SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 22, 2005
SONEX RESEARCH, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in Charter)
Maryland 000-14465 52-1188993
(State or other (Commision file (IRS employer
jurisdiction of number) identification no.)
incorporation)
23 Hudson Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
(Address of principal executive offices)
(410) 266-5556
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
(17 CFR 230.425)
[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act
(17 CFR 240.14a-12)
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
ITEM 8.01 - OTHER EVENTS
On June 22, 2005, the Registrant issued the following announcement over the
newswire and posted it on its website (www.sonexresearch.com):
SONEX RECEIVES $300,000 FOLLOW-ON TASK FROM DARPA
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND, June 22, 2005 - SONEX RESEARCH, INC. (OTC SONX), a leader
in the field of combustion technology, announced that it has received a $300,000
follow-on task from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to
continue development of a multi-cylinder, four-stroke, high power output, "heavy
fuel" engine (HFE) combustion process for potential Department of Defense (DoD)
applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Sonex, a small business, has performed a best efforts technology development and
demonstration of the patented Sonex Combustion System (SCS) to enable the use of
JP-5/8 military kerosene-based "heavy fuel" in lightweight, four-stroke piston
engines. This project is sponsored by DARPA as a technology feasibility
demonstration of a means for lightweight piston engines to comply with a DoD
policy directive that mandates heavy fuel for all engines. Gasoline engines are
typically 25% to 30% lighter than diesel engines; thus, fully qualified, adapted
gasoline engine designs that could burn hard-to-ignite diesel and kerosene-based
heavy fuels would address DoD performance, logistics and safety requirements.
The SCS improves the combustion of fuels in four-stroke, direct injected (DI)
engines through design modification of the pistons to achieve chemical/turbulent
enhancement of combustion. One form of the SCS, called Sonex Controlled Auto
Ignition (SCAI), allows ignition and combustion of low cetane fuels, such as
JP-5/8, by controlled auto-ignition at moderate compression ratios, and operates
at controlled peak cylinder pressures, which should allow the design of lighter
weight HFEs rather than the heavy weight required by normal diesel engines.
To date under the existing agreement, Sonex adapted a lightweight, six-cylinder,
normally aspirated, gasoline, spark-ignited (SI), automotive engine to the SCAI
unthrottled, lean-burn, direct fuel injection combustion process to run on JP5
heavy fuel. This engine was run normally aspirated and turbocharged to examine
performance relative to the combustion chamber. In addition, Sonex adapted its
3-cylinder turbocharged diesel laboratory engine to compare a diesel-like
combustion chamber to the gasoline-like combustion chamber of the first engine.
With its SCAI process using heavy fuel, Sonex achieved the following laboratory
results:
* Complete control of ignition by means of SCAI chemical ignition using
fuel injection timing.
* Control of peak cylinder pressures consistent with lightweight
aluminum engine design.
* Demonstration of the advantages of the diesel-like combustion chamber and
turbocharging for high power output and low smoke at a fuel consumption rate
of 0.35 lbs. of fuel per horsepower hour. This is in the range of modern
diesel engines.
The objective of this follow-on task is to apply the SCS SCAI to the
reconfiguration of a commercially available automotive engine that approximates
the combustion chamber, displacement, bore and stroke of an objective 400 hp
HFE. Demonstration of the performance criteria of this reconfigured engine is
intended to provide the impetus needed to establish a sustained DoD effort to
develop and qualify lightweight HFEs.
This is the second DARPA funded follow-on task to the agreement, which is
structured as an "other transaction" pursuant to 10 U.S.C. ss. 2371 and by
Section 845 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994,
Public Law 103-160, as amended.
The outcomes from this Agreement also relate to the use of SCS SCAI with
gasoline and could have significant potential for commercial application in the
automotive market. U.S. fuel mileage improvement for production automobiles by
model year 2014 is addressed in the House and Senate 2005 Energy Bills. Section
774 of the House bill passed in April 2005 states: "Not later than 30 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration shall initiate a study of the feasibility and
effects of reducing by model year 2014, by a significant percentage, the amount
of fuel consumed by automobiles." Sonex seeks to be at the forefront in 2005 by
providing compelling data on how its SCS SCAI technology for unthrottled
gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines could cost effectively improve fuel
mileage 25% to 30% and enable reduced exhaust emissions.Sonex has been seeking
partners and other funding arrangements to support this quest.
Contact: George E. Ponticas, CFO, Sonex Research, Inc., tel: 410-266-5556,
email: george.ponticas@sonex-na.com, website: www.sonexresearch.com.
About DARPA
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is the central research
and development organization for the Department of Defense (DoD). It manages and
directs selected basic and applied research and development projects for DoD,
and pursues research and technology where risk and payoff are both very high and
where success may provide dramatic advances for traditional military roles and
missions. More information about DARPA can be found on the Internet at
www.darpa.mil.
About Sonex
Sonex Research, Inc., a leader in the field of combustion technology, is
developing its patented Sonex Combustion System (SCS) piston-based technology
for in-cylinder control of ignition and combustion, designed to increase fuel
mileage and reduce emissions of internal combustion engines. Sonex plans to
complete development, commercialize and market its Sonex Controlled Auto
Ignition (SCAI) combustion process to the automotive industry to improve fuel
efficiency of gasoline powered vehicles. Additionally, independent third-party
testing has confirmed the potential of the SCS application for direct-injected
diesel engines to significantly reduce harmful soot in-cylinder without
increasing fuel consumption. Other SCS designs are being used to convert
gasoline engines of various sizes to operate on safer, diesel-type "heavy fuels"
for use in military and commercial applications requiring light weight and safe
handling and storage of fuel, such as in UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
"Forward-looking" statements contained in this announcement, as well as all
publicly disseminated material about the Company, are made pursuant to the "safe
harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Act. Such statements are
based on current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions by
management with respect to matters such as commercial acceptance of the SCS
technology, the impact of competition, and the Company's financial condition or
results of operations. Readers are cautioned that such statements are not
guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any such
forward-looking statements. Additional information regarding the risks faced by
Sonex is provided in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission under the heading "Risk Factors". Such filings are available
upon request from the Company or online in the EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
June 22, 2005
SONEX RESEARCH, INC.
Registrant
/s/ George E. Ponticas
----------------------
George E. Ponticas
Chief Financial Officer and Secretary