−Removed: Aura Systems, Inc., is a Delaware corporation
−Removed: that was founded in 1987.
−Removed: The Company designs, assembles, tests and sells our proprietary and patented axial flux induction machine
−Removed: known as the AuraGen ®
−Removed: for industrial and commercial applications and the VIPER for military applications (collectively referred
−Removed: to as the “AuraGen ®
−Removed: Our patented AuraGen ®
−Removed: system ––
−Removed: when applied as a generator ––
−Removed: uses an existing engine (of a vehicle or any other prime mover) to create mechanical
−Removed: energy which is then converted into electric power by our system.
−Removed: Our control system is used to deliver such power to the user.
−Removed: When used as an electric motor, our system delivers mechanical power to drive mechanical devices.
−Removed: During the first half of fiscal
−Removed: 2016, the Company significantly reduced operations due to lack of financial resources.
−Removed: During the second half of fiscal 2016,
−Removed: the Company’s operations were further disrupted when the Company was forced to move from its facilities in Redondo Beach,
−Removed: California to a smaller facility in Stanton, California.
−Removed: During fiscal 2017, the Company curtailed much of its engineering, manufacturing,
−Removed: sales, and marketing activities to focus on renegotiating numerous financial obligations.
−Removed: During fiscal 2018, the Company successfully
−Removed: restructured in excess of $30 million of debt and held its first stockholder meeting since 2011.
−Removed: During fiscal 2019, the Company
−Removed: continued to focus on seeking new sources of financing and utilized a contract manufacturer to produce some initial products.
−Removed: Since July 2019, the Company has focused its efforts on the sales and manufacturing of its products as well as rebuilding relationships
−Removed: with its vendors and suppliers.
−Removed: Though these efforts, since July 8, 2019, the Company has shipped more than one-hundred and thirty
−Removed: units and during fiscal 2020, we recognized revenue of approximately $822,000.
−Removed: Traditional induction machines representing
−Removed: a radial flux design has been the workhorse of industry due to their robustness, attractive cost, and easy control.
−Removed: However, radial
−Removed: flux machines are heavy and bulky.
−Removed: Axial flux induction machines (such as the AuraGen ®
−Removed: ), on the other hand, have all the advantages
−Removed: of radial flux machines, but with the advantage of higher energy density (more energy per unit volume).
−Removed: This results in axial
−Removed: flux machines being smaller and lighter yet with equivalent performance to the radial flux design.
−Removed: Unlike permanent magnet (“PM”)
−Removed: machines, induction machines do not use any permanent magnets and therefore the controller can change the magnetic (B) fields,
−Removed: since, generally the magnetic (B) field is proportionate to the voltage divided by the frequency (V/f).
−Removed: It is generally accepted
−Removed: that for PM machines, as machine size grows, the magnetic losses increase proportionately, and partial load efficiency drops.
−Removed: On the other hand, with induction machines, as the machine size grows, magnetic losses do not necessarily grow.
−Removed: Induction drives
−Removed: could offer an advantage when high-performance is desired.
−Removed: The peak efficiency of an induction drive will be somewhat lower than
−Removed: with PM machines, but average efficiency may increase.
−Removed: In addition, most permanent magnets used in motor/generator applications
−Removed: are Neodymium-based.
−Removed: Today, more than 80% of Neodymium (a rare earth metal) is produced in China.
−Removed: Induction machines, such as
+Added: Systems, Inc., is a Delaware corporation that was founded in 1987.
+Added: The Company designs, assembles, tests and sells our proprietary
+Added: and patented axial flux (“AF”) induction machines known as the AuraGen ®
+Added: for industrial and commercial
+Added: applications and the AuraGen ®
+Added: VIPER for military applications (collectively referred to as the “AuraGen ®
The AuraGen ®
−Removed: , however, do not use any permanent magnets.
−Removed: Although the first radial flux machines
−Removed: were demonstrated in the early 1900’s, such machines were never widely adopted due to various characteristics of this technology
−Removed: that were deemed to be prohibitive to mainstream utilization, including:
−Removed: (i) strong axial magnetic attraction force between the
−Removed: stator and the rotor, (ii) fabrication difficulties such as cutting the slots in laminated cores, (iii) high cost involved in
−Removed: manufacturing the laminated stator core, (iv) difficulties in assembling the machine and maintaining a uniform air gap and (v)
−Removed: providing a laminated rotor that can stand the large centrifugal forces.
−Removed: Through technological innovations and developments by
−Removed: Aura, however, these historical objections to the axial flux machines have been overcome and do not present a barrier for widespread
−Removed: adoption of the AuraGen ®
+Added: can be used either as an electric motor or generator depending on the rotational speed of the rotor
+Added: relative to the rotational speed of the magnetic field produced by the stator;
+Added: when the rotor rotates slower than the magnetic
+Added: field the AuraGen ®
+Added: acts as an electric motor and when the rotor rotates faster than the magnetic field, the AuraGen ®
+Added: acts as a generator.
+Added: induction machines use a radial flux (“RF”) design as opposed to the axial flux design of the AuraGen ®
+Added: These traditional RF machines have been the conventional workhorses of industry due to their robustness, attractive cost, and
+Added: ease of control.
+Added: However, RF machines are both heavy and bulky making them ill-suited for a variety of applications in which size
+Added: and weight are paramount considerations, including most mobile applications.
+Added: Although axial flux technology has long been recognized
+Added: as having a higher energy density (more energy per unit volume) than traditional RF induction machines, for many years, however,
+Added: RF technology was considered the only solution because of perceived insurmountable technological impediments to the creation of
+Added: a viable axial flux equivalent including:
+Added: (i) challenges controlling the strong axial magnetic attraction force between the stator
+Added: and the rotor, (ii) fabrication difficulties such as cutting the slots in laminated cores, (iii) high cost involved in manufacturing
+Added: the laminated stator core, (iv) difficulties in assembling the machine and maintaining a uniform air gap and (v) providing a laminated
+Added: rotor that can stand the large centrifugal forces.
+Added: Aura, however, has overcome these barriers through a variety of technological
+Added: issue of a strong axial magnetic attraction force between the stator and the rotor was addressed by Aura’s patented approach
+Added: of using a topology of two stators and a rotor sandwiched between them or two rotors and a stator sandwiched between.
+Added: related to the fabrication and the high cost of manufacturing of the laminated stator cores were resolved by Aura using a unique
+Added: technique involving punching the slots while rolling the steel, resulting in a continuous punched steel ribbon at a cost less
+Added: than traditional punched laminates.
+Added: Using various modern techniques and instruments, Aura has also overcome the difficulties in
+Added: assembling the machine and maintaining a uniform air gap.
+Added: Aura has also developed a patented cast rotor that does not require
+Added: any laminates and provides the structural integrity to withstand large centrifugal forces, while at the same time provides the
+Added: proper electric and magnetic properties.
+Added: Thus, although the general operating principals of the AuraGen ®
+Added: same as a traditional RF machine, the novel design of the AuraGen ®
+Added: and its unique performance characteristics offer
+Added: perceivable advantages over traditional RF technology.
+Added: Smaller Footprint and a Lighter Weight Makes the AuraGen ®
+Added: Uniquely Suited
+Added: for Applications in which Fit, and Weight are Critical Factors .
+Added: On average, the AuraGen ®
+Added: system is approximately 50 percent lighter than comparable RF systems.
+Added: on average the AuraGen ®
+Added: has a volume of approximately 35% only.
the AuraGen ®
−Removed: Mobile Power System is
−Removed: composed of two primary subsystems (i) the patented axial flux alternator, (ii) the electronic control unit (“ECU”)
−Removed: The architecture of our ECU is designed to separate the power generation from the power user, thus creating a flexible system
−Removed: that can support multi voltages simultaneously.
−Removed: The system architecture is based on having a direct current (“DC”)
−Removed: power bus that is used to excite the alternator and also to collect energy from the alternator.
−Removed: The user AC loads are supported
−Removed: from the power bus through a PWM based inverter and DC loads are supported through a Buck converter used in conjunction with a
−Removed: bidirectional power supply (BDPS) from the high voltage power buss.
−Removed: Neither the AC nor the DC loads are directly supported by
+Added: is uniquely able to be installed in locations traditional
+Added: RF technology cannot possibly fit or that the significant weight of traditional RF technology
+Added: otherwise makes prohibitive.
+Added: The use of an AuraGen ®
+Added: motor or generator
+Added: with a disc rotor can thus be adopted in the construction of various devices with advantages
+Added: in size, weight, and function.
+Added: In addition, Aura’s axial flux design readily lends
+Added: itself to stacking multiple rotors and stators on the same shaft, thus designing a relatively
+Added: compact system capable of very large outputs.
+Added: ● AuraGen ®
+Added: Provides Greater Output Efficiency as Compared to Traditional RF Technology .
+Added: Aura’s Axial Flux rotor design has significantly less inertia than the rotor used
+Added: in equivalent traditional RF machines.
+Added: As a result, Aura’s systems require less
+Added: input horsepower to rotate at the required rpm, resulting in an increase in output efficiency.
+Added: In addition, Aura’s stators require approximately 60% less copper than used in
+Added: equivalent RF machines with much shorter stator coil end turns and shorter flux return
+Added: As a result, Aura’s design provides lower copper losses (additional increase
+Added: in output efficiency) and lower manufacturing cost.
+Added: In addition, specific AuraGen geometry/symmetry
+Added: results in magnetic flux paths that inherently avoid parasitic eddy currents without
+Added: need for laminates.
+Added: Other electrical machines that are Dependent on Foreign Rare Earth Metals, the AuraGen ®
The AuraGen ®
−Removed: /VIPER, but rather the control system is such that the AuraGen ®
−Removed: /VIPER alternator function is to support the
−Removed: power buss to ensure no significant drop in voltage as the load is applied.
−Removed: This immediately leads to a load following design
−Removed: where the demand on the alternator at any moment in time is equal to the demanded user load (up to the maximum alternator power
−Removed: capabilities).
−Removed: The BDPS also provides the seamless transition to maintain the power bus when the prime mover is turned off (batteries
−Removed: are used to support the power bus).
−Removed: The issue of the strong axial magnetic
−Removed: attraction force between the stator and the rotor was addressed by Aura’s patented approach of using a topology of two stators
−Removed: and a rotor sandwiched between them.
−Removed: This was disclosed in Aura’s U.S.
−Removed: Patent 5,734,217 and U.S.
−Removed: Patent 6,157,175.
−Removed: to other benefits, the topology is such that the axial forces on the bearings are small and negligible.
−Removed: The Company also developed a cast rotor
−Removed: for the axial flux machine as described in U.S.
−Removed: Patents 5,734,217 and 6,157,175.
−Removed: This rotor does not require any laminates and
−Removed: provides the structural integrity to withstand large centrifugal forces, while at the same time provides the proper electric and
−Removed: magnetic properties.
−Removed: After a lengthy development period, the
−Removed: Company first began commercializing the AuraGen ®
+Added: , being an induction machine, does not use
+Added: any permanent magnets (“PM”).
+Added: Typical PM machines use NeFeB magnets (rare
+Added: earths) that are mostly produced in China.
+Added: In an article titled U.S.
+Added: Needs a Strong Defense
+Added: Against China’s Rare Earth weapon, written by James Stavridis of Bloomberg opinion
+Added: March 4, 2021 “China controls roughly 80% of the rare-earths market, between what
+Added: it mines itself and processes in raw material from elsewhere.
+Added: If it decided to wield
+Added: the weapon of restricting the supply —
+Added: something it has repeatedly threatened to
+Added: it would create a significant challenge for manufacturers and a geopolitical
+Added: predicament for the industrialized world.
+Added: In 2010, Beijing threatened to cut
+Added: off exports to Japan over the disputed Senkaku Islands.
