Integrated Mobility Sciences Newsletter—Summer 2020

NREL Research Could Help Hydrogen-Fueled Big Rigs Hit the Road

A shift toward using hydrogen fuel in long-haul trucking could drive a coast-to-coast network of fueling stations, but before that can happen, scientists must address a few critical questions. NREL is helping industry address challenges such as reducing hydrogen fueling times and ensuring hydrogen fueling stations can operate in a variety of temperatures and weather conditions. Well-known leaders in transportation and fuels like Toyota Motor Corporation, Honda, Shell, and Air Liquide are partnering with NREL to make hydrogen fueling research for heavy-duty vehicles a priority through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) H2@Scale initiative.

Combined Fuel and Engine Research Brings Cleaner, More Efficient Cars and Trucks Closer to Finish Line

The Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Co-Optima) initiative celebrated Fiscal Year 2019 successes—including contributions from NREL and other national laboratories—with the June release of its FY19 Year in Review report.

Building on insights on biofuel interactions with turbocharged spark-ignition engines in light-duty vehicles, Co-Optima has shifted its focus to multimode, ducted fuel injection, as well as other combustion strategies for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. When co-optimized with biofuels, this technology lays the groundwork for a cleaner, more affordable, and more efficient on-road fleet.

John Farrell Receives Esteemed SAE Fellow Recognition

NREL's John Farrell, laboratory program manager for vehicle technologies, has been named a 2019 Fellow of SAE International. The designation honors his exceptional leadership and distinctive accomplishments in fuel science and fuel–engine interactions. SAE is an association of engineers and other technical experts in the automotive, commercial-vehicle, and aerospace industries. It awards the fellow designation to long-term members who have made a significant impact on society's mobility technology through leadership, research, and innovation

Research Determines Financial Benefit from Driving Electric Vehicles

Over the course of 15 years, motorists can save as much as $14,500 on fuel costs with an electric vehicle instead of a comparable gasoline-powered vehicle, according to a recent study by researchers at NREL and Idaho National Laboratory. This analysis provides an unprecedented state-level assessment of the cost of vehicle charging that considers when, where, and how a vehicle is charged, and considers thousands of electricity retail tariffs and real-world charging equipment and installation costs.

Freight Mobility Energy Productivity

Trends such as the rise in e-commerce, increased vehicle electrification, connectivity, automation, and new forms of delivery are poised to bring a paradigm shift in freight movement. NREL researchers developed the Freight Mobility Energy Productivity (F-MEP) metric to quantify the productivity of current and future freight systems from the shipper’s perspective. The metric provides a mathematical framework for quantifying freight productivity—connecting freight demand to freight supply, while accounting for inputs such as time, energy, logistics cost, and ease of shipping goods via various modes.

NREL's Sandra Loi Receives 2020 U.S. Department of Energy Distinguished Achievement Award

During the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office Annual Merit Review in June, NREL's Sandra Loi was honored with a Distinguished Achievement Award for her outstanding service to technology integration partners. For 11 years, Loi has been NREL's key liaison for the Clean Cities Coalition Network, connecting NREL expertise and tools with on-the-ground technical challenges. "Sandra excels at understanding stakeholders and how their needs intersect with our work," said Wendy Dafoe, who oversees NREL's role in Clean Cities. "That's what Clean Cities is all about."

American Society of Mechanical Engineers Designates NREL Researcher as Fellow

NREL's Sreekant Narumanchi, who leads the laboratory's Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Machines group, was recently selected as an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Fellow. The recognition honors his extensive involvement with ASME and his excellence in mechanical engineering research at NREL. Narumanchi’s involvement in ASME includes acting as InterPACK’s general chair in 2019 and the associate editor of ASME's Journal of Electronic Packaging for the past two years.

New Public Tool Aids in Development of Hydrogen Fueling Stations

NREL researchers, in collaboration with Kyushu University in Japan, have developed a new Hydrogen Filling Simulation (H2FillS) to answer vital questions about the change in hydrogen temperature, pressure, and mass flow when filling a hydrogen fuel cell car. The model will enable hydrogen station designers and operators to outline station performance and vehicle fill characterization based on a variety of parameters. The intuitive “drag-and-drop” graphical user interface allows users to evaluate both full-station models and partial-station models, which focus on dispenser components.