Cyclone Completes Raytheon IDS Performance Test

Cyclone's external combustion engine passed with flying colors a performance test for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS), showing that the water-cooled Mark II engine has 30 percent more thermal efficiency over original estimates.

That means that after operating at temperatures in excess of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 538 degrees Celsius) and steam pressures of 1,150 psi, the Mark II functioned at 2,133 rpm and produced 13.4 hp and 33 ft-lbs of torque at a diesel fuel burn rate of 0.8 gal/hr.

"We're very pleased to complete these tests for our customer," Harry Schoell, Cyclone CEO said in a release. "The Raytheon IDS team has meticulously reviewed our findings and validated our final results. We now look forward to moving our business relationship forward."

After the completion of the test, the two sides are already looking into the next phases of this project. This last February, the engine passed a test which had it running by the combustion of an eco-friendly monopropellant, Moden Fuel.

The engine, which promises acceptable performance while running on virtually anything, has already been patented in Korea, China, South Africa and Australia. In 2008, the engine's combustion chamber was patented in the United States.

The Cyclone engine is a Rankine Cycle heat regenerative external combustion engine, which burns fuel in a centrifugal combustion chamber, heating water-containing coils. This results in steam, which in turn is transformed into work by means of pistons.

The manufacturer is planning five versions of the Cyclone engine: Mark II, V, VI, WHE and Solar 1. The ones to be used in the automotive industry are the Mark V, developing an estimated 100 hp, ideal for passenger vehicle and the Mark VI, outputting 330 hp, for use in trucks and heavy transport.