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8/11/2010 by MICHAEL STRAND Salina Journal

A company developing a revolutionary two-stroke engine has told the Salina Journal it intends to locate research and development labs and corporate headquarters in Salina.

Nicholas Bennington, president of Grail Engine Technologies, said the company looked at a half-dozen sites before settling on Salina.

“Salina is our pick,” said Grail CEO and chief scientist Matthew Riley, who said the assistance and support of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce played an important role in the decision.

Riley and Bennington didn’t want to reveal the exact location of their planned lab and headquarters, but Riley did say the company would be building “on the I-70 corridor.”

“Salina has a lot of good people, and we can bring in a lot of really good jobs,” Riley said.

Riley said construction is likely one to three years in the future.

In the near term, the company plans to test its first prototype this fall, and has partnered with A&D Technology, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., for the dynamometer testing.

“A&D is the worldwide leader in flexible engine management systems,” Riley said. “We look forward to the final stages of testing and development with A&D on our initial prototype system.”

Aaron White, a business retention and expansion specialist with the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, said he’s excited by the potential of the company and its engine design.

The engine design uses three Pulstar spark plugs to send an ignition shockwave through the combustion chamber. The design also includes an intake valve in the piston, with combustion air forced in from the crankcase as the piston goes down.

The design is expected to maintain the power that two-stroke engines are known for, while keeping oil out of the combustion chamber, resulting in a clean-burning engine.

A clean-burning two-stroke engine could have great potential in the automotive industry, and in October 2009, senior engineers from Honda met with Riley and Bennington in Salina to learn more about the concept.

White said he first met with Grail at Salina Area Technical College and was intrigued by the concept.

“The potential for this is huge,” White said. “I grew up tinkering with small two-strokes, and I know there’s a huge potential for this.”

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