May 30 2013
Cyclone Power Technologies, developer of the all-fuel, clean-tech Cyclone Engine, announced that Paul D. Ronney, Professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at University of Southern California, has joined as a consultant to Cyclone's team that will study and develop alternative combustion systems for micro-sized power units.
Professor Ronney has extensive research experience in micro-scale combustion systems, including "Swiss Scroll" designs. These small burners can be sized down to the diameter of a dime, while providing highly efficient combustion of a wide range of fuels. Combined with next generation Cyclone engines, such power systems with potentially 10X the energy density of leading battery technologies could ultimately be used for powering a wide range of portable electronic devices, robots, exoskeletal systems and small autonomous vehicles.
Christopher Nelson, President of Cyclone, stated: "We welcome Dr. Ronney to our growing team of distinguished experts to explore the viability of utilizing external combustion engines for micro-power units. As previously noted, this early-staged project is part of a larger plan to expand Cyclone's base technology into additional cutting edge markets, namely robotics and hybrid lithium-ion or fuel-cell systems. We remain confident and focused on our current engine lines and business segments, as we continue to advance Cyclone's founding mission of innovation and invention."
Professor Ronney's background is impressive. He was the Payload Specialist Astronaut (Alternate) for Space Shuttle mission MSL-1 (STS-83, April 4 - 8, 1997) and the reflight of this mission (STS-94, July 1 - 16, 1997). He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Science degree in Aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology, and a Doctor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He held postdoctoral appointments at the NASA-Lewis Research Center and the Laboratory for Computational Physics at the U. S. Naval Research Laboratory and a position as Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University before assuming his current position in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at USC. Prof. Ronney has published over 70 technical papers in peer-reviewed journals, made over 250 technical presentations, and has received over $10 million in funding for his research projects.
Source: http://www.cyclonepower.com/