RMIT’S $10 million “Green Engines Research” facility in Bundoora is a first for the Asia-Pacific region, with local and overseas automotive industries lining up to be involved in research projects.
The centre, which opened today, will research new vehicle engines and converting existing engines to alternative fuels.
Professor Aleksandar Subic, Dean of Engineering and head of the school of aerospace, mechanical and manufacturing engineering, said the research would tackle the challenges faced by the automotive industry in a “carbon-constrained economy”.
“The facility is not about developing alternative fuels, it is about developing new engines or improving existing engines to make them sustainable [using alternative fuels],” he said.
“We will help industry improve existing engines or build new engines that are more efficient.”
Professor Subic said the owners of large fleets of such vehicles as trucks, buses and taxis would be among the first to benefit from converting engines to “green fuel”, such as liquid natural gas.
“There is no research lab like this at universities in this part of the world – it’s already generating strong interest from local and international automotive firms and we look forward to future collaborations on research and development projects.”
He said while Australia’s low-end manufacturing was moving offshore, Asian companies would come to the world-class Bundoora facility.
“The testing facilities will enable researchers to recommend precise improvements to fuels, fuel delivery systems or combustion systems.”
