MMAE Seminar by Greg Shaver—Advanced Commercial Vehicle Powertrains, Connectivity, and Automation

Armour College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering will welcome Greg Shaver, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University, to present the lecture “Advanced Commercial Vehicle Powertrains, Connectivity and Automation.”

The seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, April 13, 2022, from 3:30–4:30 p.m. in Wishnick Hall, Auditorium 113. Contact Elena Magnus at magnus@iit.edu for the seminar details.

Abstract

Shaver’s research group has made discoveries enabling commercial vehicle emissions and fuel consumption reductions through use of variable valve actuation (VVA) in compression ignition engines. The foundation for this research began with the formation of his research group at Purdue and the onset of its collaboration with Cummins in 2006. It has continued through his long-term relationships with Cummins, Eaton, and the U.S. Department of Energy. Greg’s team research on VVA was heavily cited and promoted in 2020 by both the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Environmental Protection Agency with respect to the benefits and reasonableness of stricter emission standards for heavy-duty engines that CARB has now finalized and that EPA continues to pursue. These rule changes will carry significant long-term positive impacts for the environment and human health as industry leaders, including Cummins, Eaton, and many others, adopt Purdue-developed VVA strategies in the engines that they sell in the United States and subsequently export around the world. In collaboration with several of his Purdue faculty and staff colleagues, Shaver’s has been leading an effort that expands his (and Purdue’s) efforts into commercial vehicle automation research, specifically for the commercial trucking and agriculture industries. With industry partners Peloton Technology and Cummins, and sponsorship from the Departments of Transportation and Energy, Shaver’s group is advancing truck platooning technology in an effort to improve fuel efficiency and safety. Commercial truck platooning uses wireless vehicle-to-vehicle communications, automated braking and acceleration systems, and complex algorithms to enable a pair (or more) of tractor-trailers to safely travel in close proximity, reducing wind resistance on both vehicles. Via development of novel control algorithms, Shaver’s research has enabled and demonstrated up to 13 percent fuel and carbon dioxide reductions on hilly terrain, and in so doing demonstrated that the safety and efficiency benefits of platooning can be extended to many more freight routes than was previously possible. Shaver has also been leading a Purdue engineering/agriculture collaboration with John Deere to develop combine harvester automation technology during corn, soybean, or wheat crop harvesting. This effort includes the development of advanced control algorithms, lidar/camera perception strategies, and experiments at Purdue’s ACRE farm to automate the grain unload process from the combine to a tractor-driven grain cart.

Bio

Greg Shaver is a full professor and fellow of Society of Automotive Engineers and American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He joined the Purdue faculty in 2006. He is focused on creating challenging, interesting, relevant, career-launching research and learning opportunities for Purdue students. His research program is dedicated to clean, safe, and efficient commercial vehicles—via advanced diesel and natural gas engine systems/controls/electrification, powertrain electrification, and vehicle automation/connectivity. Shaver’s students have published more than 130 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers. He has directed the research efforts of more than 140 current/former Purdue students (64 graduate, 81 undergraduate). Of his 50 former graduate students (20 Ph.D., 30 M.S. ME) one-fourth are women, more than half are now working at industry partner companies, and two are tenure-track faculty (one assistant, one associate). As a member of the Purdue faculty, Shaver has acquired $20.5 million in research funding for projects that he has also led. His research is currently funded by DOE, Cummins, Eaton, Deere, and Allison.