Argonne National Laboratory scientists―Andrew Burnham and Keith Hardy―have received Distinguished Achievement Awards from the Department of Energy (DOE)’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The awards, presented by the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) during the EERE Annual Merit Review in June recognizes Burnham and Hardy’s impressive contributions to Alternate Fuel Vehicle (AFV) integration.
Andrew Burnham
Andrew Burnham received his Distinguished Achievement Award for his laudable work developing AFLEET (Alternate Fuel Life-cycle Environment and Emissions Transportation), a tool that helps potential vehicle buyers compare their options. Developed in 2013, the tool now helps over 7,000 users.
With AFLEET, users can calculate both environmental and economic expenses of owning an AFV.
The tool uses Microsoft Excel to make vehicle comparisons convenient by showing greenhouse gas (GHG) and other air pollutant emissions, petroleum consumption and the costs of owning a light-duty versus a heavy-duty vehicle. Additionally, AFLEET has four different calculators that allow users to look at various factors for considering what vehicle to buy.
Currently, Burnham and his team are developing a more user-friendly version of the tool. The newest update is scheduled for release later this year. Long-term plans include adding off-road vehicles such as forklifts, construction vehicles and airport ground support equipment.
Burnham hopes the award he received will help expand the AFLEET user base. “It’s nice to develop something that people find useful,” Burnham said. “Having worked for DOE for a long time, it’s an honor to be recognized for the work we do here.”
Keith Hardy
Keith Hardy was recognized for helping to remove barriers to the penetration of electric vehicles (EV) in the marketplace. His work centers on Argonne’s EV-Smart Grid Interoperability Center, coordination with the European Commission’s Joint Research Center and the automotive industry. The Center facilitates harmonization of standards and technology for the global EV-grid interface, as well as charging interoperability to support seamless connectivity and communication between EVs and charging stations worldwide.
The Center utilizes Argonne’s Smart Energy Plaza–-a facility Hardy helped establish. The Plaza rebirthed a dilapidated gas station on campus, converting it into a test-bed for grid integration studies. Argonne Sustainability took on the challenge of the renovation, and the cost of the energy efficiency technologies was shared with DOE’s VTO. Today, the Plaza is equipped with charging stations, solar panels and battery storage, as well as advanced building controls that enable it to operate as an isolated micro-grid.
The team working at the Plaza is developing technology and control strategies to simultaneously manage EV charging and other building power demands to maximize the use of solar power and minimize the peak power demands on Argonne’s grid. In fact, on many sunny days in the year, the Center is providing power back to Argonne rather than consuming power–even with employees’ vehicles charging at the site.
The team is currently installing “extreme fast charging” (xFC) capability that will allow EV charging in 15 minutes or less. And as wireless charging technology matures, it will support autonomous vehicle charging and continue developing technology that enables grid integration and the study of the impacts of EV charging on the grid.
“My award is clearly based on the efforts of my team, Ted Bohn, Jason Harper and Dan Dobrzynski, as well as the substantial efforts of Argonne Sustainability and Facilities Division,” Hardy said in addition to stressing his appreciation for the continued support of the VTO.