In his recent state of the union speech, President Bush said, "America is addicted to oil, which
is often imported from unstable parts of the world. The best way to break this addiction is through technology."

Proe Power Systems, LLC was recently informed that the US Patent and Trademark Office approved another patent to add to Proe Power Systems' growing portfolio of patents for exactly the kind of new technology that the President is calling for, "To change how we power our homes and offices."

Richard Proeschel, President of Proe Power Systems, LLC, states that the technology of the latest patent actually exceeds the President's goals. "President Bush asked for methods of processing agricultural waste to make ethanol fuel for conventional engines. Proe Power Systems is providing engine technology that can use that agricultural waste directly, without the need for an additional process to make the ethanol," said Proeschel.

Conventional internal combustion engines require a liquid fuel such as gasoline, diesel fuel, or ethanol. With modifications, they can also operate on gaseous fuels such as natural gas or methane. The problem in freeing America from it's oil addiction is that the fuels that can break that addiction are almost all solids - waste paper, wood chips, agricultural prunings, and waste stalks are good examples. Converting those solid fuels to a liquid or gas fuel involves chemical processing facilities.

Large steam powerplants can and do burn these solid fuels directly, but they are hardly ever located near where the solid fuel originates and so transporting the fuel is a logistical expense and complication. Locating many smaller steam engines closer to places like agricultural sites and lumberyards would seem a simple solution. However, small steam engines can be impractical because they are inefficient and safety codes require the full time presence of a licensed steam engineer.

Proe Power Systems' hopes its new technology, the Proe Afterburning Engine, offers a solution to direct, clean, efficient and low-cost conversion of solid fuel to turn a shaft or produce electrical power without the need for steam boilers. Furthermore, according to Proeschel, "All components of the Proe Afterburning Engine can be manufactured in any machine shop capable of rebuilding an automobile engine. The simple construction allows small manufacturers to enter the 21st century power market with minimal new investment by producing powerplants having high efficiency and low emissions using the wide variety of fuels needed to break our addiction to oil."

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