Top scientists, engineers, and analysts with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative are examining how simultaneous improvements to fuels and engines can improve efficiency and reduce emissions and costs of the entire on-road fleet, including light-duty (LD), medium-duty (MD), and heavy-duty (HD) internal combustion vehicles that are likely to make up the majority of the U.S. automotive market for decades to come.

After completing a major body of research focused on turbocharged spark ignition engines in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, Co-Optima’s FY19 LD research and development (R&D) shifted focus to multimode solutions that employ multiple engine operating modes to maximize engine efficiency and fuel economy. A report released this week highlights the most significant Co-Optima R&D accomplishments from FY 2019, with details on findings that straddle LD, MD, and HD technologies:

• Multimode ignition strategies to boost fuel economy
• Fuel metrics to more accurately predict performance
• Ducted fuel injection for virtually sootless diesel combustion
• Renewable feedstocks to produce commercially viable diesel blends.

Download the Co-Optima FY19 Year in Review report.
Get more details on the report.
Learn more about the Co-Optima initiative.