+Added: Two years ago, Beijing was reportedly
+Added: considering restrictions on exports to the U.S.
+Added: generally, as well as against specific
+Added: companies (such as defense giant Lockheed Martin Corp.) that it deemed in violation of
+Added: its policies against selling advanced weapons to Taiwan.
+Added: In applications that require
+Added: variable speed and variable loads, such as in EV applications, the magnetic B field should
+Added: be adjusted such that the sum of the eddy-current, hysteresis, and I²
+Added: Generally bucking B fields are required to adjust for the B field produced
+Added: by the Permanent magnets .
+Added: In contrast, Aura’s induction machines do not
+Added: have any PM and B fields are easily adjustable.
+Added: This means that at light loads the controller
+Added: can reduce voltage such that magnetic losses are reduced, and efficiency is maximized.
+Added: Thus, Aura’
+Added: induction machine when operated with an Aura’s smart controller
+Added: has an advantage over a PM machine –
+Added: magnetic and conduction losses can be traded
+Added: such that efficiency is optimized.
+Added: This advantage.
+Added: becomes increasingly important as
+Added: performance is increased.
+Added: a lengthy development period, the Company first began commercializing the AuraGen ®
in late 1999 and early 2000.
−Removed: In 2001, our first commercial product was a
−Removed: 5,000-watt 120/240V AC machine;
−Removed: we subsequently added an 8,500-watt configuration and introduced the BDPS that allowed us to provide
−Removed: simultaneously an AC/DC solution.
−Removed: In fiscal 2008, the Company introduced a system that generates up to 16,000 watts of continuous
−Removed: power by combining two 8,000-watt systems on a single-shaft (dual system).
−Removed: Since July 2019, we have upgraded a version of our
−Removed: electronic controller using Silicon Carbide (SiC) switching to 10,000 watts continuous and a dual system was upgraded to 20,000
−Removed: watts of output power.
−Removed: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
−Removed: The COVID-19 global pandemic has negatively
−Removed: affected the global economy, disrupted global supply chains, and created extreme volatility and disruptions to capital and credit
−Removed: markets in the global financial markets.
−Removed: We began to see the impact of COVID-19 during our fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 with
−Removed: our Chinese joint venture’s manufacturing facilities being required to close and many of our customers suspending their
−Removed: own operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
−Removed: As a result, net sales and production levels during the fourth quarter of fiscal
−Removed: 2020 and the first quarter of fiscal 2021 were significantly reduced, thus impacting our results of operations during these quarters.
−Removed: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and business disruption,
−Removed: we implemented certain measures to manage costs, preserve liquidity and enhance employee safety.
+Added: In 2001, the first commercial AuraGen ®
+Added: product was a 4-pole machine which, when combined with our proprietary and
+Added: patented electronic control unit (“ECU”), generated 5 kW of exportable 120/240 VAC power.
+Added: We subsequently added a
+Added: 6-pole configuration and introduced our patented bi-directional power supply that provided for 8.5 kW watts of exportable power
+Added: with the capability of providing both alternating (“AC”) and direct (“DC”) power simultaneously.
+Added: 2008, the Company introduced an AuraGen ®
+Added: system that generated up to 17 kW of continuous power by combining two
+Added: 8.5 kW systems on a single shaft.
+Added: Starting in July 2019, we began to redesign and upgrade the ECU and develop new axial flux generator
+Added: configurations.
+Added: As a result of such efforts, our redesigned ECU allows us to replace the old 5 kW solution with a 6.5 kW solution
+Added: using the same 4-pole generator as well as to upgrade the output of the 6-pole machine from 8.5 kW to 12.5 kW.
+Added: Our recent efforts
+Added: have also resulted in the development of a 15-kW solution specifically designed to address cell tower needs of 240 VAC and simultaneously
+Added: 48 VDC as well as a new 4 kW solution targeting micro-mobility applications that is 7.5 inches in diameter and 5 inches deep that
+Added: is being configured both as a motor and automotive alternator.
+Added: date, the Company has sold approximately 10,000 AuraGen ®
+Added: solutions for numerous applications.
+Added: the first half of Fiscal 2016, the Company significantly reduced operations due to lack of financial resources.
+Added: During the second
+Added: half of Fiscal 2016, the Company’s operations were further disrupted when the Company was forced to move from its facilities
+Added: in Redondo Beach, California to a smaller shared facility in Stanton, California.
+Added: During Fiscal 2017, the Company curtailed much
+Added: of its engineering, manufacturing, sales, and marketing activities to focus on renegotiating numerous financial obligations.
+Added: Fiscal 2018, the Company successfully restructured in excess of $30 million of debt and held its first stockholder meeting since
+Added: During Fiscal 2019, the Company continued to focus on seeking new sources of financing and utilized a contract manufacturer
+Added: for very limited manufacturing.
+Added: During fiscal 2019 the Company sold 11 systems.
+Added: March 2019, stockholders of the Company represented a majority of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock delivered
+Added: signed written consents to the Company removing Ronald Buschur, William Anderson and Si Ryong Yu as members of the Company’s
+Added: Board and electing Ms.
+Added: Cipora Lavut, Mr.
+Added: David Mann, and Dr.
+Added: Robert Lempert as directors of the Company in their stead.
+Added: of Aura’s refusal to recognize the legal effectiveness of the consents, in April 2019 the stockholders filed suit in
+Added: the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware pursuant to Section 225 of the Delaware General Corporations Law, seeking
+Added: an order confirming the validity of the consents.
+Added: On July 8, 2019 the Court of Chancery entered final judgment in favor of the
+Added: stockholder plaintiffs, confirming that (a) Ronald Buschur, Si Ryong Yu and William Anderson had been validly removed by the holders
+Added: of a majority of the Company’s outstanding stock acting by written consent (b) Ms.
+Added: Lempert had been
+Added: validly elected by the holders of a majority of the Company’s outstanding stock acting by written consent, and (c) the Company’s
+Added: Board of Directors validly consists of Cipora Lavut, David Mann, Robert Lempert, Gary Douglas and Salvador Diaz-Versón,
+Added: See Item 3, Legal Proceedings for more information.
+Added: Following this ruling by the Court of Chancery, the newly confirmed Board
+Added: of Directors terminated the employment of Melvin Gagerman, who had served as CEO and CFO of the Company since 2006, and installed
+Added: Lavut as President, Mr.
+Added: Mann as Chief Financial Officer and Dr.
+Added: Lempert as Secretary of the Company.
+Added: assuming control in the second half of Fiscal 2020, the Company’s new management team began significantly increasing its
+Added: engineering, manufacturing and marketing activities as well as rebuilding relationships with its vendors and suppliers.
+Added: these efforts, since July 8, 2019, the Company has shipped more than one-hundred and forty units (a greater than ten-fold increase
+Added: over Fiscal 2019) and recorded approximately $0.9 million in revenue.
+Added: During Fiscal 2021, the Company’s revenues and operations
+Added: were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in a decline in revenues and shipments to customers.
+Added: of the COVID-19 Pandemic
+Added: COVID-19 global pandemic has negatively affected the global economy, disrupted global supply chains, and created extreme volatility
+Added: and disruptions to capital and credit markets in the global financial markets.
+Added: We began to see the impact of COVID-19 during our
+Added: fourth quarter of Fiscal 2020 with our Chinese joint venture’s manufacturing facilities being required to close and many
+Added: of our customers suspending their own operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
+Added: As a result, net sales and production levels during
+Added: the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2020 and the entirety of Fiscal 2021 were significantly reduced, thus impacting our results of operations
+Added: during these fiscal periods.
+Added: response to the COVID-19 pandemic and business disruption, we implemented certain measures to manage costs, preserve liquidity
+Added: and enhance employee safety.
These measures included the following:
−Removed: Reduction of payroll costs through temporary furloughs;
−Removed: Enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures at our facilities, temperature checks for
−Removed: our workers, promotion of social distancing at our facilities and requirements for employees to work from home where possible;
−Removed: Reduction of capital expenditures;
−Removed: Deferral of discretionary spending.
−Removed: The extent of the impact of the COVID-19
−Removed: pandemic on our business, financial results and liquidity will depend largely on future developments, including the duration of
−Removed: the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak within the U.S.
−Removed: and globally, the impact on capital and financial markets and the related
−Removed: impact on our customers, especially in the commercial vehicle markets.
−Removed: These future developments are outside of our control, are
−Removed: highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
−Removed: If the impact is prolonged, then it can further increase the difficulty of planning
−Removed: for operations and may require us to take further actions as it relates to costs and liquidity.
−Removed: These and other potential impacts
−Removed: of the COVID-19 pandemic will adversely impact our results for the first quarter of fiscal 2021, as well as the full fiscal year,
−Removed: and that impact could be material.
−Removed: Business Arrangements
−Removed: During fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2019, the
−Removed: Company’s engineering, manufacturing, sales, and marketing activities were reduced while we focused on renegotiating numerous
−Removed: financial obligations.
−Removed: During this time, the Company’s agreements with numerous customers, third party vendors, and organizations
−Removed: and entities material to the operation of the Company business were canceled, delayed or terminated.
−Removed: During fiscal 2018, the Company
−Removed: successfully restructured in excess of $30 million of debt.
−Removed: During fiscal 2019, the Company continued to address its financial
−Removed: needs and began utilizing an outside contractor to manufacture the AuraGen ®
−Removed: Utilizing contractors, the Company shipped
−Removed: 11 units to customers during fiscal 2019.
−Removed: In the second half of fiscal 2020, the Company began significantly increasing its engineering,
−Removed: manufacturing and marketing activities.
−Removed: From July 8, 2019 through the end of fiscal year 2020 (February 29, 2020), we have shipped
−Removed: more than 130 units to customers, a greater than ten-fold increase over fiscal 2019.
−Removed: In March 2017, the Company signed a joint
−Removed: venture agreement with a Chinese company to build, service and distribute AuraGen ®
−Removed: products in China.
−Removed: Under the Jiangsu Shengfeng
−Removed: joint venture agreement, the Chinese partner owns 51% of the joint venture and the Company owns 49%.
−Removed: The Chinese partner contributed
−Removed: a total of approximately $9.75 million to the venture principally in the form of facilities, equipment, and approximately $500,000
−Removed: of working capital while the Company contributed $250,000 in cash as well as a limited license.
−Removed: The limited license sold to the
−Removed: joint venture, however, does not permit the venture to manufacture the AuraGen ®
−Removed: rather, the joint venture is required
−Removed: to purchase all rotor subassemblies as well as certain software elements directly from the Company.
−Removed: During fiscal 2018, Jiangsu
−Removed: Shengfeng placed a $1,000,000 order with the Company including a $700,000 advance payment of which the Company has failed to deliver
−Removed: produce in accordance with the order received.
−Removed: On November 20, 2019, the Company reached a preliminary agreement with Jiangsu
−Removed: Shengfeng regarding the return of $700,000 previously advanced to the Company.
−Removed: The preliminary agreement reached consists of a
−Removed: non-interest-bearing promissory note and a payment plan pursuant to which the $700,000 is to be paid over a 11-month period beginning
−Removed: March 15, 2020 through February 15, 2021.
−Removed: The preliminary agreement was subject to the JV continuous operation.
−Removed: However, starting
−Removed: in January 2020 the JV was shut down by the Chinese authority a due to the COVID-19 virus, and as of the date of this filing,
−Removed: the JV operation has not restarted.
−Removed: In the Balance Sheet as of February 29, 2020, the unpaid balance of $700,000 was reclassified
−Removed: as part of notes payable.
−Removed: During fiscal 2020, the Company recorded an impairment expense of $250,000 to fully write-off the Jiangsu
−Removed: Shengfeng investment due to the uncertainty of the operation as of this time.
