OBE 1 long journey. 

💡 From Persistence to Breakthrough
“I have not failed. I've just found 1,000 ways that won't work.” —Thomas Edison

Every transformative technology passes through three phases: concept, development, and commercialization. For the 4-stroke automotive engine, this journey spanned 37 years—from its 1861 patent to 1898—when the Benz Motorwagen became the first mass-produced car.

The development of Kamtech’s On Board Energy (OBE 1) system followed a similarly demanding path. Fueled by dedication, not full-time effort, our mission was clear: to conserve energy and build a cleaner, more peaceful world. 

Early Inspiration
In 1991, Jim Duncalf, a former lecturer for the Illinois Department of Energy, came across an article on the 1925 "Fairchild Camenz Engine".  This inovative cam centered engine was simpler and far more reliable than contempory radial engine or inline aircraft engines which often failed after just 50 hours.  

Its weakness lay in its manually machined cam, whose shape produced serious torsional vibration, which was too much the wood and fabric aircraft of the day.  Thirty five years later in 1960 the same Sherman Fairchild put together the team that developed the first silicon intergrated circuits, or computer chips, which eventually made possable technology that could machine precicion, made to order cam shapes with CNC machining.  It was clear to Duncalf that the fatal flaw of the radial cam concept, its poorly designed cam—could now be fixed with a well engineers cam produced with modern CNC milling machines.  So he set out to build a team to design such an engine.

Building Momentum
The Rad Cam's first supporter was Professor Antoni K. Oppenheim, who had outlined the need for a complete replacement of the Diesel/Otto cycle engines in a 1982 SAE paper "A Rationale for Advances in the Technology of I. C. Engines".  He explained that the expansive dynamic produced by the traditional crank engine was a poor match for the dynamics of combustion, and provided guidence for the project until his passing.  In his last book he "paved the way" for HCCI by providing the mathematical and physical models needed to move from "passive" combustion in fuel rich charges to "active", ultra lean combustion, where sensors and actuators are used to control the reaction of a lean charge ignited by compression.  

To shape the engine's layout and form, Duncalf held several brainstorming sessions with one of his childhood heros the famous mechanic Smokey Yunic.  By early 2001, Duncalf had designed and built two spatial prototypes of a radial cam's mechanical components.  A few months later Mark Beierle, whose small company, Earthstar Aircraft, became the first licensee.  Together they developed three generations of running prototypes, culminating in a production version, which is pictured above in its test flight.  Armed with a working design, in 2006 two years before Tesla started producing their electric powered Lotus under the Tesla name we approached Mark Eberhard co-founder about the use of the Rad Cam as a range extender in their future plans.  Our offer was rejected.

A New Chapter in Vietnam
Momentum returned in 2012 when Vietnamese entrepreneur, Tue Nguyen, -- holder of over a hundred patents, and a world record for the number of degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology--- offered to partner with Duncalf and fund Rad Cam development at his large manufacturing firm in District 9, Ho Chi Min City.  Unfortunately, after 14 months, his firm's aging machines failed to produce a single usable part.  He did however secretly file a use patent (US8770158B1) describing the technology for use in EVs.

When it became clear to Duncalf that Tue's company, was not able to carry on with the development a young engineering student Phạm Duy Tùng and several friends began encouraged Duncalf to keep the project in Vienam.  Shortly afterward, he met Professor Huynh Thanh Cong whose expertise and encouragement provided decisive. Professor Công was to advised on multiple engineering problems and inspired the team to persist.  History proves one truth: success is born from relentless iteration. 
 
 Ready for the Future
After years of redesigns, rebuilds, material changes and --- most recently --- several months of AI assisted refinements, we now have a production-ready design of the Rad Cam engine.  A compact, efficient power source that outperforms conventional 4-stroke engines in ease of manufacture, thermal efficiency, durability, and cost. 
The modular design that has been:

• Proven in light aircraft
• Adapted for electric vehicles
• Refined through six prototype platforms and hundreds of modifications.

Kamtech's OBE 1 design is ready to reshape mobility. We’re seeking visionary partners to bring this breakthrough to market.
🔗 Join us in powering the future, on the road and beyond!