Bonneville champions George Poteet and Ron Main join forces
with Cyclone to build The World’s Fastest Steam Car
Pompano Beach, FL, May 1, 2012. Cyclone Power Technologies (OTCQB: CYPW) developer of the clean-tech Cyclone Engine, announced today that its performance division Team Steam USA has joined forces with Bonneville champions George Poteet and Ronald Main, including securing use of the construction molds for their state-of-the-art streamliner Speed Demon. Cyclone believes that this alliance will help expedite vehicle construction and greatly enhance the Company’s chances to claim the title of world’s fastest steam car. The vehicle will be powered by an advanced Cyclone Engine which, unlike all previous steam record attempts, can one day be placed in modern clean-emission, all-fuel production cars and trucks.
The Poteet & Main Speed Demon has already achieved speeds at Bonneville in excess of 462 mph using a twin-turbo, v-8 engine. Due in part to its in-line front wheels, the streamliner boasts a remarkably advanced aerodynamic design which greatly reduces wind drag. With the Cyclone Engine as its power plant, Team Steam USA believes it can readily exceed the current international FIA speed record of 148 mph for steam powered vehicles set by the British in 2009, possibly approaching speeds of 200 mph. The Cyclone team has been invited by NASA to run its vehicle at the Kennedy Space Center, only miles from where the original steam record was set in 1906, prior to heading to Bonneville.
Nelson Hoyos, Director of Development of Cyclone’s Team Steam USA commented: “George and Ron have demonstrated great success in both racing and business throughout their extensive careers. We’re very excited to add their designs, experience and expertise to this important project to beat the current US and international steam records. Having set an aggressive schedule to get our streamliner on the track by this summer, we are confident in our combined abilities and believe that George and Ron will be able to contribute meaningfully to help us meet our goal.”
Ron Main added: “I’m very proud to be part of this concerted effort on behalf of Cyclone’s Team Steam USA. Like Nelson and his team, we understand the great environmental and economic importance of demonstrating the performance and capabilities of the Cyclone Engine, and I look forward to helping them showcase what this ground breaking engine can do. We are here to help in any way we can.”
Harry Schoell, Cyclone’s Chairman and CEO, commented: “We thank George and Ron for their strong support of this project, which will be of great value to our overall engine technology development efforts. We have worked hard to compile a strong team of engineers, technicians and racing experts, and are confident in our ability to validate the power and environmental attributes of our Cyclone Engine through this highly visible land speed record effort.”
To read more about Cyclone’s Team Steam USA, and to support this history-making project, visit: www.teamsteamusa.com.
The Engine
The Cyclone Engine is a compact, heat regenerative, external combustion engine that has been developed to achieve high thermal efficiencies and power-to-weight ratio. The engine, invented by Harry Schoell, operates on a Schoell cycle, and uses multiple heat recapturing processes off its cylinders, exhaust manifold and ccondenser to achieve thermal efficiencies over 30%.
The Cyclone Engine uses water as both its working fluid and lubricant, and can operate at super-critical pressures and temperatures, which results in greater power output relative to its size. The Cyclone is capable of running on virtually any liquid or gaseous fuel, including 100% biofuels any liquid or gaseous fuel, including 100% biofuels and combusts these fuels much cleaner than an internal combustion engine.
The 6-cylinder, radial-format Cyclone Engine weighs only 250lbs (with combustion chamber), produces 100hp @ 3600rpm, and generates an impressive 850lbs-ft of torque at starting. With this power, no transmission is needed, ultimately making commercial vehicles lighter and cheaper.
The patented Cyclone Engine has won numerous awards including the Popular Science 2008 Invention of the Year, and the Society of Automotive Engineers’ AEI Tech Award in 2006 and 2008.
HEAT PROCESS
1. Fuel is atomized and injected into the patented centrifugal combustion chamber (shown as lifted off the engine block for better viewing), where a spark ignites the fuel-air mixture into a flame that spins around the heat coils. Thermocouples (not pictured) control the duration of combustion to keep the heat in the combustion chamber at a constant temperature.
2. Water contained in the coils becomes super-heated steam (up to 1200°F) in as little as 5 seconds from start up which is (a) piped to the cylinders, (b) where it enters through a patent-pending valve system (not pictured). Note, valve timing mechanisms regulate how much steam enters the cylinders – the longer the cut-off the greater the torque and acceleration.
MECHANICAL PROCESS
3. Steam enters the six radial-configured cylinders under pressures up to 3200 psi to push the pistons down in sequence. Note, no motor oil is used – water is both the working fluid and engine lubricant. Also, because of the valve design, the engine starts without the need of a starter motor.
4. The rotating action of the pistons connected through a patent-pending spider bearing (not pictured) turns the crank shaft. Note, because the greatest amount of torque occurs at the first rotation, the shaft can be directly connected to a drive train without a transmission.
COOLING PROCESS
5. Steam escapes the cylinders through exhaust ports and (a) enters the patent-pending condensing unit where it turns back into water, and (b) collects in a sealed pan at the bottom of the condenser. Note, this is a closed-loop system – the water does not need to be replaced or topped-off.
6. Blowers spin fresh air around the condenser to speed the cooling process.
REGENERATIVE PROCESS
7. (a) Air which has been pre-heated from the condensing unit, (b) continues up to a second heat exchanger located in the exhaust port of the combustion chamber, further pre-heating the air used for combustion while also cooling the exhaust fumes (to about 320°F).
8. A high pressure pump (not pictured) pipes water from the collecting pan to the heat coils (a) via heat exchangers surrounding each of the cylinders (only one pictured), and then (b) to the center of the coils to start the heat cycle again.
About Cyclone Power Technologies
Cyclone Power Technologies is the developer of the award-winning Cyclone Engine – an all-fuel, clean-tech engine with the power and versatility to run everything from waste energy electric generators and solar thermal systems to cars, trucks and locomotives. Invented by company founder and CEO Harry Schoell, the patented Cyclone Engine is an eco-friendly external combustion 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 minimizing the release of greenhouse gases and irritating pollutants into the air. 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 named Environmental Business of the Year by the Broward County Environmental Protection Department. For more information, visit www.cyclonepower.com.
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