News Release
Twitter IconFollow     RSS IconRSS     Print IconPrint     Flickr IconPhotos     YouTube IconVideo     Share IconShare
Media Contact: Fred Strohl
Communications and Media Relations
865.574.4165


Audio Spot: Floating loop will cool future vehicle engine systems

 Audio Clip  
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 28, 2006 — An under-the-hood internal systems network to keep vehicles of the future running cooler and more energy efficient is being developed by the National Transportation Research Center, which is part of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Oak Ridge's Laura Marlino says the cooling network is called the floating loop.

"Floating loop is geared toward future developments of hybrid and possibly fuel cell vehicles, which will have high power, high heat producing electronics and motors," says Marlino. "The floating loop will enhance their operation by being able to cool these electronics and motors more efficiently."

Marlino says future vehicles' internal systems will need to be kept as cool as possible.

"As you more efficiently cool them, you can reduce the size, weight and volume, and that leads to greatly improved gas mileage," says Marlino.

ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle for the Department of Energy.