−Removed: On March 26, 2019, various stockholders
−Removed: of the Company, controlling a combined total of more than 27.5 million shares, delivered a signed written consent to the Company
−Removed: removing Ronald Buschur as a member of the Company’s Board and electing Cipora Lavut as a director of the Company.
−Removed: On March 27, 2019, those same stockholders delivered a further signed written consent to the Company removing William Anderson
−Removed: and Si Ryong Yu as members of the Company’s Board and electing Robert Lempert and David Mann as directors of the Company.
−Removed: These written consents represented a majority of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock as of March 26,
−Removed: 2019 and March 27, 2019, respectively.
−Removed: Because of Aura’s refusal to recognize the legal effectiveness of the consents,
−Removed: on April 8, 2019 the stockholders filed suit in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware pursuant to Section 225
−Removed: of the Delaware General Corporations Law, seeking an order confirming the validity of the consents and declaring that Aura’s
−Removed: Board consists of Ms.
−Removed: Douglas and Mr.
−Removed: Diaz-Versón, Jr.
−Removed: On July 8, 2019 the Court of Chancery entered final judgment in favor of the stockholder plaintiffs, confirming that (a) Ronald
−Removed: Buschur, Si Ryong Yu and William Anderson had been validly removed by the holders of a majority of the Company’s outstanding
−Removed: stock acting by written consent (b) Ms.
−Removed: Lempert had been validly elected by the holders of a majority
−Removed: of the Company’s outstanding stock acting by written consent, and (c) the Company’s Board of Directors validly consists
−Removed: of Cipora Lavut, David Mann, Robert Lempert, Gary Douglas and Salvador Diaz-Versón, Jr.
−Removed: See Item 3, Legal Proceedings for
−Removed: more information.
−Removed: The AuraGen ®
+Added: Careful monitoring
+Added: of operating expenses including wages and salaries;
+Added: Enhanced cleaning
+Added: and disinfection procedures at our facilities, promotion of social distancing at our facilities and requirements for employees
+Added: to work from home where possible;
+Added: Reduction of capital
+Added: expenditures;
+Added: of the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, financial
+Added: results and liquidity will depend largely on future developments, including the effectiveness of vaccination programs globally,
+Added: the impact on capital and financial markets and the related impact on our customers, especially in the commercial vehicle markets.
+Added: These future developments are outside of our control, are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
+Added: If the impact is prolonged
+Added: due, for example, to variant strains of the Covid-19 having an adverse impact, then it can further increase the difficulty of
+Added: planning for operations and may require us to take further actions as it relates to costs and liquidity.
+Added: These and other potential
+Added: impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will adversely impact our results for the current year, Fiscal 2022, and that impact could be
+Added: Fiscal 2018 and Fiscal 2019, the Company’s engineering, manufacturing, sales, and marketing activities were reduced while
+Added: we focused on renegotiating numerous financial obligations.
+Added: During this time, the Company’s agreements with numerous customers,
+Added: third party vendors, and organizations and entities material to the operation of the Company business were canceled, delayed or
+Added: During Fiscal 2018, the Company successfully restructured in excess of $30 million of debt.
+Added: Also, during Fiscal 2018,
+Added: the Company signed a joint venture agreement with a Chinese company to build, service and distribute AuraGen ®
+Added: Under the Jiangsu Shengfeng joint venture agreement, the Chinese partner owns 51% of the joint venture and the Company
+Added: The Chinese partner contributed a total of approximately $9.75 million to the venture principally in the form of facilities,
+Added: equipment, and approximately $500,000 of working capital while the Company contributed $250,000 in cash as well as a limited license.
+Added: The limited license sold to the joint venture, however, does not permit the venture to manufacture the AuraGen ®
+Added: rather, the joint venture is required to purchase all rotor subassemblies as well as certain software elements directly
+Added: from the Company.
+Added: During Fiscal 2018, Jiangsu Shengfeng placed a $1,000,000 order with the Company including a $700,000 advance
+Added: payment of which the Company has failed to deliver product in accordance with the order received.
+Added: On November 20, 2019, the Company
+Added: reached a preliminary agreement with Jiangsu Shengfeng regarding the return of $700,000 previously advanced to the Company.
+Added: preliminary agreement reached consists of a non-interest-bearing promissory note and a payment plan pursuant to which the $700,000
+Added: is to be paid over a 11-month period beginning March 15, 2020 through February 15, 2021.
+Added: The preliminary agreement was subject
+Added: to the JV continuous operation.
+Added: However, starting in January 2020 the JV was shut down by the Chinese authority due to the COVID-19
+Added: virus, and as of the date of this filing, the JV operation has not restarted.
+Added: In the Balance Sheet as of February 29, 2020, the
+Added: unpaid balance of $700,000 was reclassified as part of notes payable.
+Added: During Fiscal 2020, the Company recorded an impairment expense
+Added: of $250,000 to fully write-off the Jiangsu Shengfeng investment due to the uncertainty of the operation as of this time.
+Added: Fiscal 2019, the Company continued to address its financial needs and began utilizing an outside contractor to manufacture the
+Added: AuraGen ®
+Added: Utilizing contractors, the Company shipped 11 units to customers during Fiscal 2019.
+Added: Fiscal 2020 stockholders of the Company successfully removed Ronald Buschur, William Anderson and Si Ryong Yu from the Company’s
+Added: Board of Directors and elected Ms.
+Added: Cipora Lavut, Mr.
+Added: David Mann and Dr.
+Added: Robert Lempert as directors of the Company in their stead.
+Added: See Item 3, Legal Proceedings for more information.
+Added: Also, in Fiscal 2020, Melvin Gagerman, Aura’s CEO and CFO since 2006,
+Added: was replaced.
+Added: In July 2019 Ms.
+Added: Lavut succeeded Mr.
+Added: Gagerman as President and Mr.
+Added: Mann succeeded Mr.
+Added: Gagerman as CFO.
+Added: was appointed as Secretary of the Company by the Board of Directors also in July 2019.
+Added: In the second half of Fiscal 2020, the
+Added: Company began significantly increasing its engineering, manufacturing and marketing activities.
+Added: From July 8, 2019 through the
+Added: end of Fiscal year 2021 (February 28, 2021), we shipped more than 140 units to customers (more than a ten-fold increase over Fiscal
+Added: Developments .
+Added: in Fiscal 2020, a novel strain of coronavirus commonly referred to as COVID-19 emerged and spread rapidly across the globe, including
+Added: throughout all major geographies in which we operate (North America, Europe, and Asia), resulting in adverse economic conditions
+Added: and business disruptions, as well as significant volatility in global financial markets.
+Added: Governments worldwide have imposed varying
+Added: degrees of preventative and protective actions, such as temporary travel bans, forced business closures, and stay-at-home orders,
+Added: all in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus.
+Added: Such factors, among others, have resulted in a significant decline in spending
+Added: and resource availability.
+Added: Additionally, during this period of uncertainty, companies across a wide array of industries have implemented
+Added: various initiatives to reduce operating expenses and preserve cash balances, including work furloughs, reduced pay, and severance
+Added: actions, which could lower consumers’
+Added: disposable income levels or willingness to purchase discretionary items.
+Added: a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have experienced varying degrees of business disruptions and periods of closure of our corporate
+Added: facilities as have our customers, suppliers, and vendors, resulting in significant adverse impacts to our operating results.
+Added: in certain parts of the world resulted in further business disruptions periodically throughout Fiscal 2021.
+Added: Such disruptions have
+Added: continued into the first quarter of Fiscal 2022, impacting our business.
+Added: the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, the pandemic remains highly volatile and continues to evolve.
+Added: Accordingly, we cannot predict
+Added: for how long and to what extent the pandemic will impact our business operations or the global economy as a whole.
+Added: AuraGen ®
/VIPER Product Overview:
−Removed: The AuraGen ®
−Removed: is composed of three
−Removed: basic subsystems.
−Removed: The first subsystem is the axial flux induction generator that is bolted to, and driven by, the vehicle’s
−Removed: engine, PTO, or any other prime mover.
−Removed: The second subsystem is the ECU, which filters and conditions the electricity to provide
−Removed: clean, steady voltages for both AC and DC power, and provides for variable speed applications as well as load following for increased
−Removed: The third subsystem consists of mounting brackets and supporting components for installation and integration of the
−Removed: generator with the vehicle engine, PTO, or the prime mover.
−Removed: The Company has power solutions for three
−Removed: continuous power levels:
−Removed: (a) 5,000 watts;
−Removed: (b) 10,000 watts;
−Removed: (c) 20,000 watts.
−Removed: All the AC power is pure sine wave with total harmonic
−Removed: distortion of less than 2.1% and is available in 120 VAC and/or 230/240/400 VAC as well as 50/60 Hz and either single or
−Removed: three phases.
−Removed: In addition, the power generated on all models can be partitioned to provide simultaneous AC and 14 or 28 VDC.
+Added: Served by the AuraGen ®
+Added: Motor Applications
+Added: axial flux induction machine can be used as either an electric motor or generator as described above.
+Added: Due to the inherit advantages
+Added: of Aura’s axial flux induction machine, such as (i) no rare earth or any other kind of permanent magnets, (ii) significantly
+Added: less copper (60% less) than equivalent traditional induction motors (iii) higher energy density and (iv) fewer overall materials,
+Added: we believe Aura’s axial flux induction motor can be used across a wide range of industries and applications.
+Added: a small percent increase in motor efficiency translates to a market-wide savings of tens of billions of dollars per year and because
+Added: Aura’s axial flux motor design is more efficient than equivalent radial flux induction motors, we believe that with the
+Added: proper financial resources, over time, we can capture a reasonable share of the global electric motor market.
+Added: motors account for 45% of all the global electric usage every year and are currently widely used in a range of applications including
+Added: fans, pumps, compressors, machine tools, domestic appliances, electric vehicles (both two wheels and 4 wheels), HVAC applications,
+Added: power tools, and automated robots.
+Added: In recent years, high-efficiency electric motors have continued to gain importance for their
+Added: longer operating life, lower maintenance and environmental benefit (i.e., better and cleaner energy consumption) when compared
+Added: to traditional common solutions.
+Added: vehicles “EVs”
+Added: are a prime example of a rapidly expanding global market for electric induction motors.
+Added: EVs are manufactured
+Added: with a goal of reducing operational costs and carbon footprint and increases in production of EVs is expected to provide a positive
+Added: impact on the demand for electric motors as they are used in variety of applications ranging from locomotion to comfort components
+Added: of the vehicle.
+Added: Aura’s axial flux machine with its pancake topology, its reduced size and weight, lends itself to integration
+Added: Indeed, the global induction electric motor market is expected to reach $37.72 billion by 2027 (Inkwood research global
+Added: induction motors market forecast 2019-2027).
+Added: The market is driven by:
+Added: (i) the rising demand for electric vehicles across
+Added: (ii) increasing affordability of induction motors;
+Added: (iii) low maintenance cost as compared to other motors;
+Added: (iv) technological
+Added: advancements in induction motors, (v) surging automation industries;
+Added: and (vi) growing demand for energy-efficient motors.
+Added: United States as well as countries such as Brazil, Argentina, China, and India are major markets, with a high adoption rate for
+Added: energy efficient products in both the industrial and agricultural sectors.
+Added: and Remote Power Applications
+Added: global generator sales market was $20.3 billion in 2019 and is estimated to reach $27.16 billion by 2027 (Fortune Business Insight).
+Added: Most industries dealing with construction and infrastructure rely on mobile generators to support modern computers, digital sensors
+Added: and instruments as well as electrical driven tools.
+Added: Current automotive alternators cannot supply the existing demanded power for
+Added: many such applications and thus the common solution is the use of stand-alone gensets (often referred to a “Auxiliary Power
+Added: or simply “APUs”).
