Founded in 2021 and based near Bude in North Cornwall, Ripl Ltd designs highly evolved engineering solutions for existing and emerging requirements across multiple markets including defence, energy, and transport.
The company has been supported by Marine-i to progress next stage development of their revolutionary Rotary Internal Combustion Engine (ICE).
The RIPL Rotary ICE is designed to deliver improvements in power, efficiency, and noise output for use across multiple logistical sectors. It is especially targeted for the marine and aviation industries where electric power capacity, distribution, and weight limitations are likely to be an ongoing blocker for adoption of purely electric vehicles.
The Ripl Rotary engine is designed to further the best possible performance of a liquid-fuel (ethanol, biofuel, hydrogen, or standard fossil fuel) engine with the least emissions and the minimum acoustic nuisance.
Andy Crouch, a founding director at Ripl, commented, “Despite the long term trend towards EV solutions, our societies will be reliant upon internal combustion for the foreseeable future. That’s why Ripl is dedicated to an accelerated delivery of a proven design for an optimally efficient, multi-fuel, combustion engine that supports NET ZERO but also powers logistical requirements effortlessly.
“Our rotary engine is designed to further the best possible performance of a liquid-fuel engine with the least emissions and the minimum nuisance. Our objective is to enter and disrupt the £300 billion combustion market.”
Andy adds: “Key features of RIPL’s Rotary ICE design include an optimally efficient engine delivering both rev/ high-power capability and low rev/ high-torque. This bridges the gap between standard internal combustion and jet engine performance. There are only four moving parts with minimal contact between components. This removes the oil in fuel lubrication requirement with few high-pressure differential seals. In addition, all engine components rotate around the same centre of gravity for low vibration and maximum efficiency. This is a revolutionary design which breaks new ground.”
Marine-i has provided industry guidance to Ripl through their partner University of Plymouth. Alex Whatley of University of Plymouth said: “This is an exciting and innovative development which is set to transform the extent to which rotary engines can deliver performance which scores highly on environmental dimensions.”
Alex explains further: “The step-change improvement in the Ripl engine is the ability to alter the volume of fuel air mix that is compressed and the volume of the power stroke to suit the application. For example, you can draw 500ml of fuel and air, compress it to 50ml and expand it to 2000ml (for example) before exhaust. Instead of a 1: 0.1: 1 ratio you can have any ratio you want. This allows you to extract more energy from the fuel and by producing a lower pressure exhaust you reduce the noise output as well. This ability, to draw nearly all the power from the burning fuel rather than wasting it to the air makes the Ripl engine a sea change from other internal combustion designs.”
Marine-i has provided significant grant funding to Ripl. The funding will support the next stage of engine analysis by Riventa Ltd, a company which is also based in Cornwall.
Marine-i partner Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult is also carrying out an end-use application review within the maritime sector.
Marine-i Programme Director Lars Johanning says: “Marine-i are very pleased to support the development of this innovative product which has clear applications within the marine sector and which represents a step change in rotary engine design.”