Argonne opens new facility for advanced vehicle testing

ARGONNE, Ill. (Nov. 15, 2002) – North America's only independent testing facility for engines, fuel cells, electric drives and energy storage is open for business at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory.

The Advanced Powertrain Research Facility was formally dedicated today at ceremonies attended by officials from Argonne, the Department of Energy, and automobile manufacturers, as well as members of the U.S. Congress.

State-of-the-art performance and emissions measurement equipment at the facility is designed to enhance the development of advanced technology powertrain components for cars and trucks, support model development and validate advanced vehicle technology.

"This facility provides researchers with the tools needed to develop and evaluate vehicle components that will meet America's changing transportation needs," said Richard Moorer, DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "This facility will help industry enhance energy efficiency and productivity by bringing clean, reliable and affordable energy technologies to the marketplace while reducing dependence on foreign supplies of oil. This will make a difference in the everyday lives of Americans by enhancing their energy choices and their quality of life."

Instrumentation similar to that available at the Advanced Powertrain Research Facility is in use at research facilities operated by vehicle manufacturers, but this is the only facility in North America that combines the best available emissions instrumentation with such a wide range of fuels including gasoline, hydrogen, natural gas, and diesel.

"This unique combination of analytical, development and testing experience provides the Department of Energy with the latest techniques to evaluate new vehicle technologies in both emulated and real-vehicle environments," said Bob Larsen, Director of Argonne's Center for Transportation Research. "Argonne's long history in modeling, developing and testing advanced engines, hybrid-electric vehicle powertrains and control systems, traction batteries, fuel cells, and vehicles is a large part of making Argonne an important laboratory for vehicle technology development and validation."

Instruments in the Advanced Powertrain Research Facility include:

• Four-wheel-drive dynamometer system, which allows road load simulation, monitoring, tractive effort, coastdown and calibration modes for two- and four-wheel-drive vehicles up to 14,000 lbs.
• Sophisticated emissions measurement system for gas- and diesel-powered vehicles, which provides particulate and criteria emissions measurement of exhausts at Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle levels.
• Data acquisition system, designed for testing fuel cell, hybrid electric and electric vehicles.
• Safety system, for testing ventilation of hydrogen, hazardous gas, heat and smoke.
• State-of-the-art air handling system that cleans and conditions test air, as well as providing for ventilation and cooling.

The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory conducts basic and applied scientific research across a wide spectrum of disciplines, ranging from high-energy physics to climatology and biotechnology. Since 1990, Argonne has worked with more than 600 companies and numerous federal agencies and other organizations to help advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for the future. Argonne is managed by the University of Chicago for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

For more information, please contact Catherine Foster (630/252-5580 or cfoster@anl.gov) at Argonne.