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There are 30 million people in remote, rural communities in China without access to electricity. The government of China has initiated an ongoing effort to provide constant, reliable power to these citizens. Renewable energy is being utilized to solve this problem, which necessitates the use of a storage medium for energy, because renewable energies (i.e. wind and/or solar power) are inherently intermittent, variable, and largely unpredictable. By storing excess energy when it is plentiful (for a maximum feasible time of two days) and distributing it to the community in times of scarcity, the intermittent power is effectively leveled and auxiliary power is provided. A high-inertia flywheel was designed for this application because of its simplicity, ease of maintenance, low cost, and reliability. This design addresses many problems including bearing losses, aerodynamic losses, and distribution losses. The proposed design consists of a six spoke layout with a large outer ring.

There is a growing interest in improving engine versatility through the capacity to run on more than one fuel. To aid in this effort, the research presented in this paper investigated a novel system using microwave plasma ignition designed with the goal of allowing standard gasoline engines to run on non-standard fuels. The fuel used was Jet A. The test engine was a Briggs and Stratton single cylinder engine outfitted with an aftermarket fuel injection system and the microwave plasma ignition system. The tests performed were to determine the cold-start temperature limit, the lowest temperature at which the engine could be repeatedly started, using microwave plasma ignition with a conventional spark plug as a reference. A detailed system outline is presented, as well as results and conclusions. Recommendations for further research are also suggested.