Plans to install and commission a £1 million research facility for heavy diesel powertrain development and emissions analysis, have been announced by the University of Central England s Technology Innovation Centre. The facility will be located at its Birmingham, Millennium Point HQ.
The announcement was made at Automotive Testing Expo China 2007, in Shanghai.
The new Centre of Excellence will carry out specific development work on heavy duty diesel engines.
TIC s head of design and process innovation, Dr Tim Burden, says: We have identified the need for such research resources to be offered to vehicle manufacturers in support of heavy diesel engine development across a variety of engine and vehicle applications. We will become a unique and independent European source of development expertise at reasonable cost.
A major feature of TIC s test centre will be the wide spectrum of the new dynamometer s transience, accommodating an extensive engine performance range, whilst also monitoring all exhaust emissions.
Familiar names such as Jaguar, Land Rover, Ford and Visteon are already major collaborators with TIC, and its heavy diesel engine cell development-partners are MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) and JCB.
Dr Burden comments: TIC already has some 17 prospective research projects being developed at doctoral and masters levels which will use the new heavy diesel Centre of Excellence. These postgraduates can be expected to play a significant part in the future development of efficient use of diesel power.
The new investment has benefited from a £600,000 capital grant from Advantage West Midlands