Both Ends of the Bridge at Once: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to the DOE’s Co-Optima Project

What’s the perfect fuel, and the perfect vehicle? Can we optimize both at the same time, instead of optimizing one at a time? Researchers associated with the Co-Optima project aim to identify low carbon fuel-engine combinations that increase fuel economy by 35% (light duty) or 4% (heavy duty) with reduced emissions over 2015 baseline. The Expected Outcome? Definition of critical fuel properties that maximize performance, bio-blendstocks that provide target values of these properties and impacts of adoption–reducing emissions and providing economic benefits. Dan Gaspar of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory gave this authoritative overview of progress to date and milestones ahead as a part of the DOE Project Peer Review sessions this year.