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ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 1, 2006) --- Advanced Power Electronics Corporation,
(APECOR), has been awarded a US Navy contract to develop a backpack
that will generate electrical power to recharge cell phones,
computers, GPS systems and similar high-tech military technology
as its wearer walks.
Adje Mensah, vice president of business development and design
engineer at APECOR said the Navy’s Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract
is for development of scientific concepts and construction of a preliminary working
prototype.
Mensah said APECOR scientists spent three months brainstorming
conceptual strategies with UCF School of Electrical Engineering
and Computer Science Chairman Dr. Issa Batarseh and Professor John
Shen.
Once the one-year, $100,000 contract is successfully completed,
APECOR will bid on a Phase II STTR contract to develop a refined
prototype that can be demonstrated in the field.
Mensah said APECOR is also planning to develop consumer versions
of the backpack generator. “The Navy contract is not an exclusive arrangement and
we foresee substantial demand for this device in civilian markets,” Mensah
said.
Hikers, backpackers, campers, adventurers, travelers, and aid
workers in under-developed countries could all make use of the
device if it can be manufactured at a consumer-friendly cost, Mensah
said.
APECOR is a UCF Technology Incubator client and a corporate research
partner with the UCF School of Electrical Engineering & Computer
Science.
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About APECOR
Advanced Power Electronics Corporation
(APECOR) carries out research and development in the area of power
electronics. In partnership with the University of Central Florida,
APECOR has been developing high-efficiency low-voltage high-current
DC/DC voltage regulator modules, hard-switching and soft-switching
DC/DC converters, DSP control methods, switched-capacitor DC/DC
converter, DSP based distributed power system (DPS), current
sharing techniques, dynamic modeling of switching mode power
supplies, soft-switching techniques, low cost high efficiency
AC/DC power supply with power factor correction, low cost low
voltage AC/DC power supply with power factor correction, and
single-stage single-switch hard-switching and soft-switching
power factor corrected AC/DC converters. For
more information, visit www.apecor.com.
About the UCF Technology Incubator
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Technology Incubator has helped
more than 80 emerging technology companies create over $200 million
in annual revenues and more than 650 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, Seminole County, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council
and the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. For more
information, please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.
For more information, contact
Adje Mensah, APECOR, 407.275.1174, amensah@apecor.com
Tom O’Neal or Carol Ann Dykes, UCF Technology Incubator,
407.882.0202
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, LV Communications Inc. 407.644.4142.
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