Scientific Achievements/Business Contributions
2006 US Patent awarded for "System for
Sono-catalytic Production of Hydrogen" US Patent #7,141,216
2002 Co-winner of the Best Paper
Award at the 2002 SAE Sustainability Conference in Graz, Austria, April, 2002
2000 Campbell Award winner
for an outstanding contribution in the field of real-world vehicle exhaust
emissions
1998 Patent granted for
“Device and Method for Measuring Temperature of Vehicle Exhaust
1997 Patent granted for “Optical
Sensing Apparatus for Remotely Measuring Exhaust Gas Composition of Moving
Motor Vehicles”
1996 Defensive publication
award for a new approach to measure the reactivity of vehicle exhaust
1995 Submitted written
testimony to the United States Senate on the effectiveness of remote sensing
for identifying high emitting vehicles
1994 Plotted distribution of
vehicle emissions in a new way. (Subsequently used and cited in scientific
literature as the “Stephens Plot”)
1992 Organized and managed
the worlds largest study of in-use vehicle exhaust emissions ever conducted (to
date)
1989 Invented a remote
sensor for measuring vehicle exhaust emissions
1985 Discovered evidence for
a new class of chemical reactions involving OH(A2å+)
with alkanes and chlorofluorocarbons
1984 Developed a novel
technique for measuring electronic quenching rate constants
Publications (Internal and External Reports)
(ten reports have been omitted due to GM confidentiality
rules)
Life Cycle Assessment of Aluminum Casting Processes, Robert
D. Stephens, Candace S. Wheeler, and Maria Pryor, SAE #2001-01-3726, Proceedings
of the Environmental Sustainability Conference and Exhibition Land,
Sea & Air Mobility, April 8, 2001, Graz, Austria. (Co-winner of best paper
award).
Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Plastic and Steel
Vehicle Fuel Tanks, Robert D. Stephens, Ronald L. Williams, Gregory A.
Keoleian, Sabrina Spatari, and Robb Beal, Proceedings of the
Automotive Engineers Total Life Cycle Conference, Graz, Austria, December 3,
1998, SAE 982224.
Application of Life Cycle Inventory Analysis to Fuel Tank
System Design, Gregory A. Keoleian, Sabrina Spatari, Robb T. Beal, Robert D.
Stephens, and Ronald L. Williams, Int. J. LCA 3 (1) 18-28 (1998).
A Technique for the Rapid Estimation of Vehicle Exhaust Gas
Reactivity, Proceedings of the 8th CRC On-Road Emissions Workshop,
April 20-22, 1998, San Diego, CA.
An Analysis of General Motors Late Model Year Vehicle CO
Emissions as Measured by Remote Sensing, Robert D. Stephens, General Motors
Research and Development Report HE-434, August, 1996.
Analysis of Remote Sensing Errors of Omission and Commission
Under FTP Conditions, Robert D. Stephens, Steven H. Cadle, and Tim Z. Qian, J.
Air and Waste Mgt. Assoc., 46: 510-516, June, 1996.
A Technique For the Rapid Estimation of Vehicle Exhaust Gas
Reactivity, Robert D. Stephens, Research Disclosure, 1996/779.
Exhaust Hydrocarbon Reactivity of Vehicles Operated With
Different Fuels and Simulated Failure Modes, Robert D. Stephens, General Motors
Research and Development Center Publication R&D-8441, October 11, 1995.
The Applicability and Effectiveness of Remote Sensing For
Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance, Robert D. Stephens, Testimony to the US
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Clean Air, Wetlands, Private
Property and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee, June 29, 1995.
Errors of Omission and Commission For the Detection of High
Emitters During Well Defined FTP Operating Conditions, Robert D. Stephens,
Douglas Hoffman, Kenneth McAlinden, Proceedings of the Fifth CRC On-Road
Vehicle Emissions Workshop, San Diego, CA, April 3-5, 1995.
An Experimental Evaluation of Remote Sensing Based
Hydrocarbon Measurements: A Comparison to FID Measurements, Robert D. Stephens,
Patricia A. Mulawa, Michael T. Giles, Peter J. Groblicki, Steven H. Cadle,
Kenneth T. Knapp, J. Air and Waste Mgt. Assoc., 46:148-158, Feb., 1996.
Remote Sensing Data and a Potential Model of Vehicle Exhaust
Emissions, Robert D. Stephens, J. Air and Waste Mgt. Assoc.,44:1284-92,
November, 1994.
An Analysis of Michigan and California CO Remote Sensing
Measurements, Robert D. Stephens, Michael T. Giles, Kenneth McAlinden, Robert
A. Gorse, Douglas Hoffman, and Rodger James, Proceedings of the Air and Waste
Management Association/EPA International Conference:The Emission
Inventory:Application and Improvement, Raleigh, NC, November 1-3, 1994.
