Research Funding Available

DanHolohan

Manufacturers Can Tap Into Research Funding to Advance Oilheat Technology
Half a Million in Grants Available From NORI


ALEXANDRIA, VA -- During its recent board of directors meeting, the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) allocated $500,000 to be spent on research and development to advance such Oilheat technologies as new burners, condensing boilers, cogeneration systems and storage tanks.

The grant proposal process will be directed by the National Oilheat Research Institute (NORI) -- a subsidiary of NORA that authorizes and supervises research projects.

NORI, who extended the invitation to all Oilheat equipment manufacturers and researchers, has scheduled a meeting of its board to consider proposals on December 5 in New York City.

At that meeting, the Board may defer action, initiate steps to underwrite a proposal submitted by a party, or may give preliminary approval to a proposal with limitations or guidance. NORI will consider all relevant proposals received by November 30, 2003.

These proposals will be distributed to the NORI Board, composed of eight Oilheat retailers and a representative of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Proposals may be submitted with confidentiality requirements clearly described.

NORA recently provided two industry manufacturers grant money to further new Oilheat technology. Adams Manufacturing (Cleveland, Ohio) received a grant to develop a high-efficiency oil-fired condensing furnace earlier this year and Thermo Pride (Lancaster, Pa.) was awarded a NORA grant to develop four to five ton oil furnace/air conditioning units.

Proposals are being sought in the following areas:

New Burner Technologies
NORA would like to consider novel burner technologies. These burners should be suitable for field studies and should be prepared to demonstrate significant improvements over existing burners.

High Efficiency Boiler -- Condensing Technology
Improvements in efficiency are necessary for the future of Oilheat to ensure that Oilheat contributes to reduced emissions of CO2. Additionally, efficiency improvements lower the operating costs for consumers. Condensing technology provides many advantages in these areas and will be considered by NORI.

NORA would entertain proposals on making this technology accessible through design modifications or education.

Electricity Generation
NORA believes that developing Oilheat furnaces and/or boilers that are self powering would improve efficiency and reliability of Oilheat. NORA envisions this as a two part proposal: first prove the technology and then commercial development of the technology.

Internal Diagnostics
Developing diagnostics for Oilheat equipment would greatly improve system reliability. Essential to that task are developing technologies suitable for retrofits on existing systems that would allow complete control of the system with diagnostics. Alternatively, technologies that would allow diagnostic tools to interface with primary controls could also prove valuable.

Tanks
New technologies for tanks could prove vital to the future of Oilheat. The tank proposals should demonstrate design improvements which would improve long term performance for different applications for Oilheat. These include outside aboveground, inside aboveground, and underground tanks. Proposals should also consider alternative designs which would expedite cleaning and inspection of tanks.

NORA will consider proposals that include field testing of new technology as well as research to evaluate whether the tanks can be used in the U.S. market. Specifically, the research to ensure the tank technology meets relevant fire codes and insurance requirements.

New Issues
NORA has not allocated funds to the following projects, but encourages preliminary ideas and thoughts on future approaches.

Venting -- Depending upon the appliance and whether it is a retrofit or a new installation, Oilheat often requires a very expensive venting option. This is due to the heat associated with oil and the corrosion potential of the sulfur. Oilheat needs to develop a lower cost venting material for retrofits which would allow for higher efficiency equipment to be installed.

Noise Abatement -- Lowering the noise from equipment would make Oilheat more acceptable to many consumers. NORA welcomes suggestions for projects that could lessen the noise emissions.

All proposals should be submitted by November 30, 2003 to John Huber, NORI, 211 N. Union Street, Suite 100, Alexandria, VA 22314.

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For more information:

John Huber
National Oilheat Research Institute
211 N. Union Street, Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703-519-4204
E-mail: jhuber@nora-oilheat.org