Peter Burt of Scotland and James McCollum of Canada patented their engine type independently in 1909. By the close of WW II, virtually all engine manufacturers had done work with the sleeve valve engine (SVE) concept and thousands were produced. Later WW II development became focused almost exclusively on high performance aircraft applications.

Whittle’s jet engine pushed the sleeve valve from the high-performance market, and out of public focus.

The sleeve valve engine eliminates complex valve and cam systems common in current internal combustion engine (ICE) designs. SVETech.llc exploits this advantage and applies modern materials, production techniques, and fluid dynamics engineering to bring the legacy of the sleeve valve engine to 21st century applications.

SVE Technology has academic and industry partners who bring expertise and resources to the effort.

SVEtech.llc is developing sleeve valve engines intended for both military and commercial service. Recent work has been focused on a 270 CC engine with the University of Maryland, funded through Maryland Industrial Partnership (MIPS) program, and the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) . Current work for AFRL complements that effort, bringing the technology closer to the commercial environment.