Cyclone Power Technologies Inc. (Pink Sheets:CYPW) has successfully completed its biomass-to-power engine system for Robotic Technology Inc. (RTI) under its Statement of Work, and has delivered the renewable power system to the University of Maryland to be coupled with RTI’s autonomous robotic platform.
Cyclone’s prototype biomass-to-power generator is a self-contained, compact system that utilizes the company’s award-winning waste heat engine (WHE) to produce power from plant-based biomass combustion. RTI is currently developing the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot (EATR), under a Phase II SBIR project sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense. The EATR’s ultimate mission includes long range military reconnaissance without the need for manual or conventional re-fueling.
“We are very pleased with the performance of Cyclone’s biomass-to-power system, and now look forward to adding it to our intelligent robotic platform in completion of our Phase II contract award from DARPA,” stated Dr. Robert Finklestein, President of RTI.
At the heart of Cyclone’s current biomass-to-power system for the proof-of-concept EATR is the patent pending WHE, a six-cylinder Rankine cycle external heat engine capable of generating up to 18HP of mechanical power. An attached combustion chamber produces up to 600°F of steam to run the WHE at peak performance. An alternator then converts mechanical energy from the engine into as much as 10kW of usable electricity to power electronics or recharge batteries. A more powerful version of the WHE is expected to be used in future field prototypes of the EATR.
“This was a very meaningful and interesting project for Cyclone, in which we learned a great deal about our waste heat engine and the combustion of renewable vegetative biomass for its fuel source,” stated Travis Love, Cyclone’s Project Engineer for the WHE system. “We believe these lessons will serve us well as we continue along the path of commercializing our technology.”
The robotic system being developed by RTI with Cyclone’s portable biomass-to-power plant has numerous potential commercial applications outside military purposes, such as in border patrol, agriculture, forestry, natural disaster clean-up and recovery, and power generation in industrial or large-scale farming and logging settings. To view Cyclone’s biomass-to-power engine system, visit: http://www.cyclonepower.com/video.html.
About Cyclone Power Technologies
Cyclone Power Technologies is the developer of the award-winning Cyclone Engine – an eco-friendly external combustion engine with the power and versatility to run everything from portable electric generators and garden equipment to cars, trucks and locomotives. Invented by company founder and CEO Harry Schoell, the patented Cyclone Engine is a modern steam engine, ingeniously designed to achieve high thermal efficiencies through a compact heat-regenerative process, and to run on virtually any fuel - including bio-diesels, syngas or solar - while emitting fewer greenhouse gases and irritating pollutants into the air. Currently in its late stages of development, the Cyclone Engine was recognized by Popular Science Magazine as the Invention of the Year for 2008, and was presented with the Society of Automotive Engineers’ AEI Tech Award in 2006 and 2008. Additionally, Cyclone was recently named Environmental Business of the Year by the Broward County Environmental Protection Department. For more information, visit http://www.cyclonepower.com.
Contact
Will Wellons
Media Relations
Cyclone Power Technologies
P: 407-462-2718
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Frankie Fruge
Cyclone Power Technologies
P: 954-943-8721
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Robert Finkelstein
Robotics Technology Incorporated
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W: http://www.robotictechnologyinc.com