ANTI-POLLUTANT CONTROLS, INC., SUPPLEMENTAL STATEMENT Anti-Pollutant Controls, Inc. comments upon a number of matters brought out by testimony before the Sub-committee in hearings on S-3072, January 27, 28, and 29, 1970. 1. Senator Goodell was asking various witnesses about measures being taken to control the emission of lead compounds through the exhaust. Such poisonous compounds are derived from the addition of tetraethyl lead to the gasoline to improve its octane rating. He was told by all the witnesses who spoke that nothing could be done to control the emission of lead compounds, except by a complete ban on the use of leaded gasoline, replacing it with the use of an unleaded gasoline at an added cost of about 4¢ per gallon, plus a lag of a number of years while the gasoline producers installed the equipment to produce an unleaded gasoline in large quantities. Anti-Pollutant Controls, Inc. responds quite differently to Senator Goodell's question, saying that there is a way to control the emission of lead and that we have it. We put a leaded gasoline in the tank of our apparatus, and the reports of the chemists indicate that (1) none of the lead is showing up in the gaseous fuel fed to the engine, and (2) no lead shows up in the exhaust. 2. As was clear in our original presentation to the committee we are certain that the only route to a pollution free engine is through the use of a gaseous fuel and perfect combustion. We produce a gaseous fuel under the hood of the automobile, in contrast to the methods for using a gaseous fuel on which the Sub-committee heard considerable testimony. These other methods involve the use of LPG (liquified petroleum gases-propane and butane), CNG (compressed natural gas), and LNG (liquified natural gas). Both LPG and CNG involve the transport in the automobile of heavy steel tanks, holding the fuels and fuel gases under high pressure. To contain enough fuel for normal usage in an automobile the tank would have to be bulky, unwieldy, and expensive. LPG for automotive use is a different thing from the small tanks carried on camping trailers to supply fuel for a camp stove used a few minutes a day. Because of the inherent hazard, such tanks cannot be carried legally through tunnels, and the larger LPG tank for automotive use and the still larger tank for CNG would also be forbidden. This restriction makes both systems impractical for general use. LNG, on the other hand requires first a cryogenic tank to hold the liquid natural gas at a temperature of 258 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit, (pressure alone, within any tolerable value won't suffice) and second a complicated and fragile system for vaporizing the gas and feeding it to the engine. In order to keep the cryogenic tank sufficiently cool, there is required to be an evaporation of the liquified gas at the rate of 10% per day. This lost gas has to be vented to the air all the time, which means that a twenty gallon net capacity tank (the cryogenic tank occupies the space of a forty gallon tank) would lose two gallons a day, even if there were no use of the car. The normal parking of the car in front of the house for the 12 hour period of 6 P.M. to 6 A.M. would result in the loss of a gallon. Anything that might interfere with this evaporation would increase the tank pressure to the danger point. In the case where the car was kept in a garage, the collection of vented gas in the top of the garage would create a fire and explosion danger. LNG does produce a pollution free automobile, but a dangerous one. 3. In contrast to these systems, the Anti-Pollutant Controls, Inc. system creates a gas under the hood of the car from ordinary gasoline. It involves no different storage tank than that now in use. It creates this gas at a low pressure which has no opportunity to create a hazard. It creates no dangers not now present with the gasoline engine. We provide all of the advantages of the LPG, CNG, and LNG systems but none of the disadvantages. We do not call for the modification of the present engine, we do not call for a modification of the present gasoline production or distribution system, we do not call for a ban on the use of leaded gasoline, although we could do without the use of leaded gas. But there is a difference, we don't call for a higher octane unleaded gasoline-we could use the lower octane straight run gasoline just as well. Gas fuel has an octane rating higher than anything now in use. 4. The creation of a system to provide nationwide distribution of LNG requires major modifications in the distribution system now in effect for gasoline. Something like 30,000 new cryogenic tank trucks would be required to replace the present fleet which delivers gasoline to service stations. Each service station would require new cryogenic tanks to store LNG, plus new pumps, and new fittings through the entire system it has to fill the customer's automobile tank. All the gasoline pipe lines would have to be made cryogenic or a totally new bulk system created. Last but not least is the wholesale reworking of zoning regulations in all communities to provide for the storage of fuels much more exotic and dangerous in residential communities. This is a nightmare. 