Donation from JCB Helping Fuel Georgia Southern University

December 15, 2009

A record-setting engine is the newest addition to the renewable energy laboratory in Georgia Southern University’s Allen E. Paulson College of Science and Technology.

JCB Inc. has donated to the lab a Dieselmax engine, which was the engine used in the vehicle that set a land speed record for diesel-powered cars at 350 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2006. Georgia Southern students are using the engine in research of biodiesel and other biofuels combustion emissions.

‘JCB is pleased to donate this record-setting diesel engine to Georgia Southern University. This engine is a testament to innovation, which is at the core of JCB’s success globally. As such, we are proud to be able to continue that tradition on a local level through partnerships with cutting-edge academic institutions such as Georgia Southern,” said David Turner, Vice President of Operations for JCB Inc.

Georgia Southern established the renewable energy lab a year-and-a-half ago under the direction of Endowed Chair of Renewable Energy Dr. Valentin Soloiu. In that time the lab and the University’s Master of Science in Applied Engineering program have grown tremendously, thanks in part to community partnerships like the one with JCB.

‘This partnership provides tremendous opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and Georgia Southern faculty to participate in real-world applied research that can provide local economic benefits to the region,” said Bret Danilowicz, Dean of the College of Science and Technology.

The lab combines multiple disciplines and faculty from engineering and chemistry at the University. Engineering students conduct research in how to run engines efficiently with low particulate and nitrogen emissions using fuels made from renewable biofuels, including novel ones derived from non-food sources such as acorns and pine trees.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University, offers 115 degree programs serving 19,000 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelors, masters and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. The University, one of Georgia’s largest, is a top choice of Georgia’s HOPE scholars and is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu.