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Startup’s 3D-printed Carnot generator draws interest; lawmakers ask about EMP protection and procurement scaling
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Summary
Hylion CEO Thomas Healy told the Appropriations Subcommittee his 3D-printed, fuel‑flexible Carnot generator is in early deployments with the Navy; members pressed on EMP protection, testing, and the need for demand signals to scale manufacturing.
Thomas Healy, chief executive officer of Hylion Incorporated, told the House Appropriations Subcommittee that his company’s 3D-printed “Carnot” modular power plant has been delivered to the Navy for testing and could offer fuel flexibility, lower maintenance, and higher efficiency than conventional generators.
Healy described the unit as a 200-kilowatt base module roughly the size of a pickup-truck bed that can be stacked to reach multi-megawatt capacity. “It can operate on over 20 different fuels, including diesel, natural gas, propane, JP8,” Healy said, and added the system is designed with only “one moving part” riding on gas bearings to reduce maintenance needs.
Why it matters: Lawmakers said resilient, mobile power generation is a priority for installations and expeditionary operations. Members pressed Healy on whether the technology is mature, whether it is protected from electromagnetic pulse (EMP) effects, and how procurement rules and demand visibility affect industry’s ability to scale.
Testing, EMP and procurement: Healy said the system is not currently EMP‑hardened but that the company has worked with the Navy on specifications and would consider EMP protection if the military is interested. Healy also told the panel that the company has set up domestic manufacturing near Austin and Cincinnati and that producing at scale requires multi‑year demand signals because acquiring additive manufacturing equipment and production capacity can take more than a year.
Analyst view and recommendations: Brent Richardson of CNA recommended a DoD MilCon technology roadmap to give industry and service labs clearer guidance on technology priorities and to create a demand signal that fosters private-sector investment. “A DoD technology roadmap for MILCON would provide necessary guidance for both DoD and service component labs to make informed and targeted investments toward innovation,” Richardson testified.
Ending: Members praised the promise of fuel‑flexible, lower‑maintenance power generation but stopped short of committing procurement authorities; they requested follow-up on performance testing, cost comparisons and how the technology would be considered in acquisition evaluations.
