The need for cleaner vehicles, industrial machinery, marine ships, etc. when it comes to exhaust emissions, especially CO2, draws a distorted image for the future of ICE-based propulsion systems. Fuels such as natural gas, biofuels, alcohol fuels, hydrogen, and e-fuels are – depending on their application – promising alternatives for reducing emission and greenhouse gases. However, the increased variety of fuel options for ICE-based propulsion systems makes development and testing even more challenging, due to a significant increase in the complexity of the test facility installation. We have the right test system solutions available, which address the extended requirements for supply, measurement, and testing technology in combination with enhanced safety aspects.
As part of the 2015 Paris Agreement, 196 countries committed to substantially reducing their greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming. In 2021, the international community agreed to explicitly mention the burning of fossil fuels as the primary cause of climate change at the COP26 in Glasgow for the first time. Sustainable and near-zero carbon alternative fuels will be necessary to halve greenhouse gas emissions from hard-to-abate sectors, such as shipping, aviation, and trucking by 2050.
Alternative fuels are gaseous or liquid fuels for internal combustion engines that are created by turning renewable electricity into chemically bound energy carriers. Examples include hydrogen, methane, methanol, oxymethylenether (OME), dimethylether (DME), or Fischer-Tropsch fuels. Using these e-fuels can potentially help convert today’s internal combustion engines to effective carbon-neutral propulsion systems with zero-impact emissions.
Fuel Supply Infrastructure
To run engines on testbeds with alternative fuels, a suitably designed and sized, and correctly located storage and supply infrastructure is key. AVL headquarters in Graz has housed such an infrastructure for many years to support in-house test factory operation. Visitors are welcome to see how this infrastructure was successfully installed in a critical environment.
Upgrade / Transformation of Test Facilities
Having engines operated with new, alternative fuels on the testbed means that an extensive number of modifications and extensions need to be considered. Fuel consumption measurement, emission measurement instrumentation, combustion air, etc., and additional test cell safety measures are typical examples that need to be taken into account. We can help you upgrade these, and help you transform existing test cells for operation with new, alternative fuels.
No matter which alternative fuel will be used to operate internal combustion engines on testbeds, we have the right testing solution. Based on our advanced product portfolio, comprehensive skills in designing, installing, and commissioning test facilities, and supporting customers during operation, we are the perfect partner for the successful implementation of your planned test facility extension.
We strongly believe in the importance of alternative fuels and their contribution to a sustainable environment for present and future generations.”
-- Johannes Kregar and Maria Santos, MTA Advanced Applications
AVL PUMA 2™ is the global industry standard for testbed automation. It is suitable for electrified testbed types as well as for conventional test environments.
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The AVL Customer Services organization consists of more than 700 service- and application engineers worldwide, operating from more than 50 locations. Our global footprint is your local benefit.
AVL’s hybrid and engine test systems are highly flexible development environments for testing internal combustion engines and their hybrid components.
With built-in and ready to use domain know-how, CONCERTO empowers data-driven engineers to become a strong development influencer.
A gas conditioning and consumption solution for hydrogen and other gaseous fuels. Learn more about this dedicated product to safely supply and condition gases for the testbed usage.
To make your future propulsion system ready for this wide range of alternative fuels, we offer a portfolio of certified emission measurement equipment, software, and calibration tools. Easily adaptable and certified for alternative fuels, they help you test, optimize, and approve various fuel types to get the best out of your propulsion system. Our engineering experts are also on hand to support you with independent studies and recommendations on strategies regarding future energy, fuels, and mobility. In addition, we ensure utmost efficiency by adding simulation to all development tasks. This enables highly accurate analyses and proficient optimization of the combustion system, giving you a better idea of the impact on both combustion efficiency and pollutant formation. Which helps you optimize the entire combustion system more efficiently.
AVL’s comprehensive worldwide network of experts allows best customer vicinity, ensuring consistent and connecting testing fields globally. Wherever your R&D challenges take you, we are always close at hand, ready to provide the service you need.
10
affiliates with expertise in alternative fuels facility engineering
4
available test cells with alternative fuel testing capabilities at AVL Graz
> 10
design and development teams with H2 ICE experience
> 20
years of successful projects involving gas and biofuels
WEBINAR - Hydrogen has the potential to be used to facilitate the shift towards zero CO2 and zero impact pollutant emissions in transport, marine, and industrial internal combustion engine (ICE) applications.
AVL RACETECH, the motorsport department of AVL, presents the prototype of an innovative H2 internal combustion engine. The power unit is a compact, hydrogen-powered 2-liter turbo engine, with intelligent water injection, which achieves a totally new performance level. The first racing engine that AVL RACETECH is developing and building in-house.