Track 1: Off-Road, Rail, and Marine Engine Systems
Chair: Christopher Stoos, Southwest Research Institute
Co-Chair: Munidhar (Muni) Biruduganti, Argonne National Laboratory
This track spotlights innovations shaping the next generation of non-road propulsion. Authors are invited to showcase breakthroughs that push performance, durability, and emissions boundaries in off-highway, rail, marine, agricultural, power-generation, mining, and other heavy-duty applications.
Topics include:
- Advanced ignition, combustion, diagnostics, and emissions-control technologies
- Prototype, field-testing, and real-world demonstrations
- Engine architectures for demanding duty cycles and sustainability goals
Track 2: Fuels, Lubricants, and Carbon Management
Chair: Hunter Mack, University of Massachusetts – Lowell
Co-Chair: Dimitris Assanis, Stony Brook University
This track invites cutting-edge research advancing sustainable fuels, next-generation lubricants, and carbon-mitigation strategies.
Topics include:
- Alternative fuels (e-fuels, synthetic fuels, biofuels)
- Lubricant impacts on durability, friction, and efficiency
- Carbon capture, onboard conversion, and low‑carbon pathways
- Life-cycle analysis (cradle‑to‑grave, WTW, TTW)
Track 3: Advanced Combustion, Flows, and Sprays
Chair: Cosmin Dumitrescu, West Virginia University
Co-Chair: Adam Klingbeil, Wabtec Corporation
This track seeks papers pushing the frontier of combustion and fluid-dynamics understanding.
Topics include:
- IC engine fundamentals: thermodynamics, extreme compression, in‑cylinder flows
- Advanced concepts: RCCI, GCI, LTC, dual‑fuel
- Optical, laser‑based, pressure-based diagnostics
- Spray physics, droplet behavior, injection strategies
Track 4: Powertrains, Hybridization, Engine Controls, and Engine Design
Chair: Vittorio Ravaglioli, University of Bologna
Co-Chair: Michael Bunce, Dumarey USA, and Ambikapathy (Ambi) Naganathan, Cummins Inc.
This track showcases innovations in integrated engine–powertrain systems.
Topics include:
- Controls modeling (combustion, subsystem, HiL, sensors)
- HiL testing, rapid prototyping, novel test rigs
- Calibration and transient control strategies
- Next‑generation sensors and actuators
- Hybrid-powertrain engine design and control
- Mechanical design and thermal management
Track 5: Emissions Control
Chair: Vitaly Prikhodko, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Co-Chair: Mi-Young Kim, Cummins Inc.
This track features advances in emissions-control science aimed at meeting aggressive global standards.
Topics include:
- Catalyst materials and system architectures
- Aftertreatment thermal management and durability
- Effects of alternative fuels
- Reductant delivery innovations
- Real‑world and drive‑cycle emissions
Track 6: Modeling and Simulation
Chair: Muhsin Ameen, Argonne National Laboratory
Co-Chair: TBD
This track highlights advances in numerical modeling, high‑fidelity simulation, and AI-enabled frameworks.
Topics include:
- Tool and workflow development
- Multiphase, turbulence, reacting‑flow modeling
- Chemical kinetics
- System‑level modeling
- AI/ML for model acceleration and hybrid modeling
Track 7: Small Engine Systems
Chair: Scott Curran, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Co-Chair: Andrea Strzelec, USCAR
This track features developments in small-engine research for handheld equipment, recreational vehicles, and compact industrial systems.
Topics include:
- Advanced ignition, combustion, and diagnostics
- Prototype and field demonstrations
- Emissions and fuel-variability challenges
Track 8: Light-Duty Engine Systems
Chair: Scott Curran, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Co-Chair: Andrea Strzelec, USCAR
This track explores next-generation propulsion for passenger vehicles.
Topics include:
- Downsized/boosted SI engine advances
- Cold-start performance and emissions
- Advanced combustion, ignition, and diagnostics
- Prototype and drive-cycle demonstrations
Track 9: Medium- and Heavy-Duty On-Road Engine Systems
Chair: Scott Curran, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Co-Chair: Andrea Strzelec, USCAR
This track focuses on innovations for commercial-vehicle engines.
Topics include:
- Alternative-fuel–enabled engine systems
- Ultra-low NOx strategies
- Advanced combustion, diagnostics, and emissions-control
- Drive-cycle and field demonstrations
Track 10: Rail Transportation
Chair: Sena Kizildemir, Thornton Tomasetti/Lehigh University
The Rail Transportation Symposium highlights advances in freight and passenger rail.
Topics include:
- Track and infrastructure technologies
- Rolling stock and propulsion
- Operations improvement and optimization
- Vehicle–track systems
Track 11: Technical Poster
Chair: Emma Zhao, Aramco
The Technical Poster Session provides a dedicated forum for sharing emerging ideas, ongoing research, and practical case studies across all topics covered by the TSD conference. This track welcomes contributions from industry, academia, and national laboratories, including both completed studies and work in progress. Posters may address experimental methods and results, modeling and simulations, controls and optimization, diagnostics, advanced propulsion and powertrain concepts, alternative and low-carbon fuels, as well as tools and methodologies that support design and development.
The goal of Track 11 is to enable interactive, one-on-one technical discussions in a flexible format that encourages engagement from students, early-career engineers, and experienced practitioners alike, complementing the oral sessions and broadening the overall technical exchange at the conference.
Special Sessions and Symposia
Chair: Kelly Senecal, Convergent Science
Technical contributions in areas such as electrification, sustainability, safety, autonomy, and infrastructure are strongly encouraged and will be included in special sessions. Successful special sessions will grow into full paper tracks starting with DRIVN 2027. If you are interested in organizing or participating in a special session, please submit an "abstract" in this track. Special sessions are presentation-only.