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SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES - CALIFORNIA

FACILITIES

Combustion Research Facility, (Buildings 904, 905, 906, 907)

The Combustion Research Facility (CRF) is a DOE Office of Science user facility. It hosts about 100 scientists, engineers, and technologists who conduct basic and applied research to improve the use and control of the combustion processes. CRF scientists pioneered the use of laser-based optical diagnostics for the study of combustion. Laser diagnostics allow researchers to nonintrusively observe and measure fleeting combustion events in many environments, including inside engines and burners.

Projects range from basic research on chemical reactivity, fluid dynamics, and state-of-the-art computational modeling to applied studies. Projects involve lasers, combustible fuels (liquids, solids, and gases), and laboratory-scale apparatus for burning fuels. These burners range from very small burners to large, single-unit industrial burners. The CRF is composed of Building 904, Auditorium; Building 905, CRF Offices; Building 906, CRF Laboratories; and Building. 907, Utilities Engineering/Equipment Facilities and support.

The CRF is a non-nuclear facility with a number of support buildings. The operations at the CRF present no unique hazards or risks to the public or workers. The June 1995 site review determined that the design and operation of the CRF, and the materials and equipment used in the CRF (quantities and types), result in an acceptable level of risk for cumulative effects.

At the Combustion Research Facility (CRF), the CRF II shell was built, and funding in the amount of $2 million was received for the interior construction of additional laboratories in FY 1996. Expected funding for fiscal year 1997 was $7 million, with an estimated total project cost of $30 million. The design for the office addition was nearing completion, and construction began in the fall of 1996. The work to complete the design for the lab building also started. Project construction and occupancy was expected to be completed by fiscal year 2000.

In 2004, the Automotive Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) Engine Laboratory began operation to study ultra low-emission, high-efficiency engines. The new facility and research are funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program.