5. The steam car, investigated by Mr. William P. Lear to the extent of five and one half million dollars and then dropped by Mr. Lear for good and sufficient reasons would be less complicated than the problem posed by the systems for LPG, CNG, and LNG. 6. As was pointed out in testimony before the Subcommittee, none of the systems proposed by the automobile companies removes more than 80% of the pollutants now emitted. The planning of the automobile companies does not propose to reduce the level of pollution markedly before 1980, and they testified that the level of pollution would again be rising by 1990. The system proposed by Anti-Pollutant Controls, Inc., as stated in the original presentation to the committee, and as again stated here, creates a gas fuel under the hood of the car, and eliminates the pollution given off by any one car to the extent of 99.9999999% (this is the equivalent of one part per billion-the figure given in the reports of the analytical chemists). This is better than the results achieved today by a factor of 100,000. This result can be accomplished by 1972 or as soon as 60,000,000 units can be produced and installed on the used cars of the country, and as soon as our system can be made standard factory installed equipment on new cars to the tune of about 8,000,000 units a year. 7. In the hearings it was brought out that the use of gas as a fuel is about 25% more economical than the use of gasoline. This economy is obtained using the two systems with extremely high initial cost, CNG and LNG. It is probable that the economies are slightly less with LPG where the initial cost can be assumed to be lower. We make the gas under the hood and we can count upon at least 25% savings. The preliminary estimates of the cost of our system, including the hardware and the installation, to the consumer is about $75 for a used car where two pieces of equipment now on the car must be replaced. For a new car where the two units involved would be in the assembly line, the cost of installation would be less than that for a used car. It might be pointed out in this connection that the reason the automobile manufacturers do not plan on a reduction of pollution before 1980 is that they have no unit for used cars. Figures from the American Automobile Association indicate that the average driver puts about 12,000 miles on a car per year. Estimates from car dealers indicate that overall drivers get about 15 miles per gallon. Price data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the average price paid is in the neighborhood of 33¢ per gallon. When one multiplies this out and figures what the 25% economy would mean, there is grounds for a general inference that the buyer of our system would recover his extra initial cost on a used car in about one year, and that after that time he would be making a profit. With a lower initial cost on a new car, recovery of that cost would come quicker and the profit would begin earlier. None of this takes into account the economies such as fewer oil changes, less spark plug trouble, and less maintenance in other ways with a gas fueled car, We feel that if the buyer of an anti-pollution system can save money he is going to be amenable to putting the unit on his car, almost without the need for compulsory laws. 8. There are available formulae for non corrosive high test alloys suitable for more adaptable turbines which would be gas turbines in fact, not merely in name. Respectfully, Anti-Pollutant Controls, Inc., Vice President. WASHINGTON REFERENCE LABORATORIES, Washington, D.C., July 3, 1969. A REPORT OF THE COLLECTION OF SPECIMENS FROM AN AUTOMOBILE ENGINE Attached you will find reports which were sent to my attention from Sadtler Research Laboratories in response to speciments sent by me to their laboratory for analysis by IR Spectroscopy and NMR analysis as we do not in our laboratories have instrumentation of this nature. Sequence of Events Arrangements were made between Messrs. Knapp, Nesbitt and myself to collect samples of the fuel being utilized by the engine of an automobile, and the exhaust of this same automobile on the premises of the Chillum Sheet Metal Works in Bladensburg, Maryland. On the afternoon of May 28, 1969, I went to the above described location in the company of my associate, Mr. Steven A. Silverman, to collect samples. Sample collection tubes had been prepared in advance under negative pressure in anticipation. Two samples were collected and were labeled A and B. Sample A was collected by attaching a length of Tygon tubing to the nipple of the gas sampling tube and inserting this tube into the exhaust pipe of the automobile engine. The stopcock was then opened and exhaust gasses entered the gas sampling tube until equilibrium was achieved. The gas sampling tube stopcock was closed to seal and the sample labeled "A" and shipped to Sadtler Research Laboratories for IR analysis. Immediately following, a sample was collected of the fuel being fed to the engine carburetor. A system very similar to that used for collection of Sample A was used. At this point a description of the fuel feed arrangement is necessary to understanding the sampling procedure. A length of % inch copper tubing arises from the left rear and below the engine where it is coupled to the "evolver". At the upper end of the copper tube it is joined to a "T" coupling. One arm of the "T" feeds into the engine carburetor, through a needle valve. The third arm of the "T" is attached and has mounted upon it a spring-held stopcock with nipple. The arrangement is thus that the spring-held stopcock, when opened, is continuous with the % inch copper tube, and when negative pressure is applied the formed fuel present in the copper tube flows toward the negative pressure, in this case, the gas sampling tube. A sample was collected in the manner described above and identified as sample “B”. Both samples were then shipped to Sadtler Research Laboratories in Philadelphia for analysis, the specific results of these studies will be explained in detail under "Discussion of Results". On May 28, 1969 I received a telephone call from Mr. Young of Sadtler Laboratories indicating that he had completed analysis of Sample A but he found only atmospheric air in sample B, which indicated that the gas sampling tube had leaked, and that it would be necessary to collect a second sample B and submit it for analysis. A second sample B was collected on Saturday, June 7, 1969 at the same location and it should be pointed out that some difficulty was experienced in the collection of this specimen. The difficulty was experienced for the following reason: Insofar as we had experienced leakage on the previous specimen, we subjected the gas sampling tubes to a substantially greater negative pressure than we had used previously, mainly as a check on