This electronic flyer highlights our capabilities and activities in the area of Gasoline and Diesel Engine Aftertreatment Durability Testing. Please sign our guestbook. For additional information,
e-mail Kent Spreen, Southwest Research Institute.

Gasoline and Diesel Engine Aftertreatment Durability Testing

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires emission control devices to function without defect up to 120,000 miles on passenger automobiles and light-duty trucks and 435,000 miles on heavy-duty diesel trucks. Catalytic converters and diesel aftertreatment devices mounted in the exhaust system must withstand a wide range of vehicle operating conditions with harsh temperature and vibration environments. Structural durability testing is a key method for verifying an aftertreatment design for vehicle use.

Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®), with more than 50 years of experience in engine, fuel and vehicle research, offers complete facilities for testing gasoline and diesel engines and their aftertreatment systems.

SwRI has specialized facilities for gasoline catalytic converter and diesel aftertreatment durability testing.

Capabilities

Exhaust component vibration testing
Stepped amplitude vibration testing
Engine exhaust gas temperatures of 200°C to 1050°C
Thermal cycle testing (150°C to 950°C)
Water quench testing
Vibration tests with water spray
Temperature profile measurements
Dynamic container deformation measurements

Facilities

Shaker systems with vibration forces up to 22,000 lbf
Sinusoid, random, and sine-on-random vibration control
Vibration fixtures for vertical, horizontal, and angled orientations
Size accommodation ranging from small pipe converters to large heavy-duty truck aftertreatment

Engine exhaust gas provides the best representation of actual on-vehicle conditions: stoichiometry and flow pulsations.

Catalytic converter design verification testing can be performed to OEM specifications.

Stepped increase vibration of amplitude is used to decrease test times.

Example of fixture for mounting large-engine catalytic converter at 45° angle.

This flyer was published in April 2007. For more information about Gasoline and Diesel Engine Aftertreatment Durability Testing, contact Kent Spreen, Principal Engineer, Phone (210) 522-5012, Fax (210) 249-6482, Engine, Emissions and Vehicle Research Division, Southwest Research Institute, P.O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, Texas 78228-0510.

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