Cambridge-based Camcon has been given £200,000 towards developing an electromagnetic engine valve which it claimed could improve the efficiency of diesel and petrol engines by controlling the camshaft electronically, rather than mechanically.
Camcon claimed the value could potentially reduce both fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
A test rig has already demonstrated that such an engine is "technically, practically and economically viable", said Camcon whic is aiming to secure a licence for volume production with a tier one automotive supplier.
"Internal combustion engines produce moderately high pollution levels, due to the incomplete combustion of carbonaceous fuel," said Ian Anderson, chief operating officer, Camcon.
"There is currently tremendous pressure on manufacturers to dramatically reduce engine emissions and Camcon has a solution to the problem and is working hard to bring its technology to market. The EEDA grant is a significant contribution to the project," said Anderson.
Invented by company founder Wladyslaw Wygnanski, Camcon’s technology is bistable and stores much of its own actuating energy in internal springs. A short electrical pulse initiates movement which is completed by the stored energy. Electrical power later in the stroke puts energy back into the springs.
“We have just been awarded the grant by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) to do some work with digital valve actuation,” said Anderson.
It is specifically for automotive, independently driving valves at the exhaust and inlet and the actuator is designed to be fast.
“On a test rig we have operated up to the equivalent of 8,000rpm with realistic exhaust pressure. We are talking to a number of OEMs and a German tier one supplier, and the requirement is only 6,500rpm,” said Anderson. “The technology can go to 12,000.”
The firm plans to demonstrate a single-cylinder engine next year.