EcoMotors
Inc. has established a joint research and development centre with Hunan
University (HNU) in Changsha, China to further develop and adapt opposed-piston
diesel engine technology for the local market.
The new centre will be
located at HNU’s Research Center for Advanced Powertrain Technology (RCAPT) and
serve as a base for EcoMotors research and development in China.
EcoMotors Inc., of Allen
Park, Michigan, USA, will provide funding to develop its opposed-piston
two-stroke (opoc) diesel engines and associated technologies, and adapt them to
the local market.
For its part, HNU will give
EcoMotors use of the RCAPT’s engine testing and computational facilities, as
well as other resources.
“As our first overseas
R&D centre, this partnership is an important step in the commercialization
of our advanced technology and a sign of the importance this market plays in
our global strategy.” said Amit Soman, EcoMotors president and chief operating
officer. “At this centre we will fine-tune products to meet the specific needs
of the Chinese market and provide support for our other partners in China.”
Located in a province that
serves as an industrial base for mechanical manufacturing, the centre also will
provide EcoMotors with access to top local talent.
As part of the partnership,
EcoMotors will give scholarships to graduate students at HNU’s research centre,
funding their work on the opoc technology. The most promising students will be
sent to work at EcoMotors Shanghai office or other EcoMotors facilities.
“As a leading research
institution, HNU is proud to give our full support to EcoMotors, a company that
is redefining engine technology,” said Professor Liu Jingping, the director of
the Joint Research Centre of EcoMotors and HNU. “This collaboration will enable
us to play a pivotal role in creating more efficient engines and a cleaner
future for China.”
The opoc engine is designed
to be 15 to 45 percent more efficient, smaller, lighter, and less expensive to
manufacture than conventional internal combustion engines. Its “dual-module”
configurations give the engine the versatility to offer peak power while
significantly lowering emissions and enhancing operating efficiency and fuel
economy.
The reduced size and weight
also allows automakers to fundamentally rethink the way they design vehicles,
which holds the potential for further efficiencies through improved
aerodynamics.
“HNU, with its advanced
engine testing facilities, is the perfect partner to help tailor EcoMotors opoc
technology to the China market,” said Professor Peter Hofbauer, founder,
chairman and chief technical officer at EcoMotors. “With the talented
individuals of both EcoMotors and HNU working together, this partnership is
sure to produce revolutionary advancements to EM’s engine technology,
applicable not only in China, but in the global market as well.”
Meanwhile, EcoMotors is expected to make a major statement outlining progess of its novel engine later this year. The company is also expected to reveal further detaails of its opposed-piston two-stroke diesel engine, including possible automotive applications.
Achates paper
Meanwhile, at this year’s SAE World Congress in the US a
new paper from David Johnson of Achates Power Inc. of San Diego,
California, showed that an opposed-piston two-stroke diesel is capable of achieving
35 per cent CO2 emissions reduction and meeting the 2025 fuel efficiency
and emissions regulations
Johnson joined Achates Power
in August 2008 as president and chief executive officer. He is leveraging over
20 years of industry experience to accelerate development of “revolutionary
internal combustion engines” that provide “superior fuel efficiency at lower
cost” and ultimately further the company’s goal of enabling a more sustainable
future.
Johnson was previously vice
president of product operations for military and export markets at Navistar
International. ∎
