View a complete listing of all Sloan Automotive publications (PDF).

Engine and Fuels Research Consortium

This Consortium has been actively engaged in engine research since 1981. The current membership of companies includes US and European light-duty vehicle manufacturers and petroleum companies. Some of these members have been involved in the Consortium since its inception. The focus of research projects in recent years has been on spark-ignition engine combustion, emissions formation processes, and mixture preparation issues. More recently we are working on gasoline direct-injection engine processes, on engine knock, and alternative fuels.

Research themes and individual projects evolve through discussions with Consortium members at our regular four-monthly meetings. Relative emphasis on each theme area (e.g. port fuel injected spark-ignition engines compared with direct-injection engines, diesel-related projects) is reviewed periodically, and individual project proposals are presented, discussed, selected, and improved. Projects are either Masters degree theses (1-2 years), or Ph.D. degree theses (3-4 years), and occasionally shorter term activities.

Oil and Engine-Lubricant-Aftertreatment Research Consortium

The central theme of this Consortium is to optimize the engine, lubricants and additives for robust emission aftertreatment systems. This Consortium brings together synergistically participants from the lubricant, additive, engine, catalyst, emission-control industries and the government to address the complex interactions in the combined engine-oil-aftertreatment system. Currently, there are eleven members including Caterpillar, Chevron (Oronite and Global Lubricants), Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Cummins, Detroit Diesel, Ford, Komatsu, Lutek, Sud-Chemie, Valvoline/Ashland and the US DOE. Research covers three major areas: (1) Modeling and diagnostics of lubricant behavior such as the composition of ash-related compounds – sulfur, phosphorous, metallics – and their transport to the exhaust system, the interactions of lubricant and additive species with combustion gases and component surfaces; (2) Modeling and validation of engine-oil interactions: additive and material surface design and mechanisms affecting wear, deposits, and friction; and (3) Detailed characterization of the interactions of ash-related compounds on aftertreatment devices, including catalyst deactivation and deterioration.

Modeling include simulations of the oil and species transport processes in the engine, degradation and volatilization of oil and additive compounds, as well as deposition and deactivation mechanisms of ash on aftertreatment catalyst, washcoat and substrate systems.  Aftertreatment system performance on a heavy-duty diesel engine and oil composition measurements via sampling in the ring pack are being conducted. In-situ diagnostics to be explored include tagged laser-induced-fluorescence and other spectroscopic techniques. This research program builds upon, extends, and complements other studies conducted elsewhere or at sponsor organizations. The fundamental understanding so developed will be useful to participants in optimizing the combined lubricant/additive, engine, and aftertreatment system. Contact: Dr. Victor W. Wong - Tel: 617-253-5231, Fax: 617-253-9453, Email: vwong@mit.edu for further information.

Oil and Lubrication Research Consortium

The overall goal of this consortium is to provide engineering knowledge and models of the engine lubrication systems by conducting engine experiments, engine tests, and theoretical modeling. Currently, our specific focus has been on understanding and modeling the mechanical behavior of the components of the power cylinder system, which governs the outcomes of the system in oil consumption, friction, blowby, and wear. In the modeling area, we have developed fundamental models for the dynamics and lubrication of the piston rings including detailed models for multi-piece oil control rings, gas flows within the ring pack, and oil flows on the piston surfaces as well as the Oil Consumption Analysis Package (OCAP) integrating all our knowledge and analytical tools for oil consumption analysis. Our models have been extensively used by our industry partners in all the phases of engine and component developments. On the experimental side, we developed a Two-Dimensional Laser Induced Fluorescence technique in a single cylinder SI engine that is able to operate up to 6000 rpm and this system enables us to investigate the oil flows in the piston ring pack and the liner for oil transport studies. Additionally, we are using the sulfur tracer technique to measure real time oil consumption in a production engine to understand the contribution of the different oil transport mechanisms to engine oil consumption.

Before a Transition to Hydrogen Transportation Research Project

This project is part of a sustainable mobility research initiative undertaken as part of MIT's Alliance for Global Sustainability (MIT/AGS) program. The Before-H2 research team is interested in near- to medium-term solutions that would curb petroleum and energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. Lead project participants are MIT and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) near Zurich, Switzerland. At MIT, the focus is on the U.S. light-duty vehicle fleet over the next 20-30 years. The objective is to model and predict the potential impact of future alternative fuels and vehicle technology developments on fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and propulsion system, and examine policy measures that may influence the adoption of these technologies. Similar studies focused in Europe are in progress.

For more information, please visit the project's web site here.

Recent Publications (in chronological order)