As technology continues to advance for electrification of light-duty vehicles and other applications, significant challenges remain for decarbonization of the heavy duty on-road, off-road, rail, marine, and aviation transportation and defense sectors. Low-carbon solutions are needed for both retrofits and new powertrain architectures.
To help navigate the transition from fossil fuels to more sustainable options, ORNL researchers are working to solve end-use challenges for a wide range of net-zero carbon fuels in these hard-to-electrify applications. Fuels of interest include hydrogen; hydrogen carriers or synthetic fuels such as methanol and ammonia; and biofuels.
The work is targeting net-zero carbon and near-zero pollutant emissions to help the US reach its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
This research is sponsored by the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office, Bioenergy Technologies Office, Advanced Manufacturing Office, ARPA-E, and the US Department of Transportation.
Capabilities
Experimental engine research from 0.025 to 15 liters per cylinder
- High-efficiency and low-emissions research and demonstrations
- Combustion strategy development: diesel, spark ignition (SI), advanced compression ignition (ACI), dual-fuel
- Advanced engine architectures (long-stroke, cross-head, prechamber ignition)
- Dilute combustion, stability limits, and controls
- Transient hardware-in-the-loop capabilities
Emissions characterization and controls
- Quantification and characterization of particulate matter
- Detailed speciation of gaseous emissions
Catalysts for emissions control and fuel reforming
- Novel catalyst synthesis
- Performance evaluation in flow reactors and on-engine
- Detailed materials characterization: elemental analysis, microscopy, physisorption, chemisorption, active site titration, surface spectroscopy
- Catalyst aging and poisoning
- Engine system integration and control strategies
- Onboard hydrogen or ammonia generation
Simulations and analyses
- Engine simulations from zero-dimensional to high-fidelity, including supercomputing expertise
- Aftertreatment component model development and application
- Pressure-temperature ignition delay analysis
- Conjugate heat transfer and materials properties (link to propulsion materials)
- Thermodynamic analyses (1st and 2nd Law)
- Machine learning/artificial intelligence for engine controls
- Cyclic variability analysis
Advanced diagnostic tools for real-world systems
- Spatially resolved capillary inlet mass spectrometry (Spaci-MS)
- Laser-based spectroscopy, including high-speed intake and exhaust gas compositions and fuel-in-oil measurements
- Phosphor thermography
- Neutron imaging and diffraction
Engine lubricants
- Compatibility with alternative fuels
- Effects on abnormal combustion
- Durability
- Impacts on aftertreatment components