Download StarRotor Engine Mark Holtzapple

George R. Brown School of Engineering
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Mark Holtzapple
Professor of Chemical Engineering
Texas A&M University
Thursday, November 19th 2015
2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
212 Herzstein Hall
StarRotor Engine
The StarRotor engine has projected efficiencies over 60%, and thus rivals fuel cells. Unlike fuel
cells, the StarRotor engine can combust any fuel, not just hydrogen. Additional advantages
include low pollution, long life, low maintenance, negligible vibration, high power density, high
turndown ratio, and low cost when mass produced. The StarRotor engine is a variant of the
Brayton cycle commonly used in jet engines and gas turbines. Traditional Brayton cycle engines
use axial compressors and expanders. In contrast, the StarRotor engine uses gerotors, which are
positive-displacement compressors and expanders. To increase efficiency, the StarRotor engine
employs a recuperator and liquid water injection into the compressor. These modifications allow
the StarRotor engine to approximate the Ericsson cycle, which is Carnot efficient. The StarRotor
engine can be scaled from sub-kilowatt to many megawatts; therefore, applications are wideranging. This presentation will emphasize automotive applications.
Bio:
Mark Holtzapple earned his chemical engineering degrees from Cornell University (BS, 1978) and
the University of Pennsylvania (PhD, 1981). After completing his formal education, he entered the
US Army in 1981 and helped develop a miniature air conditioning system that soldiers could wear
to protect them from heat stress while wearing chemical protective clothing. In 1986, he retired as
a captain and joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University. His
research theme is sustainability and includes biomass conversion to fuels and chemicals, food and
feed technology, high-efficiency engines, advanced air conditioning, water desalination, and waste
heat recovery. His work has been recognized by a number of national and international awards,
such as the Odebrecht Award for Sustainable Development, Walston Chubb Award for Innovation
(Sigma Xi), McGraw-Hill Environmental Champion Award, and President's Green Chemistry
Challenge Award from the president and vice president of the United States.
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