John Proctor, technical and special projects director at Millbrook, provides a detailed overview of the facility’s improved capabilities and applications.
In 1996, Millbrook opened the world’s first independently available climatic emissions test chamber for commercial vehicles. Since then, the original VTEC has proved an essential and reliable facility for customers, leading to the completion of more than 19,500 emissions tests.
Twenty-five years on, however, the challenges facing heavy-duty vehicle powertrain engineers are very different from when Millbrook installed the original VTEC. The introduction of the new 4WD (four-wheel drive) VTEC facility is therefore a fundamental step in ensuring that Millbrook remains at the leading edge of testing and development.
What is VTEC?
The new VTEC is a heavy-duty climatic emissions chassis dynamometer facility capable of handling vehicles with axle weights up to 20 tonnes – over two and a half times more than the outgoing facility – and 4WD vehicles. The facility is designed to accommodate climate-controlled testing for TfL emissions, CVRAS, Real Driving Emissions simulation, development and product benchmark testing.
Put simply, VTEC enables makers of heavy-duty vehicles to test internal combustion engine, electric vehicle and hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains to determine energy consumption, range and energy efficiency – all under one roof. It is climatically controlled from -20°C to +50°C and is suitable for trucks, buses, off-highway and military vehicles.
What’s new about the facility?
The new 4WD VTEC is the most capable facility of its kind in the UK. It offers power absorption up to 1MW – more than four times that of the original facility. It also has more than nine times the continuous torque capacity (68,000Nm) of the old facility and three times the inertia simulation (60,000kg). It is suited to larger vehicles with a wheelbase up to 8m.
Added to this is the double and tri-axle capability which enables engineers to test a wider variety of vehicles in a more representative manner. It also has a dedicated particulate matter filter weighing chamber, and a four-phase bag analysis system, enabling the running of significantly longer emissions test cycles.
How can VTEC be used?
The VTEC has applications in different markets, including truck, bus, off-highway and agriculture, military and petrochemical.
Looking at the truck and bus sectors first, VTEC’s increased capacity means that manufacturers will be able to determine the thermal stability of engines within large, 4WD vehicles through more representative drive cycles. They will also be able to more accurately prove performance and electric range.
By making use of VTEC’s humidity control and wider temperature range, manufacturers will also gain the ability to carry out ambient temperature tests and prove that their vehicles de-mist and de-frost adequately. Truck makers must also test specific events, such as cold-start testing. VTEC can facilitate such testing in an accurate and controlled environment.
For the off-highway and agricultural sectors, VTEC is just as capable, enabling manufacturers to prove the thermal stability of engines within vehicles during normal operation, as well as test emissions, performance and electric range.
In the specialised military vehicle market, VTEC’s accurate climate control and ability to test longer drive cycles will allow manufacturers to attain more accurate test results, in less time. Military vehicle makers are also investigating electric and hybrid powertrains, so VTEC’s capability to test fuel economy and range of vehicles up to 20 tonnes axle weight is well suited.
Finally, petrochemical engineers can use VTEC to test the performance of their fuels, additives and lubricants. This is becoming increasingly important in the heavy-duty and off-highway sector, where petrochemical companies must provide stronger support for performance claims to market their products.
When will it be open?
Millbrook’s all-new 4WD VTEC facility will be opening in 2021. For more information, visit millbrook.co.uk/4wd-vtec/
Want the best engineering stories delivered straight to your inbox? The Professional Engineering newsletter gives you vital updates on the most cutting-edge engineering and exciting new job opportunities. To sign up, click here.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.