A more sustainable form of transportation, the new monorail is designed to move both people and freight high above traffic congestion. In addition to its solar component, the monorail will use lighter aviation materials to reduce energy use.

“Innovations such as this will contribute to a sustainable energy future and provide a fast, safe, practical and socially responsible mode of transportation for people and freight while reducing the environmental impact of transportation,” said Karl Guenther, CEO of STC and the grant’s primary investigator.

William Young, Jr., a senior research engineer at FSEC, is working closely with Guenther and a team of accomplished engineers, including Francis Knize, Co-PI and Dan Simpson of STC, Douglas Tobin of ARC International, Hector Guevara of Nu Dimensions Group, George Taylor of Largo Railroad, and Jan Zicha of Zicha Engineering.

This team is developing innovative alternative transit technology that will evaluate the use of a proprietary transverter and other energy devices. A mini charging station will be constructed for evaluating this new hardware. The partnership will demonstrate transferring energy, from the source to the monorail, faster than existing technology. STC has been researching to build the most technologically advanced transportation system for fourteen years, with 63 claims patented.

The system will be built as a demonstration model to showcase the nation’s leadership and dedication to energy-efficient public transportation. This DOE grant is the first of many that will further a planned life-size demonstration to be executed within three years.

The results of this research grant will be used to develop a future monorail system that will transport visitors throughout the 74 acres of the Museum Of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa, Fla., and once funding is obtained, plans to connect the system to Busch Gardens and the University of South Florida.

Additional information may be found a www.stc-in.com.