SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 19, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is launching Clean High-Efficiency Diesel Engine VII (CHEDE-VII), the seventh phase of the industry's longest-running diesel research consortium.
Consortium members will select research topics related to low-emission, high-efficiency diesel engine technology. Building on more than 24 years of experience, CHEDE-VII will develop pre-competitive diesel engine technology initiatives to address the needs of industry five to 10 years into the future.
The kick-off meeting for the four-year, multi-client cooperative research program, which is open to potential new members, will be Nov. 5 at SwRI headquarters in San Antonio.
"We will suggest a number of research areas that we think are important for the consortium membership to investigate. The members, though, will determine the direction of the research over the four years," said Dr. Charles Roberts, a director in SwRI's Engine, Emissions, and Vehicle Research Division and the program lead. Over the past quarter of a century, membership in the consortium has included major diesel engine manufacturers as well as electronics, fuels and lubricants, and other affiliated systems suppliers.
Consortium membership allows companies to share costs and access more research than would be feasible if funded individually. Additionally, members receive royalty-free licensing for all intellectual property produced during the consortium. Membership will be $120,000 per year for engine and vehicle original equipment manufacturers and $70,000 annually for supplier companies. Limited supplier memberships are available at $50,000 per year, which allow participation in the meetings, but limit rights to intellectual property and voting.
SwRI manages a number of automotive consortia including High-Efficiency, Dilute Gasoline Engine (HEDGE®) focusing on improving gasoline engine technology; Advanced Combustion Catalyst and Aftertreatment Technologies (AC2AT), which is looking at emissions solutions for future engines; the Particle Sensor Performance and Durability (PSPD) program, aimed at evaluating heavy-duty engine exhaust sensors; and the Energy Storage System Evaluation and Safety (EssEs) consortium focusing on the energy storage requirements for future transportation.
For more information about CHEDE-VII, contact Jason Miwa at (210) 522-6402 or e-mail at jason.miwa@swri.org.
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About SwRI:
SwRI is an independent, nonprofit, applied research and development organization based in San Antonio, Texas, with nearly 2,800 employees and an annual research volume of $549 million. Southwest Research Institute and SwRI are registered marks in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. For more information about Southwest Research Institute, please visit newsroom.swri.org or www.swri.org.