A US research company has enhanced its technology for testing emissions of new vehicles to allow users to programme the device for their specific needs.

Compared with the traditional approach of ageing catalysts for testing by using an engine bench stand, Southwest Research Institute's (SwRI) FOCAS technology offers the chief advantage that it is much faster and more precise.

The FOCAS devices are able to do this since the lack of oil consumption in the ageing process eliminates the reduction in catalysts' efficiency caused by burning oil that would ordinarily occur in traditional tests.

Meanwhile, because FOCAS uses a gasoline-fuelled burner with computerised control system, catalysts can be aged much faster if required.

Cynthia Webb a principal engineer in SwRI's Engine, Emissions and Vehicle Research Division, said: "FOCAS has several advantages compared to engine aging including lower maintenance, higher efficiency for potential fuel savings, fewer moving parts for reduced mechanical wear; a power fault protection for operation during inclement weather, wide-range lambda operation and control window, and operation with or without lubricating oil."

However, the mew FOCAS HGTR is a high-flow, diesel-fuelled burner-based catalyst, and improves on the existing system in that it offers far greater flexibility since it enables them to formulate their own programmable aging cycles, and thus tailor them to their specific needs.

Source:

Southwest Research Institute expands FOCAS® technologies for automotive exhaust catalyst aging, 19/07/07 http://www.swri.org/9what/releases/2007/focas.htm

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