By Matthew McVitty, Head of Business Performance (CATAGEN Green Emissions Testing)
The automotive sector is rapidly evolving as OEMs explore a range of alternative fuels to reduce emissions and meet increasingly stringent global legislation. Alongside battery electric technology, there is renewed momentum behind hydrogen internal combustion engines, compressed natural gas (CNG), renewable natural gas (RNG), biomethane, ammonia and methanol. These fuels offer the potential for cleaner combustion, lower CO2 emissions and compatibility with existing engine platforms.
However, while alternative fuels can reduce engine out emissions, they also introduce new challenges for the aftertreatment system. Understanding how these fuels affect catalyst durability, poisoning, deactivation and long-term performance is essential to ensure compliance throughout the full useful life of the vehicle.
Why CATAGEN’s OMEGA Technology Supports Automotive Development
Automotive OEMs are under increasing pressure to develop new powertrains when prototype engines are not yet available or when dyno capacity is constrained. This is where CATAGEN’s OMEGA reactor becomes a powerful enabler. OMEGA is a synthetic gas reactor capable of replicating the exact engine-out conditions of any powertrain without requiring a physical engine. This allows catalyst ageing and performance testing to start much earlier in the development cycle.
OMEGA can deliver precisely controlled gas compositions that reflect the combustion chemistry of different fuel types. Whether an OEM is developing a hydrogen ICE, CNG vehicle, methanol engine or ammonia concept, OMEGA can recreate the expected engine-out chemical species and temperature profiles needed to understand aftertreatment behaviour and optimise system design.
Typical gases we work with include NO, ammonia (NH₃), H₂O, O₂, CO, CO₂, methane (CH₄), propane(C₃H₈) and propene (C₃H₆). The OMEGA reactors can also introduce contaminants and poisoning compounds commonly found in automotive environments, such as sulphur, phosphorus and engine oil. This allows OEMs to understand real-world durability concerns well before vehicle integration.
Accelerating Catalyst Ageing for Full Useful Life (FUL) Assessment
With the ability to vary flow rates, temperatures, transient conditions and exhaust gas compositions for both conventional and alternative fuels, CATAGEN’s OMEGA reactors can replicate the exact operating environment seen across light-duty, heavy-duty, motorcycle and off-road powertrains. Their high-temperature capability enables accelerated ageing that condenses years of in-field use into a fraction of the time.
Instead of waiting for lengthy mileage accumulation or relying on scarce early engine prototypes, OEMs can complete accelerated ageing and obtain pre- and post-ageing measurements such as Oxygen Storage Capacity and catalyst activity / emissions conversion efficiency. This directly supports calibration work, FUL assessments and OBD-related studies, giving development teams robust data much earlier in the programme for diesel, gasoline and new fuel options such as hydrogen, CNG/RNG, methanol and ammonia.
The approach is underpinned by CATAGEN’s broader offering, including precise reproducibility with sub-2% variability, and significant cost and CO₂ savings compared with engine-based ageing. By de-risking programmes early and freeing up valuable dyno and engine capacity, OMEGA helps OEMs shorten development timelines while maintaining confidence in aftertreatment durability and emissions compliance for both traditional and low-carbon fuels.
Supporting Early Powertrain Development
One of the key advantages CATAGEN offers is the ability to age catalysts in parallel with engine development. When investigating new low-carbon and alternative fuels such as hydrogen, CNG/RNG, methanol or ammonia, OEMs may not yet have stable prototype engines or mature combustion strategies available. OMEGA acts as a surrogate powertrain, providing reliable engine-out chemistry for both conventional and alternative fuels without the delays associated with hardware readiness or limited dyno capacity.
This helps engineers understand how different fuel formulations and combustion strategies impact the catalyst, whether any additional poisoning or deactivation risks arise and how the aftertreatment system should be specified for the next generation of engines. By gaining this clarity earlier in the programme, OEMs can reduce development time and cost while increasing confidence in meeting current and future emissions legislation across a diverse fuel portfolio.
One of the key advantages CATAGEN offers is the ability to age catalysts in parallel with engine development. When investigating new low-carbon and alternative fuels such as hydrogen, CNG/RNG, methanol or ammonia, OEMs may not yet have stable prototype engines or mature combustion strategies available. OMEGA acts as a surrogate powertrain, providing reliable engine-out chemistry for both conventional and alternative fuels without the delays associated with hardware readiness or limited dyno capacity.
This helps engineers understand how different fuel formulations and combustion strategies impact the catalyst, whether any additional poisoning or deactivation risks arise and how the aftertreatment system should be specified for the next generation of engines. By gaining this clarity earlier in the programme, OEMs can reduce development time and cost while increasing confidence in meeting current and future emissions legislation across a diverse fuel portfolio.
More content
