This CRADA project with Wabtec and ORNL focuses on implementing low lifecycle carbon fuels, particularly hydrogen, in locomotive engines. A new research facility at ORNL’s NTRC is being established, featuring a Wabtec single-cylinder engine and extensive infrastructure upgrades for electrical, air, fuel, oil, and coolant systems. Hydrogen storage and delivery systems are designed. The approach […]
This project develops and validates advanced CFD tools for hydrogen combustion in large-bore locomotive engines, aiming for up to 100% H2 operation. Simulations evaluated hydrogen substitution rates, diesel injection parameters, and compression ratios on combustion performance. Key findings showed a shift from mixing-controlled to flame propagation combustion with increasing H2, identifying conditions leading to high […]
This project evaluates the transient performance of Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines (H2-ICEs) for off-road vehicle decarbonization. Utilizing an Engine-in-Loop (EIL) facility, the team demonstrated closed-loop tractor duty cycles with a Navistar diesel engine, developing and validating agricultural tractor models. Infrastructure for H2 fueling is complete. Key findings include presented fuel consumption and NOx emissions for […]
This “atoms-to-autos” project aims to reduce Platinum Group Metal (PGM) use in catalytic converters by 50%. It focuses on developing catalysts with single-atoms or small ensembles of palladium and rhodium, alongside engineered support materials for enhanced aging resistance. The project achieved 60% PGM thrifting at the core sample level with equivalent performance and identified optimal […]
This project develops predictive combustion and emission models for low lifecycle carbon fuels (LLCFs) across hard-to-decarbonize sectors. Key advancements include improved kinetic models for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) components like cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane, and a novel Jet-A surrogate. The team also enhanced the Zero-RK software for faster chemical kinetics solutions and released GPS-Z for efficient […]
Biogas systems are proven, customizable net-zero technologies, feeding biomethane into existing gas infrastructure and treating diverse wet organic wastes. They offer high operational flexibility, integrating electrical and natural gas grids, and are generally cheaper than green hydrogen. Achieving flexibility involves increased CHP/gas storage capacity and production control, incurring higher costs balanced by benefits. Crucially, renewable […]
EU directives target 35 bcm renewable gas by 2030, with the Netherlands aiming for 1.1 bcm Green Gas, 0.55 bcm via gasification. This necessitates building approximately 14 (30 MWth) plants in NL and 175 across Europe by 2030. Implementation faces challenges like higher costs, insufficient long-term subsidies, and diverging policies favoring manure digestion. Future integration […]
Integrating bioenergy is essential for flexible renewable energy systems, addressing increasing demands for short- and long-term flexibility, electrification support, and carbon management. Flexible bioenergy helps resolve intraday and seasonal electricity mismatches by producing storable fuels like methane or LNG. It also valorizes hydrogen, supports defossilization by creating fuels and chemicals, and enables negative emissions via […]
IIASA’s GLOBIOM model simulates global land-use change across agriculture, bioenergy, and forestry to understand market-mediated responses. Research analyzed uncertainty in Induced Land-Use Change (ILUC) emissions from increased US soy-biodiesel demand using One-at-a-time and Monte Carlo simulations. Results show ILUC estimates are highly sensitive to economic and biophysical parameters, with oil palm expansion in Southeast Asia […]
Bioenergy is crucial for GHG reduction but raises sustainability concerns, particularly with dedicated energy crops. Research identified 427 observations of synergies, trade-offs, or no effect, with context-specific factors like previous land use and feedstock influencing outcomes. Most synergies occur with perennial crops on marginal land, while trade-offs arise from using natural areas. Maximizing sustainability requires […]
