Engine Certification is in the House!

Testing, testing, one, two, three. Literally. That big structure quickly taking shape on Barnard Avenue will be home to three new test cells that are an important part of an expanded High Tech Centre (HTC) at Westport.

Since starting construction in October, the expanded facility has been steadily raising the roof. When complete, it will be home to a machine shop, a fabrication shop and offices, in addition to the test cells.

While the current five test cells in the existing High Tech Centre are able to do primarily stationary testing, the new cells will allow Westport to run both stationary and transient test cycles, mimicking driving conditions, like going up and down hills or braking and accelerating.

The new cells are going to expand capacity to do testing by about 30 percent and are much needed, since the existing three cells are now running double shifts - some of them 24/7 - due to the demand.

By March, the building should be completed, and all of the equipment needed will be installed by April.

Along with the new building construction, Westport is adding another cell to the existing HTC, giving us the ability to do essential engine certification in house.

“Currently, we have to go outside for some testing, and this means we will be able to all of our testing here, including the certification,” explains Vladan Stanojevic, Manager of Engine Testing.

Internal certification means significant savings in time, energy and cost. Because all of the equipment in the cell is new, representatives from AVL are on-site this week to commission the test cell control system.

Laying the Foundation

Deep in the Construction Phase

The Building Blocks of the New High Tech Centre