74-14 AWK
     EVALUATION OF AN ENGINE EXHAUST
 AND FUEL GASIFICATION DEVICE - INVENTOR,
             MR. SETH LEE, JR.
           October 1973
     Test and Evaluation Branch
Emission Control Technology Division
   Environmental Protection Agency

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Background

Mr. Seth Lee, Jr., inventor of an engine exhaust and fuel
gasification device, contacted the Office of Air and Water
Programs to request a laboratory and engineering evaluation
of his device. Supplied with the request was a test report
prepared by General Environments Corporation of Springfield,
Virginia. The test utilized the hot start 1975 Federal Test
Procedure (FTP) and was conducted on an installed device
only, with no baseline testing conducted. The results supplied
indicated significant emission control.  A confirmatory test
program was conducted by the Test and Evaluation Branch of
the Emission Control Technology Division.

Device Description

The device can be described as a heat exchanger in which
the exhaust gas is used to heat the incoming air/fuel
mixture. Additionally, air is supplied by a variable speed
air blower to both the heat exchanger and to the intake
manifold.  Exhaust gases are mixed with the intake air
and a spark plug is placed in the exhaust pipe and operated
by a separate coil and points.  Exhaust back pressure is
modulated by a heat riser located behind the muffler.

There was no cost estimate for manufacture of the device
supplied by the inventor. The baseline emissions from the
vehicle were not determined since the vehicle tested was
supplied by the inventor with the device installed.

Test Procedure

Device testing was performed using a 1962 Chevrolet equipped
with a 235 CID engine and standard manual transmission. All
testing was performed in accordance with the 1975 Federal
Test Procedure as outlined in the Federal Register, Vol. 37,
No. 221, dated November 15, 1972. The vehicle was tested
at an inertia weight of 4,000 pounds. Test fuel was Indolene
Clear.  Due to the complexity of the control system, it was
not possible to run baseline tests on the same vehicle without
controls.

Test Results

The, results of two tests are presented in the Appendix of
this report. During the operation of the vehicle over the

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driving cycle, it was observed that the vehicle repeatedly
stalled and misfired with the engine warmed-up. Between
test runs, the inventor adjusted his device to eliminate the
poor starting and misfiring characteristics of his device.

Conclusions

 The vehicle, as tested aftejr adjustment by the developer,
demonstrated hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide levels
approximately equivalent to those of a 1970 or 1971
vehicle.  The oxides of nitrogen level was considerably
lower than that which would be expected for an early
exhaust emission controlled vehicle due to the exhaust
gas recirculation employed. Fuel economy was poorer than
a stock 1962 Chevrolet.

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                        APPENDIX
           1975 FEDERAL EMISSION TEST RESULTS
             (all results in grams per mile)
Date


in-3-73


10-4-73
HC


9.46


4.16
CO
26.39
42.44
C02
567.39
672.24
        Calculated
            Fuel
NOx       Economy*
1.64        13.8
1.73        11.5
*mi/gal

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