Title:

Towards High-Efficiency Clean Diesel Engines

Speaker:

Caroline L. Genzale

Affiliation:

Combustion Research Facility, Sandia National Laboratories

When:

Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 11:00:00 AM   Add to Calendar

Where:

MRDC Building, Room 4211

Host:

Kathryn Smith
ksmith8@gatech.edu

Abstract

Although internal combustion engines have been in use for over a century, diesel combustion engines can enable the efficiency improvements needed to significantly cut petroleum use and CO2 emissions. However, amidst the increasingly stringent emissions-regulation environment in the United States, the success of future diesel-engine technologies hinges on developing new combustion strategies that can mitigate emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) without sacrificing fuel-economy and CO2 reduction benefits. In addition, we will need to develop solutions that can adapt to the emerging landscape of alternative fuels.

I will discuss my research efforts to address these challenges, working to provide the science base needed for the practical realization of clean high-efficiency diesel engines. I will demonstrate how the application of laser-based diagnostics in optically-accessible engines and high-pressure spray vessels has brought forth breakthroughs in our understanding of the physical and chemical processes of diesel combustion. I will discuss the critical need for this type of data to support improvement of multi-dimensional engine models, which can enable rapid exploration of novel combustion solutions. Finally, I will show how the use of biodiesel fuels can affect spray and emissions formation processes, displaying some potential benefits and challenges.

Biography

Caroline L. Genzale is currently a post-doctoral researcher at the Combustion Research Facility at Sandia National Laboratories. During her 2 years working with Sandia, she has focused on the study of spray and engine combustion processes using a wide variety of optical and laser-based measurement techniques. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where she worked on the development of multi-dimensional engine models and design optimization tools.