This project will deliver a marketing strategy, product specification and business plan for the
MCD rotary engine, a radical design of internal combustion engine of exceptional simplicity.
The design and attributes of the engine make it particularly suited to developing countries and
harsh environments that require continuous operation for pumping or generating applications
– a low cost, reliable, rugged machine, simple to repair and service and able to run on low
grade fuels, produced locally.
Current IC engines use high precision components, with many moving parts and intricate
assembly processes –complex and sophisticated, they requiring high quality fuels and
lubricants and regular servicing from well equipped dealers. Whilst suitable for advanced
economies, there are many third world and remote communities that require a quite different
machine.
The MCD engine has only two moving parts. It generates power via vectored thrust from
discrete combustion chambers, formed as a rotor moves past a stator. The engine has slow
combustion, permitting the use of gases from anaerobic digestion and biomass, or low-grade
fuels. It will operate at high torque and low speed and be designed for low maintenance, with
build and repair feasible in small local workshops with limited facilities. The engine, coupled
to water pumps or electricity generators, will contribute significantly to improved living
standards in remote and third world communities.
The small stationary engine market is crowded, with many different products from wellestablished
manufacturers. It is thus important to fully examine the potential for a new,
disruptive technology in this sector, identifying appropriate markets and examining sales
opportunities and pricing. The study will also deliver technical specification targets, based on
an improved understanding of customer requirements, and enable the company business plan
to be made more robust to facilitate future investment.