DASEC's Challenge

As U.S. emissions regulations become more stringent in the coming years, auto makers and suppliers must bolster their engineering and testing capabilities — a mission that is neither inexpensive nor simple.

Earlier this year, Motorola Automotive added an entire test bench to its ambient vehicle test cell in Dearborn, MI, at the company's Detroit Applications and Systems Engineering Center (DASEC). Now, the facility can evaluate a vehicle's emissions to determine if it meets super ultra low emission vehicle (SULEV) and partial zero emission vehicle (PZEV) ratings as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Measuring such minute amounts of emission gas is extremely difficult. In the past, a vehicle's tailpipe was connected to diagnostic equipment that mixed the exhaust gas with ambient air.

When testing for SULEV and PZEV, however, ambient air cannot be used because it's not clean enough. Instead, exhaust gas is combined with ultra-clean nitrogen; the purified mixture then can be measured more easily.

However, the infrastructure to conduct such testing is extensive, costing about $1.2 million, says Steven Plee, Motorola's director-Systems Engineering at DASEC. An elaborate maze of stainless-steel tubing now covers the walls of the SULEV and PZEV test cell.

The tubing — all of it meticulously polished on the inside, per EPA mandate — is necessary to transmit calibration gases (such as methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen) to determine if a vehicle meets the strict emission requirements.

The 48-in. (122-cm) dynamometer in the test cell can accommodate any vehicle smaller than a medium-duty pickup. The largest vehicle tested in the cell so far has been a Ford F-350 Super Duty. Currently, the test cell is only used for gasoline engines. If customer demand warrants, Motorola will invest in the necessary equipment to analyze particulate emissions for diesel engines, Plee says.

With its new SULEV and PZEV capability, the ambient vehicle cell has been busy for several months.

“This cell is in steady use,” says Jeff Naber, advanced systems manager at DASEC. Vehicles undergoing testing currently are in final calibration phase for '06 launch, and some are in advanced development to meet stricter emissions levels for '08 launch.

Recently, the service bay was filled with cars from China undergoing emissions testing. Naber says Motorola is considering whether to construct a similar facility in China to test vehicles for the region, rather than having them shipped to Michigan.

In Europe, Motorola already has a partner, Zytek Group Ltd. (in which Motorola owns a 19% stake), to do such testing. The Motorola Zytek Technologies (MZT) facility in Birmingham, U.K., is expected to be fully operational next year, with engine and vehicle test cells, similar to those in Dearborn.

Motorola opened its DASEC facility in Dearborn in 1987 to support sales of its engine controllers to Ford Motor Co. Since 1997, however, the engineering center has been devoted to a range of customers, including Ford, General Motors Corp., Chrysler Group, Honda Motor Co. Ltd., Detroit Diesel Corp. and Cummins Inc.

Motorola remains a major player in engine controllers, but the DASEC facility gives the supplier a much broader capability in engineering services. The facility has three engine dynamometers, including one with an operating capacity up to 470 hp, and a diesel-engine test cell that can accommodate a whopping 1,000 lb.-ft. (1,355 Nm) of engine torque.

DASEC also has an environmental test cell that can reach temperatures of -45°C (-49°F) and 65°C (149°F).

The facility is staffed by 40 engineers and technicians, a number that Naber expects will reach 50 by the end of the year.