ORNL EERE Program - Transportation R&D

Transportation R&D at ORNL

Transporation R&D at ORNL ORNL has played an important role in transportation research and development since 1982. Our research addresses issues of national significance like air quality and dependence on foreign oil with technology innovations manufacturers can use to provide the kinds of vehicles that Americans need and want.

More information about out current research is available in the 2003 Transportation Program Highlights Report.

ORNL is a partner in two major research and development initiatives:

FreedomCAR Partnership, dramatically changing how we power cars and light-duty trucks
21st Century Truck Partnership, developing technologies for heavy-duty trucks and buses with improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, enhanced safety and performance, and lower operating costs

The technical research areas supporting these two initiatives include the following

Two National User Facilities at ORNL support transportation-related research and development by researchers from universities, industry, and other government laboratories:

The High Temperature Materials Laboratory (HTML) helps solve materials problems that limit the efficiency and reliability of advanced energy conversion systems. HTML has extensive capabilities for characterizing the microstructure, the microchemistry, and the physical and mechanical properties of materials over a wide range of temperatures.

The National Transportation Research Center (NTRC) is a window to transportation research programs at ORNL and the University of Tennessee (UT). NTRC offers one of the most diverse concentrations of transportation researchers in the United States. The center provides access to ORNL and UT expertise in fuels, engines and emissions; power electronics; logistics; ITS; GIS; policy and data analysis; modeling and simulation; and composite materials.