Elevator Pitch: Thortek Laboratories is developing and marketing our patent pending internal combustion engine technology that will provide a 50.4% improvement in fuel efficiency (gas mileage) while NOx and CO emissions are reduced by 33%. It is our desire to develop and license this ICE technology to an engine manufacturer.
Non-Confidential Executive Summary
Greatly improved (>50%) fuel economy, increased power density, and lower emissions are achieved utilizing unique in-cylinder cooling technology for use in all turbocharged, gasoline & diesel, 2-stroke internal combustion engines. This technology recovers heat energy that is wasted in heating the cylinder wall, piston, and head and returns that energy to the cylinder as useful work.
The research team is led by Thortek chief engineer and technology inventor, Douglas G. Thorpe, who recently completed CFD modeling of the technology with Univ. of Kentucky scholars. Consulting agreements from scholars in the automotive industry have been secured.. Test results will compare by experimentation how our engine design compares to the results of completed computational fluid analysis. We will fabricate a single cylinder diesel engine and test at various speeds, loads, and temperatures. The engine design is superior to all gasoline and diesel engines for automotive and stationary power systems. The targeted markets are the multi-millions of commercial vehicles and locomotives sold in North America each year as well as the stationary ICE utilized for electricity generation.Origination of Technology
The technology was conceived by Douglas G. Thorpe in May 2001. Thortek has teamed with Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim Hassan Ali of the University of Kentucky Mechanical Engineering Department. Dr. Hassan agreed to perform a work-for-others contract in the initial research of the ICE. Thortek was awarded a $100,000 in April 2002 via the Kentucky Science & Technology Corporation Rural Innovation Research Funding level 2 grant (loan). The results of that funding produced the empirical data, which determined a 50.4% improvement in fuel efficiency (gas mileage) while NOx and CO emissions are reduced by 33% could be achieved by using this technology.Over the last 3 years, Dr. Hassan has amassed $300,000 in internal combustion engine computational fluid flow analysis software to support the Rural Innovation Fund grant. It is his goal to establish UK as an internal combustion engine research facility since Kentucky is the 3rd largest producer of cars & trucks in the USA. As a result of the RIF grant, UK offered a portion of a class in ICE technology this fall and will offer a full college course in the spring, which will be taught by Dr. Hassan.
We are ready to fabricate an accurate, working prototype. At the end of the 1st year of the effort, we should have the technology and specifications to fabricate a limited number of prototype engines for use in fleet vehicles for summertime operation. We should be able to complete most development of the engine after completion and funding of the 2nd year effort. In other words, we should be able to license the technology to a motor manufacturer within 4 years if funding is sufficient.Market Target
A three year Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis effort by the University of Kentucky via a Rural Innovation Fund grant (loan) provided analytical proof that 1st stage of the concept will increase fuel efficiency by 50.4%!!! The automotive manufactures would need to spend $6B, or an extra $3,000 per model to meet a California proposal to lower greenhouse gas emissions, which would cars and small SUVs to obtain 44 mpg. Based on the fuel formulations used in this report, a 30 percent reduction in oil demand and heat-trapping emissions adds between $2,600 and $2,800 to the average diesel passenger vehicle's sticker price, while a 50 percent reduction adds $4,300 to $4,800. These costs are $1,100 to $1,800 higher than equivalent gasoline vehicles.
Average fuel economy for all 2004 model year vehicles is 20.8 mpg, which is a decline of 6% from the peak of 22.1 mpg in 1987 as more SUV have been purchased instead of cars. The EPA calculates the annual fuel cost by assuming a vehicle is driven 15,000 miles per year and $1.80 per gallon of gas. Therefore, the in-cylinder cooling technology will decrease annual fuel costs from $1,298 to $863. This $435 savings amounts to $3,915 in fuel savings over the 8-year life of the vehicle.
“Calif. Rules costly, say carmakers”,Jeff Plungis, Detroit News Washington Bureau, http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosinsider/0409/23/b01-282416.htm
2 Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2004; EPA, 420-R-04-001; April 2004; US Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/otaq/cert/mpg/fetrends/420s04002.pdf. EPA, “Light Duty Automotive Fuel Economy Trends thru 1983.”.
3 http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/420f04053.htm4“Bound to Rebound, North American net capacity dips, climbs in 2008” Ward’s Autoworld, Volume 40, issue 11, page 15, November 2004