+Added: These APUs, however, (i) consume large amounts of fuel, (ii) are heavy and bulky and
+Added: accordingly must often be towed on trailers, and (iii) require constant maintenance.
+Added: Additionally, traditional APUs are generally
+Added: not considered to be environmentally friendly power solutions based on their high fuel consumption, loud operating noise levels,
+Added: and the emissions they secrete into the air.
+Added: In comparison, the AuraGen ®
+Added: system is small and light enough to generally
+Added: be integrated directly into existing vehicles, does not require significant maintenance, nor does not require any set-up or tear-down
+Added: In addition, there are no heavy lifting required and to contact with hot surfaces.
The AuraGen ®
−Removed: power levels can be generated as the prime mover speed varies from idle to maximum rated speed.
−Removed: The VIPER (the
−Removed: military version of the AuraGen ®
−Removed: system) includes as an option a complete power management system which (i) monitors in real
−Removed: time the batteries’
−Removed: voltage and temperature, (ii) provides a partition of the power between AC and DC simultaneously with
−Removed: the ability to be programmed from all AC to all DC, (iii) monitors the RPM of the generator, (iv) monitors the temperatures of
−Removed: the generator and the ECU, (v) monitors the raw power generated, (vi) monitors both the AC and DC loads as to voltage and current,
−Removed: (vii) provides programming of load prioritization and load shedding, and (viii) monitors the voltage of the internal 400-800 VDC
−Removed: Markets Served by the AuraGen ®
−Removed: Mobile and Remote (not power grid connected) Power Industry
−Removed: We believe that the mobile and remote
−Removed: power generation market is large and growing.
−Removed: There are four basic market segments (i) military, (ii) stationary but remote commercial/industrial,
−Removed: (iii) mobile commercial/industrial, and (iv) hybrid, electric and autonomous vehicles.
−Removed: The military marketplace is also divided
−Removed: between mobile and stationary applications.
−Removed: We believe that one of the fastest growing
−Removed: segments in the military marketplace is On-Board-Exportable-Power (OBEP), which is electric power on vehicles that can be used
−Removed: to support other than vehicle functions.
−Removed: The driver behind the increased demand for on-board power include numerous advance weapon
−Removed: systems as well as increase in C 4 I functions (command, control, communication, computers and information).
−Removed: most on board power is provided by Auxiliary Power Units (“APUs”) that are (i) large fuel users, (ii) bulky, (iii)
−Removed: heavy and (iv) require constant maintenance.
−Removed: Militaries all over the world are seeking more efficient integrated power solutions
−Removed: for their vehicles.
−Removed: Similar to the military demands, the commercial
−Removed: and industrial markets also require on-board power to support modern computers, digital sensors and instruments as well as electrical
−Removed: driven tools.
−Removed: Current automotive alternators cannot supply the existing demanded power and thus the common solution is the use
−Removed: These APUs can be environmentally unfriendly, substantial users of fuel, heavy, bulky and require constant maintenance
−Removed: and scheduled service.
−Removed: Vehicles used in the telecommunications, utilities, public works, construction, catering, oil and gas industries,
−Removed: emergency/rescue, and recreational vehicles rely heavily on mobile power for their daily work.
−Removed: Hybrid and electric vehicles by
−Removed: their nature require significant amounts of on-board power to charge batteries as well as to operate electric motors.
−Removed: The traditional solutions available for mobile and remote power
−Removed: (AKA APUs), Gensets are standalone power generation units that are not incorporated
−Removed: into a vehicle and require external fuel (either gasoline or diesel) in order to generate
−Removed: Gensets (i) are generally noisy and cumbersome to transport because of their
−Removed: weight and size, (ii) typically run at constant speed to generate 50 or 60 Hz of AC power,
−Removed: (iii) must be operated at a significant part of the rated power to avoid wet staking,
−Removed: (iv) are significantly derated in the presence of harmonics in the loads and (v) require
−Removed: significant scheduled maintenance and service.
−Removed: Genset technology has been utilized since
−Removed: ● High-Output
−Removed: Alternators, High-output alternators are traditionally found in trucks and commercial
−Removed: vehicles and the vehicle’s engine is used as the prime mover.
−Removed: All high-output alternators
−Removed: provide their rated power at very high RPM and significantly less power at lower RPM.
−Removed: In addition, high-output alternators are generally only 30% efficient at the low RPM
−Removed: range and increase to only 50% efficiency at the high end of the RPM range.
−Removed: generated by high-output alternators is 12 or 24 Volt DC and an inverter is required
−Removed: if AC power is needed.
−Removed: In addition, due to the low power output at low RPMs, in order
−Removed: to get significant power, a throttle controller is used to speed-up the engine.
−Removed: Inverters are devices that invert DC to AC.
−Removed: Inverters as mobile power generators
−Removed: are traditionally used in low power requirements, typically less than 2,500 watts, and
−Removed: do not have the ability to recharge the batteries that are traditionally used as the
−Removed: source of power.
−Removed: Thus, typical inverter users require other means to recharge the used
−Removed: batteries such as “shore-power”
−Removed: More recently dynamic inverters
−Removed: became available.
−Removed: Dynamic inverters use power from the alternator to augment power from
−Removed: the batteries and are able to achieve power levels in excess of 6,000 watts.
−Removed: inverters introduce significant stresses on both the batteries and alternators, which
−Removed: causes significant life shortening for both.
−Removed: When the inverter is turned on, the alternator
−Removed: is switched off from the vehicle battery and tied into a transformer that uses electronic
−Removed: controls to change the DC alternator inputs to AC inverter output.
−Removed: A separate transformer
−Removed: winding provides battery charging so that fully regulated 120 Volt AC and 12 Volt DC
−Removed: power is available as long as the engine is running at high enough RPM to provide power
−Removed: for the load and the battery charging.
−Removed: All dynamic inverters require a high-output alternator
−Removed: to be able to output significant AC power.
−Removed: As is often the case, the limiting factor
−Removed: is the high-output alternator.
−Removed: In order to get stable output, a very accurate throttle
−Removed: controller is also needed to maintain steady speed on the engine.
−Removed: ● Permanent-Magnet
−Removed: Recently a number of companies have introduced alternators using exotic
−Removed: permanent magnets.
−Removed: These alternators tend to have higher power generation capabilities
−Removed: than regular alternators at lower engine RPM.
−Removed: In order to be practical in an under-the–hood
−Removed: environment (200 o F) active cooling must be added, since the magnets are demagnetized
−Removed: at approximately 176 o F.
−Removed: There are other issues that require an active control
−Removed: system that will add and subtract magnetic field strength as the engine RPM increases.
−Removed: Over 80% of the magnets used for electric machines comes from China.
−Removed: Fuel cells are solid-state devices that produce electricity by combining a
−Removed: fuel containing hydrogen with oxygen.
−Removed: They have a wide range of applications and can
−Removed: be used in place of the internal combustion engine and traditional lead-acid and lithium-ion
−Removed: The most widely deployed fuel cells are substantially more expensive
−Removed: than other power solutions.
−Removed: ● Batteries .
−Removed: Batteries convert stored chemical energy to electrical power
−Removed: The Company is involved in the application
−Removed: of its AuraGen ®
−Removed: technology to mobile power and, as such, faces substantial competition from companies offering different technologies .
−Removed: Gensets AKA APU- Portable
−Removed: generators meet the large market need for auxiliary power.
−Removed: Millions of units per year are sold in North America alone, and millions
−Removed: more across the world to meet market demands for 1 to 20 Kilowatts of portable power.
−Removed: The market for these power levels addresses
−Removed: the commercial, leisure and residential markets, and divides essentially into:
−Removed: (a) higher power, higher quality and higher price
−Removed: commercial level units;
−Removed: and (b) lower power, lower quality and lower price level units.
−Removed: Gensets provide the strongest competition
−Removed: across the widest marketplace for auxiliary power.
−Removed: Onan, Honda and Kohler, among others, are well established and respected brand
−Removed: names in the genset market for higher reliability auxiliary power generation.
−Removed: There are over 40 registered genset-manufacturing
−Removed: companies in the United States.
−Removed: High Output Alternators -
+Added: when integrated in a vehicle or a boat is completely seamless and transparent to the user
+Added: for law enforcement, emergency responders and militaries alike, mobile power is generally a necessity.
+Added: Indeed, one of the fastest
+Added: growing segments for mobile power is the military marketplace for On-Board-Exportable-Power (OBEP), which is electric power on
+Added: vehicles that can be used to support non-vehicle functions such as weapon systems and C 4 I functions (command, control,
+Added: communication, computers and information).
+Added: Currently, most on-board power is provided by APUs.
+Added: Given the drawbacks of APUs, however,
+Added: militaries, law enforcement and first responders all over the world are seeking more efficient integrated power solutions for
+Added: their vehicles.
+Added: addition, numerous leisure users are increasingly demanding mobile power for use of air-conditioning, appliances and other amenities.
+Added: stand-alone gensets (often referred to “auxiliary power units”
+Added: or simply “APU”s), all automotive users
+Added: rely on integrated alternators in their vehicles for such things as navigation systems, electric seating, electric windows, sound/
+Added: phone systems and lights.
+Added: In 2019 alone, 87.9 million passenger vehicles were sold globally (Motor Intelligence.
+Added: Automotive alternator
+Added: market growth trends forecast 2021-2026);
+Added: each one used an alternator.
+Added: The market for automotive alternators is presently dominated
+Added: mainly by four companies:
+Added: Denso, Valeo, Mitsubishi Electric, and Hitachi Automotive.
+Added: These companies jointly control nearly 80%
+Added: of the global market.
+Added: The compact size and significant increase in efficiency of the AuraGen ®
+Added: provides an ideal
+Added: replacement (fit and form) for high output automotive alternators while offering higher efficiency, longer lifetime and the flexibility
+Added: of multiple types of voltage both AC and DC.
+Added: AuraGen ®
+Added: solution increase in efficiency over traditional generators, when combined with our load following architecture
+Added: and the ability to provide both AC and -48VDC simultaneously makes our solution very attractive to cell towers operators that
+Added: depend on diesel power.
+Added: Our solution has the potential for a significant reduction in diesel fuel consumption for such an application.
+Added: refrigeration is also an ideal market for the AuraGen ®
+Added: mobile power solution since it enables the electrification
+Added: of the system by eliminating the small diesel engine used to run the onboard refrigeration system.
+Added: The Aura solution significantly
+Added: reduces fuel consumption and eliminates the harmful emissions generated by the traditional small engine used in such applications.
+Added: Company is involved in the application of its AuraGen ®
+Added: technology to electric motors and mobile power.
+Added: it faces substantial competition from companies offering different technologies .
+Added: are four (4) basic approaches for electrical machines:
+Added: (i) the rotor can be electrically excited such that it creates a magnetic
+Added: field with constant orientation (as in synchronous machines) and usually uses brushes and or commutators;
+Added: (ii) the shape of the
+Added: rotor can induce reluctance variations in the stator (as in switched reluctance machines);
+Added: (iii) the rotor can be permanently
+Added: magnetized with permanent magnets (“PM “) as in brushless DC machines;
+Added: and (iv) the rotor field can be induced from
+Added: the stator due to the rotor’s structure as in induction machines.
+Added: Our axial flux technology is geared toward the induction
+Added: machine market.
+Added: machines are machines in which the rotor coil is supplied with current through brushes.
+Added: Unlike commutators, brushes
+Added: only transfer electric current to a moving rotor;
+Added: commutators also provide switching of the current direction.
+Added: Large, brushed
+Added: machines which are run with DC to the stator windings at synchronous speed are the most common generator in power plants
+Added: because they also supply reactive power to the grid.
+Added: They can be started by the turbine and can generate power at constant
+Added: speed without a controller.
