September 29, 2000

THE  AUTOMOTIVE LABORATORY  LIPHARDT & ASSOCIATES ANNOUNCES  THAT  MAGNEGAS^TM EXHAUST SURPASSES EPA  REQUIREMENTS  WITHOUT  CATALYTIC CONVERTER

Formal Magnegas^TM exhaust measurements have been recently conducted at the EPA Certified, Vehicle Certification Laboratory Liphardt & Associates of Long Island, New York, via the Varied Test Procedure (VTP) as per Regulation 40-CFR, Part 86, as per the official announcement reproduced in Figure 1.

The tests were conducted  on a Honda Civic Natural Gas Vehicle VIN number 1HGEN1649WL000160, produced in 1998 to operate with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), purchased new in 1999, and converted by USMagnegas, Inc., to operate on Compressed MagneGas (CMG), as shown in Figure 2.

The conversion from CNG to CMG was done via: 1) the replacement of CNG with CMG; 2) the disabling of the oxygen sensor (because magnegas has about 20 times more oxygen in the exhaust than natural gas); and 3) installing a multiple spark system (to improve combustion). The rest of the vehicle was left unchanged, including its computer.  The tests consisted of the conventional EPA routine for Regulation 40-CFR, Part 89, consisting of three separate and sequential tests conducted on a computerized dynamometer, the first and the third tests using the vehicle at its maximal possible capability to simulate an up-hill travel at 60 mph,  while the second test consists in simulating normal city driving. Three corresponding bags with the exhaust residues are collected, jointly with a fourth bag containing atmospheric contaminants. The final measurements expressed in grams/mile are given by the average of the measurements on the three EPA test bags, less the measurements of atmospheric pollutants in the fourth bag. 

The following three measurements were released by Liphardt & Associates:

1) MAGNEGAS EXHAUST MEASUREMENTS WITH CATALYTIC CONVERTER (Figure 4)

HYDROCARBONS:
0.026 gram/mile, which is 0.063 of the EPA standard of 0.41 gram/mile
CARBON MONOXIDE
0.262 grams/mile, which is 0.077 of the EPA standard of 3.40 grams/mile
NITROGEN OXIDES
0.281 gram/mile, which is 0.28 of the EPA standard of 1.00 grams/mile
CARBON DIOXIDE
235 grams/mile
there is no EPA standard on CO2 at this moment
OXYGEN
9.5% to 10%.

As one can see, magnegas exhaust implies up to a 1/15 reduction of current EPA standards.

2) MAGNEGAS EXHAUST MEASUREMENTS WITHOUT CATALYTIC CONVERTER IN THE SAME CAR AS AND UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS AS (1) (Figure 5)

HYDROCARBONS
0.199 gram/mile, which is 0.485 of the EPA standard of 0.41 gram/mile
CARBON MONOXIDE
2.750 grams/mile, which is 0.808 of the EPA standard of 3.40 grams/mile
NITROGEN OXIDES
0.642 gram/mile, which is 0.64 of the EPA standard of 1.00 grams/mile
CARBON DIOXIDE
266 grams/mile corresponding to about 6%
there is no EPA standard on CO2 at this moment
OXYGEN
9.5% to 10%.

As one can see, magnegas exhaust surpasses the EPA requirements WITHOUT the catalytic converter. As such, magnegas can be used in existing old cars without catalytic converter and meet EPOA emission standards.

3) NATURAL GAS EXHAUST MEASUREMENTS WITHOUT CATALYTIC CONVERTER IN THE SAME CAR AND UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS AS (1) (Figure 7)

HYDROCARBONS
0.380 gram/mile, which is 0.926 of the EPA standard of 0.41 gram/mile
CARBON MONOXIDE
5.494 grams/mile, which is 1.615 of the EPA standard of 3.40 grams/mile
NITROGEN OXIDES
0.732 grams/mile, which is 0.73 the EPA standard of 1.00 grams/mile
CARBON DIOXIDE
646.503 grams/mile, corresponding to about 8%-9%
OXYGEN
0.5% to 0.7%.

As one can see, natural gas exhaust without catalytic converter DOES NOT meet EPA requirements, while CO2 content is about 2.5 times that of magnegas exhaust.

