The "Heart of the Urals" Advanced Engineering School at South Ural State University has completed the development of a unique test bench for testing of fuel and additives.
The installation is designed to conduct tests using a globally recognized evaluation method, which is based on the use of the Mercedes M102 automobile engine.
"This is a standardized methodology developed by one of the leading scientific centres in Europe and widely used in the world," said Mikhail Ershov, General Director of the New Technologies Monitoring Centre. "Jointly with the "Heart of the Urals" Advanced Engineering School, we adapted it to Russian realities and can now test branded Russian fuels in our own country without sending them abroad."
The test facility, which is based on the original Mercedes M102 engine with the KE-Jetronic fuel injection system, is equipped with a modern oil load circuit and allows determining the impact of different fuel grades and additives on deposits formation and engine wear.
"The unique feature of the complex is the imitation of extreme engine operating conditions: load cycles change every 30 seconds, which is equivalent to 10 thousand operational kilometers in 60 hours of testing," commented project manager, Professor Vladislav Lazarev. "Fast-changing cycles require error-free operation of the control system, so we created our own automated control system for the test bench from scratch. This is a key factor in the accuracy of the tests. Moreover, we will integrate this test bench into the educational process: students will be involved in working with data and equipment, which will help train a new generation of specialists."
In the future, it is planned to create a similar test bench for diesel engines, which will expand the research capabilities of the experimental laboratory and support the development of domestic technologies in the fuel and energy complex and engine-building industry.