August 3, 2015 – Lightweight powertrain materials could play a hefty role in helping automakers meet stricter Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s supercomputer could accelerate their deployment. Working with industry, ORNL researchers are developing materials that are lighter, affordable and able to withstand the higher temperatures and pressures of high-efficiency turbocharged engines. These engines are increasingly popular because they provide the benefit of improved fuel economy without sacrificing performance. Using Titan, the nation’s fastest computer for open science research, researchers are taking a materials genome approach to develop new cast aluminum alloys that have improved properties at much higher temperatures. “Our goal is to take high-temperature cast aluminum where it has never been,” said ORNL researcher Amit Shyam.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
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