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2008 Annual PTBC Newsletter
December 29, 2008
In our end of the year newsletter last year (2007), we talked about applying our disc turbine knowledge to real world applications. Let’s see how well we have done throughout 2008.
45 mpg in gridlock, 90-plus on highway
Starting out in January, we were in the middle of a hybrid vehicle project, in cooperation with Michigan Technological University. I had completed design work on a new power management system in the first half of 2007, and needed design verification from a third party.
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MTU/ECE Senior Design Team 5
Left to right: Vanessa Ortis (ME), Beth Poole (EE/CPE), Tom Daunais (EE), Kevin Heglund (ME). Not pictured: Anthony Dyer (EE), Don Secor (Advisor).
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Working with a state-sponsored business development group and a Michigan Technological University senior design team, we worked closely on modeling the system in MathWorks and running it through Federal and proprietary driving schedules.
The results were no less than spectacular. Since the goal of the project is to increase urban driving efficiencies while drastically reducing emissions, we had to create a proprietary gridlock-driving schedule.
After running the simulations for a typical compact car, we achieved an amazing 45 miles per gallon in gridlock, with a projected 90-plus mpg on the highway. Toward the end of the school year, the student team moved from simulation to hardware bench top verification of the computer model.
 Ultimately the goal is to introduce a new hybrid vehicle system for use around the globe to reduce fossil fuel consumption and eliminate the negative effects of auto emissions which lead to global warming, failing food production, and failing health.
Even though we are realizing great results with the first design, it does utilize off-the-shelf piston engines. In near future improvements to the system, we plan to replace the piston engines with our pulse detonation turbine design. The reduction in toxic hydrocarbon emissions from this move will be nothing less than miraculous!
Back in the shop, we are continuing to build and assemble parts and components into a fully operating hybrid vehicle. Upon completion of the build, we will run the vehicle through a series of tests, debug the system, and work on making plans available for hybrid vehicle enthusiasts.
ORC Turbogenerator Beta builds
On the other end of the scale, we completed a new design for a 7-inch closed-loop organic Rankine cycle turbogenerator. Two beta units were built and shipped out – one to Indianapolis, and the other to Tesla’s Alma Mater – the University of Graz. These units are being built up with closed-loop ORC gas systems to prove the viability of using Tesla turbines in real power production applications.
 After shipping these two units out, we completed a third unit for testing and demonstrations here on the home front. We have used our turbogenerator to demonstrate to potential equipment suppliers the simplicity of construction, and how well these units work when spooled up.
We ran a 12-month sale on custom builds of the 7-inch turbogenerator – which will expire on December 31st of this year (2008). We picked up one more order from a party in Eastern Europe, and will send that unit across the pond sometime in the first half of 2009.
All in all we have had a very busy year in both power production and vehicle applications. We have made great progress in eliminating some of the most pervasive problems with these turbines, and have arrived at a point where we can produce a very good piece of machinery.
Turbogen CD in the works
 For those of you who are interested in building your own turbogenerators, we are now working on CAD files for the next CD. This is a major step up from the first 4.5-inch Experimenter’s Tesla Turbine, and will allow builders to construct a unit that produces real power when fed the right gas pressures and volumes.
In 2009 we expect to continue developing in both power and vehicle applications. There really is no limit to what we can do with the technology – the only limitation is on the part of the world to move ahead with us.
Our goal here is to drive in these two areas of technology – power and vehicles – to rebuild the planet on clean, abundant electricity and transportation. We are standing on the threshold of a new world, what we refer to as the space-age lifestyle. The power is in our hands now to initiate a new renaissance, a new awakening across the planet to an era of new power and new transportation.
With the recent collapse of the global greed economy, we have a real opportunity to rebuild the global economy on free, limitless power from the sun. We can now move from fossil fuels to renewables in all areas. But we will never get there by bailing out old guard industries. It looks like Congress will always get it wrong, and we will always get it right.
Are you with us?
Ken Rieli
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