+Added: This type of machine is often referred to in the literature as a “synchronous machine”.
+Added: machines have no windings in the rotor, only a ferromagnetic material shaped so that “electromagnets”
+Added: in the stator can “grab”
+Added: the teeth in the rotor resulting in a slight movement.
+Added: The electromagnets are then turned
+Added: off, while another set of electromagnets is turned on to move the stator further.
+Added: Reluctance machines are also sometimes referred
+Added: to as “step motors”
+Added: as a result of the step-like movement.
+Added: These machines are suited for low speed and accurate position
+Added: Reluctance machines can be supplied with PMs in the stator to improve performance.
+Added: The “electromagnet”
+Added: then “turned off”
+Added: by sending a negative current to the coil.
+Added: When the current is positive the magnet and the current
+Added: cooperate to create a stronger magnetic field, which will improve the reluctance machine’s maximum torque without increasing
+Added: the currents maximum absolute value.
+Added: machines have permanent magnets in the rotor which set up a magnetic field.
+Added: The magnetic field is created by modern
+Added: PMs (Neodymium Iron Boron magnets “NeFeB”), which means that PM machines have a higher torque/volume and torque/weight
+Added: ratio than machines with rotor coils under continuous operation.
+Added: In general, it is usually possible to overload electric machines
+Added: for a short time until the current in the coils heats parts of the machine to a temperature which cause damage.
+Added: However, PM machines
+Added: are very sensitive to such overloads because too high of a current in the coils can create a magnetic field strong enough to demagnetize
+Added: The majority (85%) NeFeB magnets are produced in China.
+Added: Magnax and many other are examples of Companies using such
+Added: induction machine (no PM) is the most common electrical machine in use today.
+Added: A changing magnetic field in the stator
+Added: induces a current in the rotor.
+Added: The current in the rotor produces its own magnetic field, which then interacts with the magnetic
+Added: field of the stator, causing the rotor to turn.
+Added: The name induction comes from the fact that current is induced in the rotor
+Added: by the changing magnetic field of the stator.
+Added: Radial flux induction machines have been the workhorse of industry due to their
+Added: robustness, attractive cost, and easy of control;
+Added: however, they are relatively, heavy and bulky.
+Added: On the other hand, Aura’s
+Added: axial flux (“AF”) induction machines, have all of the advantages of the radial flux machines but with the advantage
+Added: of higher energy density resulting in a smaller and lighter machine with equivalent or better performance.
+Added: Unlike the PM machines,
+Added: induction machines do not use any permanent magnets and therefore the controller can change the B fields since B is proportionate
+Added: to the voltage divided by the frequency (V/f).
+Added: our axial flux induction technology provides significant advantages in both cost (significant less copper, steel and aluminum),
+Added: size/weight and performance, most of our competitors in induction technology have far greater financial, technical, and marketing
+Added: resources than we have.
+Added: They have larger budgets for research, new product development and marketing, and have long-standing customer
+Added: relationships.
+Added: players in the market are (i) Nidec Motor Corporation, (ii) ABB Ltd., (iii) Siemens AG, (iv) WEG Electric Corp, (v) Regal Beloit
+Added: Corporation, (vi) Wolong, and (vii)Teco Westinghouse.
+Added: are five basic approaches used in mobile generators
+Added: Portable generators meet the large market need for auxiliary power.
+Added: Millions of units per year are sold
+Added: in North America alone, and millions more are sold across the world to meet market demands for 1 to 20 Kilowatts of portable power.
+Added: The market for these power levels addresses the commercial, leisure and residential markets, and is essentially divided into:
+Added: (a) higher power, higher quality and higher price commercial level units;
+Added: and (b) lower power, lower quality and lower price level
+Added: Gensets provide the strongest competition across the widest marketplace for auxiliary power.
+Added: Onan, Honda and Kohler, among
+Added: others, are well established and respected brand names in the genset market for higher reliability auxiliary power generation.
+Added: There are over 40 registered genset-manufacturing companies in the United States.
+Added: of the key suppliers are Caterpillar (US), Cummins (US), Rolls-Royce Holdings (UK), Atlas Copco (Sweden), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,
+Added: (Japan), Yanmar (Japan), Generac (US), ABB (Switzerland), Siemens Energy (Germany), Weichai Group (China), Kohler Co.
+Added: Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd.
+Added: (India), Denyo (Japan), and Sterling & Wilson (India).
+Added: Output Alternators .
There are many High Output Alternator manufacturers.
−Removed: Some of the better known are:
−Removed: Delco-Remy, Bosh, Nippon Densu, Hitachi, Mitsubishi
−Removed: and Prestolite.
−Removed: All alternators provide their rated power at very high RPM and significantly less power at lower RPM.
−Removed: alternators are generally only 30% efficient at the low RPM range and increase to 50% efficiency at the high RPM range.
−Removed: Inverters- There are many
−Removed: inverter manufacturers;
−Removed: across the globe the best known one is Xentrex.
−Removed: The pricing of industrial grade sine wave inverters is
−Removed: approximately $700-850 per kilowatt plus the cost of a high output alternator (estimated at $1,000) and a good throttle controller
−Removed: (estimated in the range of $250-500).
−Removed: Permanent-Magnet (“PM”)
−Removed: -A number of companies have introduced alternators using exotic Neodymium (NdFeB) magnets.
−Removed: These alternators
−Removed: tend to have higher power generation capabilities than regular alternators at lower RPM.
−Removed: Unfortunately, PM machines with NdFeB
−Removed: magnets are very sensitive to temperature and, unlike the AuraGen ®
−Removed: , cannot survive the typical under-the-hood environment
−Removed: In order to apply such devices for automotive applications one must add expensive and cumbersome active cooling
−Removed: since the magnets are demagnetized at approximately (176 o F).
−Removed: To date, such machines have been used mostly in wind-power
−Removed: generation applications.
−Removed: In addition to the temperature challenges
−Removed: of such machines, there are other issues involving active control of the magnetic field.
−Removed: The main disadvantage of PM generators
−Removed: is the difficulty of output voltage regulation to compensate for speed and load variation due to the lack of a simple means of
−Removed: field control.
−Removed: Fuel Cells- Fuel cells are
−Removed: solid-state, devices that produce electricity by combining a fuel containing hydrogen with oxygen.
−Removed: They have a wide range of applications
−Removed: and can be used in place of the internal combustion engine and traditional lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries.
−Removed: These systems
−Removed: are, however, generally prohibitively expensive, and the most widely deployed fuel cells are estimated to cost significantly
−Removed: more per kilowatt than alternative solutions.
−Removed: Others- Symetron Technology
−Removed: by Raser Inc.
−Removed: is sometimes mistaken for a new form of a motor or generator.
−Removed: Rather, the Symetron technology is simply
−Removed: a variable frequency motor/generator controller that uses numerous control schemes to optimize performance.
−Removed: The Symetron technology
−Removed: involves adaptive tuning to continuously optimize motor and system efficiency for the speed and torque operating point.
−Removed: The Symetron controller is a potential
−Removed: competitor to variable speed motor controllers provided by such companies as of ABB, or Baldor-Electric Co.
−Removed: Evans Electric in Australia has introduced
−Removed: an axial flux machine with a complete conductive rotor.
−Removed: Such a machine was first introduced by Brinner more than 20 years ago
−Removed: and was abandoned because the rotor lacked the required rigidity to withstand the magnetic and centrifugal forces.
−Removed: machine is cited in Aura’s patents.
−Removed: Transport Refrigeration (“TRU”) -
−Removed: The main competitors for the all-electric TRU are traditional diesel-based solutions provided by Thermo-king and Carrier.
−Removed: diesel based comparable systems provided by Thermo-king and Carrier are somewhat less expensive than our AuraGen ®
−Removed: solution, however the diesel solutions require frequent maintenance and the utilization of a separate diesel engine that consumes
−Removed: considerable fuel every operating hour.
−Removed: In addition, the diesel solutions emit harmful emissions that have been recognized by
−Removed: Environmental Protection Agency, California’s Air Resource Board and others as dangerous pollutants and are increasingly
−Removed: subject to federal and state regulations.
−Removed: Most of our competitors have far greater financial, technical,
−Removed: and marketing resources than we have.
−Removed: They have larger budgets for research, new product development and marketing, and have long-standing
−Removed: customer relationships.
−Removed: We also compete with many larger and more established companies in the hiring and retention of qualified
−Removed: Our financial condition has limited our ability to market the AuraGen ®
−Removed: The AuraGen ®
−Removed: uses different technology
−Removed: and because our product is radically different from traditionally available mobile power solutions, users may require lengthy
−Removed: evaluation periods to gain confidence in the product.
−Removed: OEMs and large fleet users also typically require considerable time to make
−Removed: changes to their planning and production.
−Removed: Competitive Advantages of the AuraGen ®
−Removed: We believe the AuraGen ®
−Removed: be a superior product due to its convenience, cost efficiency, fuel efficiency, reliability, flexibility in power output, quality
−Removed: of the electricity generated, and its ability to provide the full power at variable speeds as well as provide load following architecture.
−Removed: Size and Weight .
−Removed: The AuraGen ®
−Removed: ’s patented breakthrough design is more
−Removed: than 50% smaller and lighter as compared to traditional solutions of comparative output.
−Removed: This ultra-compact design allows the AuraGen ®
−Removed: to reside “under-the-hood”
−Removed: of most vehicles and to be powered by a vehicle’s primary engine or power takeoff
−Removed: “PTO”.
−Removed: In comparison, traditional solutions are too large and bulky to be
−Removed: integrated directly into most vehicles and, therefore, require their own independent
−Removed: power source.
−Removed: The AuraGen ®
−Removed: power solution is also more efficient than traditional
−Removed: due to the significant increase in efficiency of the AuraGen ®
−Removed: conventional designs.
−Removed: Traditional alternators, for example, are at best 50% efficient
−Removed: and require approximately 1 gallon of fuel per each 7.6 kW-Hr.
+Added: Some of the better-known ones are:
+Added: Bosh, Nippon Densu, Hitachi, Mitsubishi and Prestolite.
+Added: All alternators provide their rated power at very high RPM and significantly
+Added: less power at lower RPM.
+Added: In addition, alternators are generally only 30% efficient at the low RPM range and increase to 50% efficiency
+Added: at the high RPM range.
+Added: There are many inverter manufacturers across the globe;
+Added: the best known one is Xentrex.
+Added: The pricing of industrial grade sine wave
+Added: inverters is approximately $400 per kilowatt plus the cost of a high output alternator (estimated at $1,000) and a good throttle
+Added: controller (estimated in the range of $250-500).
+Added: Permanent-Magnet
+Added: Alternators .
+Added: A number of companies have introduced alternators using exotic rare earth Neodymium (NdFeB) magnets.
+Added: These alternators tend to have higher power generation capabilities than regular alternators at lower RPM.
+Added: Unfortunately, PM machines
+Added: with NdFeB magnets are very sensitive to temperature and, unlike the AuraGen ®
+Added: , cannot survive the typical under-the-hood
+Added: environment (200 o F+).
+Added: In order to apply such devices for automotive applications one must add an active cooling system
+Added: to keep the magnets from demagnetizing at approximately (176 o F).
+Added: In addition, most of the rare earth magnets (NeFeB)
+Added: are manufactured in china and are subject to potential political and economic pressure.
+Added: addition to the temperature challenges of such machines, there are other issues involving active control of the magnetic field.
+Added: The main disadvantage of PM generators is the difficulty of output voltage regulation to compensate for speed and load variation
+Added: due to the lack of a simple means of field control.
+Added: Fuel cells are solid-state, devices that produce electricity by combining a fuel containing hydrogen with oxygen.
+Added: They have a wide range of applications and can be used in place of the internal combustion engine and traditional lead-acid and
+Added: lithium-ion batteries.
