Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Due to the significant North American and international reserves, natural gas (NG) is an attractive, cleaner burning alternative fuel for internal combustion engines. Westport Innovations Inc., based in Vancouver, British Columbia, is a global leader in NG engine fuelling technologies and through collaboration with the University of British Columbia, has developed a High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) fuelling system for medium and heavy duty engines. HPDI enables the use of NG in production diesel engines, with the potential for reduced emissions and fuel consumption. In light of this, Westport Innovations and UBC will investigate two potential technologies aimed at further reducing particulate emissions, which have significant negative environmental and health implications. In particular, hot surface ignition and air-diluted fuel strategies will be assessed using a host of experimental and numerical tools available at UBC and Westport Innovations. Beyond reducing the engine-out emissions, these two technologies also hold the potential to reduce the fuel system cost and complexity, which will allow natural gas to be more readily used as a practical fuel for internal combustion engines. The outcomes of this work will be beneficial to Canada as they will reduce the emissions from NG engines, provide technologies for the responsible use of Canada's NG resources, and help reinforce Westport's and Canada's role as technology leader in natural gas technologies.