Built as a long range military reconnaissance system, EATR will use the Cyclone biomass-to-power engine system to get huge mileage, thanks to the engine's ability to use biomass as fuel.
"We are very pleased with the performance of Cyclone's biomass-to-power system, and now look forward to adding it to our intelligent robotic platform in completion of our Phase II contract award from DARPA," said Robert Finklestein, president of Robotic Technology Inc (RTI), the developer of the project.
The Cyclone engine is a six-cylinder Rankine cycle external heat engine which generates only 18 hp of power. The engine uses an alternator to convert mechanical energy from the engine into as much as 10kW of usable electricity, while the combustion chamber produces up to 600°F of steam.
"This was a very meaningful and interesting project for Cyclone, in which we learned a great deal about our waste heat engine and the combustion of renewable vegetative biomass for its fuel source," Travis Love, Cyclone's Project Engineer for the WHE system added. "We believe these lessons will serve us well as we continue along the path of commercializing our technology."
According to Cyclone, the engine used in the EATR can be moulded to suit several areas of the industry, including border patrol, agriculture, forestry, natural disaster clean-up and recovery, and power generation.
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