+Added: These systems are generally more expensive.
+Added: The most widely deployed fuel cells are estimated to cost
+Added: significantly more per kilowatt than alternative solutions.
+Added: Electric in Australia has introduced an axial flux machine with a complete conductive rotor.
+Added: Such a machine was first introduced
+Added: by Brinner more than 20 years ago and was abandoned because the rotor lacked the required rigidity to withstand the magnetic and
+Added: centrifugal forces.
+Added: The Brinner machine is cited in Aura’s issued patents.
+Added: companies are introducing axial flux machines;
+Added: however, they generally use rare earth NeFeB magnets (made in China) and are thus
+Added: not induction machines but rather permanent magnet machines.
+Added: Some of the better-known companies are EVO, Magnax and Phi Power.
+Added: Refrigeration (“TRU”) .
+Added: The main competitors for the all-electric TRU are traditional diesel-based solutions
+Added: provided by Thermo-king and Carrier.
+Added: The diesel based comparable systems provided by Thermo-king and Carrier are somewhat less
+Added: expensive than our AuraGen ®
+Added: all-electric solution, however the diesel solutions require frequent maintenance and
+Added: the utilization of a separate diesel engine.
+Added: The separate diesel engine consumes additional fuel every operating hour.
+Added: the diesel solution emits harmful emissions that have been recognized by the U.S.
+Added: Environmental Protection Agency, California’s
+Added: Air Resource Board and others as dangerous pollutants and are increasingly subject to federal and state regulations.
+Added: based Cell Towers .
+Added: In many parts of the world typically cell towers require 240VAC for cooling and -48V for the communication
+Added: The traffic load in cell towers can vary drastically throughout a 24-hours cycle and thus the power requirement varies
+Added: Our AuraGen ®
+Added: solution is designed to be a load following system that automatically adjusts the input
+Added: power required as the load varies.
+Added: For example, during busy hours the load to support the traffic may be 15kW, compared to the
+Added: middle of the night, the traffic load may be significantly lower.
+Added: The diesel engines used in such cell towers are sized to support
+Added: the maximum load and are significantly less efficient at partial loads thus using more fuel.
+Added: The AuraGen load following architecture
+Added: maintains the same efficiency regardless of the immediate load and therefore results in considerable fuel savings through the
+Added: 24-hour cycle.
+Added: of our competitors have far greater financial, technical, and marketing resources than we have.
+Added: They have larger budgets for research,
+Added: new product development and marketing, and have long-standing customer relationships.
+Added: We also compete with many larger and more
+Added: established companies in the hiring and retention of qualified personnel.
+Added: Our financial condition has limited our ability to market
the AuraGen ®
−Removed: in comparison is approximately 80% efficient and requires approximately only 1 gallon
−Removed: of fuel per each 12.16 kW-Hr.
−Removed: Thus, given a need for 10 kW of power, for example, the
−Removed: traditional solution will require approximately 1.3 gallons per hour of fuel while the
AuraGen ®
−Removed: solution will require only 0.83 gallons per hour for the same output.
−Removed: The AuraGen ®
−Removed: solution is also a load-following solution that further increases efficiency.
−Removed: A load following solution is able to adjust the
−Removed: amount of power output generated at any one moment to mirror the immediate demand.
−Removed: This is an important characteristic as power
−Removed: demands generally fluctuate (sometimes dramatically).
−Removed: Traditional solutions, in comparison, are not load-following and simply
−Removed: provide power at their maximum output rating at all times, irrespective of demand.
−Removed: By producing only that amount of power necessary
−Removed: to meet actual demand, however, the AuraGen ®
−Removed: becomes especially efficient whenever less than maximum power output is required.
−Removed: The AuraGen ®
−Removed: solution provides full power at near idol.
−Removed: that, unlike most other traditional systems, the AuraGen ®
−Removed: system’s ability
−Removed: to provide users with full power is largely independent of the speed of the prime mover.
−Removed: The ability to operate at variable speed makes the Aura solution very attractive when
−Removed: the speed of the prime mover varies and is unpredictable, such as in automotive applications.
−Removed: The variable speed solution is a direct consequence of our system architecture where
−Removed: we separated the power generation from the power delivery by the power bus.
+Added: uses a different technology and because our product is radically different from traditionally available
+Added: mobile power solutions, users may require lengthy evaluation periods to gain confidence in the product.
+Added: OEMs and large fleet users
+Added: also typically require considerable time to make changes to their planning and production.
+Added: Advantages of the AuraGen ®
+Added: Axial Flux Induction technology
+Added: a motor -Aura’s Axial Flux (“AF”) induction motor/generator is increasingly attracting attention from
+Added: high impact potential users seeking advantages over conventional motors, particularly for Electric Vehicle applications.
+Added: advantages include (i) compact construction, (ii) better power to weight ratio, (iii) shorter axial length, (iv) better efficiency,
+Added: (v) better torque to volume and weight ratio, (vi) very high utilization of active materials (less than 50% of the copper) and
+Added: (vii) excellent ventilation and cooling.
+Added: Induction machines (i) do not use any rare earth elements and have no permanent magnets.
+Added: Due to their flat shape, lower weight and compact construction, Aura’s axial flux motors are ideal for pumps, fans, food
+Added: processors, HVHC, etc.
+Added: An axial flux machine is also preferred in applications where the rotor can be integrated with the rotating
+Added: part of mechanical loads.
+Added: AuraGen ®
+Added: motor’s operational range is between -40 and 340 degrees F;
+Added: therefore, it is suitable to operate in a harsh
+Added: As an alternator .
+Added: induction machine provides significant advantages in power generation, particularly in mobile applications.
+Added: Its smaller volume and higher
+Added: efficiency, when combined with the geometric shape means it can be integrated with existing vehicles and boats.
+Added: Such integrated solutions
+Added: do not require set up time.
+Added: There are no heavy weights to lift (gensets), usable cargo space is optimized and there is no need for separate
+Added: fuel/containers.
+Added: Remarkably, there is no scheduled maintenance required.
+Added: AuraGen ®
+Added: alternator’s operational range is between -40- and 340-degrees F;
+Added: therefore, it is suitable for
+Added: operating under the hood of a vehicle where the ambient temperature can easily be above 200 degrees F.
Earth-Forward,
1 unchanged sentence
The AuraGen ®
−Removed: system is significantly more environmentally
−Removed: friendly than traditional generator and mobile power technology.
−Removed: Because of its extreme
−Removed: efficiency and resulting small size, the AuraGen ®
+Added: system is significantly more environmentally friendly than traditional
+Added: motors and generator.
+Added: Because of its extreme efficiency and smaller size, the AuraGen ®
system utilizes fewer resources
−Removed: to manufacture.
−Removed: Moreover, the AuraGen ®
−Removed: uses a vehicle’s primary automotive
−Removed: engine, which is already highly regulated for environmental protection.
−Removed: Traditional mobile
−Removed: power solutions, in comparison, use small, less efficient, auxiliary engines that produce
−Removed: significantly higher levels of emissions per unit of power output than the automobile
−Removed: In applications, such as transport
−Removed: refrigeration, use of the AuraGen ®
−Removed: system eliminates the need for a separate auxiliary diesel engine to run the refrigeration
−Removed: because these auxiliary diesel engines are highly pollutive as to both emissions and noise, the AuraGen ®
−Removed: has the potential
−Removed: to meaningfully impact air and noise pollution levels in areas where it is employed.
−Removed: ● Durability;
+Added: and materials to manufacture (in particular less than 60% of the copper).
+Added: When used in power generation, the AuraGen ®
+Added: uses a vehicle’s primary automotive engine, which is already highly regulated for environmental protection.
+Added: mobile power solutions, in comparison, use small, less efficient, auxiliary engines that produce significantly higher levels of
+Added: emissions per unit of power output than the automobile engine.
No Scheduled Maintenance .
The AuraGen ®
−Removed: is not sensitive to temperature or
−Removed: altitude variations and generates the rated power at or near idle engine RPM.
−Removed: The AuraGen ®
−Removed: also does not require scheduled maintenance and is offered with a three-year warranty,
−Removed: compared to the typical one-year warranty available for traditional solutions.
−Removed: Targeted Markets
−Removed: The Company is reexamining and identifying
−Removed: key markets upon which to focus as the Company expands operations.
−Removed: The uses of mobile generators in many
−Removed: industries are well documented and understood.
−Removed: Most industries dealing with construction and maintaining infrastructure rely on
−Removed: mobile generators for their primary power source.
−Removed: In addition, numerous leisure users are demanding friendly mobile power to use
−Removed: for their air-conditioning and appliances while traveling by RVs or boats.
−Removed: Aura already has a well-defined global interest in
−Removed: numerous market segments with over 10,000 systems installed in 20 countries.
−Removed: The global opportunities can clearly expand rapidly
−Removed: by providing social and economic benefit to end-users.
−Removed: Traditionally, these markets have been
−Removed: served by generators knows as gensets, also known as Auxiliary Power Units (“APU”) that consist of a small diesel
−Removed: or gasoline engine and an alternator.
−Removed: The largest segments of mobile power users require power in the 3.5 to 15 kilowatts (“kW”)
−Removed: The global motor and generator manufacturing industry in 2013 had revenue of about $100 billion annually 1 .
−Removed: Military market
−Removed: One of the fastest growing segments is
−Removed: the military marketplace for On-Board-Exportable-Power (OBEP);
−Removed: electric power on vehicles that can be used to support additional
−Removed: functions over and above those of traditional vehicle functions.
−Removed: The drivers for increased demand for on-board power include numerous
−Removed: advanced weapon systems as well as an increase in C 4 I functions (Command, Control Communication, Computers and Intelligence).
−Removed: Similar to the military demands, the commercial and industrial markets also require on-board power to support modern computers,
−Removed: digital sensors and instruments as well as electrically driven tools.
−Removed: Current automotive alternators cannot supply
−Removed: the existing demanded power and, thus, the common solution is the use of Auxiliary Power Unit.
−Removed: Vehicles used in the telecommunications,
−Removed: transport refrigeration, utilities, public works, construction, catering, oil and gas service industries, emergency/rescue, and
−Removed: recreational vehicles and boats rely heavily on mobile power for their daily needs.
−Removed: One focused market for the Company’s
−Removed: VIPER solution is military applications.
−Removed: The global military land vehicles market is expected to grow by 29% through 2022, increasing
−Removed: to $30.33 billion by 2022, according to market researcher, Frost & Sullivan in London 2 .
−Removed: While traditional markets for military vehicles such as the U.S.
−Removed: are choosing to upgrade and maintain existing fleets rather than
−Removed: replace aging vehicles, other regions are looking to purchase new units, which also provides maintenance and upgrade opportunities.
−Removed: The active number of military vehicles was estimated at over 408,000 in 2012 and is expected to increase to slightly over 418,000
−Removed: New vehicle procurement is expected to decline in western defense and increase in emerging markets of APAC and the Middle
−Removed: End-users are focusing more on quality over quantity in all new procurements.
−Removed: 1 www.researchandmarkets.com/research/85nfdq/motor _
−Removed: Press Release | Wed Feb 27, 2013
+Added: motor/generator solution does not require any scheduled maintenance.
+Added: The historical failure rate over a 20-year period is less than 0.5%.
+Added: The bearings are rated for 28,000 hours.
+Added: Company is re-examining and identifying new key markets to focus on as the Company expands operations.
+Added: global drive for electrification is in search of better more effective electric motors.
+Added: The recent realization by many potential
+Added: users of such motors that permanent magnet motors are depending on NeFeB rare earth magnets from China has created a need for
+Added: alternative to the PM motors.
+Added: Our axial flux induction machine is a solution that does not use any magnets and has the required
+Added: performance characteristic as well as fit and form for numerous applications.
