Tennessee Patent of the Month – May 2025
A new U.S. patent from Whisper Aero Inc. could reshape how we think about quiet propulsion. U.S. Patent No. 12291977, titled ‘Propulsor fan array’, introduces a breakthrough in [...]
Engineering Case Study
Hunter Engineering, a family-run business producing custom, environmentally-friendly hunting products, undertook a project to design and develop an alternate copper fishing sinker after lead sinkers were banned in several regions due to environmental concerns. This project involved key areas of investigation and experimentation, including reshaping the sinker due to copper’s lighter weight to ensure proper sinking and casting, and developing a coating to prevent copper erosion. To be eligible for the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit, Hunter Engineering identified four R&D activities as “qualified research”: designing and developing a series of prototypes for the copper sinker, conducting trials and analyzing data for reproducible results and testing coatings, performing background research to evaluate knowledge gaps and determine feasibility, and analyzing customer feedback to improve the prototype design. These activities, considered “qualified research” for their role in developing a new or improved business component and meeting the “Four-Part Test” (Permitted Purpose, Elimination of Uncertainty, Process of Experimentation, and Technological in Nature), were crucial for developing an efficient copper sinker. Despite the extensive R&D, Hunter Engineering’s documentation was limited to design drawings, highlighting a need for more comprehensive record-keeping like project records, lab notes, and testing results to be “compliance ready” for potential IRS audits. Click here to learn more.