Seen below is the experimental Wave Disc Generator, a lightweight hybrid engine component invented by Dr. Norbert Muller from the University of Michigan. Thanks to a $2.5 million grant from the federal government Dr. Muller and his associates have been able to perfect the latest incarnation of a combustion device that woks by trapping air. Don’t worry; a more detailed explanation arrives after the jump.

See, those artistic ‘rays’ of the sun-shaped disc trap air so they combust causing the disc to spin at incredible fast speed. When finally graduated from a prototype to a viable automotive hybrid component, Dr. Muller expects it to serve cars with a 500 mile range. Not only does it over-achieves in the performance scale, but is expectedly lightweight with guaranteed reduced emissions. Of course, this sounds like a wish list for a game-changing super-device. Let’s wait for it to come true before heaping any genuine criticism.

The idea is solid, however, and so long as the funding doesn’t dry up (a worrying specter considering present financial straits) Dr. Muller could finally drive power generation to a new plateau.

Below is a short clip of Dr. Muller explaining how the Wave Disc Generator could really make a difference when it comes to energy efficiency and innovation:

Source Gizmag