PNNL

Mark Stewart and Ken Rappe were part of a team that received the 2015 USCAR Team Award for their contributions to automotive research.

PNNL scientists Ken Rappe and Mark Stewart were part of a team of researchers awarded for their contributions to automotive research.

Made up of seven researchers, the U.S. Drive ACEC Low-Temperature Aftertreatment Sub-Team (LTAT) were presented with the 2015 United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR) Team Award. USCAR awards recognize research groups that exceed expectations, overcome challenges, and create outstanding value.

The LTAT team finalized two protocols in 2015—the "Oxidation Catalyst Characterization and Testing Protocol" and the "Storage and Release Catalyst Characterization and Test Protocol.” These protocols will save time and maximize the value of reported data for the greater catalyst community by ensuring low-temperature catalyst technologies are developed under established test conditions.

The LTAT team also produced a Natural Gas Aftertreatment Roadmap to identify potential aftertreatment barriers related to the use of natural gas in advanced combustion mode engines. The LTAT team’s efforts will support development of promising low-temperature aftertreatment catalyst technologies.

USCAR Executive Director Stephen E. Zimmer thanked the LTAT team in a letter, stating, “Your dedication and leadership are key to creating value at all levels of the organization and at each of our member companies.”

In addition to Rappe and Stewart, members of the team included:

Craig DiMaggio of FCA US Joe Theis of Ford Wei Li and Se Oh of GM Jim Parks and Josh Pihl of Oak Ridge National Laboratory Ken Howden of the U.S. Department of Energy

Rappe joined PNNL in 1996 with his master’s in Chemical Engineering from Washington State University. His areas of focus include hydrocarbon-based selective catalytic reduction, low-temperature carbon monoxide/hydrocarbon oxidation, and integration of diesel particulate filter technology with urea selective catalytic reduction technology.

Stewart joined PNNL in 2003 with his master’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Idaho. His focus has been the use of computational methods to solve practical problems, particularly involving fluid dynamics and heat transfer.