Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) distinguished themselves at the 2026 Annual Merit Review hosted by DOE’s Transportation Technologies Office in Arlington, Virginia, securing five of the nine awards presented. These accolades highlight ORNL’s pivotal role in advancing transportation efficiency, vehicle technologies, and innovative manufacturing processes, especially focusing on reducing dependency on critical minerals.
Among the honors were two Distinguished Achievement Awards, first awarded to Vivek Sujan, a distinguished research and development staff member in ORNL’s Applied Research for Mobility Systems Group. Sujan was recognized for his pioneering work developing systematic modeling and optimization frameworks tailored for commercial vehicle operations and freight systems. His flagship project, OR-AGENT (Optimal Regional Architecture Generation for Electrified National Transport), integrates diverse seasonal datasets—encompassing freight movement, traffic, weather, and energy pathways—to optimize regional deployment strategies for electrified transportation infrastructure based on techno-economic criteria. This work offers transformative insights into efficient and sustainable freight corridor planning.
The second Distinguished Achievement Award went to Stacy Davis, leader of the Transportation Analytics and Decision Sciences Group at ORNL. Davis earned recognition for her technical leadership in producing the renowned Fuel Economy Guide and corresponding website, tools essential for consumers, policymakers, and researchers navigating the intricate landscape of vehicle efficiency and operating costs. Her work empowers informed decision-making, fostering smarter choices regarding fuel consumption and transportation emissions.
In addition to individual achievements, ORNL teams collaborated with industry partners to receive three Team Awards. Together with BorgWarner, ORNL developed a novel wireless excitation system enabling high-performance electric motors without reliance on rare-earth permanent magnets. This breakthrough technology helps circumvent supply chain vulnerabilities and enhances sustainability in electric vehicle motor design.
The partnership between ORNL and Cummins also won an award for pioneering the development of advanced steel alloys optimized for medium- and heavy-duty truck powertrains, alongside innovations in metalworking and high-pressure die casting. These materials advancements improve durability and manufacturability, catalyzing the evolution of commercial transportation powertrains.
Furthermore, a collaborative effort involving ORNL, General Motors, Ingalls Shipbuilding, and the Electric Power Research Institute was honored for their work on DR-WELD computational tools. These cutting-edge simulation platforms optimize large-scale welding and additive manufacturing processes, enhancing precision and performance across diverse industrial sectors.
Together, these achievements underscore ORNL’s leadership in propelling transportation technology forward through cutting-edge research and strategic industry partnerships. Their work not only drives technological innovation but also addresses critical challenges such as material scarcity and sustainability in transportation infrastructure and vehicle design.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, underscoring the significance of fundamental physical science research in addressing some of today’s most pressing energy and technology challenges.
Subject of Research: Transportation technologies, vehicle energy efficiency, advanced manufacturing, electric motor innovation, materials science
Article Title: Oak Ridge National Laboratory Secures Five DOE Awards for Transportation Research Excellence
News Publication Date: 2026 Annual Merit Review
Web References:
– OR-AGENT Framework: https://www.ornl.gov/technology/202205225
– Fuel Economy Guide: https://www.ornl.gov/news/driving-smarter-toward-fuel-savings
– DOE Office of Science: http://energy.gov/science
Image Credits: ORNL/U.S. Dept. of Energy
Keywords
Transportation, vehicle efficiency, electric motors, rare-earth alternatives, energy systems modeling, advanced materials, additive manufacturing, welding simulation
