75-2 AWK
An Evaluation of the Lamkin Device
July 1974
Technology Assessment and Evaluation Branch
Emission Control Technology Division
Office of Mobile Source Air Pollution Control
Environmental Protection Agency
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Background
Mr. Cliff Lamkin contacted the Emission Control Technology
Division concerning an invention of his which allegedly
reduced exhaust emissions and improved fuel economy. He
supplied data from an independent laboratory on tests
conducted with and without the device installed on a motor
vehicle which indicated a marked reduction in emissions
with the device installed. He was invited to our laboratory
for confirmatory testing during the week of April 22, 1974.
Device Description
Mr. Lamkin*s invention was a modification to the stdck
carburetor using an unconventional fuel metering system.
Test Program
A series of three tests was performed utilizing the 1975
Federal Test Procedure (FTP); two tests without the device
at different idle CO settings, and one with the device
installed. The vehicle was a 1968 Dodge Charger with a
383 CID, V-8 engine tested at 4000# inertia weight. For
the first test the ignition timing and idle speed were
set at manufacturer's specifications and the idle mixture CO
was adjusted to a "best idle" setting of 4.4% per Mr. Lamkin's
recommendation. For the second test the idle CO was reduced
to .2%. For the third test the 'idle CO was raised again to
4.4% and the device was installed.
Test Results
The results are presented in the Appendix of this report
along with calculated fuel economy. These results are
summarized below.
Summary of Test Results
% Improvement from 4.4% Idle CO Baseline
-.2% Idle CO Baseline Hc 20%
CO 80%
NOx -7%
Fuel economy 9%
Lamkin Device HC 19%
CO 50%
NOx -19%
Fuel economy 2%
Note: A negative sign indicates higher emissions.
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Conclusions
The Lamkin device did not improve emissions or fuel economy
as much as reducing the idle GO did. Mr. Lamkin indicated
that he had not tried his device on a newer/ leaner-running car.
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APPENDIX
TABLE I
Evaluation of the Lamkin Device
1975 Federal Test Procedure
Mass emissions = grams per kilometer
Fuel consumption = liters per one hundred kilometers
1968 Dodge Charger, 383 CID
Metric Units
Baseline Fuel
w/o device. HC CO CC>2 Npx Consumption
idle CO @
4.4% 2.70 37.8 333.1 2.34 17.2
Baseline
w/o device
idle CO @ ;
.2% 2.14 7.38 347.8 2.50 15.8
Lamkin device,
idle CO @ .
4.4% 2.19 19.0 361.7 2.79 16.8
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TABLE II
Evaluation of the Lamkin Device
1975 Federal Test Procedure
Mass emissions = grains per mile
Fuel economy = miles per gallon
1968 Dodge Charger* 383 CID
English Units -
Baseline
w/o device HC
Idle CO @
4.4% 4.35
Baseline
w/o device
Idle CO @
.2% 3.46
Lamkin device,
Idle CO @
4.4% 3.54
CO C02 NOx
61.0 537.3 3.77
11.9 561.0 4.04
30.6 583.4 4.50
Fuel
Economy
13.7
14.9
14.0
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