An engine tuning system invented at The University of Queensland (UQ) could save motorists hundreds of dollars on their annual fuel bill.
Created by UQ postgraduate student Larry Weng, the tuning system has the potential to increase motor fuel efficiency by up to 10 percent, prolong the life of an engine, and reduce green house emissions.
Mr Weng said his system was designed to enable a car’s Engine Control Unit, or computer, to continually tune the engine.
“Basically, it will be like having a mechanic under the hood of your car while you’re driving,” Mr Weng said.
“Our approach utilises real-time processing data generated by torque signals to allow the Engine Control Unit to dynamically control ignition timing and the air-fuel ratio so that the engine is optimally tuned with each revolution.
“For the first time, a car will be able to compensate for quickly changing factors such as engine speed and driver demands as well as slowly varying ones such as fuel composition and engine wear.”
The invention recently won the i-Lab prize in the UQ Business School’s Enterprize competition as well as a $125,000 Queensland Sustainable Energy Innovation Fund grant.
Bob Christiansen, Enterprize judge and Executive Director of one of Australia`s largest venture capital firms Allen & Buckeridge Pty Ltd, said the simulated data from this groundbreaking innovation was extremely promising.
“Larry Weng has invented an exciting new technology and I will be following its development very closely,” Mr Christiansen said.
UniQuest Pty Ltd, UQ’s commercialisation arm, will be licensing the patented system into a new start-up company, LEO Tuning Pty Ltd, and is in talks with investors to fund the development of a commercial product.
UniQuest Managing Director David Henderson said the company’s first step will be to build a prototype for initial testing in a R6 Yamaha motor bike and a Holden Alloytech engine.
“If the results from these trials are successful, the system will be then trialled in fleet vehicles,” Mr Henderson said.
“At this stage, we plan to have a product ready for the automotive after-market in the near future; our ultimate aim is have the system included as a standard in every passenger vehicle.”
Media enquiries: Julia Renaud, Corporate Development Manager, UniQuest Pty Ltd (07 3365 4037, 0438 436 179)
