William P Partridge

Distinguished Scientist

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Bill Partridge (William Powell Partridge, Jr.) is Distinguished Research Staff at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the Fuels Engines and Emissions Research Center, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee (BSME 1988, MSME 1990) and Purdue University (PhD 1995).  He has over twenty five years of experience developing and applying advance diagnostics based on a wide range of technologies including laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and planar LIF, absorption, Raman, multi-photon spectroscopy, holographic interferometry, mass spectrometry, phosphor and organic-sensor fiber-optic probes and pyrometry.  Dr. Partridge has developed numerous advanced analytical techniques for transient species and temperature distributions, and has applied these for broad research applications including fundamental heat transfer and combustion studies, automotive catalysis, engine systems and combustion, fuel reformers, PEM fuel cells, non-thermal plasma reactors, convective cooling and biological photodynamic therapy.  These broad development and application activities demonstrate Bill’s rich experience and capability for advancing multidisciplinary research.  He has forty eight archival peer-reviewed publications, twenty one invited or keynote lectures, nine patents and one commercially licensed technology related to these diagnostics, in addition to numerous book chapters, non-archival publications and technical reports.  He is inventor and principal developer of the SpaciMS (Spatially Resolved Capillary Inlet Mass Spectrometry), EGR Probe, and Fuel-in-Oil (FiO) diagnostics; both SpaciMS and FiO have been commercialized by Hiden Analytical and Da Vinci Emissions Services, respectively, and were recognized with 2008 and 2013 R&D100 Awards as being among the top 100 technology products of the year.  Bill has extensive experience working with industry partners as evidenced by his nineteen-year CRADA (Cooperative Research And Development Agreement) partnership with Cummins Inc. under which these robust, practical and field-deployable diagnostics were developed; the engine- and catalyst-development insights resulting from and enabled by these advanced diagnostics have been instrumental to several significant Cummins advances including their 2015 5L V8 engine (Nissan Titan), the SuperTruck and 2007 6.7L ISB (Dodge Ram) as highlighted by former CTO John Wall.  Dr. Partridge was recognized as Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s 2008 Distinguished Engineer for his sustained and innovative developments that have substantially improved the knowledge base of engine, aftertreatment, and fuel-cell systems, was further recognized in 2015 by Dr. David Danielson, DOE Assistant Secretary for EERE, for “his partnerships with Cummins that have helped enable clean and efficient engines for current and future vehicles,” and received the 2010 Outstanding Mentor Award from the United States Department of Energy Office of Science for his work with students and post-graduates.  He has many ongoing national and international university collaborations focused on catalyst, engines and combustion, environmental and planetary exploration research, and developing the next-generation engineers and researchers.