A major milestone has been reached in the development of the UK’s first Real Driving Emissions (RDE) test centre, after Mahle Powertrain took delivery of an altitude and climate control system from Weiss.

This will be an integral part of Mahle’s (www.mahle-powertrain.com) new RDE centre, which is set to be completed by mid-2018.

The new facility will enable European vehicle manufacturers to develop next-generation petrol engines without the cost of the traditional field trips for high altitude and temperature extremes.

It is Mahle’s response to the new European-wide emissions test that was introduced in September.

The new technology will allow the company to ensure that engines are robust over a wide range of environmental conditions, as required by the new legalisation.

The new test chamber is also being fitted with comprehensive exhaust emissions testing equipment.

The test chamber will be able to simulate altitudes up to 5,000m by reducing the air pressure to about half of the standard sea-level air pressure; it also offers a temperature range from -40 to +60°C, a relative humidity range of 10-80%, and an air circulation capability of 70,000m3/hr.

To withstand the semi-vacuum conditions, the chamber walls are made of 500mm-thick reinforced concrete and the vehicles will enter via a reinforced steel door that weighs 3.5 tonnes.

An airlock will allow personnel to enter and leave the chamber without having to return to atmospheric pressure.

Chief engineer Derek Wise said: “The Weiss altitude and climatic simulation chamber is an exciting feature of our new RDE centre.

“It will allow OEMs to develop and test new engines to a high standard right here in the UK, keeping us on the map as a major global automotive development partner.”