With more than 35 years of experience working with large, medium-speed engines, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) conducts a variety of design, development and testing programs on engines ranging from a few hundred to over 7,000 horsepower. Locomotive, stationary power, off-road, military and marine engines are operated on diesel, heavy oils, compressed pipeline natural gas and methane from liquefied natural gas, LPG, hydrogen and other zero carbon fuel.
SwRI’s Large Engine Facility includes four test cells dedicated to large, high horsepower engines and gen sets.
SwRI also maintains a locomotive exhaust emissions test center near downtown San Antonio. The facility was established in 1990 for the Association of American Railroads, and to date, more than 150 locomotives have been tested at this site. Included in these tests have been projects for EPA, CARB, the California DOT (CaDOT), DOE, AAR, railroads, and original equipment manufacturers.