SBIR-STTR Award

Todays riverine forces employ combatant patrol/assault craft that rely on speed, acceleration, and maneuverability for survivability and multi-mission success. These capabilities are at risk because of the increasing demand to carry more extensive payloads. Current diesel fuel propulsion systems are typically modifications of truck or industrial engines with a weight to power ratio of 3-5. By reducing the propulsion weight, the craft will be able carry more extensive payloads. The three engine choices are diesel, gasoline, and turbine. Current diesel engines dont meet the weight goal. Gasoline engines are not an option due to fleet requirements. Turbine engines have an unacceptable thermal signature. However, a novel engine, the Linear Power Transmission (LPT) engine has the greatest potential to meet the 1lb/hp goal. The original engine, by Herrmann, which received FAA certification in the 1950s, weighed 237 lbs and produced 200 hp. This proposal seeks to demonstrate the feasibility of an innovative multi-fuel marine engine, based on the LPT, we currently produce. Project goals include an engine design that is scalable or can be modularized, 100-700Hp range for direct drive systems, weight-to-power ratio less than or equal to 1.0, and able to withstand marine operational duty cycles with extended life cycle.

Benefit:
EngineTec believes our past successful diesel and LPT engine experience will lead us to a product that will meet the current and future needs of both military and civilian markets. In addition to the over twenty boat builders who serve the US military and commercial markets, there are also the UAV and USV markets. The key to success will be the teaming with vendors as we have done in the past. By integrating the vendors expertise into the design phase we avoid pitfalls in the beginning of the process instead of the end.

Keywords:
innovative solutions for future combatant craft 1lb/hp goal, innovative solutions for future combatant craft 1lb/hp goal

Today's riverine forces employ combatant patrol/assault craft that relies on speed, acceleration, and maneuverability for survivability and multi-mission success. These capabilities are at risk because of the increasing demand to carry more extensive payloads. Current diesel propulsion systems are typicallymodifications of truck or industrial engines with a weight to power ratio of 3-5 (lb/hp). By reducing the propulsion weight, the craft will be able carry more extensive payloads. The three engine choices are diesel, gasoline, and turbine. Current diesel engines don't meet the weight goal, gasoline engines are not an option due to fleet requirements and turbine engines have unacceptable thermal issues. However, a novel engine, the Linear Power Transmission (LPT) engine has the greatest potential to meet the 1lb/hp goal. The original engine design received FAA certification in the 1950's, weighed 237 lbs and produced 200 hp. In this effort, we propose to build and test an innovative multi-fuel marine engine, based on the LPT (currently in production for gensets). Project goals include an engine design that exceeds 500 HP with a weight of 480lbs with low fuel consumption.

Benefit:
By reducing engine weight and with multi fuel capability, this engine will extend operational range while enjoying the benefit of multi fuel use including JP8.

Keywords:
riverine forces, 100-700 hp, Multi Fuel, combatant craft engine, Direct Drive, Compression Ignition, scalable, Modular, diesel propulsion systems.