Events

ABSTRACT:

It is vital to pursue the primary national and global goals of lowering greenhouse gas emissions and ending reliance on fossil fuels. This must be done while providing economic growth opportunities. Achieving emissions reduction goals and strengthening U.S. national and economic security will require a diverse portfolio of carbon-neutral energy resources, including renewable resources, coal with carbon sequestration, natural gas, and nuclear energy. Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier, which will help to tackle various critical energy challenges. Hydrogen and effective hydrogen off-take technologies can address energy and environmental challenges across varied applications. Hydrogen can be produced from diverse resources (energy and feedstocks) with the potential for near-zero/zero greenhouse gas emissions. Once produced, hydrogen may be used in chemical reactions or to generate electrical, mechanical, or thermal power. The use of hydrogen and fuel cells in transportation and stationary power generation could substantially reduce emissions of CO₂ and criteria pollutants. The use of hydrogen as an energy carrier extends well beyond the hard-to-abate transportation segment. It may be used in a diverse set of applications such as power generation (with long duration storage), energy for buildings, and chemical or industrial processes. Hydrogen, in conjunction with a variety of other near-zero/zero greenhouse gas energy solutions, is well positioned to support the decarbonization of the energy use sector. This will provide pathways for economic transitions in the form of jobs, workforce training, and other dependencies, for communities that are significantly tied into the energy flow process. This will also create new opportunities for underserved communities that are will no longer be constrained with the availability of the critical natural resources associated with coal and fossil fuel energy generation. Further, distributed energy generation and management opportunities will emerge while simultaneously improving local air, environment, and health conditions. This presentation will speak to both the challenges and opportunities here that will necessitate deep cross-sectoral collaboration through research, development, demonstration, and deployment.

BIO: 

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Vivek Sujan is currently developing advanced decarbonization research of commercial vehicles at the NTRC, ORNL. Prior to this, Vivek had been with Cummins Inc. for nearly 18 years. He was the Senior Technical Director leading the Advanced Technology Planning and Concept Development for the New Power Business Unit (NPBU, Cummins). He managed and lead Advanced Technology activities for the NPBU, focused on Hydrogen and Electrification Power Systems (systems and infrastructure, hybrid systems, batteries, motor generators, power electronics, e-accessories, e-drivetrain, PEM fuel cells, hydrogen storage, and supported products) for On- and Off-Highway applications. This included North America and Global markets.  During this period, he has also held several positions with the Engine Business Unit and Research & Technology Department. Prior to working at Cummins Inc. Vivek worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Engineer at MIT/JPL-NASA for about 2 years, developing advanced control architectures for robotic systems in terrestrial and extra-terrestrial activities. Vivek received his BS degrees in Physics, Mathematics (1995) and Mechanical Engineering (1996) from CalTech, MS degree in Mechanical Engineering (1998), and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering/Control Systems (2002) from MIT. He holds over 100 US and over 100 International Granted Patents in the field of Automotive Systems/Vehicles/Diesel engines, System Dynamics, Powertrains, Automation, Eco-Systems and Controls.