To address the significant challenge of decarbonizing various industries, long-haul transportation and off-grid power generation, Carnot, a London startup, has recently entered a new agreement with PTC.
Formed in 2019, Carnot, which was set up by Archie Watts-Farmer, Francis Lempp and Nadiur Rahman, is set to extend its use of PTC’s CAD design software Creo and its product lifecycle management software Windchill for a further three years.
This development coincides with Carnot’s entry into an advanced prototype phase for its innovative engine technology. According to the company, the technology eliminates the need for a cooling system by incorporating advanced materials capable of withstanding ultra-high temperatures. The use of ceramics and super alloys in the design reportedly yields a 70% thermal efficiency, compared to the conventional 30% of current engines.
As explained by Carnot, it produces zero emissions and is fuel-agnostic, accommodating combustion fuels, hydrogen, aminos, or biofuel.
The company has already secured substantial funding in the last eighteen months, including a £500,000 (US$623,731) grant for decarbonizing auxiliary power in marine applications and a £2.3m (US$2.9m) grant for an engine demonstrator project in collaboration with Carisbrooke Shipping, Brunel University and the Manufacturing Technology Centre.
Looking ahead, Carnot aims to scale up deployment and validate its engines in real-world environments by the end of 2024. The company’s pivotal moment came with the support of PLM Central, a PTC partner, which recommended the transition to PTC’s Creo cloud-native CAD software, aiding in design iterations and scaling up operations.
PLM Central, with over 28 years of providing PTC solutions, facilitated an intensive demo for Carnot, including access to the PTC Creo Creators Program offering flexible financing for startups. As the team expanded to 10 designers across the UK and Europe, Creo’s cloud-based platform proved instrumental in handling large models and numerous parts efficiently, resolving previous challenges that led to additional costs and delays.
Niketh Shetty, director at PLM Central, said: “Creo is such a feature-rich piece of software that it makes perfect sense for disruptors looking to bring new technology to market quickly. Being based in the cloud means information is securely stored and accessed anywhere in the world and, better still, it brings PTC’s product management lifecycle platform into play.”
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