VanDyne SuperTurbo lands contract for Army prototype

FORT COLLINS - VanDyne SuperTurbo Inc. has signed a $727,000 contract with the U.S. Army for a large-scale prototype for testing at the Army Tank and Automotive Command Center.

The contract is for Phase II of a Small Business Innovative Research program. The company recently completed the year-long first phase by demonstrating that the VanDyne SuperTurbo delivered 6 percent efficiency gains when used in place of the current turbochargers on the Army Heavy Equipment Transport System.

If the company successfully completes this contract, Phase III will involve delivery of an on-vehicle demonstrator, followed by a retrofit program for the Army.

"The value of this contract goes way beyond the monetary value" said Ed VanDyne, founder and CEO, in announcing the new contract. "When we prove our technology to the Army and get into production, we will be saving lives, by giving soldiers more range and power for their vehicles. We are very confident that a SuperTurbo will provide a huge value to the Army in fuel savings as well."

VanDyne is collaborating with Caterpillar Inc. on this contract, developing and testing the prototype on a Cat engine. The technology offers a cost-effective solution to the challenges of fuel efficiency and emission reduction for all combustion engines.

In addition to the SBIR grants for the Army, VanDyne has also won a National Science Foundation SBIR Phase I award, and a U.S. Department of Energy "Super Truck" grant as a subcontractor to Cummins.

In October the company also received the Outstanding Venture Award at the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory Industry Growth Forum and was named the Emerging Company of the Year by the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association.

VanDyne SuperTurbo, headquartered in Fort Collins, specializes in the design, development and production of the SuperTurbo for the global automotive market and heavy-duty engine manufacturers.