Facilities at Analytical Technologies
The ATI facilities
include 6250 sq-ft of air-conditioned lab and machine shop space.
Prototype engines were constructed for all previous projects, since
1981, in the 1250 sq-ft machine shop on premises. The machine shop
contains the necessary equipment for production of prototype billet
cylinder heads, custom hypereutectic or forged pistons, valve train
components (cams, push rods, rocker arms, and valves), connecting rods,
crankshafts, and custom intake and exhaust manifolds.
Previous
research has required construction of these pieces.
A variety of engine control systems have also been designed and constructed. Those systems have included the design of port fuel injection systems for methanol and both port and direct fuel injection systems for hydrogen.
The facilities include 5000 sq-ft of lab space for
testing and equipment assembly. A variety of experiments have been
conducted there to determine safety of gaseous fuels and evaluate
prototype engine designs.
Research has been conducted with the following fuels:
Pure hydrogen, Pure Ethanol, Coal Derived Gasoline, Oil Shale Derived Gasoline,
Gasoline/Hydrogen blends, Dissociated Methanol, Late Vaporized Methanol,
Prevaporized Methanol, Methanol/Gasoline blends, Ethanol/Diesel blends,
Ethanol/Gasoline blends, JP8, JP8/H2-CO-N2 blends, JP8/Hydrogen blends,
Kerosene/Hydrogen blends, Liquid Petroleum Gas, Natural Gas, Natural
Gas/Hydrogen blends.