 Torvec's FTV (Fast Tracked Vehicle) will be one application for the new ice-traction system for rubber treads and tires.  |
A technology licensed late last year by Torvec, Inc., is claimed to increase the traction of rubber on ice by a factor of 20. An ice physicist from Dartmouth College, Dr. Victor Petrenko, has turned this technology into an ice-traction system for rubber treads and tires. The system encompasses vehicles being equipped with smart treads that "grab ice," providing vehicles with as much traction on ice as when driving over dry pavement, ultimately preventing many winter driving accidents. "Petrenko's system could give our Fast Tracked Vehicle (FTV) maneuverability and control in icy conditions," said Keith Gleasman, Torvec President. "Our FTV already navigates the roughest terrain and goes places a 4x4 can't, so an ice traction system opens exciting new markets."
BFGoodrich has also licensed the technology, mainly for airplane and marine applications, especially for deicing airplane wings. Torvec acquired the license for land-based applications such as windshields, rubber tracks, and tires for cars, trucks, and railway boxcars. Dartmouth has a policy of licensing its technology to one large company and one small entrepreneurial company.
Petrenko's research was conducted at Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering and supported by grants from the Army and the National Science Foundation. He discovered that opposing electrical charges are the secret glue that adhere ice to surfaces. On a molecular level, ice molecules tend to line up in the same direction, so the ice is positively charged or negatively charged. When, for example, positively charged ice touches another surface, it gives that surface a negative charge and creates a strong bond. This phenomenon is what makes ice cubes stick to fingers; children's tongues stick to frozen swing sets; and ice stick to windshields, windowpanes, gutters, trees, and most anything else it touches.
In the inside-out world of ice crystal physics, adding ice to tire treads actually increases traction. The mechanics of the ice-traction system are relatively straightforward. A mild electrical current through the tread creates an electrical charge on its surface. This charge has the opposite polarity from the ice on the road and creates a thin coating of ice on the tire. The two oppositely charged ice surfaces can then grip each other, providing the traction necessary to steer and slow a vehicle over ice.
"We envision an ice-traction system that engages and disengages to adjust for different road surfaces," said Gleasman. "On pavement the system is off, but as soon as the tread hits ice, the traction system is activated. Micro-thin electronic sensors and conductors could be embedded in the tread of our FTV's rubber track or in a tire. Tire manufacturers are already incorporating traction sensors and other micro-electronics into tire and wheels, so this would not be an enormous change in the manufacturing process."
Torvec is also "rushing to market" with an invisible windshield polymer that will repel ice from the glass surface. The polymer conducts a low voltage current, comparable to that used to run car clocks. The company claims the windshield will repel ice without heat and defrosting or chipping and scraping. Windshields are manufactured by sandwiching a "tinting glaze" between two layers of tempered glass. Torvec's anti-icing polymer will be part of the micro-thin filling, invisible to the human eye.
The same Dartmouth deicing technology used in rubber treads and tires will be used in Torvec's ice-repelling system, which will be made for both replacement windshields and new automobiles.
 The new Cummins QSK78 mining engine has a mass of 10,800 kg (23,819 lb) and a peak torque of 13,790 N•m (10,170 lb•ft) at 1500 rpm. |
Cummins Inc. claims its new 18-cylinder, 78-L QSK78 engine delivers more power than any other engine in the mining industry. The 2610-kW (3500-hp) QSK78 was designed by Cummins in conjunction with Komatsu through their technical joint venture, Industrial Power Alliance (IPA), and is built at the Cummins plant in Daventry, England.
"The QSK78 delivers a 'one-two' punch as the largest and most environmentally friendly diesel engine for today's mining industry," said Mark A. Levett, Vice President and General Manager, High-horsepower Business at Cummins. An extension of the reliable and durable QSK engine family, Levett added that the QSK78 will power the largest equipment being introduced in the mining industry.
The engine features Cummins' most advanced electronic engine management and air-handling technology, capable of operating in severe conditions, including altitudes as high as 3600 m (12,000 ft), without derate. Cummins claims that the key to the QSK78's performance advantage is in its design - two-stage turbocharging with intercooling and aftercooling features to provide the engine with cool, highly compressed air at high altitudes for higher efficiency, lower emissions, and smoke control.
 Updated daily, www.MiningGateway.com is Cummins' interactive internet portal that enables customers to see how their equipment is running, how many hours were run the day before, fuel consumption, and performance issues in need of attention. |
Cummins CELECT full-authority electronics and Quantum System electronic engine management reduce maintenance and add to the life of the QSK78. CELECT contains over 150 programmable features that allow users to customize engine performance for specific equipment, load factors, and operator preferences. The Quantum System allows Cummins customers to view engine performance on a cylinder-by-cylinder basis, even while the engine is operating. Strategically placed sensors send a constant stream of data to the electronic control module (ECM) as they monitor lubrication, cooling, crankcase pressure, and fuel and air handling. All this information is available in real time or is time-stamped for later review and analysis. The Quantum System also can deliver summary trend analysis reports by fault code exception to quickly pinpoint areas of concern.
All data collected by the Quantum System can be broadcast to a secure section of Cummins' interactive Internet portal at www.MiningGateway.com, where engine and equipment information such as hours of operation, fuel consumption, and fault alerts can be viewed from off-site locations. Updated daily, the website enables Cummins mining customers to detect potential problems before an unscheduled service incident can occur. Additionally, Cummins offers QuickServe ProAct for its mining engines as part of the Cummins QuickServe initiative. ProAct is a recently developed support service, enabling Cummins factory-based engineers to monitor and diagnose engine problems and proactively initiate immediate service support for the engine with local distributor technicians.
Every QSK78 comes equipped with a Prelub system that automatically lubricates internal engine components before start-up, eliminating wear and tear and increasing engine life. The Prelub system, with its increased lubrication capacity, can also provide longer life-to-overhaul than engines with conventional lubrication systems. Other standard equipment on the QSK78 is the patented CENTINEL Advanced Engine Oil Management System, which eliminates the need for oil changes when used in conjunction with oil analysis programs to confirm the engine's health and lubricant conditions. By combining these filtration products with information monitoring and trending capability, the Quantum system can extend other service intervals without putting uptime at risk.
