The investment is part of Millbrook's portable emissions measurement system (PEMS) and the latest addition enables real-world testing of engines powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) or diesel/CNG.
"We are seeing an increasing trend in the heavy-duty sector, moving towards using compressed natural gas (CNG) with dedicated and dual-fuel diesel/CNG engines," says Phil Stones, head of emissions and fuel economy at Millbrook.
"However, one vital consideration is that methane has a global warming potential of 28, meaning one unit of methane equals 28 of carbon dioxide (CO2) and, therefore, any methane that is released out of the exhaust can offset the CO2 benefits of the fuel.
"Thanks to this addition to the PEMS, Millbrook is now able to measure and accurately quantify respective levels of methane and non-methane hydrocarbons in the exhaust gas."
The FID unit gives Millbrook, he adds, a "new opportunity" to gather increased real-world emissions data, which can then be correlated back to testing on its chassis dynamometers.