the integrity of the gas sampling tube. We attempted to sample the fuel with the engine running as described previously and discovered that the engine as set up with no fuel pump and utilizing gravity feed of gasoline. Unfortunately the negative puresure was so great that raw gasoline* was sucked directly into the gas sampling tube. This was obviously an inappropriate sample so that some modification of collection procedure was required. The collection procedure was modified in such a manner so as to preclude introduction of raw gasoline into the system. A valve in the line from the gasoline tank to the evolver was closed, followed by closure of the needle valve leading from the "T" joint previously described so as to stop the flow of fuel to the engine. This series of actions effectively trapped the fuel in the 5% inch Previous IR analysis conducted by the undersigned indicated that this material was indeed commercial gasoline. copper tube so that it could be sampled. The gas sampling tube was then filled with fuel with the aid of a hand pump. The fuel entered the cell as a visible gas, a portion of which condensed quite rapidly to a pale yellow liquid with the balance remaining in the gaseous state. This sample identified as "B" was then shipped to Sadtler Laboratories for analysis. Discussion of Results 1. Sample A. This sample was submitted to IR analysis according to the protocol as described in the letter from Mr. Young (copy attached). The attached spectrogram (#78430-1) is a perfect match for carbon dioxide (reference scan #3). The meaning and impact of this statement lies in the fact that by the route of complete combustion and only by this route may one achieve combustion products which do not include unburned hydrocarbons. Further, in a phone conversation with Mr. Young and Sadtler we were informed by him that the level of CO (carbon monoxide) detectable by this instrument is in the range of one part per billion, so that we may safely assume a level of carbon monoxide in the exhaust of this engine approximately .001% of the usual internal combustion engine fueled by gasoline. 2. Sample B. This sample was examined in two parts, part 1 being the condensed liquid in the sampling tube, part 2 being that material which remained in gaseous state after temperature decrease. The liquid portion was subjected to IR analysis and NMR. Analysis indicated that there were a series of straight chain and branched hydrocarbons varying in length, with the average length being Ce, and an average molecular weight of less than 100. Included in this group was 5% aromatic compounds, which are identified as xylene and toluene. The gaseous portion of the sample was subjected to IR analysis and the spectrogram (78430-5) thus derived was almost identical to a reference spectrogram (#113) for N-butane. It may be stated with certainty that the gaseous material present is all in the range of C to Ce. The meaning of these two statements is in effect that all of the material identified as sample B is material with chemical and physical properties such that it would be a gas at engine operating temperatures. Commercial gasoline is not such a compound. Summary Definitions for this report: 1. Fuel-defined for this report as that material being fed into the engine which has been converted from gasoline into the gaseous material. 2. Gasoline-commercially available gasoline purchased at a filling station. Samples were collected which were submitted to Sadtler Laboratories for analysis. The results were that the exhaust gas was pure carbon dioxide and that the fuel was a mixture of straight and branched hydrocarbons with a small percentage of aromatics, all materials in this fuel are gases and will follow Boyle's Gas Law at the engine operating temperature. HOWARD WILLNER, Chief Chemist, Deputy Director. SADTLER RESEARCH LABORATORIES, INC., REPORT OF ANALYSIS From: Washington Reference Laboratories, 4380 MacArthur Boulevard, NW., Washington, D.C. Attention: Mr. Howard Willner. Samples: Two (2) Received: May 28, 1969 Laboratory No.: 78430 Subject: Two (2) samples identified as A and B. Request Infrared analysis and identification. Results: SAMPLE A1 1 The graph is in the committee files. An infrared spectrogram of the submitted sample was prepared on a Bausch and Lomb/Shimadzu Spectronic 270 IR infrared spectrophotometer. The resulting spectrogram, No. 78430, when compared to the Sadtler Standard Infrared Spectra of Pure and Commercial Materials yielded a perfect match in carbon dioxide. A reference spectra of carbon dioxide, No. 3, is included for your records. SAMPLE B2 Sample B was found to contain a liquid. An infrared spectrogram of the liquid was prepared using a Perkin-Elmer 137 Infrared Spectrophotometer. The resulting spectrogram, No. 78430-2, is typical of a straight chain Hydrocarbon of C. to C12 in length. A heavier spectrogram of the same sample, No. 78430–3, gives indications of the presence of aromatics in the sample. In order to obtain a more positive identification of the sample, an NMR scan was prepared using a Varian A-60A Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer with the following results: The average chain length is C. with a branched methyl group non-adjacent to the terminal methyl groups. The aromatic compounds were identified as toluene and xylene. An infrared spectrogram, No. 78430-4 and a heavier spectrogram of the sample material, No. 78430-5, are typical of straight chain hydrocarbons. A reference spectrogram of n-butane, No. 113, is included for your records. It can be concluded that the gases present in the sample are straight chain hydrocarbons in the C to Ce range. Suggestions for Further Work It is felt that a more positive identification of the gases present in sample B can be obtained by Gas Chromatography. An estimated $200 should be sufficient for this work. May we hear from you on this matter. 4000 3600 3200 2800 2400 2000 1900 1800 1700 1600 1500 1400 1300 1200 1100 1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 (cm) |