Westport Innovations Inc. • Enabling Technologies

Westport has expertise in the following areas:

Injectors
Combustion Technology
Cryogenic Storage and Delivery—Tanks and Pumps
Compressors
Aftertreatment Systems
LNG and CNG Refuelling Infrastructure

Injectors
Westport’s direct-injection gaseous-fuel injectors are designed to be incorporated into a diesel engine with minimal or no head modifications and no changes to the engine hardware beyond swapping a Westport injector for a diesel injector. No special pistons, cams, gas mixer or port injectors are needed.

Late-cycle, high-pressure direct injection ensures diffusion type combustion and therefore retains the high power, torque, and efficiency of a regular diesel engine.

We have developed injectors capable of handling the special challenges presented by compressible fuels.

Westport injectors are designed to manage:

The high volumetric flow rates required for a fuel much less dense than diesel
Complex fuel routing for two fuels within the injector
Carbonizing and thermal fluctuations that can result from the reduced cooling capacity of a gaseous fuel
High pressure differentials within the injector and fuel leakage that can result

We have two main types of Westport injectors:

High-Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) injectors provide a small diesel pilot spray and a larger gas spray. The diesel averages only about 5% of the total energy input and is used to start the main combustion of high-pressure directly-injected natural gas. HPDI injectors are common-rail, diesel actuated, and electronically controlled. They can power engines up to about 24 bar BMEP at diesel-like efficiencies but cut NOx emissions by 50%, PM emissions by 80%, and CO₂ emissions by 20-25%.

Compressed Natural Gas Direct Injection (CNG-DI) injectors use only gaseous fuels (usually natural gas or hydrogen); there is no diesel pilot spray required. Ignition generally depends on a continuously operating glow plug. CNG-DI injectors are common-rail and directly actuated. Direct actuation allows almost unlimited injection flexibility for multiple injections and unparalleled control of injection rate for rate-shaping.

Emissions are drastically reduced by burning the natural gas, but Diesel-cycle diffusion combustion retains the power, torque, and efficiency of the diesel engine.

Combustion Technology

More broadly, Westport’s combustion technology was conceived to manage the challenges unique to burning a directly-injected compressible fuel.

For instance, Westport has developed methods for improved start-of-combustion controls using accelerometers. This helps combustion in both HPDI operation and homogeneous-charge compression-ignition (HCCI) engines.

Westport’s HSI technology uses improved methods, materials, and geometries to provide better glow plug operation, durability, and combustion control. Novel injection rate-shaping strategies, made possible by our directly-actuated injector, give more flexibility to manage the emissions, efficiency, and noise.

Westport has developed “virtual engine” modeling and other analytical tools uniquely capable of designing better methods of burning compressible fuels to power internal combustion engines.

Cryogenic Storage and Delivery
—Tanks and Pumps
cyrogenic storage and delivery

Westport’s cryogenic technologies provide gaseous fuels for mobile applications, where durability is important, space is limited, and excess weight is undesirable. Our designs for compact cryogenic pumps and storage vessels are well suited to high-vibration applications.

Our LNG tanks are easily mounted in confined spaces such as on vehicle chassis. Our LNG pump is designed to be fitted within a cryogenic vessel to minimize heat leak and external exposure of cryogenic parts.

Compressors

We design compressors to meet the fuel system’s need to provide high-pressure natural gas to the injectors. This compressor technology is modular and scalable to adapt to varying flow rates, gas pressures, and packaging requirements, which often dominate vehicle fuel system design. In general, the compressor allows storage tanks to be drawn down to a low pressure while maintaining high injection pressure—in the thousands of PSI—thus extending time between refills while maintaining consistent gas delivery performance.

Aftertreatment Systems
NOx adsorber / reformer

We also develop aftertreatment systems and work extensively with lean NOx adsorbers. We have developed novel systems and methods, applicable to both natural gas and diesel engines. Our systems and methods for the in-line regeneration of lean NOx adsorbers allow for the following benefits:

improved NOx adsorber performance through thermal management of the catalysts,
improved NOx adsorber through advanced sulfur management control methods.

LNG and CNG Refuelling Infrastructure
We have developed associated refueling infrastructure for hydrogen, LNG, and CNG, including cryogenic transfer. While designed for fuel storage and delivery, this technology would be easily adapted for other uses such as medical or industrial gases.

For information on licensing Westport technologies, please contact us.