SwRI offering coolant chiller testing

7 May 2002

A state-of-the-art, custom-designed coolant chiller system is available for engine durability and reliability testing program, including deep-thermal shock tests, at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI).

In addition to operating a single engine through a deep-thermal shock cycle, the coolant chiller has also the capacity for other laboratory uses such as low-temperature intake air cooling for high altitude simulations and low-temperature after-cooling for special projects. The chiller can be used to perform deep-thermal shock tests, which force an engine or an engine component to endure the thermal conditions it would experience in its lifetime, condensed into a few days of testing.

The coolant supply in the chiller can be set as low as -30°C (-20°F). SwRI said it can perform deep-thermal shock tests to meet industry standards set by Ford, General Motors, and other automotive manufacturers. The chiller can also be used for specialty durability testing and performance mapping. Cold-start testing is accomplished in a low-temperature enclosure capable of -32°C (-25°F).

SwRI said it was one of a few laboratories in the nation equipped to handle deep-thermal shock testing.

Source: Southwest Research Institute