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Transportation Program
The Transportation Program comprises research and development primarily for the Department of Energy's (DOE) FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program. Major research areas are fuels and engines, advanced structural and propulsion system materials, power electronics and electric motors, and policy analysis. Our research addresses issues of national significance - such as improved air quality and reduced dependence on foreign oil -- with technology innovations that manufacturers can use to provide the kinds of vehicles that Americans need and want. The Program is a partner in two major government-industry research and development endeavors.
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- FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership, focusing on the high-risk research needed to develop the necessary technologies, such as fuel cells and advanced hybrid propulsion systems, to provide a full range of affordable cars and light trucks that are free of foreign oil and harmful emissions — and that do not sacrifice freedom of mobility and freedom of vehicle choice.
- 21st Century Truck Partnership, developing technologies for our nation's trucks and buses to safely and cost-effectively move larger volumes of freight and greater numbers of passengers while emitting little or no pollution, with dramatic reduction in dependence on imported oil.
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. |
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