The WHE is a self-starting Rankine cycle engine capable of using low to medium-temperature waste heat sources. Cyclone is targeting WHE systems for applications such as small-scale cogeneration, solar thermal electricity production, biomass combustion, and engines for auxiliary power units for trucks and RVs.

The WHE is derivative of Cyclone’s external combustion Green Revolution Engine. Unlike its more powerful counterpart, the WHE operates in a low-pressure, low-temperature range using waste heat as low as 225 °F (107 °C) and pressure as low as 25 psi (172 kPa). By contrast, the GRE employs super-critical pressure (3,200 psi, 22 MPa) and super-heated steam (1,200 °F, 649 °C).

The heart of the WHE-25 is the 25 in³ (0.4L) engine capable of producing up to 16 hp (12 kW) of mechanical output, which is sufficient to power a 10 kW electrical generator. This means that one engine offers the potential to supply a significant portion of the energy requirements of a home or small commercial facility. Multiple engines in-line or networked can be used to generate greater power output up to about 100 kW.

Connected with an engine exhaust system, such as that on an 18-wheeler, the WHE-25 can substantially boost the overall efficiency and lower overall emissions of the prime mover. The WHE-25 system can be used as an Auxiliary Power Unit, running a truck’s electrical (or refrigeration) requirements of exhaust heat when the vehicle is in motion, and then off a separate gas or propane line when at rest.

The lease, signed by Precision CNC with Cyclone-WHE as a sub-lessee, provides advantageous terms to allow the two companies sufficient time to ramp-up their respective operations prior to the commencement of rent obligations.

Additionally, the landlord under this lease, The Windsor Company, will invest up to $45,000 in improvements and equipment moving allowances, and has requested and received an option to invest up to an additional $100,000 directly into Cyclone-WHE. The Windsor Company, which owns considerable commercial properties in the area, will also work with Precision CNC and Cyclone as both companies expand in the future, to either build out the current space or build a new facility.

We remain on schedule with our partners at The Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research to begin this process by the end of this year, and expect to be in full production mode in 2014.

—Christopher Nelson, President of Cyclone and Managing Director of Cyclone-WHE