This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to develop the Engine Combustion Simulator (ECS), an innovative software product that will enable researchers to develop and apply accurate chemical reactions for the design, control and optimization of the automotive engine and exhaust gas after-treatment devices. The ECS will reduce the costly and time-consuming experimental testing, as well as enable the researcher to probe concepts that are difficult or infeasible to test experimentally. These developments will accelerate the development of more fuel efficient and environmentally cleaner automobiles. At the core of the ECS is a suite of advanced database technologies and computational algorithms that enable the user to easily build accurate reaction mechanisms, and quickly perform simulation studies using these mechanisms.
The broader impact/commercial potential from this technology will result in cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles. Even a small gain in fuel efficiency can translate to billions of savings in fuels as well as reduced dependence on foreign oil. Less fuel consumption directly scales to reduction in emissions thus lowering of greenhouse gases while improving the human health. The ECS will be made available at no-charge for use in education and research in academia and some of the key components will be made available as an open-source to the research community to foster collaboration between researchers.