Techniques For Improving the Accuracy of Nondispersive
Infrared-Based Measurements of Complex Mixtures of Hydrocarbons, Robert D.
Stephens and Gregory A. Dorais, General Motors Research and Development Center
Report ER-417, October 21, 1994.
An Experimental Evaluation of Remote Sensing Based
Hydrocarbon Measurements: A Comparison to FID Measurements, Robert D. Stephens,
Patricia A. Mulawa, Michael T. Giles, Kenneth G. Kennedy, Peter J. Groblicki,
Steven H. Cadle, John W. Duncan, Kenneth T. Knapp, CRC-APRAC Contract VE-11-4
Final Report, September, 1994.
A Decision Tree Approach To Data Validation For Remote
Sensing Measurements of Vehicle Exhaust Emissions, Zhaogang Qian, Robert D.
Stephens, Presentation at the 1994 AAAI Workshop On AI Technologies for
Environmental Applications, July 31-Aug. 4, 1994, Seattle, WA.
Remote Sensing of Vehicle Exhaust Emissions, Steven H. Cadle
and Robert D. Stephens, Env. Res. and Tech., 28, (1994), 258A-264A.
Analysis of Remote Sensing Errors of Omission and Commission
Under FTP Conditions, Robert D. Stephens, Steven H. Cadle, and Tim Z. Qian,
CRC-APRAC Contract VE-11-4 Final Report, April, 1994.
Real World Emissions Variability as Measured by Remote
Sensors, Robert D. Stephens, Michael T. Giles, Peter J. Groblicki, Robert A.
Gorse, Jr., Kenneth J. McAlinden, Douglas B. Hoffman, Rodger James, and Sam
Smith, Proceedings of the Fourth CRC On-Road Vehicle Emissions Workshop, San
Diego, CA, March 16-18, 1994
An Experimental Evaluation of the Accuracy of Remote Sensor
Measurements of Hydrocarbons, Robert D. Stephens, Steven H. Cadle, Patricia A.
Mulawa, Peter J. Groblicki, Kenneth G. Kennedy, Michael T. Giles, Kenneth T.
Knapp, John W. Duncan, Proceedings of the Fourth CRC On-Road Vehicle Emissions
Workshop, San Diego, CA, March 16-18, 1994.
Michigan Roadside Study: Analysis of Repairs on High
Emission Vehicles, Kenneth J. McAlinden, James Butler, Robert A. Gorse, Douglas
B. Hoffman, Peter J. Groblicki, Thomas Liberty, Robert D. Stephens, Proceedings
of the Fourth CRC On-Road Vehicle Emissions Workshop, San Diego, CA, March
16-18, 1994.
Real World Emissions Variability as Measured by Remote
Sensors, Robert D. Stephens, Michael T. Giles, Peter J. Groblicki, Robert A.
Gorse, Jr., Kenneth J. McAlinden, Douglas B. Hoffman, Rodger James, and Sam
Smith, SAE 940582 Presentation at the SAE International Congress and
Exposition, Feb. 28-March 3, 1994, Detroit, MI.
The Michigan Remote Sensing Study: A Preliminary Review of
Repair Induced Emissions Reductions, Robert D. Stephens, Thomas F. Liberty,
Peter J. Groblicki, Robert A. Gorse, Jr., Kenneth J. McAlinden, Douglas B.
Hoffman, Rodger James, and Sam Smith, Proceedings of the Air and Waste
Management Association International Specialty Conference: The Emission Inventory:
Perception and Reality, Oct. 18-20, 1993, Pasadena, CA.
Analysis of Remote Sensing Errors of Omission and Commission
Under FTP Conditions, Robert D. Stephens, Steven H. Cadle, Tim Z. Qian,
Proceedings of the Air and Waste Mgt. Association International Specialty
Conference: The Emission Inventory: Perception and Reality, Oct. 18-20, 1993,
Pasadena, CA.
Evaluation of Remote Sensing as a Tool for Measuring Vehicle
Exhaust Emissions, Robert D. Stephens, Tim Qian, Proceedings of the Air and
Waste Management Association. International Specialty Conference: Optical
Sensing for Environmental Monitoring, Oct. 11-14, 1993, Atlanta, GA.
Feasibility Study For the Use of Remote Sensors to Detect
High Emitting Vehicles, Final Report to the South Coast Air Quality Management
District, contract no. R-C93024, S. H. Cadle, R. J. Countess, J. Kert, D. R.
