This program will eliminate all lubrication oil and oil filter replacement in the HMMWV and FMTV for the entire vehicle service life. This will be accomplished by delivering to the US Army a retrofit lubrication filter, immediately compatible with existing hardware, which will install and operate in the existing envelope, provide superior full flow filtration to existing filters, be factory fit or field retrofitable, provide lifetime filtration and lifetime oil without replacement or periodic maintenance, be robust, provide a visual indicator on the housing when pressure criteria have been exceeded, operate in bypass mode if necessary during mission critical needs, be cost effective and provide excellent reliability. This goal will be accomplished using breakthrough technology to design and build a combination system incorporating a full flow filtration section working in conjunction with an ultracentrifugal element to effectively remove all particulates. Proprietary time-release pellets will maintain TBN balance. Benefits include: 1) No periodic maintenance, reducing breakage and costs, 2) Lifetime of vehicle oil, eliminating replacement oil costs, 3) No used oil or filter elements, eliminating costly disposal, 4) Simplified supply logistic for in-field operations. The proposed filtration system is based on AEI patented technology developed for Class 8 on-highway trucks. Commercialization potential is high, as this system would be instantly applicable for all light and medium duty diesel engine in both civilian and military sectors. The combination of huge ecological benefits from eliminating used filters and used oil, combined with payback on investment cost within 18 months will assure rapid market acceptance and commercialization.
