Automotive Engineering - March 2022 - 11

TECHNOLOGY REPORT
U.S. by the end of 2025.
" Our vision of an all-electric future is
broader than just passenger vehicles or
even transportation, " said Charlie
Freese, GM executive director of the
global Hydrotec business. " Our energy
platform expertise with Ultium vehicle
architectures and propulsion components
and Hydrotec fuel cells can expand
access to energy across many different
industries and users, while helping
to reduce emissions often associated
with power generation. "
According to GM, these hydrogen fuel
cell generators could replace gas- and
diesel-burning units commonly used at
construction sites, data centers and
outdoor events. GM also claims they
could serve as an emergency power
source for residential houses and lower
demand commercial needs. The mobile
power generator can also be palletized
for use in military applications. The
power output of these units ranges
from 60-600 kW, and they do not generate
excessive levels of heat or noise.
Pricing details for these units have not
yet been announced.
There are currently several validation
and development projects planned for
the Hydrotec mobile power generator,
including a charging station for EVs
being funded by the Michigan
Economic Development Corporation
and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities
Development Command Ground Vehicle
Systems Center. The target launch date
for this charging station is mid-2022.
The California Energy Commission is
also funding a demonstration utilizing
four mobile power generators to study
the use of hydrogen-based mobile
power to offset the loss of energy during
the planned power shutoffs.
" We've seen that there's a need for
EV charging in places where there's no
charging equipment, " said Robert
Mount, CEO and co-founder of
Renewable Innovations. " Now we're
committed to bringing the best technology
and game-changing applications
to market with GM to accelerate
the company's vision of a zero-emissions
future. "
Matt Wolfe
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
PEOPLE
2022 SAE President Sri Srinath: Engineer,
leader, mentor
With experiences ranging from being a
hands-on engineer to managing multibillion-dollar
businesses to serving as a
director in human services, " Sri Srinath
is well suited to lead SAE International
over the next twelve months amid lifetransforming
technological innovation
in mobility and related fields, " Raman
Venkatesh, SAE's chief operating officer,
noted. " He is sure to be an inspiration
for SAE members. "
Dr. Srinath, the 116th person to serve
as SAE president, has distinguished
himself not only at Caterpillar, where he
worked in various engineering roles for
nearly 30 years, but also at SAE. He
became a member in 1988 and has
served on the Board of Directors (20142016),
Finance Committee (2016-2019),
Executive Nominating Committee, and
COMVEC Executive Council. After retiring
from Caterpillar at the end of 2015,
he joined the management consulting
firm CGN Global, where he currently
serves part time as managing director.
Srinath is also principal board advisor at
Booma Innovative Transport Solutions,
an Indian electric vehicle manufacturer.
" I have an engineering background
but an executive mindset, " he told
Update, SAE's member publication, in a
December 2021 online interview. And so
it is with confidence - and " a trace of
nervousness " - that Srinath, who describes
himself as " easygoing and approachable, "
starts his one-year term as
SAE president. " I can't say enough
about how excited I am. It's a great responsibility
and I want to make sure I'm
a good steward. I intend to leave the
organization as least as well as I find it,
if not better, " he said.
Among Srinath's goals is to support
the continued expansion of SAE technical
committees in autonomy, electrification
and batteries, vehicle connectivity,
and other new technology areas. He
noted that more than ever the aerospace,
automotive and commercial vehicle
sectors share a technology focus
in these key areas. As engineers learn
Dr. Sri Srinath earned his Ph.D. in aerospace
engineering from the University of Michigan.
from each other and collaborate across
sectors, Standards is increasingly " a
prime area for SAE to demonstrate the
integrated approach, " Srinath said.
Mentoring, especially for young people,
is a personal focus area for SAE's 2022
president, who earned his Ph.D. in aerospace
engineering from the University of
Michigan. Specifically, he would like to see
SAE lead a mentoring process where college
students who are already engaged
with SAE reach out to high-schoolers
before they make their career-choice decisions.
" Rather than me or you talking to
these kids, college students would have
more relevant things to say. They have
'street cred,' " he asserted.
The new social-media-savvy generation,
Srinath said, " is a lot more about
giving and doing good and not quite as
selfish as my generation was at their age.
We should tell them that if you join SAE,
'you can help by advancing the world of
science, advancing the world of mobility
engineering, and here's how mobility engineering
can help the world.' "
Patrick Ponticel
March 2022 11
SAE INTERNATIONAL
Automotive Engineering - March 2022

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