Aluminum rotors could increase the RPM and HP of the rotary by 150%.


RTI Helps Technology Transfer of NASA Aluminum Alloy to Improve Evinrude Outboard Motors

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. -- A long-standing partnership between RTI International
and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has again helped to bring
breakthrough NASA technology to market. A NASA invention that can make outboard engines
quieter and cleaner, and that provides better fuel mileage and increased durability,
has been adapted for commercial use by a major international corporation.

The Boats and Outboard Engines Division at Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) of
Sturtevant, Wis., has begun using NASA's patented high-strength aluminum alloy for
pistons in its new Evinrude® E-TEC™ outboard engine line.

RTI International, working with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center's Technology
Transfer Department, played a key role in bringing BRP and NASA together and in
brokering the agreement. The license agreement between BRP and NASA was signed in July 2003.

The alloy, developed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.,
is used in a new piston design that reduces the so-called "slapping" sound when
pistons slide up and down in the engine's cylinder. The alloy can greatly improve
piston durability because it is two and half times stronger than conventional cast
aluminum pistons at high temperature and can be produced with a material cost of
less than $1 per pound. It exhibits dramatic strength at temperatures as high as
500 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit.

Development of the NASA high-strength aluminum alloy began seven years ago when
a major automobile manufacturer approached NASA seeking a solution to reduce the
costs of aluminum engine pistons as well as lower engine emissions. NASA was also
interested in developing an alloy with higher strength and wear-resistance at
elevated temperatures for aerospace applications.

The result was the discovery of what would become the basis for a new aluminum
alloy, MSFC-398 or NASA High-Strength Aluminum Alloy. With commercial guidance
from RTI, the NASA Technology Transfer Partnership introduced MSFC-398 during
the 2001 National Manufacturing Week show in Chicago.

BRP then met with NASA in April 2002, the prototypes were complete by July,
and the final product was ready in February 2003. "We worked very closely with
NASA to refine the details," said Bob Young, vice president of product development
for BRP. "The demands of the outboard engine are more significant than any other
engine NASA had encountered, even those in the auto industry. The team from NASA
was on the fast-track, learned all the intricacies, and delivered an outstanding product.

Jonathan Lee (of Marshall Center's Materials, Processes, and Manufacturing Department),
who co-invented the alloy with PoShou Chen (of Morgan Research Corp.), said, "The
usual cycle for developing this type of technology from the research stage to the
development phase, and finally into a commercial product phase, may take several
years and more than a $1 million investment. In this case, it has occurred in less
than four years at a fraction of the cost."

"This is another outstanding example of NASA's Innovative Technology Transfer
Partnerships (ITTP) program at work with a variety of industries to move the
benefits of aerospace technology to the public and private sectors while supporting
NASA's goal of improving life on Earth," said Sammy Nabors, commercial technology
lead in the Marshall Center's Technology Transfer Department..
RTI and NASA

RTI supports NASA's ITTP program by

   * Identifying NASA-developed technologies with commercial potential
   * Understanding the value proposition a technology offers to various markets
   * Attracting partners by communicating the opportunity to develop a
     commercial product based on NASA's intellectual property
   * Supporting negotiations and execution of agreements to
     enable successful commercial implementation.

Molly O'Donovan Dix, a technology commercialization specialist and engineer
at RTI, worked directly with NASA MSFC to develop the partnership with BRP
and continues to help NASA license the technology. She is helping NASA develop
a sophisticated licensing plan for the family of alloys that includes the
MSFC-398 material. In addition to MSFC-398, the hyper-eutectic form of the
alloy, NASA is also licensing the eutectic form as MSFC-388 and the hypo-eutectic
form as MSFC-358. Limited-term exclusive licenses are being granted in niche
applications (heat exchangers, small engine applications, etc.) to enable
partners to protect their required development investment. Non-exclusive
licenses are available for automotive pistons and cylinders.


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