University Research Corridor partners with businesses
to bring $9.7 million to state

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman recently announced 11 research grants to improve the fuel efficiency of light-duty vehicle engines; five involve University Research Corridor participants.

The projects are part of President Bush's 20-in-10 Initiative, which calls for displacing 20 percent of gasoline usage by 2017 through increased use of clean, renewable fuels, and improved vehicle efficiency.

"We expect this research to make significant strides toward maximizing an engine's performance in a cleaner, more economical manner," Bodman says.

The three members of the University Research Corridor—U-M, Michigan State University and Wayne State University—attract more than 94 percent of federal research dollars awarded to Michigan universities each year.

Combined with industry investment, the 11 projects will total nearly $43 million to support improvement of engine and combustion systems for the next generation of efficient vehicles.

The $9.7 million worth of projects involving URC universities:

• U-M will partner with Robert Bosch LLC in Farmington Hills as well as Ricardo Inc., for a $1.5 million project to implement an integrated hardware-software system, yielding gasoline-like fuel economy when operating on E-85.

• Wayne State will partner with Delphi Automotive Systems LLC in Troy, which has been selected for negotiation of an award of up to $2.2 million for a project to demonstrate a vehicle with an E-85 optimized engine, yielding up to 30 percent fuel efficiency improvement.

• MSU will partner with Visteon Corp. in Van Buren Township as well as the Department of Energy's Argone National Laboratory and Mahle Powertrain, for negotiation of an award of up to $2.3 million for a project to achieve gasoline-like fuel economy when using E-85 by minimizing thermal, dynamic, volumetric, and other system efficiency losses.

• Wayne State will partner with Ford Motor Co. as well as ConceptsNREC and FEV Global, for negotiation of an award of up to $1.3 million for a project to use diesel-boosting technologies to improve efficiency and performance of advanced, low-temperature combustion engines.

• MSU has been selected for negotiation of an award of up to $2.4 million for a project to develop advanced, low-temperature combustion designs for diesel engines using biofuel blends optimized for engine performance. MSU will partner with Ford Motor Co. for this effort.

For more on the University Research Corridor, go to www.urcmich.org.

More Stories

• U-M Premier Care to be offered during 2008 Open Enrollment
• University Research Corridor partners with businesses to bring $9.7 million to state
• Safety alert issued for new threatening e-mail scam
• Big Three will gain most from higher fuel economy standards
• Coleman: U-M transplant team leaves legacy of life
• President, execs tour Google
• U.S. Congress OKs competitiveness bill
• Emergency studies topic of public forums
• Spotlight: ITSS coordinator cracks code in security challenge
• Rekindled reunions designed to strengthen alumni ties
• Researchers find 'on switches' that cause prostate cancer
• Favors on Wall Street help ensure good stock ratings
• Bridge skin could reveal cracks and corrosion beneath
• U-M study: Men, women experience sports differently
• Gene that regulates blood-forming fetal stem cells identified by U-M team
• U-M researchers identify gene involved in breast cancer
• Most seniors now have drug coverage, study shows
• Many heart attack patients still not receiving emergency angioplasty
• Health System, BCBSM name Udow director for joint venture
• Iraqi attitudes continue to shift toward secular values
• Nam gifts to U-M total $4.3 million for Korean Studies
• African service project empowers kids in U-M’s NeuroRehabilitation program
• Exhibition honors pioneering dentist 100 years after death
• Scholarship & Creativity
• Photo: Something new under the sun
• Photo: Football squad tackles media day
• Photo: Network debut nears
• Photo: Madeleine Peyroux sings Nov. 8 at Hill Auditorium
• Photo: Sunshine Gospel Music Aug. 16 at University Hospital courtyard
• Photos: "The Studio and The Lab" Sept. 7-Oct. 5 at Work, 306 South State