Cummins Westport wins PM test grant

Natural gas engine maker Cummins Westport said it has won a $500,000 grant to test catalyzed particulate controls on low-emissions natural gas transit bus engines with the goal of reducing particulate matter (PM) to what it calls "non-detectable" levels. The funding, which is subject to contractual agreements, will be administered by California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). Cummins Westport will lead the program with support from experts in exhaust emission analysis from the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin and the University of West Virginia. Results are anticipated to be available in 2004, the company said. Cummins Westport added that this test is designed to find out if catalyzed particulate controls can reduce PM emissions to virtually zero. That would help keep natural gas vehicles at the forefront of California's clean air initiatives, said Hugh Foden, the company's president.