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A new low temperature engine has been developed which uses a unique solar collector that can operate in cloudy weather and after sunset. A powerplant using this technology can generate electricity 24 hours a day much more economically than a conventional engine. Another application of this device uses conventional fuel but in much smaller amounts than internal combustion engines. Because smaller quantities of fuel are used for equivalent output power, exhaust emissions are correspondingly reduced.

With energy costs trending relentlessly higher - reaching all time records in repeating price spikes, escalating concerns about oil production peaking, global warming and wars in oil producing regions, there has never been a clearer signal that it is time to take a hard look at alternatives to oil-based energy production. New technology is needed to replace the internal combustion engine, fossil fuel generating plant and conventional vapor compression refrigerator.

These older technologies require expensive sources of energy to operate and at present constitute most of the equipment infrastructure in their respective industries. High fossil fuel costs are making such technology economically infeasible. The waste byproducts of traditional machines also contribute to air pollution and climate change. These factors combine to make existing devices obsolete and prevent them from playing a significant role in solving another developing problem, critically short supplies of fresh water.

This summary presents a brief glimpse of a group of technologies and devices that can help solve certain intractable problems in unique ways. These new machines have compelling economic advantages, in specific applications at first, then more generally later on as they become established. They also offer new solutions for problems like industrialization of the third world where energy costs and pollution are primary concerns.

History

Development of new devices to harness solar energy and low temperature heat began as a small private research effort after the oil shocks of the 1970s. The work was funded with tiny amounts of private capital on a pay-as-you go basis and the machines were experimentally developed over a period of many years. In spite of the enormous economic potential for these devices, it proved impossible to acquire the necessary funding to rapidly produce scalable demonstration systems even though the cost of these prototypes is very reasonable.

This does not mean that the technology proposed here has not been accepted by knowledgeable individuals with credentials in thermal physics, however. Such experts have reviewed this technology and confirmed it's potential for success. But some experts have created unnecessary fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) by conducting incomplete or inadequate analyses, leading to an incorrect assessment of investment risk.

The problem with developmental funding arises in cases like this because early stage technology is not always obvious or compelling to experts and innovation often appears in settings where it is completely unexpected. Indeed, the very definition of a patentable invention is one that is not obvious to those ordinarily skilled in the art. The response of a venture capitalist when confronted by an innovator with a new idea is to have it examined by an expert, someone who is ordinarily skilled in the art.

Moreover, the kind of background required for developing the technical devices is not the same as the expertise and credentials needed to deploy the business infrastructure and attract capital. Not many innovators have enough experience in business and financial fields to build a company and raise money. Small innovative companies also have few financial contacts, no access to capital markets and typically lack the resources to consult with outside talent to assist in capitalization of the technology they develop.

In spite of the lack of funding needed to reach the production phase, enough work has been carried out to define the new technology, develop theoretical models, assemble and test key hardware and produce technical and economic information showing these new devices will work and that there is a ready market for them.

Applications

A newly developed aerosolar collector can be used as a heat source for an innovative engine that can generate electricity as effectively as a gasoline engine, even after dark. During daylight hours, vacuum solar collectors that produce high temperatures without requiring mirrors can also be used to boost power levels, although they are not required for operation of the new engine. The engine is more efficient than conventional photovoltaic cells and also uses smaller, cheaper solar collectors. The money required for operation of such a solar engine is its first cost and maintenance over the life of the system because the "fuel" is free. The economic advantages for this new low temperature machine are very compelling over a wide range of applications.

Another version of this technology can produce the same mechanical power output as an internal combustion engine while using a small fraction of the fuel. This new engine can run on conventional fuel at temperatures low enough that the only byproducts are small amounts of carbon dioxide and water. Unlike older internal combustion engines, the new powerplants use nanocatalytic reactors to provide just the right amount of energy to the mechanical conversion process eliminating unnecessarily high temperatures and excessive emissions.

A new cooling machine has also been developed that can produce the same refrigeration as a normal air conditioner using a fraction of the electrical energy required by older technology. Most of the power required for operation is supplied by compact aerosolar collectors that operate 24 hours a day. This new refrigerator can replace traditional machines in applications presently dominated by conventional vapor compression refrigeration equipment.

The new refrigerator and engine technologies can be combined in a unique way to produce fresh water from brackish and salt-water sources. The energy required to do this is a tiny fraction of the power required by conventional desalinization plants and is supplied by the sun. In some applications, naturally humidified air can be processed to produce liquid water which can be stored for later use. Until now this dehumidification process was only carried out by the natural hydrologic cycle and conventional refrigeration machinery using large quantities of electricity.

Fresh water can be produced from salt water using this machine. The amount of water processed is limited only by the design capacity of the device. Solar energy provides an unlimited source of power to carry out desalinization so the potential supply of fresh water is not constrained by expensive ongoing energy costs or the need to limit plant emissions.

Summary

This brief narrative has provided a broad overview of a new set of devices having unique characteristics with the potential to fulfill long-standing needs. Applications for these machines include conventional fuels, solar and unconventional alternatives. While the problems of product development should not be underestimated, these new mechanisms can be built and will have a tremendous impact on the markets they serve. Shortcomings of earlier technology are addressed by these new machines in ways that are economically compelling.

Although the new engine and cooling devices just described have amazing characteristics, they are based on sound scientific principles. These are real machines with inherent advantages and limitations. While they may challenge some common misunderstandings of the laws of thermal physics, they are not perpetual motion machines or other similar absurdities.

Unlike older engine and refrigeration technology, which evolved largely by trial and error, the new machines are constructed specifically to take advantage of certain properties of the materials and fluids from which they are built. These elements have been known for many years but have largely been neglected in the design of engines and refrigerators because fossil fuels were cheap and plentiful. The unique characteristics of the new devices enable them to to achieve outstanding performance levels that allow their use in ways that are simply not possible with traditional machines.

Market economics of the best applications for this new technology are so compelling as to place those who do not adopt the new devices in financial jeopardy. They will find themselves at a competitive disadvantage that only increases over time. Growth in energy demand, particularly in developing countries, will put additional pressure on an ever shrinking supply of petroleum and natural gas. Impending environmental and climate change regulation will likely prevent a move towards cheaper, dirtier fossil fuel such as coal.

These trends are exacerbated by an unfortunate tendency for energy suppliers, particularly utilities, to increase prices to compensate for decreases in demand. As market penetration of new energy-efficient devices occurs, energy costs will continue to rise until older technology is forced out of the market entirely because it has simply become too expensive to operate. Ultimately, there will be a large scale shift away from traditional technology in favor of newer technological options. The early stages of this conversion are already beginning.

Amazing progress in developing the new technology just described has been made with scant funding and low intensity development sustained over many years. What is needed now is an infusion of capital to develop the most obvious and economically feasible applications. This will allow the best candidate machines to be brought to market rapidly. One course of action to speed up market penetration would be to develop scalable demonstration products. Licensing of manufacturing and distribution rights to established industry players would follow.

Although the risks of public disclosure and proprietary considerations limit the detail that can be made available, following the links on this page will provide more information about these exciting new machines.