• rey Gebhart of the Blanket and Fuel Cycle group in ORNLs Fusion Energy Division prepares the high-speed camera he uses to photograph pellets inside a pellet injection system he uses for fusion R&D.
  • plastic model of a pellet used in the shattered pellet injection systems of some of today’s tokamaks
  • GM-SG 2 Single Cylinder Research Engine used for Octane Index Studies within Co-Optima.

Engine Technologies Research

Engine Technologies Research

Leadership in advanced engine technologies including application-specific on-road and off-road implementations such as hybridization, transient operation, and integrated energy systems.

The group’s expertise spans multi-disciplinary engine research including advanced thermodynamic analysis, applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning to engine systems, 0-D and 3D simulations including coupling of computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis and the use of high-performance computing, non-linear dynamics for cyclic variability analysis and mitigation of abnormal combustion. Research areas include engine system integration with emissions controls for applications in on-road, off-road and stationary applications; marine engine research including alternative fuels and lubricants; combustion engine systems; innovations in electric and hybridized propulsion systems; waste heat recovery and utilization, and advanced predicative engine system simulations. The group’s scientific and technological breakthroughs support a clean, decarbonized transportation future.