UBC researcher Steven Rogak will get $499,824 over five years to develop fuel injector prototypes for natural gas engines. “Our goal is to develop a fuel injector that will make natural gas engines competitive with diesel engines, by eliminating dangerous particulate emissions without sacrificing efficiency or adding cost,” stated Rogak, associate director of the UBC Clean Energy Research Centre and an associate professor of mechanical engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science.
“This investment will significantly boost UBC’s collaborations with the automotive industry to provide Canadians with efficient and environmentally responsible transportation technologies,” reported the university through a press release.
“Our government recognizes the importance of leadership and vision in the industry and has created Automotive Partnership Canada to help the industry make greener, better-performing vehicles,” said Andrew Saxton, Member of Parliament for
Rogak is working on a prototype fuel injector using Westport Innovation’s High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) technology that will allow heavy-duty diesel engines to run primarily on natural gas.