+Added: motors for micro mobility .
+Added: Our axial flux machine due to its topology and pancake design is an ideal hub motor
+Added: for scooters, mopeds and other 2-wheel electric vehicles.
+Added: We are currently designing a 3.5-4 kW motor to be integrated in the
+Added: hub of a specific scooter customer.
+Added: This machine will use a 48V battery as the input power source.
+Added: The global market segment for
+Added: micro mobility is projected to be very large.
+Added: motors for electric delivery trucks .
+Added: We are exploring the use of our axial flux induction machine to be integrated
+Added: into electric delivery trucks.
+Added: This application would require a 70-kW machine that will use 600-800VDC battery system.
+Added: physics of the AuraGen, the power is proportional to the radius cubed of the machine.
+Added: For example, a machine with a rotor radius
+Added: of 6 inches will have the power and torque required for small to medium delivery trucks.
+Added: The power and torque requirements have
+Added: been confirmed recently during a discussion with a delivery truck manufacturer.
+Added: motors for flywheels .
+Added: Our axial flux machine lends itself to multi stacking of rotors and stators on a single shaft to
+Added: create motors in the 250-750kW range with a diameter of approximately 13-14 inches.
+Added: Due to the solid rotor disk of our axial flux
+Added: machine one can operate such machines safely in the 15,000 RPM range.
+Added: We are exploring some opportunities with a flywheel manufacturing
+Added: company for such applications.
+Added: motors for electric boats - We started to explore the possibility of using our axial flux induction machine as a drive
+Added: motor for small to medium electric boats.
+Added: We have received a number of RFI (request for information) from boat manufacturers.
+Added: We started discussions with a drone manufacturer for potential applications of our axial flux induction motor for medium to large
+Added: power generation
+Added: One focused market for the Company’s VIPER solution is military applications.
+Added: The global military
+Added: land vehicles market is expected to grow by 29% through 2022, increasing to $30.33 billion by 2022, according to market researcher
(John Keller July 10, 2014 Military and Aerospace Electronics).
−Removed: 3 Frost and Sullivan, October 2012
−Removed: Hybrid APU Market
−Removed: technology can provide for a significant fuel savings for users that operate diesel APUs with the future introduction of an Aura-designed
−Removed: hybrid APU solution as shown by the diagram.
−Removed: The logic for a hybrid solution is based on the following:
−Removed: ● Significant
−Removed: reduction is fuel usage
−Removed: ● Significant
−Removed: reduction in the diesel engine usage provides for longer life and lower maintenance costs
−Removed: to start inductive load without the need to oversize the diesel engine
−Removed: to seamlessly deal with power spikes
−Removed: ● Significant
−Removed: reduction in noise
−Removed: Electric Motor Market
−Removed: Aura’s axial flux induction machine
−Removed: can be used both as a generator and or as an electric motor.
−Removed: The global electric motor sales market size is expected
−Removed: to reach $214.5 billion by 2025 4 , according to a
−Removed: new report by Grand View Research, Inc.
−Removed: Electric motors are used in all heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) equipment.
−Removed: are also used in multiple applications across industry verticals such as home appliances, industrial machinery, and motor vehicles,
−Removed: among others.
−Removed: According to a new market research report ,
−Removed: the overall induction motor market is expected to exhibit high growth.
−Removed: The driving factor for the growth of the induction
−Removed: motor market is its simple and rugged physical structure.
−Removed: Induction motors are robust and can operate in any environmental condition.
−Removed: Due to the absence of brushes and slip rings (which can cause sparks), they are safe to operate in polluted and explosive working
−Removed: And, unlike synchronous motors, induction motors do not require starting mechanisms since they have a self-starting
−Removed: This leads to their reliable, cost and operational effectiveness, and easy maintenance.
−Removed: Hence, induction motors are preferred
−Removed: over synchronous motors.
−Removed: Vehicle Electrification Market
−Removed: Vehicle electrification can be grouped
−Removed: as (i) hybrid vehicles, (ii) electric vehicles, (iii) electrification of Heating Ventilation and Air conditioning (“HVAC”),
−Removed: and (iv) high power alternators.
−Removed: For the hybrid segment, Aura’s product line needs to consist of 60-75 kW solutions for
−Removed: locomotion with very low rpm and a 5-10 kW solution for electric power generation.
−Removed: For the general electric car segment, the required
−Removed: power is approximately 150-200 kW solution with high torque at low rpm.
−Removed: The general automotive electrification of HVAC requires
−Removed: a 5-10 kW solution and the high-power alternator requires 2.5-3 kW with both 28 and 56 VDC.
+Added: While traditional markets for military vehicles such as the U.S.
+Added: are choosing to upgrade and maintain existing fleets rather than replace aging vehicles, other regions are looking to purchase
+Added: new units, which also provides maintenance and upgrade opportunities.
+Added: The active number of military vehicles was estimated at
+Added: over 408,000 in 2012 and is expected to increase to slightly over 418,000 by 2021.
+Added: New vehicle procurement is expected to decline
+Added: in western defense and increase in emerging markets of APAC and the Middle East.
+Added: alternators .
+Added: In 2019, 87.9 million units of passenger cars were sold globally (Motor Intelligence.
+Added: Automotive alternator
+Added: market growth trends forecast 2021-2026) each one used an alternator.
+Added: The market for automotive alternators is dominated mainly
+Added: by four companies:
+Added: Denso, Valeo, Mitsubishi Electric, and Hitachi Automotive.
+Added: These companies jointly control nearly 80% of the
+Added: global market.
+Added: The compact size and significant increase in efficiency of the AuraGen ®
+Added: provides an ideal replacement
+Added: (fit and form) for high output automotive alternators
+Added: based cell towers .
+Added: According to Statista
+Added: (Technology and telecommunication Thomas Alsop, September22, 2020), in 2019, there were
+Added: 395,562 mobile wireless cell sites in the United States, with a large amount of investment going toward 5G-ready cell sites and
+Added: antennas as per the source.
+Added: Phil Marshall, chief research officer at Tolaga Research,
+Added: estimates the global number of base stations at 6.5 million sites, while Chinese equipment vendor Huawei puts the number at 7
+Added: Many of the cell sites are powered by diesel generators.
The AuraGen ®
−Removed: power solution technology
−Removed: could meet all of the above requirements.
−Removed: The power required for the upcoming autonomous driven vehicle is a perfect fit for the
−Removed: Aura’s alternator which should support both 28V and 56 volts at a very competitive price and exceptional efficiency.
−Removed: The auto electrification is a developing
−Removed: market with potential estimates that vary drastically from one to another.
−Removed: What is well known is that the demand of high output
−Removed: high efficiency alternators is in the many millions of units per year.
−Removed: Aura’s technology allows for significant cost savings
−Removed: in the manufacturing process and significant improvements in efficiency and performance.
−Removed: 4 https://www.grandviewresearch.com
−Removed: Press Release
−Removed: Facilities, Manufacturing Process and Suppliers
−Removed: During fiscal 2020, our facilities consisted
−Removed: of approximately 20,000 square feet in Stanton, California and an additional storage facility in Santa Clarita, California.
−Removed: Stanton facility is used for final assembly and testing of AuraGen ®
−Removed: /VIPER systems under a month-to-month rent agreement for
−Removed: $10,000 per month.
−Removed: The monthly rent for the Santa Clara storage facility is also under a month-to-month rental agreement for $5,000
−Removed: In May 2020, we gave notice of our intention to vacate the Santa Clara storage facility by July 31, 2020.
−Removed: From February
−Removed: to July 2019, the Company also rented on a month-to-month basis approximately 300 square feet of office space in Irvine, California
−Removed: at a cost of $2,350 per month.
−Removed: In July 2019, our new management team terminated the 300 square feet of office space in Irvine,
−Removed: Our current Stanton facility is not sufficient
−Removed: to support the expected increase in operations and the Company is actively searching for a new facility to be used for production,
−Removed: testing, warehousing, engineering, and office space for support staff.
−Removed: Our Jiangsu Shengfeng joint venture, of
−Removed: which the Company owns 49% and as further described in “Business Arrangements”, owns facilities of approximately 400,000
−Removed: square feet, consisting of approximately 200,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 200,000 square feet of general office
−Removed: and engineering space.
−Removed: The Jiangsu Shengfeng facilities are fully paid for and there is no monthly or annual rent associated with
−Removed: these facilities.
−Removed: As the Company begun to increase operations,
−Removed: we will need to renew relationships and contracts with our suppliers or locate suitable new suppliers for subassemblies and other
−Removed: Research and Development
−Removed: We believe that ongoing research and development
−Removed: is important to the success of our product in order to utilize the most recent technology, develop additional products and additional
−Removed: uses for existing products, stay current with changes in vehicle manufacture and design and maintain an advantage over potential
−Removed: Our engineering, research and development costs for fiscal 2020 was approximately $0.2 million compared to approximately
−Removed: $0.5 million in fiscal 2019.
−Removed: In fiscal 2019 we began redesign work
−Removed: on our Electronic Control Unit (“ECU”) to include state-of-the-art power electronics and processors.
−Removed: redesign was temporarily suspended in mid-2019 when the Company’s then-management team reallocated significant resources
−Removed: to oppose shareholders controlling a majority of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock who sought to replace
−Removed: certain members of the Company’s Board of Directors.
−Removed: On July 8, 2019 the Delaware Court of Chancery entered final judgment
−Removed: confirming the validity of this stockholder action to remove certain directors.
−Removed: With the new management team installed, work on
−Removed: the ECU redesign resumed and, in September 2019, we successfully tested and implemented this newly designed ECU.
−Removed: In fiscal 2021
−Removed: we plan to begin delivering the new ECU solution.
−Removed: Patents and Intellectual Property
−Removed: Our intellectual property portfolio consists of trademarks,
−Removed: proprietary know-how, trade secrets, and patents.
−Removed: In the area of electromagnetic technology,
−Removed: we have developed numerous magnetic systems and designs that result in a significant increase of magnetic field density per unit
−Removed: volume that can be converted into useful power energy or work.
−Removed: This increase in field density is a factor of three to four, which,
−Removed: when incorporated into mechanical devices, could result in a significant reduction in size and cost of production for the same
−Removed: The applications of these technological
−Removed: advances are in machines used every day by industrial, commercial, and consumers.
−Removed: We have applied technology to numerous applications
−Removed: in industrial machines, such as generators, motors, actuators, and linear motors.
−Removed: We hold the following patents:
−Removed: with expiration dates in 2020, 2024, 2024 and 2033 respectively.
−Removed: At the end of fiscal 2013 and the first
−Removed: quarter of fiscal 2014, we filed five new patent applications related to the AuraGen ®
−Removed: These new patent applications are specifically
−Removed: designed to cover the (i) integration of the AuraGen ®
−Removed: power solution with transport refrigeration, (ii) the interface kit
−Removed: of the AuraGen ®
+Added: solution increase in efficiency
+Added: over traditional generators, when combined with our load following architecture and the ability to provide both AC and -48VDC
+Added: simultaneously makes our solution very attractive to cell towers operators that depend on diesel power.
+Added: Our solution has the potential
+Added: for significant diesel fuel savings in such an application.
+Added: We have received some levels of interest in usage of our solution
+Added: in cell towers from users in African and the Philippines .
+Added: Refrigeration (“TRU”) .
+Added: The main competitors for the all-electric TRU are traditional diesel-based solutions
+Added: provided by Thermo-king and Carrier.
+Added: The diesel based comparable systems provided by Thermo-king and Carrier are somewhat less
+Added: expensive than our AuraGen ®
+Added: all-electric solution, however the diesel solutions require frequent maintenance and
+Added: the utilization of a separate diesel engine that consumes additional fuel every operating hour.
