The final test: inside the Repsol Technology Lab's Engines Laboratory

Repsol Technology Lab, cutting-edge center of innovation and technology in the energy field in Spain, is home to an engines laboratory for the validation of fuels and lubricants. Unlike other test rooms, this space isn't focused on the development of engines, but uses them as a tool to assess the performance of our ranges of products.

The laboratory has six test cells with a capacity to accommodate engines of various cylinder capacities, whether they are 50 cubic centimeter bikes or large trucks and buses. But what makes our laboratory unique? 

Comprehensive analysis of data and parameters

The key is in the absolute control of the parameters. Technicians can precisely adjust the revolutions of the engine, ambient and engine water temperature, atmospheric pressure, or any other relevant variable during driving. This allows them to isolate the impact of any modification in the lubricant, ensuring that the results obtained are due exclusively to the product and not to external factors. For example, if we modify the viscosity of an oil to reduce friction, we can accurately observe how this change affects engine performance, maintaining all the other variables constant.

The acquisition of data also plays a fundamental role in this process. Thanks to comprehensive monitoring through different sensors in the engines, precise data on the behavior of the product can be compiled and analyzed, such as its degradation or temperature. This information is analyzed to optimize the formulas and ensure maximum efficiency and protection of the engine. 

As well as the cells, the laboratory has a climatic chamber for tests with full vehicles. This chamber simulates temperatures from -18°C to 50°C, allowing us to assess the behavior of lubricants under extreme conditions. In this way, the circle closes that ranges from the development of the products to their validation.

It's worth remembering that in this laboratory, there are both commercial lubricants and those developed for competition. As it demands maximum performance, experience on the track becomes the best test bench for technologies that are subsequently implemented into the products that reach the general public. 

This approach is aligned with Repsol's aim, which seeks to anticipate the needs of the market and offer products that are always at the forefront. That's why the engines laboratory is one of the clearest examples of it.