Sept. 5, 2018 — Southwest Research Institute is launching the Advanced Combustion Catalyst and Aftertreatment Technologies II (AC2AT™-II) consortium focusing on engine emissions solutions and innovative catalyst technologies. The AC2AT-II kickoff meeting will be Nov. 15 at SwRI’s headquarters in San Antonio and is open to interested automotive industry manufacturers.
SwRI launched the AC2AT consortium in 2014 with members representing engine manufacturers and affiliated businesses in the automotive industry. The research conducted within this program improves the understanding of catalysts and emission control systems by modeling those systems and characterizing the chemistry of emissions from advanced combustion regimes.
“In the first phase, AC2AT made considerable advances in understanding how complex emissions control systems affect today’s high-performance, high-efficiency gasoline and diesel engines,” said Scott Eakle, a principal engineer in SwRI’s Diesel Engine and Emissions Research and Development Department. The program developed models to predict deposit formation, growth and composition for urea-based selective catalytic reduction aftertreatment systems, characterized the complex emissions emitted from advanced combustion regimes, as well as evaluated how the physical and chemical properties of lube oil derived ash affect aftertreatment component performance. “We will build on research initiated during the first phase to further our understanding of the effects these complex emissions properties have on aftertreatment systems,” he said.
Consortium members work collaboratively to evaluate advanced combustion engine emissions and novel catalyst technologies. Sharing costs through the consortium gives companies access to more research than would be feasible if funded individually. AC2AT-II participants will decide which research projects to investigate. Members will receive royalty-free licensing for all intellectual property produced through the consortium. Annual membership will be $95,000 per year for the four-year consortium.
SwRI manages a number of automotive consortia including the High-Efficiency, Dilute Gasoline Engine (HEDGE®) program that works to improve gasoline engine technology; the Clean High Efficiency Diesel Engine VII (CHEDE-VII) consortium, the industry’s longest-running diesel engine research program; the Particle Sensor Performance and Durability (PSPD™) consortium to evaluate heavy-duty engine exhaust sensors; and the Energy Storage System Evaluation and Safety (EssEs-II) consortium, which provides data on performance, abuse, cycle life, calendar life, and consistency of manufacturing for sets of battery cells.
For more information about the AC2AT-II consortium or to attend the meeting, contact Eakle at +1 210 522 5095. or visit consortia.swri.org.
For more information, contact Deb Schmid, +1 210 522 2254, Communications Department, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238-5166.