National Center for Computational Sciences

Principal Investigator: Jacqueline Chen

Affiliation: Sandia National Laboratories

Machine: Cray XT4

Allocation: 18,000,000 processor hours

Research Summary: Transportation accounts for 60 percent of U.S. petroleum use, an amount equivalent to all the oil imported into the nation. Next-generation engines using alternative fuels will likely be characterized by lower temperatures and higher pressures and levels of fuel dilution. Fuel-lean operations will reduce energy consumption and emission of pollutants and greenhouse gases. This project will use high-fidelity simulations that capture complex aero-thermo-chemical interactions and, in particular, the effects of different fuel blends—interactions currently not understood. These studies will provide foundational science required to develop a combustion-modeling capability for optimizing design and operation of advanced engines using diverse fuels.