Cyclone Power Technologies, Inc. (fka CYPW)

[Buenijo]

Thanks for the kind words, but don't expect anything earth-shattering from me in the future (I'm too lazy, .

On the Cyclone, I'm going to hammer again on the benefits of its torque profile for motive power use (for the benefit of everyone reading this board). There are legitimate reasons for being apprehensive about investing here, but an informed decision is not possible without understanding what the technology can deliver.

Considering the Diesel-electric locomotive is a good way to understand the principles involved. The large Diesel engine of the system powers the electric drive motors indirectly by producing electricity. Why would engineers choose to do this? After all, there are substantial losses in power conversions here. The Diesel engine that they use has an efficiency close to 40%, but the efficiency of the overall system falls to 26-27% as a hybrid. The answer is two-fold: First, the near 40% efficiency of the Diesel applies only in a "sweet spot" with the numbers dropping considerably as the engine is operated outside of this narrow range. Second, without the electric drive a multi-speed transmission and clutch is required to deliver the power to the wheels at torque levels sufficient for acceptable performance.

So, why not go with the transmission and clutch like large trucks? Well, the engine would still have to be operated outside the "sweet spot" during much of the time which would drop the average efficiency. But there is also the matter of the power losses in the transmission. Therefore, the cycle efficiency of the system would be no better than the hybrid version. I believe that engineers opted for the hybrid configuration because the long-term costs of a huge multi-speed transmission and clutch suitable for a locomotive is kinda scary.

Now consider the Cyclone engine. The net efficiency of the air-cooled Cyclone is the same as the Diesel-electric locomotive. This is where people often get "derailed" (pun intended). They cite the greater efficiency of the Diesel as way to disparage the Cyclone. Well, the Diesel can be more effient than the Cyclone on a lab test bench, but not necessarily so in the real world. The Cyclone has the benefits of (1) no transmission losses, (2) less variation of efficiency over the power range, and (3) greatest efficiency at a lower part load where the engine operates most of the time. Furthermore, the Cyclone weighs less than half the Diesel, it has cleaner emissions, it has no emissions controls equipment, and it can burn cheaper fuels.