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May 4, 2004, Orlando, Fla. --- Rini Technologiesy InstituteInc. (RTI), a member of the University of Central Florida Technology Incubator, will play a big role in the race to develop high-technology lasers to defend the U.S. from enemy missile attacks and special suits that will keep soldiers cool in the desert heat and astronauts alive on the surface of Mars.
Dr. Daniel P. Rini, president of RTI, said the firm was recently awarded seven Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts from the Department of Defense and NASA that total more than $1 million.
RTI was awarded four contracts to supply develop Advanced Cooling systems for high-powered laser weapons the U.S. Dept. of Defense is developing to defend against enemy missiles.
"Lasers that are powerful enough to shoot down missiles generate tremendous heat," Rini explained. "There are several cooling devicestechnologies on the market but RTI's Advanced Cooling systems offer significant advantages over any of the current technology."
The key is their patented Evaporative Spray Cooling technologyminiaturization. "Existing systems are extremely large, in some cases too larger to fit on to the laser's intendedthan aircraft," Rini said. "Our evaporative spray cooling technology is a highly efficient cooling technology that enables these powerful lasers to fit onto tactical platformseffective and small enough to be carried by a single soldier," Rini said.
RTI's cooling systems are being developed for the Army, Air Force, Marines and Navy. "We are developing separate prototypes for applications that range from tanks to fighter jets, but the core technology is interchangeable," said Rini.
RTI won two more SBIR contracts for miniaturized personal cooling systems that can be used by Army soldiers in 120-degree desert heat or astronauts on the surface of Mars to keep them cool while wearing protective clothing.
"The Army wants miniaturized cooling technology the size of a water bottle that can fit on a soldier's belt," said Rini. "NASA is developing a new generation of space suits that astronauts will one day wear to Mars," he added.
RTI's seventh SBIR contract will form a key component of an all-electric ship the U.S. Navy is developing. The ship will feature high power radar, electromagnetic aircraft launchers and electric drivesmicrowave weapons that, like lasers, generate tremendous heat, Rini said. "These new ships will require approximately 10 times the electricity of a regular ship and that means 10 times more heat to dissipate," Rini said. If successful, RTI's evaporative spray cooling technology will be applied to tens of thousands of power electronicrical components all over the ship, Rini explained.
RTI is a member of the UCF Technology Incubator, which has helped emerging technology firms generate research and development contracts and product sales worth more $100 million since 1999.
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Rini Technologies, Inc. (RTI) was founded in 2000 to develop an innovative cooling system that would greatly improve the performance of high power solid-state lasers using RTI's patented Evaporative Spray Cooling (ESC) technology. RTI successfully demonstrated the ability of ESC technology to efficiently cool solid-state laser components. RTI is expanding the company's technology development areas to include other innovative applications, such as; a miniature personal cooler for soldiers, first-responders and other emergency personnel wearing protective clothing; a compact cryocooler with applications for space based sensors, space craft cryogen management, and wireless communication systems.
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Technology Incubator has helped more than 70 emerging technology companies create over $140 million in revenue and more than 450 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. As a result of this success, the UCF Technology Incubator was recently named the 2004 Technology Incubator of the Year by the National Business Incubation Association. Headquartered in Research Park near the University, the Incubator is a true collaboration in economic development between UCF, Orange County , the City of Orlando and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit http://www.incubator.ucf.edu
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For more information, please contact:
Dr. Daniel P. Rini, President, RTI, 407-384-7840, dan@rinitech.com
Tom O'Neal or Carol Ann Dykes UCF Technology Incubator, 407-882-0202, cdykes@mail.ucf.edu
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, LV Communications 407-644-4142,
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