+Added: In addition, the diesel solution
+Added: emits harmful emissions that have been recognized by the U.S.
+Added: Environmental Protection Agency, California’s Air Resource
+Added: Board and others as dangerous pollutants and are increasingly subject to federal and state regulations.
+Added: Company is in discussions with a group in South Africa for the utilization of our transport refrigeration mobile power solution
+Added: in approximately 1,000 trucks.
+Added: technology can provide for a significant fuel savings for users that operate diesel APUs with the potential introduction of an
+Added: Aura-designed hybrid APU solution.
+Added: The logic for a hybrid solution is based on the following advantages (i) significant reduction
+Added: in diesel fuel usage, (ii) significant reduction in diesel engine usage provides for longer life and lower maintenance costs,
+Added: (iii) ability to start inductive loads without the need to oversize the diesel engine, (iv) ability to seamlessly deal with power
+Added: spikes and (v) significant reduction in noise.
+Added: Manufacturing Process and Suppliers
+Added: Fiscal 2020 and 2021, our facilities consisted primarily of approximately 20,000 square feet in Stanton, California that we shared
+Added: with ECS Corporation and an additional storage facility in Santa Clarita, California.
+Added: The Stanton facility was under a month-to-month
+Added: rental agreement for $10,000 per month.
+Added: The monthly rent for the Santa Clara storage facility was also under a month-to-month
+Added: rental agreement for $5,000 per month and was terminated effective July 31, 2020.
+Added: Following exit from the Santa Clarita facility
+Added: in July 2020 through February 28, 2021, we rented temporary storage space for approximately $2,500 per month.
+Added: In early Fiscal
+Added: 2022 we consolidated all administrative offices and operations in a new modern stand-alone facility consisting of approximately
+Added: 18,000 square feet in Lake Forest, California.
+Added: This Lake Forest facility is subject to a lease agreement with a 66-month lease
+Added: period spanning from March 1, 2021 through August 31, 2026.
+Added: The monthly base lease rate for the Lake Forest Facility is $22,183
+Added: the Company continues to expand operations, we will need to renew relationships and contracts with our suppliers or locate suitable
+Added: new suppliers for subassemblies and other components.
+Added: and Development
+Added: believe that ongoing research and development is important to the success of our product in order to utilize the most recent technology,
+Added: develop additional products and additional uses for existing products, stay current with changes in vehicle manufacture and design
+Added: and maintain an advantage over potential competition.
+Added: Our engineering, research and development costs for Fiscal 2021 was approximately
+Added: $0.2 million compared to approximately $0.1 million in Fiscal 2020.
+Added: Fiscal 2019 we began redesign work on our Electronic Control Unit (“ECU”) to include state-of-the-art power electronics
+Added: and processors.
+Added: Work on this redesign was temporarily suspended in mid-2019 when the Company’s then-management team reallocated
+Added: significant resources to unsuccessfully oppose shareholders controlling a majority of the outstanding shares of the Company’s
+Added: common stock who sought to replace certain members of the Company’s Board of Directors.
+Added: On July 8, 2019 the Delaware Court
+Added: of Chancery entered final judgment confirming the validity of this stockholder action.
+Added: With the new management team installed,
+Added: starting in July 2019 work on the ECU redesign resumed and, in September 2019, we successfully tested and implemented this newly
+Added: designed ECU.
+Added: As a result of such efforts, our redesigned ECU allows us to replace the old 5 kW solution with a 6.5 kW solution
+Added: using the same 4-pole generator as well as to upgrade the output of the 6-pole machine from 8.5 kW to 12.5 kW.
+Added: Our recent efforts
+Added: have also resulted in the development of a 15 kW solution specifically designed to address cell tower needs of 240 VAC and simultaneously
+Added: 48 VDC as well as a new 4 kW solution that is 7.5 inches in diameter and 5 inches deep that is being configured both as a motor
+Added: and automotive alternator.
+Added: In Fiscal 2022 we plan to begin delivering the new ECU solution.
+Added: and Intellectual Property
+Added: intellectual property portfolio consists of trademarks, proprietary know-how, trade secrets, and patents.
+Added: the area of electromagnetic technology, we have developed numerous magnetic systems and designs that result in a significant increase
+Added: of magnetic field density per unit volume that can be converted into useful power energy or work.
+Added: This increase in field density
+Added: is a factor of three to four, which, when incorporated into mechanical devices, could result in a significant reduction in size
+Added: and cost of production for the same performance.
+Added: applications of these technological advances are in machines used every day by industrial, commercial, and consumers.
+Added: applied technology to numerous applications in industrial machines, such as generators, motors, actuators, and linear motors.
+Added: hold the following patents:
+Added: with expiration dates in 2020, 2024, 2024 and 2033
+Added: respectively.
+Added: the end of Fiscal 2013 and the first quarter of Fiscal 2014, we filed five new patent applications related to the AuraGen ®
+Added: These new patent applications are specifically designed to cover the (i) integration of the AuraGen ®
+Added: power solution
+Added: with transport refrigeration, (ii) the interface kit of the AuraGen ®
with prime movers, (iii) a water cooled AuraGen ®
−Removed: solution for situations where ventilation is not available,
−Removed: (iv) a unique cable system with safety protection to transfer high power between two moving objects, and (v) a unique clamping
−Removed: of power electronic components to heat sink to ensure good thermal conductivity.
−Removed: Government Regulation
−Removed: We are subject to laws and regulations
−Removed: that affect the Company’s activities, which include, but are not limited to, the areas of labor, intellectual property and
−Removed: ownership and infringement, tax, import and export requirements, environmental, and health and safety.
−Removed: As we recommence operations,
−Removed: our operations will again be subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the occupational health and safety
−Removed: of our employees and wage regulations.
−Removed: For example, we are subject to the requirements of the federal Occupational Safety and
−Removed: Health Act, as amended, or OSHA, and comparable state laws that protect and regulate employee health and safety.
−Removed: expend resources to maintain compliance with OSHA requirements and industry best practices.
−Removed: As of the date of this filing, the Company
−Removed: has seven full-time equivalent employees.
−Removed: Additionally, the Company engages independent contractors to support various areas of
−Removed: the business.
−Removed: The independent contractors are used on an as-needed basis.
−Removed: Significant Customers
−Removed: As of the date of the filing of this Annual
−Removed: Report on Form 10-K, CBOL Corporation of Chatsworth, California is a significant customer representing more than 95% of our annual
−Removed: As of the date of the filing of this Annual
−Removed: Report on Form 10-K, the Company has no significant backlog of orders.
−Removed: Raw Materials
−Removed: The most important raw materials we use
−Removed: in manufacturing our products are steel, copper, and aluminum.
−Removed: Raw materials are purchased both domestically and outside the United
+Added: solution for situations where ventilation is not available, (iv) a unique cable system with safety protection to transfer
+Added: high power between two moving objects, and (v) a unique clamping of power electronic components to heat sink to ensure good thermal
+Added: conductivity.
+Added: patent application for the integration of the AuraGen ®
+Added: power solution with transport refrigeration was specifically
+Added: geared for U.S.
+Added: truck manufactured prior to 2015.
+Added: This application was abandoned, and we expect to reexamine the patent ideas
+Added: over the next 12 months as applied to both U.S.
+Added: and foreign truck for more up-to-date required configurations.
+Added: The patent application
+Added: for interface kit of the AuraGen ®
+Added: with prime mover patent was issued (8,955,624).
+Added: A provisional Patent (502,246,733 )
+Added: was issued for the water cooled AuraGen ®
+Added: solution in 2013.
+Added: patent application for a unique cable system with safety protection to transfer high power between two moving objects was abandoned
+Added: during the 2015-2019 period.
+Added: The patent application for a unique clamping of power electronic components to heat sink to ensure
+Added: good thermal conductivity was abandoned since Aura’s power electronic solution has been completely redesigned and the old
+Added: design issues are no longer relevant.
+Added: are subject to laws and regulations that affect the Company’s activities, which include, but are not limited to, the areas
+Added: of labor, intellectual property and ownership and infringement, tax, import and export requirements, environmental, and health
+Added: As we recommence operations, our operations will again be subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations
+Added: governing the occupational health and safety of our employees and wage regulations.
+Added: For example, we are subject to the requirements
+Added: of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act, as amended, or OSHA, and comparable state laws that protect and regulate employee
+Added: health and safety.
+Added: We expect to expend resources to maintain compliance with OSHA requirements and industry best practices.
+Added: of the date of this filing, the Company has a total of nine full-time employees in research and development, sales, operations
+Added: and administration.
+Added: Additionally, the Company engages independent contractors, on an as-needed basis, to support various areas
+Added: of the business.
+Added: During fiscal 2021 we engaged three independent contractors, two to support engineering developments, and one
+Added: for accounting support.
+Added: of the date of the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, CBOL Corporation of Chatsworth, California is a significant customer
+Added: representing more than 90% of our annual revenues since July 2019.
+Added: of the date of the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company has no significant backlog of orders.
+Added: most important raw materials we use in manufacturing our products are steel, copper, and aluminum.
+Added: Raw materials are purchased
+Added: both domestically and outside the United States.
We have no significant long-term supply contracts.
−Removed: When possible, we maintain a number of sources for our raw materials,
−Removed: which we believe contribute to our ability to obtain competitive pricing.
−Removed: The cost of some of our raw materials and shipping costs
−Removed: are dependent on petroleum cost.
−Removed: Higher material prices, cost of petroleum, and costs of sourced products could have an adverse
−Removed: effect on margins.
−Removed: We enter into standard purchase agreements
−Removed: with certain foreign and domestic suppliers to source selected products.
−Removed: The terms of these arrangements are customary for the
−Removed: industry and do not contain any long-term contractual obligations on our behalf.
−Removed: Available Information
−Removed: We file annual, quarterly and current
−Removed: reports and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”
+Added: When possible, we maintain
+Added: a number of sources for our raw materials, which we believe contribute to our ability to obtain competitive pricing.
+Added: of some of our raw materials and shipping costs are dependent on petroleum cost.
+Added: Higher material prices, cost of petroleum, and
+Added: costs of sourced products could have an adverse effect on margins.
+Added: enter into standard purchase agreements with certain foreign and domestic suppliers to source selected products.
+Added: these arrangements are customary for the industry and do not contain any long-term contractual obligations on our behalf.
+Added: file annual, quarterly and current reports and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”
or the “Commission”).
−Removed: These materials can be inspected and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.
−Removed: Copies of these materials may also be obtained by mail at prescribed rates from the SEC’s Public Reference Room at the above
−Removed: Information about the Public Reference Room can be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.
−Removed: The SEC also maintains
−Removed: a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that
−Removed: file electronically with the SEC.
−Removed: On our website, www.aurasystems.com, we
−Removed: provide free of charge our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments
−Removed: thereto, as soon as reasonably practicable after they have been electronically filed or furnished to the SEC.
−Removed: Information contained
−Removed: on our website is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or our other filings with the SEC.
+Added: These materials can be inspected and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100
+Added: F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.
+Added: Copies of these materials may also be obtained by mail at prescribed rates from the SEC’s
+Added: Public Reference Room at the above address.
+Added: Information about the Public Reference Room can be obtained by calling the SEC at
+Added: 1-800-SEC-0330.
+Added: The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other
+Added: information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
+Added: our website, www.aurasystems.com, we provide free of charge our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current
+Added: Reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments thereto, as soon as reasonably practicable after they have been electronically filed or
+Added: furnished to the SEC.
+Added: Information contained on our website is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or our other filings
+Added: with the SEC.
Compared sentence by sentence after normalising whitespace, quotation marks, case and digits, so re-formatting and restated figures do not read as changed language. Wording changes appear as one removal and one addition. The current filing and the prior one are authoritative.