Nissan Researchers and University Professor Collaborate On Award-Winning SAE Paper

Warrendale, PA (August 22, 2005) - Five researchers from Nissan Motor Company, Ltd., and an Okayama University professor have written a technical paper that has earned the 2004 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Harry L. Horning Memorial Award. The award will be presented on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 at 8:00 a.m. during the 2005 Powertrain & Fluid Systems Conference & Exhibition at the Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio, Texas, USA.
This award was established in 1938 to preserve the memory of SAE's 1925 President Harry L. Horning. Given annually, it recognizes the authors of the best paper relating to the better mutual adaptation of fuels and internal combustion engines presented at a meeting of the Society. This year's winning paper is entitled, "A Study of Air-Fuel Mixture Formation in Direct-Injection SI Engines" (SAE Paper #2004-01-1946).

The award-winning authors are:

Akihiko Kakuho, Nissan Motor Company, Ltd.
An engineer in Nissan's technology research laboratory, Kakuho is responsible for combustion diagnostics of direct injection SI engines and HCCI engines. He previously studied combustion diagnostics for lean burn gasoline engines, including the HCCI, and investigated new optical diagnostic tools for combustion analysis. He has published several technical papers in these areas. Kakuho is a member of the Japan Society of Automotive Engineers (JSAE) and holds a master's degree in applied physics and chemistry from the University of Electro-communication in Japan.

Koichi Yamaguchi, Nissan Motor Company, Ltd.
Yamaguchi is assistant manager of Nissan's Technology Research Laboratory No.2. His work focuses on the optical diagnostics of the in-cylinder, air-fuel mixture formation process inside direct injection SI engines. Yamaguchi is a member of the Japan Society of Automotive Engineers (JSAE) and the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME). He received his master's in mechanical engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan.

Yutaka Hashizume, Nissan Motor Company, Ltd.
Hashizume is the leader of the experimental test section in Nissan's Testing Section No.1 Research Prototype and Test Department. He is responsible for combustion diagnostics for direct injection SI engines and HCCI engines, and also helps to develop optical diagnostic tools for combustion analysis. He holds a degree from Hokkaido Automotive Engineering College in Japan.

Dr. Tomonori Urushihara, Nissan Motor Company, Ltd.
Urushihara is a manager in the Nissan Research Center's Technology Research Laboratory No. 3. His current research focus is in gasoline engine combustion and measurement (GDI, HCCI, and lean burn). He is the lead author of several SAE technical papers, including: "Turbulence and Cycle-By-Cycle Variation of Mean Velocity Generated By Swirl and Tumble Flow and Their Effects on Combustion" (950813); "Effects of Swirl/Tumble Motion on In-Cylinder Mixture Formation in a Lean-Burn Engine" (961994); "Expansion of HCCI Operating Region By the Combination of Direct Fuel Injection, Negative Valve Overlap and Internal Fuel Reformation" (2003-01-0749); and "A Study of the Gasoline-fueled Compression Ignition Engine" (2005-01-0180). He is a member of SAE and the Japan Society of Automotive Engineers (JSAE), as well as the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME).
He received his graduate and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Dr. Teruyuki Itoh, Nissan Motor Company, Ltd.
Itoh is a senior engineer in Nissan's Technology Research Center, working in combustion research where he's developed a new measurement method. Previously, he developed laser-applied techniques for combustion, and worked on combustion issues involving the two-plug Ignition Engine, the lean-burn engine, the direct-injection gasoline engine, and the HCCI engine. He has published several technical papers, including "Knock Visualization by Very High Speed Shadow Graphy" (FISITA 845001); "Unburnt Gas Temperature Measurement" (COMODIA90); and "Development of a New Compound Fuel for LIF" (SAE P952465). Itoh's awards include: the FISITA Award in 1984, a JSAE Technical Award in 1986 and several JSAE Technical Awards in 2003. He is a member of the Japan Society of Automotive Engineers (JSAE), as well as the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) and a director of the Combustion Society of Japan. He earned a master's degree in applied physics from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and Agriculture and a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Dr. Eiji Tomita, Okayama University
Tomita is a professor in the Department of Energy System Engineering at Okayama University in Japan. Over the past 23 years, he has revitalized the university's teaching and research efforts in combustion, including the study of internal combustion engine and its diagnostics. He has received some awards for young researchers, and is a Fellow of both the Institution of Physics and the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineering (JSME). Tomita received his bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Kyoto University in Japan. He also holds a doctoral degree from Kyoto University.