"Litus Industrial Ltd is developing uncooled ICE-electric powertrains for HGVs. Uncooled engines would cut the energy use/operating costs/CO2 emissions of ICEs by ~30%, more as prime movers for generators in HGVs. They would be many times lighter and smaller, nearly silent, more reliable as there are no cooling/oil systems to fail and cost about the same to manufacture as current cooled engines. They overcome the barriers to widespread uptake of E-HGVs/fuel cell trucks (range anxiety/unit costs/reduced payloads/lack of refuelling/recharging infrastructure) and represent the most effective way of accelerating the transition to zero-emissions HGVs. Once sustainable hydrogen production/infrastructure is available, zero-emission uncooled hydrogen-electric powertrains will enter the market with a fifth the cost of fuel cells, greater durability, similar efficiency and significantly reduced weight.

Pistons/cylinders of structural ceramic with service temperatures \>1500°C eliminate the 30% of fuel energy typically wasted to cooling/radiation and are inside thermally- and acoustically-insulating casings. Engines will run at much greater temperatures/pressures than todays', at constant load/speed (the most efficient mode). With no plumbing for a piston-cylinder oil system/liquid cooling, engines can be snap-in cartridges, swapped in minutes. Vehicles and equipment would no longer need to be towed to a repair facility, a real game-changer.

Oil would immediately boil away so the only practical way to separate piston and cylinder is by a gas bearing, an established technology in other applications. This is possible due to elimination of piston side thrusts through Litus' innovative twin-contra-rotating crankshaft configuration. Uncooled engines cannot work without gas bearings. Litus' inlet/exhaust port configuration eliminates the valvetrain allowing speeds of 12,000rpm.

They are key to cost-effective solutions for the HGV which account for over 20% of UK road transport GHG emissions The technology is also scalable to rail/ships/cars; construction/agricultural/mining machinery; compressors/pumps/gen-sets. Piston/cylinder gas bearings can be used in cooled engines, provided some adjustment of engine layout is made.

Uncooled engines will enable fleet operators/OEMs to meet increasingly strict ULEZ/statutory emissions requirements. New supply chains for volume production of ceramic parts and other engine components will be created. So far, ten companies have stated an interest in forming partnerships.

Highly efficient uncooled engines are ideal for micro-grid electricity supply and augmenting renewables when there is no sun/wind making them an ideal solution for developing countries as they do not require new power distribution infrastructure.

This proposal is to carry out a gas flow analysis and market assessment to demonstrate technical/market viability."