spiralling oil prices fuel interest in orbital

Spiralling oil prices fuel interest in Orbital
By Ian Porter
May 5, 2005

$1.50 a litre in a year and heading uphill
High oil prices and rising demand for hybrid vehicles are strong
indicators that Orbital Corporation's time in the sun may have
arrived, chief executive Peter Cook believes.

The engine technology company has already had an increase in
interest in its direct fuel-injection system from makers of four-
stroke engines, which are mostly used in cars.

Orbital already has production agreements with the world's largest
makers of outboard two-stroke motors and several motorcycle makers
in Asia and Europe but, despite many joint development projects with
the world's leading car makers, it has yet to sign a four-stroke
deal.

"Consumers have been reluctant to pay the added cost of emission and
fuel-economy-improving technologies," Mr Cook said in a release. But
the recent sharp rise in oil prices had started to change the
mindset, he said.

"Consumers are starting to become concerned about higher fuel prices
and global warming as issues.

"SUV sales have plateaued in the US. Manufacturers such as Toyota
that have introduced fuel-economy market entries appear to have
tapped into a latent market need."

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AdvertisementToyota has been unable to meet surging demand for the
Prius hybrid car in the US, which uses a combination of a small
internal combustion engine and an electric motor with batteries to
slash fuel consumption by more than 40 per cent.

The car costs a third more than a comparable sedan and Mr Cook
believes the willingness of people to buy the hybrid shows they are
ready to pay more for fuel economy generally.

"If it does, manufacturers of internal combustion engines will need
to improve (carbon dioxide) emissions and reduce fuel consumption."

Mr Cook said several technologies can be used to reduce emissions
and consumption, including variable valve timing and turbocharging,
but he said the central feature of every design would be
improved "fuel preparation" at the fuel injector. "This is an area
we have pioneered, and our intellectual property is extensive and
solid."

The company's patented orbital combustion process (OCP) uses a low-
pressure, low-cost pneumatic system to deliver fuel and air to the
combustion chamber in an engine.

Patented software and fuel injectors produce a plume of fuel/air
mixture in the chamber that is petrol-rich around the spark plug and
much leaner out near the cylinder walls.

The fuel burns more completely, reducing emissions and consumption.

Mr Cook said there was no need for extensive research and
development expenditure. "What we've already done in OCP is
generating interest now." A series of papers presented at recent
automotive engineering conferences had examined four-stroke
applications of the OCP.

"It's also visible in recent patent applications for technologies in
which central air-assisted direct injection is an integral part.
Clearly car makers see emission and fuel-economy issues becoming
critical to end consumers."