Two startups, Shift Environment and Strange Development, receive funding from Office of Future Mobility and Electrification to test their mobility solutions at two Michigan Technological University facilities in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Source: Planet M Author: Kathleen Achtenberg Date:October 6, 2020
Also announced today, Michigan-based startup, Strange Development , has received a PlanetM testing grant to test its REVolution® technology at KRC’s Advanced Power Systems Research Center at MTU. Strange Development’s REVolution® technology delivers highly efficient, emissions-compliant, durable, engine systems with high power to weight ratios at a lower manufacturing cost critical to applications sensitive weight such as drones, EV range extenders, portable generators, powersports equipment, and maritime vessels.
“Michigan has had a rich history of being a leader and hub for innovative propulsion system technology and we at Strange Development are excited to continue that innovation with the partnership established with both PlanetM and MTU,” said John Krzeminski, founder and CEO of Strange Development. “Our goal at Strange Development is to develop innovative solutions to complex problems positively impacting the world that we live in and we are fortunate to partner with organizations that share our vision.”
The city of Fenton, Michigan, is home to Strange Development, an engineering company aptly named for its predisposition towards new and unconventional solutions for powering vehicles. Based not far from the ‘Motor City’ of Detroit, the company was founded by CEO John Krzeminski about 15 years ago as an r&d workshop focusing on the design, engineering and manufacturing of advanced vehicle power plants.
Krzeminski and his team’s foremost ambition was to identify and resolve the most pressing needs of the UAV market, seeing it as the best outlet for their passion for developing new engine architectures. And indeed, Strange Development has produced a new engine entitled the REVolution, which is designed primarily for UAVs but can also be customised for marine, road and other vehicle applications.
The REVolution is a supercharged two-stroke inline two-cylinder measuring roughly 400 x 350 x 300 mm, with a maximum output of 220 hp (164 kW) – which it achieves at 6800 rpm – and a BSFC of 221 g/kWh when performing at these levels. It had been trialled at up to 7000 rpm at the time of writing, with 8000 rpm as the expected redline.
It runs on gasoline, has a BMEP of 25 bar, and weighs 49.89 kg (110 lb) including the oil pump, supercharger and a front-end accessory transmission system that drives both of them. The standard-issue electric fuel pump and dry oil sump are external to the main design (although a pan for collecting oil via gravity is bolted under the crankcase). Thermal management is provided largely by an internal water-cooling system, and integral oiling channels provide further cooling, along with lubrication.
