IAAPS offers a comprehensive suite of capabilities with a unique combination of highly respected academic research expertise and substantial engineering delivery experience, backed up by unrivalled state-of-the-art physical and virtual facilities. This enables us to offer our partners viable solutions to the technical challenges they are facing, within budget and in a timely manner.
To provide the industry with technology-agnostic physical development, our extensive 11,300 m2 site based at the Bristol & Bath Science Park includes the necessary capability to carry out research and development of all current powertrain systems, including pure electric, hybrid electric, battery, ICE and hydrogen-based propulsion. This is in addition to an extensive modelling and ‘digital twin’ capability.
Recognising the complexity of future powertrains and their intrinsic link with other vehicle systems, each cell is specified to enable a wide range of system integration, both physical and digital.
Our cutting-edge, £70 million IAAPS R&I centre has been designed to carry out a wide variety of complex projects for which specialist knowledge and facilities are required and to collaborate with our clients to transform their vision into market-ready technologies. At IAAPS we are able to assist from initial concept development through to modelling, testing and design validation to industrialisation.
Our new purpose-built facility has the capability to run both virtual hardware-in-the-loop testing of real components and physical steady state, transient and highly dynamic propulsion testbeds, complete powertrain cells and chassis dynamometers under a wide range of operating conditions using real driving scenarios, customer usage and unique test methodologies. This approach enables “left shifting” by frontloading the development process, helping our partners' research and optimising efficiency, energy use and vehicle range whilst lowering emissions.
At IAAPS you get the best of all worlds - an international collaborative hub in the field of propulsion research, working in pursuit of cleaner, sustainable and affordable powertrains. Depending on your requirements, you will work with our specialist engineering and / or academic teams and have access to our state-of-the-art facilities. We work to forge networks across industry, academia and businesses of all sizes to facilitate the knowledge transfer required to accelerate the pace of innovation in the mobility sector.
Unique technical facilities
Powertrain cells
Two 4WD 5E and one 2WD 3E state-of-the-art powertrain cells for research into electrified powertrain, transmissions, EDU, battery management, ICE or ICE emulation and hybrids for advanced powertrain/vehicle control strategy development using real-world and regulatory cycles and a full range of boundary conditions with highly repeatable measurements. Our highly transient absorbers allow replication of transient events and enable the integration of dynamic vehicle or system modelling software and HIL configurations. Each cell is equipped with battery emulation and full emissions and electrical power analysis capability. Our Powertrain cells are equipped with robot drivers to ensure maximum repeatability and test efficiency.
Chassis dynamometer cells
4WD chassis dynamometer with max test speed of 200kph, 250kw power rating and wide inertia range from 454kg to 5,448kg over a range of drive cycles and modelled driver behaviour. The facility caters for vehicles up to light commercial for EV range testing, fuel consumption, extreme climatic research, novel catalyst and after-treatment system chemistry development, fuels and lubricant testing, calibration development of regulated emissions with electrical power analysis and full emissions measurement capability.
The IAAPS’ highly specified climatic rolling roads, with instrumentation to research standards, enable evaluation and optimisation of complete vehicle performance in real-world driving conditions. Within our 250kW climatic control four-wheel drive rolling roads we can investigate vehicle efficiency and performance in real-world driving conditions. The chassis dynamometers can deliver environmental capabilities from -10°C to +45°C and are equipped with robot drivers which ensure maximum repeatability. These facilities encompass a soak area for vehicle stabilisation with capacity for up to nine vehicles. These cells are equipped with electrical power analysis and a full suite of highly capable conventional and FTIR emissions analysers.
Propulsion cells
Seven dynamic, high speed dynamometer cells with a diverse range of capabilities for electric machines, internal combustion engines, inverter and battery testing with full electrical power analysis and emissions capability.
This highly flexible suite of cells has a capability ranging from the highest rated cell at 800kW to the smallest capacity cell at 250kW. Our electric motor capability offers speeds of up to 30,600 rpm with configurable bi-directional battery emulation up to 750kW per cell at a maximum of 1200 volts and full transient electrical power measurement. Our largest propulsion cell is equipped to handle an 800kW engine, giving us the capability to work on the leading high-performance IC engines together with the flexibility to develop the high torque technology seen in heavy-duty and off-highway vehicles. To further our capabilities, these cells will soon be equipped with a hydrogen supply provided by our in-house “net zero” electolyser and storage system which is due to be operational in spring 2023.
Component level cells
Within the IAAPS research facilities, we have a hot gas stand for studying advanced turbomachinery concepts, fuel cell air feed development and waste heat recovery systems. By driving the turbine with heat compressed air, IAAPS can undertake turbomachinery research at temperatures of up to 750°C and flow rates of up to 150kg per hour. Our facility includes the capability of engine flow pulse simulation and the ability to test twin entry systems with unequal intake conditions. The gas stands are designed to be highly flexible with the base capability to cover a wide range of industry needs going forward for at least the next twenty years. Within the new IAAPS R&I facility, there are also an additional three fully flexible cells which can be configured as needed for system and subsystem investigation or future facility growth.
We are a collaborator of choice for sustainable partnerships underpinned by first-class infrastructure and one of the world's most highly respected and experienced propulsion research and engineering teams.