The scientists, engineers and technical staff in the Center for Applied Research and Technology Development (CARTD) conduct research and development activities on a variety of subjects focused on taking full advantage of the natural resources available in Minnesota and throughout the region. Their work focuses on applications that will foster economic development and job creation while ensuring that our communities environmental needs are protected.
While convenient, reliable and powerful, the internal combustion engines we’re familiar with in our vehicles are inherently inefficient. In a typical car engine, less than 20 percent of the energy in gasoline is transformed while the rest is lost as heat. NRRI’s Bill Berguson helped author an article in the May 22 issue of Science that points to the efficiencies of burning biomass to produce electricity for battery-driven vehicles, above and beyond what ethanol is capable of doing. Read the full article, “Driving on Biomass.”