Welcome to a new era in power conversion technology,
the age of “S-RAM INSIDE”

Introducing S-RAM – the Sanderson Rocker Arm Mechanism 

The Sanderson S-RAM engine is based on a new type of rocker-arm mechanism that, combined with several complementary, ground-breaking technological advancements, represents a dramatic improvement over conventional power conversion technology such as crankshafts. Its simple transition arm mechanism – the innovative component that converts between reciprocating and rotational motion – represents a true paradigm shift in power conversion and operating efficiency. Yet, despite its numerous revolutionary accomplishments, the S-RAM engine can also be viewed simply as an imaginative repackaging of many of the internal combustion concepts and components with which you are already familiar, i.e. pistons, cylinders, gears, etc. The result is a smaller, more efficient, more powerful mechanism than was previously thought possible, yet the majority of its components are quite familiar to anyone who has seen a conventional pump or internal combustion engine at work.

Sanderson Engine Development Company, LLC (SED) was founded in 1998 to develop and commercialize a novel mechanical discovery, the Sanderson Rocker Arm Mechanism (S-RAMtm), invented by Robert Sanderson. It took SED just seven months to design, build, and begin testing an initial prototype engine. In 1999, SED designed a new variable displacement high pressure water pump. Throughout ensuing years, SED technology has been evaluated by more than a dozen major manufacturers and purchasers of engines, pumps, and compressors. Feedback on the technical merits of the design has been largely positive. For the past approximately 10 years, the majority of SED’s resources have been devoted to patent prosecution. We currently hold 18 major U.S. patents with more than 500 sub-claims.

Market overview and opportunity

The potential market for Sanderson Engine Development’s basic technology is quite extensive, including virtually any equipment that requires conversion of motion between rotational and reciprocating  Beyond the automobile industry, S-RAM technology is expected to have a very dramatic impact on other markets such as hydrokinetics, wind power, and general transportation due to its inherent high efficiency and small size/weight.

Description of proprietary, innovative energy technology or innovative services business model

The Sanderson Engine Development Company’s basic breakthrough mechanism represents a major paradigm shift in applications of all sizes that require conversion between linear and rotary motion.  In an internal combustion engine, for example, the following benefits would accrue:

• Extremely low friction - due to virtual elimination of piston side-wall forces
• Near perfect balancing - resulting in lower vibration and noise.  The Sanderson mechanism is within 1% of pure sinusoidal, compared to 7-13% for a standard crankshaft mechanism.
• Variable speed operation – without separate complex control devices
• Variable stroke – the mechanism can go from full stroke down to zero dynamically, eliminating the need for separate controls.
• Wide scalability – the basic mechanism can be applied to very small engines of approximately 25 horsepower to large engines of up to several hundred horsepower.
• Improved efficiency – the Sanderson mechanism has the ability to perform at efficiencies in the 80-90% range instead of the 35-60% achieved by today’s best-performing counterpart mechanisms
• Fewer parts – a Sanderson fixed stroke design has 20% fewer parts, and a variable stroke design has 50% fewer parts, than current comparable designs
• Major decreases in size and weight – as much as 40% lighter due to use of fewer parts and smaller units to generate the same amount of force
• Low emissions – due to high efficiency ignition, low idle ability and dramatic reductions in consumption of fuel

Note: S-RAM eliminates not only the crankshaft, but also its peripheral components, connecting rods, bearings, housings, and related components.  This dramatically reduces the size, weight, footprint, and manufacturing cost of S-RAM versus most conventional engines.

Technology

From a technology standpoint, SED has surveyed the emerging power conversion marketplace and has found no significant emerging competition for its technology. Further, our early prototypes have provided SED with an opportunity to apply for new patents. These patents have created broad-based patent protection for SED’s licensees and for SED’s projected future manufacturing operations.

Protection includes:

1. The basic mechanism
2. The mechanism’s means of controlling displacement, capacity, head clearance and wave form
3. Counterbalancing
4. The mechanism’s piston joints
5. Single-ended and double-ended configurations
6. Overload protection mechanisms
7. Various configurations of engines, pumps and compressors.

SED’s patents will protect an investment in plant and equipment for at least 15 to 20 years. Finally, SED believes its dramatic efficiency improvements and other operational benefits will enable licensees to implement aggressive marketing differentiators versus non-SED enabled competitors. The company is confident its technology is not a risk factor toward success.

We invite you to contact us directly to learn more about the benefits of achievements of S-RAM in engine and pump technology.

• Unprecedented Part/Load Efficiency
• Enables Integral Engine/Compressor/Pump Designs (Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles)
• Very low friction and noise
• Optional Dynamic Variable Compression/Displacement
• Virtually Unlimited Scalability
• Hydraulic Hybrid Capability
• Low Emissions
• High Power-to-Weight Ratio
• Fewer Components, Less Weight, Smaller Package
• Enables Alternative Materials of Construction

Green Technology

The Sanderson S-RAM engine is an ideal candidate for a “green technology” vehicle due to the following characteristics:

• Low emissions – due to high efficiency,, low idle ability, and dramatic reductions in consumption of fuel
• Multi-fuel capability – a Sanderson engine is capable of switching between different types and grades of fuels while in operation, permitting a long-haul truck, for example, to start out burning gasoline and switch over, to diesel or synfuels when cruising at highway speed.