Turbine Truck Engines Working With Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on Prototype Engine
06 November 2007
Turbine Truck Engines, Inc. (TTE) is working with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona, Florida campus) with the objective of further development of the Detonation Cycle Gas Turbine Engine technology (earlier post) for heavy-duty highway trucks.
The alliance will take the form of enhanced technology development and testing of the prototype engine built by TTE. The research team will be working on all aspects of the engine including primary and secondary mechanical functionality, electrical, hydraulic, fuel and pneumatic systems.
This development and extensive testing will be conducted in laboratory settings and in real world field tests. This research and testing is phase one of a multi-phase project.
Turbine Truck Engines, Inc., is the exclusive licensee for Alpha Engines Corporation’s Detonation Cycle Gas Turbine Engine'technology for manufacturing heavy-duty highway trucks.
I know there was an extensive discussion of this technology last year on GCC - but how applicable is this turbine engine towards smaller vehicles?
Posted by: AES | 06 November 2007 at 03:31 PM
Never mind smaller vehicles, what's Embry-Riddle doing working on a non-aeronautical project? I guess maybe they have some expertise in horizontally-opposed piston engines (as used by light aircraft), but this thing has no pistons. The prototypes also seem to have very high rotation speeds.
Posted by: Floatplane | 06 November 2007 at 03:58 PM
I thought the truck turbine died about 40 years ago when British Leyland, Ford, General Motor s and Caterpillar pulled out of the race. The engine was miles too thirsty. Volvo in Sweden in recent years has been running a truck with a gas turbine engine. But we have not heard too much about that either.
So where has the progress been made. Gas turbine engines for trucks and cars need a heat exchanger to take heat out of the exhaust gas and fire it back into the compressor to up the thermal efficiency.
It would be interesting to knnow more about the design.
I am based in the UK. The UK was the birthplace of the gas turbine engine. remember Sir Frank Whittle and the jet engine. Rover Car Company invented the gas turbine for cars...remember Jet 1 and the motor racing at Le mans circa 1965 with Graham Hill???
It has all been done before. What is new that make the engine tick this time please???
Kind regards
John Mortimer
Posted by: John Mortimer MSc | 08 November 2007 at 08:38 AM
I thought the truck turbine died about 40 years ago when British Leyland, Ford, General Motor s and Caterpillar pulled out of the race. The engine was miles too thirsty. Volvo in Sweden in recent years has been running a truck with a gas turbine engine. But we have not heard too much about that either.
So where has the progress been made. Gas turbine engines for trucks and cars need a heat exchanger to take heat out of the exhaust gas and fire it back into the compressor to up the thermal efficiency.
It would be interesting to knnow more about the design.
I am based in the UK. The UK was the birthplace of the gas turbine engine. remember Sir Frank Whittle and the jet engine. Rover Car Company invented the gas turbine for cars...remember Jet 1 and the motor racing at Le mans circa 1965 with Graham Hill???
It has all been done before. What is new that make the engine tick this time please???
Kind regards
John Mortimer
Posted by: John Mortimer MSc | 08 November 2007 at 08:38 AM
hi enjoyed your site. i use to work for air reserch in phoenix Arizonia . Is now Honeywellget tirbune engines. back in 1965 air reserch built a mac truck with a jet tubine truck. my question is have you seen this truck and do you know a way i can find a picture of it.
Posted by: larry walk | 14 November 2008 at 04:06 PM