Lawson, N. W. Sorbo, and R. D. Stephens, December 22, 1992.
FTP Emissions Variability and the Relationship to Remote
Sensing Data, Robert D. Stephens, Steven H. Cadle, Tim Qian, Proceedings of the
Third Annual CRC-APRAC On-Road Vehicle Emissions Workshop, Dec. 1-3, 1992, San
Diego, CA.
Remote Sensing Data and a Potential Model of Vehicle Exhaust
Emissions, Robert D. Stephens, Proceedings of the 1992 SAE Fuels and Lubricants
Meeting and Exposition, October 19-22, 1992, San Francisco, CA.
Analysis of Carbon Monoxide Emissions Data from In-Use
Closed-Loop Emission Control Cars During Fuel-Enriched Operating Modes, Robert
D. Stephens, General Motors Research and Development Center Publication
GMR-7691, June 9, 1992.
On-Road Remote Sensing of Carbon Monoxide and Hydrocarbon
Emissions During Several Vehicle Operating Conditions, Lowell Ashbaugh, Douglas
R. Lawson, Gary A. Bishop, Paul L Guenther, Donald H. Stedman, Robert D.
Stephens, Peter J. Groblicki, Jayendra S. Parikh, Brian J. Johnson, and Steve
C. Huang, Proceedings of the AWMA/EPA Conference on PM10 Standards and
Nontraditional Particulate Source Controls, Phoenix, AZ, January, 1992.
Remote Sensing Measurements of In-Use Vehicle Carbon
Monoxide and Hydrocarbon Exhaust Emissions, Robert D. Stephens and Peter J.
Groblicki, Proceedings of the AWMA/EPA International Specialty Conference:
Emission Inventory Issues in the 1990’s, Durham, NC, September 9-12, 1991.
Remote Sensing Measurements of In-Use Vehicle Carbon
Monoxide and Hydrocarbon Exhaust Emissions, Robert D. Stephens, Presentation at
the 1991 SAE Government/Industry Meeting, May 15, 1991, and at the Joint Air
and Waste Management Association/EPA Conference on Emission Inventory Issues in
the 1990's, September 11, 1991.
GM Remote Sensing Studies, Robert D. Stephens, Presentation
at the CRC-APRAC Remote Sensing of On-Road Vehicle Emissions, Los Angeles, CA,
September 16,
1991.
Remote Sensing Measurements of Carbon Monoxide Emissions
from On-Road Vehicles, Robert D. Stephens and Steven H. Cadle, J. Air Waste
Manage., 41:39-46(1991).
Remote Sensing Measurements of Carbon Monoxide Emissions
from On-Road Vehicles, Robert D. Stephens and Steven H. Cadle, Proceedings of
the EPA/Air and Waste Management Association International Symposium:
Measurement of Toxic and Related Air Pollutants, Raleigh, NC, May, 1990.
A Comparison of Infrared and Fluorometric Measurements of
Gas-Phase Hydrogen Peroxide, Jerry D. Rogers, William A. Glasson, and Robert D.
Stephens, General Motors Research and Development Center Report EV-337, April
28, 1989.
Kinetics of the Reaction of Hydroxyl Radicals with
2-(Dimethylamino)ethanol from 234-364K, Larry G. Anderson and Robert D.
Stephens, Int. J. of Chem. Kinetics, Vol. 20, 103-110 (1988).
Absolute Infrared Intensities for F-113 and F-114 and an
Assessment of Their Greenhouse Warming Potential Relative to Other
Chlorofluorocarbons, Jerry D. Rogers
and Robert D. Stephens, J. of Geophys. Res., Vol. 93 No. D3, 2423-2428, March
20, 1988.
Quenching of OH(A2 å+ ) by Alkanes
and Chlorofluorocarbons at Room Temperature, Robert D. Stephens, J. of Phys.
Chem., 1985, 89, 2630-2635.
OH(A2å+) Quenching By Alkanes, Robert D. Stephens, General
Motors Research and Development Center Report EV-233, July 19, 1994.
Absolute Rate Constants for the Reaction of Hydroxyl
Radicals with Ammonia from 297 to 364 K, Robert D. Stephens, J. of Phys. Chem.,
1984, 88, 3308-3313.
Absolute Rate Constants for the Reactions of OH Radicals
with Alkanes, Larry G. Anderson and Robert D. Stephens, presentation to 15th
Informal Photochemistry Conference, Stanford, CA, June 29, 1982.
Absolute Rate Constants for the Reaction of O(3P) with NO in
Ar from 237 to 397 K, Larry G. Anderson and Robert D. Stephens, J. of
Photochemistry, 11 (1979) 293-295
