FEV, Inc.-Sponsored SAE Franz F. Pischinger Powertrain Innovation Award Goes to General Motors' Paul Najt

DETROIT, April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- FEV, Inc.(FEV), a leading developer of advanced powertrain and vehicle technologies, announced today that the second annual SAE Franz F. Pischinger Powertrain Innovation Award will be presented to Paul Najt, Lab Group Manager, SI Engine Systems for General Motors. The award, established in 2008 and sponsored by FEV, will be presented by its namesake, Prof. Franz F. Pischinger, at the annual SAE awards ceremony held in conjunction with the 2010 World Congress at Cobo Center in Detroit.

"I am honored to present this award to Mr. Najt," said Prof. Pischinger. "His exhaustive work on development of homogeneous-charge compression-ignition (HCCI) as a viable powertrain technology is at the very heart of what this award is about."

Mr. Najt provides leadership in the development of GM's stratified-charge engine and combustion and aftertreatment systems development, and, over the last decade, has spearheaded the company's efforts to make HCCI a viable gasoline powered alternative as companies seek to make significant advances in fuel economy technology.

Najt first began his work on HCCI in 1981 as part of his Master's Degree thesis at the University of Wisconsin, where he was a GM Graduate Fellow. The result of his work was the first demonstration of HCCI process in a four stroke engine. His 1983 SAE Paper, "Compression-ignition homogeneous charge combustion" stands as the foundational document in the development of this technology, and has stimulated thousands of studies and papers over the past 25 years.

At GM, Najt led the design and development of the basic combustion system, and was a major contributor to the development of the highly complex control system required to extend the speed-load range of HCCI operation, thereby optimizing the HCCI engine for maximum fuel economy and minimal exhaust emissions.

Through Mr. Najt's technical leadership, GM has publicly demonstrated vehicle that use one of the most advanced and sophisticated internal combustion engines ever developed.

About the Award

The Franz F. Pischinger Powertrain Innovation Award was established in 2008 by FEV to recognize exceptional innovation and competence in powertrain design and development through the annual recognition of an engineer who has demonstrated outstanding innovation in the field. The nominee must be a degreed engineer, employed or retired, who holds or has applied for a patent(s).

About Prof. Pischinger

Prof. Franz Pischinger has devoted his entire career to furthering powertrain technology and the education of young engineers as they prepared for careers in engineering. He held leading positions in the powertrain industry for most of his 50-year career and, until 2003, was the President and CEO of FEV Motorentechnik GmbH, where he currently retains the title of Chairman of the Board. Prof. Pischinger has also been responsible for educating thousands of students into the field of powertrain engineering, while overseeing the activities of the Institute for Applied Thermodynamics at the Aachen Technical University from 1970 to 1997. Many of his former students, like Dr. Schmidt, now hold leading roles in the automotive and transportation industry worldwide.

About FEV, Inc.

The FEV Group is an internationally recognized powertrain and vehicle engineering company that supplies the global transportation industry.  FEV offers a complete range of engineering services, providing support across the globe to customers in the design, analysis, prototyping, powertrain and transmission development, as well as vehicle integration, calibration and homologation for advanced internal combustion gasoline-, diesel-, and alternative-fueled powertrains. FEV also designs, develops and prototypes advanced vehicle / powertrain electronic control systems and hybrid-electric engine concepts that address future emission and fuel economy standards.  The FEV Test Systems division is a global supplier of advanced test cell, instrumentation and test equipment.  The FEV Group employs a staff of over 1,800 highly skilled specialists at advanced technical centers on three continents.  FEV, Inc. employs approximately 300 personnel at FEV's North American Technical Center in Auburn Hills, MI.

SOURCE FEV, Inc.