In phase one of this project, Mr. Dubose needed assistance to evaluate his Minimal Crevice Volume (MCV) Piston Ring concept to see if it showed enough technical merit to warrant the expenditure of time and money into patenting the concept and commercializing it. He initially enlisted the help of Texas Tech University, and subsequently Honeywell FM and T, to evaluate the concept for technical feasibility. This evaluation included engineering evaluations of the concept's functionality and manufacturability, along with design analysis and refinement through finite element analysis and other methods. The Principal Investigator at FM and T (Greg Schuttler) and Dr. Maxwell at Texas Tech provided feedback to Mr. Dubose on the functional feasibility of the concept, and the Principal Investigator at FM and T provided manufacturability guidance. Dr. Maxwell had engineering students and a graduate student at Texas Tech conduct static finite element studies to further evaluate the concept; and an extensive dynamic finite element evaluation of the concept, including design refinement, was carried out at FM and T by the Principal Investigator and Jim Mahoney. The results of the FM and T finite element analysis were used as a justification for Mr. Dubose to pursue patent application for this concept. The dynamic finite element study pushed the state-of-the-art for this type of study at FM and T. It also served as a vehicle to facilitate the familiarization of FM and T associates outside the Finite Elements group in Engineering with finite element techniques and capabilities, a plant goal. In phase two of this project, Mr. Dubose was attempting to prove the viability of his already patented 'Variable Orbital Aperture' concept. All three of the major US automotive corporations had expressed an interest in Mr. Dubose's multiple valve disc concept, if it could be proven that an effective sealing method could be found, since rotary valve engines have historically been nearly impossible to seal. To accomplish this, Mr. Dubose proposed to build a functional single-disc cylinder head to try different seal designs. Texas Tech had a Kawasaki single cylinder engine that was suitable for this use, and it was decided that a rotary valve cylinder head would be fabricated to fit this engine. To this end, Texas Tech provided assistance in creating the cylinder head design, assisted by Honeywell FM and T. Several design iterations were created, and both wax and stereolithography models were created at FM and T to assist the design process. The wax and stereolithography models were used for conceptual visualization of the designs, fit-up checks of the various components with the actual engine, and even flow testing of the intake and exhaust ports. When the design was finalized, two prototype cylinder head assemblies were machined, from aluminum and steel supplied by Texas Tech and Mr. Dubose, in the FM and T Model Shop. The engine was then to be assembled and tested at Texas Tech. At the time that this project was closed, the engine had not yet been completely assembled and tested.
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