The Navy has many tactical and operational missions that require equipment powered by lightweight, high output internal combustion engines, 5 to 150 BHP. Navy inventory of engine powered equipment in this size range is predominantly gasoline fueled. Department of Defense (DoD) has mandated future buys of engine powered equipment must have engines capable of burning heavy fuels: jet fuels and DFM (No. 2 diesel). The Navy wants fuel efficient, lightweight, high powered (1 lb/HP) compression ignition heavy fuel engines (HFE) 25 to 150 HP. These engines operate in a battlefield environment; stealth features are required. Operated by personnel with limited technical knowledge, engines must be reliable, simple to operate and maintain. No commercially available engine meets these specifications. AED Corp. will combine its developed heavy fuel burning spark-ignited, direct- injected controlled combustion engine technology with commercial electronic direct-injected gasoline and diesel engine technology to develop a compression ignition HFE operating on a precisely controlled dual combustion thermodynamic cycle limiting maximum cylinder pressure. HFE has applications for unmanned aircraft, generators, and other platforms throughout the military. Phase I base efforts: HFE base technologies will be analyzed and evaluated as applied to production 2- and 4-cycle high performance homogeneous charge engines. Two concept design layouts will be made around a 500 cc per cylinder engine. Following a design review, a concept test engine will be built. Phase I Option: the concept test engine will be installed on the dyno for heavy fuel test and evaluation.
Benefit: A high power, lightweight, fuel efficient, easy starting, diesel cycle engine with controlled maximum firing pressures will have unlimited commercial applications. There is a good possibility that the heavy fuel burning technology advanced in this initiative will be a base for evolutionary steps to an all fuels burning engine.
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