Another Palmear article.....dunno if it really says anything new, or is just different wording.
Fulton County Expositor
Pelmear unveils the basic technology of his innovative 110 mpg engine
By DAVID J. COEHRS
Expositor Features Editor
While on his way to speak at the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Doug Pelmear's revolutionary Hp2g engine got an average 137 miles per gallon of E85 fuel over the 2,223 route.
Once there, he was willing for the first time to share with enthusiasts and skeptics alike how that's possible.
Now that patents on the V8, 400 horsepower, 110 mile per gallon hybrid engine are secure, Pelmear rocked the Nov. 2-5 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) convention with its basic technology. He'll do the same at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show to be held Jan. 11-24 at Cobo Center.
The secret? A variable displacement system that allows for rotational use of the eight cylinders to improve fuel economy and a brushless electric motor within the engine.
"To the naked eye, it looks just like a normal engine, but it's complex," Pelmear said Tuesday.
According to Pelmear, the fuel-fired engine can transition from running on all cylinders to an elaborate system that selects which ones to shut down when not "under load." The engine can operate on a single cylinder, which rotates between the others to avoid carbon accumulation.
The electric motor operates on a pulse basis, so that the electric field generating power to the wheels can cycle on and off to save energy.
The engine requires assistance from two lighter-weight "spiral core gel" batteries commonly used in racing. But Pelmear said traditional automotive batteries can also be used.
The Hp2g engine housed in his 1987 Ford Mustang has gotten an average 109.7 miles per gallon while logging over 22,000 miles in 18 months. A study by the Environmental Protection Agency in May ruled that the Mustang emitted hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide at levels well below the agency's newly-imposed automobile standards. The engine runs exclusively on ethanol-based fuel.
With its electromagnetic propulsion, the Hp2g engine is a marriage between fuel-driven and battery-driven engines, Pelmear said. All engine parts are manufactured in the U.S., and dealership zones for cars carrying the engine are being set up across the country.
When he described his engine at the SEMA convention "pretty much the naysayers stopped," Pelmear said. An agreement has already been inked with Revenge Designs, an automobile manufacturer in Decatur, Ind., and Pelmear is currently in discussions with several other companies whose names he won't disclose.
He was inspired to pursue a more efficient engine after watching his father and grandfather work on their own version. His concept, which came in a dream, is a cleaner burning engine, Pelemear said. In fact, after turning over 24,000 miles his Mustang still doesn't need an oil change.
Developing and building the engine has been a costly venture. Although Pelemear received a $50,000 loan from Henry County, getting financial assistance has proven difficult. The federal government has routinely ignored his requests since 2002.
"Politics are politics. This is business," Pelmear said, shrugging. "I could have sold out. But there's a bigger meaning to this. I think people need to go back to work."
His fledgling company of about a dozen employees has so far built a handful of the engines. He expects to produce enough to install in vehicles by the third quarter of 2010.
The engine is also being introduced for study in alternative technology classes at Northwest State Community College. Pelmear has partnered with the school so that young individuals become familiar with the state-of-the-art mechanics.
"There's less 'Does it work' and more 'How does it work' now," he said.