FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 7, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brownie's Marine Group, Inc. (OTCBB:BWMG), a leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of highly specialized dive and safety products, today announced that it has accelerated testing of an application of Molecular Impact Energy (MIE) for the marine industry for which it has exclusive rights. Brownie's will be seeking venture partners to pursue the potential commercialization of the invention.
The Molecular Impact Energy (MIE) invention, if successful, could significantly change the current limitations of steam engines and steam propulsion and usher in innovation incorporating new material technology and state-of-the-art computerized intelligent control systems that will leverage and amplify this technology.
Robert Carmichael, Brownie's CEO stated, "We are excited about moving forward on this project and have designed, and are in the final phases of constructing a test platform incorporating a proven steam engine "block" that incorporates the MIE "boiler-free" steam generation system utilizing a computer controlled MIE injector and chamber. Although testing is in its initial phases, we believe the MIE process has the potential to be more energy efficient for converting water into steam than a conventional boiler system. The preliminary MIE design, if successful, suggests that the system might be readily adaptable to small through large size yachts, commercial vessels, and island communities for direct or steam-electric drive systems and electric power production."
Conventional steam or external combustion engines function through the expansion of high pressure steam into the pistons of reciprocating engines or the moving vanes of steam turbines. Most steam engines operate according to the Rankine thermodynamic cycle which converts heat into work. The Rankine cycle is responsible for 90% of the world's land based power generation today and dominates this category due to sheer energy efficiency. Internal combustion engines also convert heat into work and are described by either the Otto or Diesel cycle. Modern gasoline engines have a maximum thermal efficiency of about 25% to 30% when used to power a car or boat. Even when the engine is operating at its point of maximum thermal efficiency, of the total heat energy released by the gasoline consumed, about 70-75% is rejected as heat without being turned into useful work. Modern turbo-diesel engines using electronically controlled, common-rail fuel injection, experience increases in efficiency up to 50% with the help of a geometrically variable turbo-charging system. Steam engines and turbines operate on the Rankine cycle which has a maximum Carnot efficiency of 63% for practical engines.
Today almost all ships are powered by marine diesel engines or diesel-electric drive systems. Current technology steam engines require boiler systems to convert water into steam. Usually, boilers burn some form of fossil fuel, either oil, coal or other combustible materials. Boilers are problematic, complex, and often perceived as dangerous and require substantial maintenance for continued efficient operation. If successful, MIE will eliminate the need for a conventional boiler and therefore could create a more competitive steam alternative to the current diesel based systems.
In the MIE process, a discrete focused water pulse is injected at an extreme hyperbaric pressure and angle toward an impact target. The water pulse achieves hypersonic velocities. The kinetic energy at these velocities can become very substantial. This is, in principle, no different than accelerating any mass into a target at high velocity. Preliminary tests appear promising.
These studies suggest that water can be made to undergo an instantaneous phase transition from liquid to gaseous state within a very short time frame following the collision of a water jet with a hard surface.
Mr. Carmichael further stated, "This is another example of the type of patented technology Brownie's has developed or licensed that could generate potential additional new revenue streams for Brownie's; the value of which we do not believe is reflected in Brownie's current market valuation."
For more information on the MIE project see: http://browniesmarinegroup.com/mie-marine-energy-project
About Brownie's Marine Group, Inc.
Brownie's Marine Group, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Trebor Industries, Inc., d/b/a Brownie's Third Lung, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida designs, tests, manufactures and distributes recreational hookah diving, yacht based scuba air compressor and Nitrox Generation Systems, and scuba and water safety products. The Company sells its products both on a wholesale and retail basis and is comprised of three highly specialized dive product groups. The Company is an industry leading manufacturing and distribution company that serves middle income boat owners, higher income yacht owners, recreational divers, military operators and public safety personnel. The Company holds more than ten patents and enjoys a robust product development and intellectual property program that has yielded several proprietary products. Many of these products and innovations have become the "standard" for the marine industry. The Company is known for its meticulous devotion to detail, high quality production and design ingenuity. In the boating and diving community, Brownie's is known as the market leader when it comes to surface supplied "Third Lung" dive systems and Scuba Tankfill Systems for yacht-based diving. Brownie's products and support service divers at all levels of the underwater world, from shallow-water dive systems to deep-water mixed gas support systems for exploration divers and submariners.
In 2011, Brownie's introduced the first in a series of patent-pending Variable Speed Battery Powered Third Lung (hookah diving) devices engineered to conserve energy while delivering performance to the diver.
Forward-Looking Statements:
Except for statements of historical fact, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "future," "plan" or "planned," "expects," or "projected." These forward-looking statements reflect numerous assumptions and involve a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that may cause actual results to differ materially from stated expectations. These forward looking statements include potential commercialization of the MIE technology for marine applications, the viability of the MIE technology, the potential realization of new revenue streams from the MIE and other patent and license rights, and our success in obtaining venture partners to help fund the testing of the MIE technology These risk factors include, among others, limited operating history, our ability to obtain funding for the MIE project, and the efficacy of the MIE technology in marine applications, difficulty in identifying and marketing products, intense competition and additional risks factors as discussed in reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at http://www.sec.gov.
For more about Brownie's, http://www.browniesmarinegroup.com.