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| Photo Credit: Castrol Ltd. |
Since the first revolution of an automotive gasoline engine was accomplished, there has been a need for support systems to insure a second, third or, in the case of the vehicles we drive today, several thousand revolutions for minute can be completed. Providing the necessary lubrication for an engine to operate consistently, engine oil remains one of the most important ingredients of a vehicle.
Often referred to as the life blood of a car, engine oil routinely needs the automotive equivalent to a transfusion better known as an oil change. For a century, new engine oil had to be poured from a can or plastic container. Oil changes are a simple form of maintenance complicated by the extraction of older oil and the replenishment with new fluid. Recent years, an added wrinkle to older oil has been in adhering to the proper, environmentally-conscious method for disposal. All and all, the typical oil change including the replacement of an oil filter averages about 20 minutes. Thanks to new, ground-breaking technology introduced by engine oil giant Castrol, the 20-minute task could be performed in a mere 90 seconds.
Technology that will turn an oil change into experience as brief as a fuel stop, Castrol introduces Nexcel. Roughly resembling the size of a small cooler, the Nexcel oil containment cell compresses the entire basic oil change into a single assembly. Depicted as being located within the engine compartment, the Nexcel can be easily removed and replaced in a manner described as 13 times faster than conventional oil changes.
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| Photo Credit: Castrol Ltd. |
The Nexcel system functions similarly to the dry sump oiling system where a reservoir located away from the engine stores engine oil. Installation and removal of the Nexcel are not the only place where the system touts high performance. Castrol claims Nexcel opens the door to a new generation of advanced engineered engine oils. Vehicles connected to a Nexcel system are said to be tested at oil flows of 600 liters per minute (up to 20 times greater than what is present with the oiling system of conventional vehicles). Nexcel has also been evaluated in performance applications of extreme braking. In fact, one of the first applications of the Nexcel system will be in the high-performance, track-only Aston Martin Vulcan.
The Nexcel system touts several advantages in addition to the speedier oil change routine. Nexcel provides cleaner, greener oil changes. Eliminating the mess associated with emptying old oil and pouring in new engine oil, the cell technique also provides more efficient recycling of fluids. Oil is contained in the Nexcel can be repurposed with little risk of misdirection into more environmentally hazardous locations.
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| Photo Credit: Castrol Ltd. |
Castrol CEO Paul Waterman greatly champions the potential of the Nexcel system saying, “We believe this is the biggest leap forward in oil change technology in the history of the combustion engine. Castrol’s engineers are leaders in their field and have come up with a really innovative piece of technology.” Supported by quick unit changes, better engine performance and improved environmental impact with more than 200,000 road tankers less virgin oil needed, the chairman of the Nexcel advisory board Richard Parry-Jones also strongly sells the advantages of the system. “Nexcel represents one of its most significant innovations. It offers a solution to a problem that is increasing on the radar scope of manufacturers and when the Nexcel technology becomes standardised, people will wonder why we did it any other way,” said Parry-Jones.
Nexcel’s first use on the Aston Martin Vulcan (featuring a chassis tub created by Canadian company Multimatic) is definitely an extreme field test for a new oil system. Working alongside a 7.0-liter V12 engine generating more than 800 horsepower, Nexcel wants to ambitiously become the new standard in oil containment.
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