testing (part 86 and part 1065)

  • SAE J1321 testing for fuel economy improvement

• Fuel system materials compatibility evaluation

• Advanced crankcase lubricant investigations

• Standardized lubricant specification testing including API C-4/CI-4+/CJ-4, CAT ECF-2/3, Cummins CES20081, Mack EO-O Premium +, Allison C4, GL-5, SAE J2360 and Denison HF-0

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With more than 60 years of experience in automotive and fuels research and development, SwRI is uniquely positioned as an international expert in renewable fuels [http://iaftc.swri.org/].

• Fuel property testing and consulting

• Renewable fuels testing and consulting

• Fuel stability testing

• Additives, greases, and specialty fluids testing and consulting

• Combustion kinetics studies

• Fuel deposit formation studies

• Fuel storage training and consulting

• Distillate fuel peroxidation testing

• Method development for chemometric analysis

• Aviation fuels and thermal stability testing and consulting

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• Fluid cleanliness testing

• Battlefield fuel logistics (delivery, tracking, management)

• Automation of petroleum and water systems

• Heat transfer and process equipment evaluations

• Fluid mechanics and hydraulic systems development

• Coolant testing (thermal stability, system compatibility, analytical evaluation)

• Sensors and instrumentation integration and evaluations

• Particle counting

• Wear index test method evaluation

• Surface tension, interfacial tension, contact angle measurements

• Fuels and lubricants filtration testing

• Soot contamination evaluation

• Debris analysis and identification

• New test method development

• Field service consulting

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