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March 9, 2018

Kokjohn receives Max Bentele Award for Engine Technology Innovation

Written By: Adam Malecek

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SAE International has selected Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Sage Kokjohn to receive the 2017 Max Bentele Award for Engine Technology Innovation.

Established in 2001, this award annually recognizes an SAE member whose work has furthered innovation in the manufacture, design and improvement of engine technology for ground, air or space vehicles. It is designated for young engineers who have made a major contribution through a new idea, concept, innovation or application that provides a recognized improvement in engine technology and which has been verified through proof of concept demonstrations.

Kokjohn is being recognized for his pioneering work on reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) combustion. Kokjohn, who began researching RCCI combustion during his PhD at UW-Madison, conducted experiments that demonstrated thermal efficiency above state-of-the-art diesel engines while reducing nitrogen oxides and soot emissions to levels that would not require after treatment.

Since joining the UW-Madison mechanical engineering faculty in 2013, Kokjohn, who is affiliated with the Engine Research Center, has continued to advance the combustion community’s understanding of RCCI combustion by addressing key challenges that limit the production-readiness of the technology. Kokjohn’s work on RCCI combustion has resulted in three U.S. patents and more than 30 peer-reviewed publications resulting in more than 2,000 citations in the past five years.

SAE International will present Kokjohn with the award at WCX18: SAE World Congress Experience in Detroit, Michigan, in April 2018. The award honors Max Bentele for his contributions to the field of mobility engines and his encouragement for others to innovate and promote advances in the area.