As an additional comparison for the above measurements, a similar (but different) Honda car running on Indolene (a version of gasoline) was tested in the same laboratory with the same EPA procedure, resulting in the following data (Figure 7):

HYDROCARBONS
0.234 grams/mile  =  900% magnegas emission (7
CARBON MONOXIDE
1.965 grams/mile  =  750% of magnegas emission
NITROGEN OXIDES
0.247 grams/mile = 86% of magnegas emission
CARBON DIOXIDE
458.655 grams/mile = 195% of magnegas emission,

The above data establish the environmental superiority of magnegas over natural gas and gasoline. The following comments are important for an appraisal of the above results:

     1) Magnegas does not contain (heavy) HC since it is created at 7,000^o F.  Therefore, the measured HC is expected to be due to combustion of oil, either originating from magnegas compression pumps (thus contaminating the gas), or from engine oil. New tests are under way in which magnegas is filtered after compression, and all oils of fossil fuels origin are replaced with synthetic oils.

     2) Carbon monoxide is fuel for magnegas (while being a combustion product for gasoline and natural gas). Therefore, any presence of CO in the exhaust is evidence of insufficient combustion.

     3) The great majority of measurements (1) originate from the first and third parts of the test at extreme performance, because, during ordinary city traffic, magnegas exhaust is essentially pollutant free, as shown in Figure 3.

     4) Nitrogen oxides are not due, in general, to the fuel (whether magnegas or other fuel), but to the temperature of the engine, thus being an indication of the quality of its cooling system. Therefore, for each given fuel, including magnegas, NOx’s can be decreased by improving the cooling system and other means.

     5) Measurements (1) do not refer to the best possible combustion of magnegas, but only to the combustion of magnegas in a vehicle whose carburetion was developed for natural gas. Alternatively, the test was primarily intended to prove the interchangeability of magnegas with natural gas without any major automotive changes, while keeping essentially the same performance and consumption. The measurements under combustion specifically conceived for magnegas are under way, and will be released in the near future.

We should also indicate considerable research efforts under way to further reduce the CO2 content via suitable cartridges of disposable chemical sponges placed in the exhaust system.  Additional research is under way via liquefied magnegas obtained via catalytic or conventional liquefaction, which is expected to have an anomalous energy content with respect to other liquid fuels, and an expected, consequential decrease of pollutants. As a result of these efforts, the achievement of an exhaust essentially free of CO2 appears to be within technological reach.

PRELIMINARY MEASUREMENTS ON MAGNEGAS CONSUMPTION
Preliminary measurements of magnegas consumption per hour in ordinary city driving were also conducted on the same Honda running on magnegas as used for the tests reported above with the following results
TANK CAPACITY: 1,096 cf at 3,500 psi
TOTAL DURATION: 2.5 hours
CONSUMPTION: about 6.8 cf/minute

As one can see, a magnegas pressure tank of 2,000 cf at 5,000 psi would provide a range of five hours, which is amply sufficient for all commuting and travel needs. Consumption rate per mile on highway and under a better carburetion for magnegas are under way and will be reported in the web site as soon as available

Figure 1: Summary view of the measurements of MagneGas, Natural Gas, and Gasoline exhaust by the EPA certified automotive laboratory Liphardt & Associates of Long Island, New York, conducted in November 2000.

FIGURE 2: A picture of the Honda Civic Natural Gas Vehicle converted to
operate with compressed MagneGas as tested by Liphardt & Associates

FIGURE 3: An illustration of the city part of the EPA test according to Regulation 40-CFR, Part 86, conducted at the Vehicle Certification Laboratory Liphardt & Associates of Long Island, New York on a Honda Civil Natural Gas Vehicle converted to magnegas. The first three diagrams illustrate the very low combustion emission of magnegas in city driving, by keeping in mind that most of measurements (6) are due to the heavy duty, hill climbing part of the EPA test. Even though 29.7% of EPA standard, the fourth diagram on nitrogen oxides is an indication of insufficient cooling of the engine. The bottom diagram indicates the simulated speed of the car versus time, where flat tracts simulate idle portions at traffic lights. By keeping in mind: 1) the lack of (heavy) hydrocarbon in magnegas (because produced at 7,000^o F of the electric arc); 2) the expectation of no appreciable carbon dioxide in the magnegas exhaust under proper combustion (because CO is fuel for magnegas); 3) the possible further reduction of carbon dioxide via disposable sponges placed in the exhaust systems; 4) the decrease of nitrogen oxides with a more efficient engine cooling and other improvements; and 5) the positive oxygen balance of magnegas (not measured in the test because not included in current EPA regulations); the measurements depicted in this diagram indicate that the achievement of a truly clean fuel is indeed within technological reach.

FIGURE 4: Copy of the measurements of magnegas exhaust with catalytic converter

FIGURE 5: Copy of the measurements of magnegas exhaust without catalytic converter

FIGURE 6: Copy of the measurements of natural gas exhaust without catalytic converter

FIGURE 7: Copy of the measurements of gasoline (Indolene) exhaust with catalytic converter