A £1.7m centre of excellence has been set up in Birmingham to boost engineering skills and provide a specialist research facility for industry.
The Heavy Diesel Emissions Centre of Excellence at Birmingham City University’s Technology Innovation Centre (TIC) received £638,000 worth of funding from regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.
The new facility, at Millennium Point, in Curzon Street, has been welcomed by senior academics and industry bosses across the region and will allow engineers to develop vital skills and help to lower carbon output by reducing emissions.
Martyn Mangan, Automotive Cluster Manager at Advantage West Midlands, described the centre as “unique on this scale in the UK.”
The Heavy Diesel Emissions Centre is available for open-access use by businesses as an independent research facility for heavy diesel powertrain development.
The idea for the centre came in 2003 when Birmingham City University realised a need to raise automotive engineers’ skills in computerised automotive calibration and control.
The centre has a unique ability to carry out specific, heavy-duty diesel development. Its hub is a high-powered dynamometer, sourced from Malvern’s CP Engineering Systems. This incorporates a particulates emission analysis capability, enhanced by international Signal Group’s gas-emissions analysis equipment and pollution analysis system from world-leader, AVL.
The new test-cell focuses on ‘sustainability’ in diesel engine performance through precision-development aimed at improving fuel efficiency and lowering carbon emissions.
The Centre of Excellence for Heavy Diesel Emissions Engineering, enables the University to offer engine manufacturers a flexible range of research resources both for power generation or any form of land or marine transport.
Combined with the original A&D-equipped engine cell the University’s engine research resources also cater for the growing demand for hybrid-engine research, as well as exploration of wide-ranging fuel types, from diesel and bio-fuels to petrol and aviation spirit.
Mr Mangan said: “Access to advanced emissions research resources in the UK is very limited, particularly for diesel engines. In order to compete with European centres, we are delighted to support Birmingham City University in this investment.”
“The importance of off-highway vehicle manufacturers such as JCB means that investments of these sort are required to help them maintain their market lead.”
Birmingham City University Technology Innovation Centre’s Associate Director, Peter T. Rayson said: “We have 17 research projects being developed at doctoral and masters’ levels, using the new Centre of Excellence. We expect our postgraduates to play a major part in developing environmentally sustainable diesel power in and for UK industry.”