Using my college to fund an Invention

[SagaLore]

I have an idea for a new engine. I have been working on this idea the past 8 years. Consideirng the rising gas prices and the automobile industry's inability to work on new engine designs that can get us 200 mpg, I think it is time I finally persue this idea.

My college has a lot of different technical departments. So what I want to do is borrow students from each department that can work on one aspect of this engine project. Besides volunteers, I will need money. How do I go about getting funding? What kind of grants? I know that many inventions have been started inside of colleges, and if it becomes profitable they get a share of it. Right? Suggestions?

 

[tami]

ask a professor to aid you in the project, and maybe some company could fund the project? but i'm not sure what they'd do with you after it's all done.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: tami
ask a professor to aid you in the project, and maybe some company could fund the project? but i'm not sure what they'd do with you after it's all done.

I don't care, as long as my idea is put into production and I can get some royalties off of it.

I could probably attract some attention from Pres. Bush once the project got under way. I'm going to be talking to my assistant dean tomorrow about this. But I feel a little unprepared.

My big goal was to make enough money to eventually pay people to design this engine for me. But if I wait that long, I will lose my window of opportunity. It has already been 8 years, life is too short to wait for the best time. I have to do this now.

 

[hevnsnt]

let me give you a piece of advice.. Inventions are expensive.

But if you think it is worth it, then DO IT.

 

[Rock Hydra]

Also, make sure you take the necessary steps to make sure your ideas aren't stolen and they are protected.

 

[bradruth]

Get one of Matthew Lesko's books. How can you not trust a man who wears a suit covered in question marks?

 

[DAGTA]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: tami
ask a professor to aid you in the project, and maybe some company could fund the project? but i'm not sure what they'd do with you after it's all done.

I could probably attract some attention from Pres. Bush once the project got under way.

Not the kind of attention you'd want.

 

[razor2025]

I dunno, but I'll definitely do my best to keep my own ideas safe. I hear too many horror stories, where professors take advantage and reap all of the reward for himself.

 

[LanceM]

Originally posted by: razor2025
I dunno, but I'll definitely do my best to keep my own ideas safe. I hear too many horror stories, where professors take advantage and reap all of the reward for himself.

 

[SagaLore]

Okay let's brainstorm here - what are all the different aspects of designing an engine from start to finish?

- CAD specialist
- chemist
- metallurgy
- motor repair specialist
- lawyer
- business manager

All those I can get from my college. What else?

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: SagaLore
I have an idea for a new engine. I have been working on this idea the past 8 years. Consideirng the rising gas prices and the automobile industry's inability to work on new engine designs that can get us 200 mpg, I think it is time I finally persue this idea.

My college has a lot of different technical departments. So what I want to do is borrow students from each department that can work on one aspect of this engine project. Besides volunteers, I will need money. How do I go about getting funding? What kind of grants? I know that many inventions have been started inside of colleges, and if it becomes profitable they get a share of it. Right? Suggestions?

generally that happens through research done by graduate students and professors. my suggestion is to talk to a professor that you can trust, to see if they will take you under their wing. they'll be able to advise you wrt funding, that's a pretty situation-specific topic.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: gopunk

Originally posted by: SagaLore
I have an idea for a new engine. I have been working on this idea the past 8 years. Consideirng the rising gas prices and the automobile industry's inability to work on new engine designs that can get us 200 mpg, I think it is time I finally persue this idea.

My college has a lot of different technical departments. So what I want to do is borrow students from each department that can work on one aspect of this engine project. Besides volunteers, I will need money. How do I go about getting funding? What kind of grants? I know that many inventions have been started inside of colleges, and if it becomes profitable they get a share of it. Right? Suggestions?

generally that happens through research done by graduate students and professors. my suggestion is to talk to a professor that you can trust, to see if they will take you under their wing. they'll be able to advise you wrt funding, that's a pretty situation-specific topic.

Well... I already have my Associate Degree, does that count?

 

[ironcrotch]

isnt stuff done with university funds belong to the uni itself?

 

[J0hnny]

If you get it done through the university, talk to the specialists there and discuss possible patents that the school will share with you.

First thing you need to do is document (with a date) your initial work. You have 1 year from this date to file a patent.

