Argonne Presents PSAT Software License to CATARC

On April 15, 2005, amid smiles and camera flashes, Paul Betten of Argonne’s Office of Technology Transfer handed over a copy of the Powertrain Systems Analysis Toolkit (PSAT) software — developed by Argonne engineers to realistically simulate vehicle fuel economy and performance — to Zhao Hang of the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC). The PSAT licensing agreement represents another step in the broadening collaboration between Argonne and CATARC following the signing of a ground-breaking memorandum of understanding on March 9, 2004, to help promote commercialization of energy-efficient vehicles and clean transportation fuels in China.

The developers of the PSAT software, as well as other members of the CATARC delegation, looked on as Zhao Hang accepted the software. The exchange, which took place through a translator, symbolized the warm relationship that has developed among the Chinese and American researchers over the past year of their partnership.

Argonne staff have trained four members of the CATARC group: two in the use of PSAT and two in the use of the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model, a software developed at Argonne that allows researchers and analysts to evaluate various vehicle and fuel combinations on a full fuel-cycle basis. According to Hang, the software will be used for evaluation of China’s existing vehicles and evaluation and design of new, advanced-technology vehicles. The software tools will help CATARC to better understand the interrelationships among the performance, fuel consumption, emissions, and safety of motor vehicles. Development of PSAT was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program; GREET development was funded by several programs within DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Hang also stated that the combination of training in vehicle-related software, joint projects conducted by Argonne and CATARC, and the sharing of information about China’s progress in adopting alternative vehicles and establishing infrastructure for future transportation will deepen the partnership between Argonne and CATARC and benefit the people of China, as well as the United States.

Following the exchange, Larry Johnson, TTRDC Director, presented Hang with a letter from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program, stating that CATARC will be honored in May at the Clean Cities conference as an International Clean Cities Partner. The goal of the International Clean Cities program is to facilitate international exchange and government/industry partnerships to promote alternative fuel technologies to address shared energy, fuel quality, and environmental issues. Johnson closed the presentation with the observation that “China is making important progress in developing cleaner vehicles. Further collaboration with Argonne and access to PSAT and GREET will enable you to make even greater strides.”