MMAE Seminar - Alternative Fuels for Transportation

Armour College of Engineering's Mechanical, Materials & Aerospace Engineering Department will welcome Dr. Thomas Wallner, a Principal Mechanical Engineer and the Manager of Fuels, Engine and Aftertreatment Research at Argonne's Center for Transportation Research, on Wednesday, February 17th to present his lecture, Alternative Fuels for Transportation.

Abstract

Despite the fact that the idea of using alternative fuels for transportation applications is as old as the internal combustion engine itself, 95% of vehicles worldwide are powered with conventional fuels. In light of concerns over limited fossil resources as well as regulated and greenhouse gas emissions several alternative fuels have been promoted over the last decades with ethanol and electricity currently being the most dominant options. However, most (all) alternative fuels share similar shortcomings in terms of infrastructure, storage and vehicle range. This seminar discusses drivers for alternative fuels research, highlights past and predicted trends for non-conventional fuels and outlines some of the main challenges of various alternatives.

Biography

Thomas Wallner is a Principal Mechanical Engineer and the Manager of Fuels, Engine and Aftertreatment Research at Argonne's Center for Transportation Research. In this role Thomas and his team plan, perform and analyze work for research projects on light-duty, heavy-duty as well as off-road engine and combustion topics with various fuels including hydrogen and natural gas, gasoline and alcohol fuels as well as diesel fuel.

Since 2009 Dr. Wallner is also part of the adjunct faculty at Michigan Technological University. As Assistant Professor in the Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics Department he supervises and mentors students for their masters' as well as doctoral research work.

Dr. Wallner has published more than 80 peer-reviewed technical papers and holds a European Patent on Hydrogen Injection Strategies. He is also an active member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and has been supporting numerous national and international conferences as a session organizer and chair. He recently finished a term as the Chair of the Society of Automotive Engineers' (SAE) Advanced Power Sources Committee, serves as an Associate Editor for SAE's International Journal of Engines and was elected vice chair of SAE's Powertrains, Fuels and Lubricants Activity.