First off, you would be quite surprised how many types of engines are patented. Crazy ones you would never even have heard of. Your idea may already be taken. GO search the patent directory!

 

[cmp1223]

First, just wondering, which college are we talking about? Hopefully a large, research oriented university. I would probably first take the idea to an engineering prof and see if he thinks the idea has merit and no obvious flaws. Once you get his support, you can either talk to someone higher up, or most likely he will know how to apply for grant money or school money.

 

[sao123]

dont let this get too far out... the oil shieks will assassinate your azz and burn your ideas.

 

[habib89]

yah, i'm pretty sure if the work is done by the students, as a project or somehow funded by the university, it belongs to the university.. same with company sponsors, unless noted otherwise.. you should talk to a patent lawyer to see how you should go about it.. you can patent an idea

 

[imported_nautique]

I would be careful about working through a university. I went to UF and found out about the story with Gatorade. When the professor first developed it, they signed it off to him and told him he could do as he wished. Once he started making millions and millions of dollars they took him to court and since they had the money and power he finally had to give up and uf was awarded the ownership of Gatorade. I have had other professors tell me that if you try to develop something make sure you leave before you start or be ready to make nothing on it. So I would try independent funding or something.

 

[gotsmack]

technology incubator. any big university should have one. if you have trouble find out where it is, your school's technology transfer office knows everything.

 

[Reel]

Originally posted by: nautique
I would be careful about working through a university. I went to UF and found out about the story with Gatorade. When the professor first developed it, they signed it off to him and told him he could do as he wished. Once he started making millions and millions of dollars they took him to court and since they had the money and power he finally had to give up and uf was awarded the ownership of Gatorade. I have had other professors tell me that if you try to develop something make sure you leave before you start or be ready to make nothing on it. So I would try independent funding or something.

While employed at UF, you have signed away all intellectual property developed while working at UF. However, they typically have a decent offer if they find something that you have developed that is commercially viable. Suppose you develop some unknown product. They will consider whether it is viable or not. If their decision is that it is worthless, they will let you pursue it on your own. If they decide it is worth something to them, they will pursue it and they have some set rates at which you receive a percentage of the profits.

The Gatorade case was among the first cases of technology licensing in a university. They did not have the process set up yet. However, now it is very regimented and there is very little wiggle room left in the process. Had they had something set up as they do, they would have been well within their rights and would have made a larger percentage of the royalties.

 

[Soccerman06]

Originally posted by: SagaLore
Okay let's brainstorm here - what are all the different aspects of designing an engine from start to finish?

- CAD specialist
- chemist
- metallurgy
- motor repair specialist
- lawyer
- business manager

All those I can get from my college. What else?

You need a Specialist on computer engineering to write specific code for the computers. You also need a aerodynamic specialist to optimise the exterior.

Have you thought of leaning the mixture to 15:1 (or is it 16:1), the prime air-fuel mixture. That will increase hp and mpg in theory by 30-50% of the average car. The problem with increasing the mixture is that you have to create a stronger engine, valves need to strengthened, sparkplugs need to modified to handle the extra pressure, the rockers need to be strengthened, the valve stems need to be lightened. The Diesel engine have to be able to support thousands of psi so you should look at them to get an idea of that is needed. The whole drivetrain needs to be lightened up to allow for less rotating mass. The tranny much be a manual because there is less mass than a auto. There is always the mass of the vehicle which needs to be as low as possible, Id advise buying a Lotus Elise's chassi because its extremely light weight and strong. There are other things to think about like the aerodynamic qualities of the car. Mercedes-Benz's new fish car has the lowest drag co-efficient of .19, so Id advise you on following that.

Dont plan on adding any of those special aftermarket things like the Tornado or Water Injection because they only decrease power and mgp. Remember, 99% of hydrocarbons are burned in the chamber, so any of the aftermarkets items that claim extra mgp from polarizing oil or magnitize the gas lines dont work.

Also, many of the car companies have patents on increasing mpg and dont release them in cars all the time because the higher ups own lots of stock in gas station (like quiktrip). Of course not all of the higher ups dont own any of that stock so they push for better economy. They periodically release upgrades like BMWs new valvtronic thing, or displacement on demand tech from Chrysler. But my point is, make sure (i cant stress that enough) that you arent breaking any patent laws, and if you do get a good laywer.