Nexus - 0304 - New Times Magazine-pages

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NEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCE Angeles, the CARB people refused to come out to my car to look at the nozzle. They told me they had no pollution prob- lem in the air and I was to go away. I drove on up to Vancouver and put the two prototype nozzles on a ship to come back to Australia with me. Professor Jackson at Monash University in Melbourne first took an interest in them as I tried the round one on black liquor after work at APPM Research in Fairfield, Melbourne. I was astonished to discover that the hotter I achieved with the black liquor and the air flow, the worse the con- version became. Jackson watched the spray recombining to a liquid column in a sink at Monash University, but before we could try the next day for lowering pres- sure and temperature in coal-to-oil and gas-to-synfuel, a hare-brained idiot on Professor Potter's staff (the head of Chemical Engineering) unhooked the lines. He carried the nozzle out to my car and told me to go away. He said he could see up to six possible applications for the nozzle and he would steal the technology. Later I met Potter, who was very insulting and told me to do a six-year course in Chemical Engineering to get a Ph.D. before I came back. The federal government in Canberra did hot want to give a grant to look at sonics converting chemicals, as a professor at ANU had told them all that sonics never converted any chemicals. Scientific American and US Chemical Engineering finally came out with long articles on sonics converting chemicals, pitched sonic scream could be changed had to use just water. I watched while Angeles, the CARB people refused to with vernier screws and without streaking. there was an official EPA-designated cold- come out to my car to look at the nozzle. It was successful in spray-coating of heavy start and hot-start test-run with my device | They told me they had no pollution prob- board at 3,000 feet per minute. But the attached to the exhaust tailpipe, and 1 dis- lem in the air and I was to go away. I contract for a coloured newspaper for mid- cussed with Ethyl chemists and engineers drove on up to Vancouver and put the two day New York was cancelled, so the valu- what sort of gas conversion we might _ prototype nozzles on a ship to come back able prototype was ordered sold as brass expect. I saw the samples carried up to _ to Australia with me. scrap metal. their laboratory for analytical testing. Professor Jackson at Monash University I thought to try putting waste pulp mill I was astonished when, back in in Melbourne first took an interest in them chip-cooking black liquor through it, and Montreal, the Ethyl people wrote to the as I tried the round one on black liquor the pulping research chemists were incred- | EPA and me, denying that they had even _ after work at APPM Research in Fairfield, ulous when it showed instant chemical looked for a change in the gas composi- Melbourne. I was astonished to discover conversion, as this process usually takes tion! We were given particulate trapping that the hotter I achieved with the black up to 12 hours for the same result. Seen as of 50% total and lead-trapping of 33%. liquor and the air flow, the worse the con- 20 years away, there was still no interest, Just imagine what would happen if my version became. Jackson watched the but I did receive permission to have a system had been developed fully and spray recombining to a liquid column in a round inward-firing version that again _ today's lead-petrol cars all had a third of sink at Monash University, but before we astonished the chemists as it recombined _ the lead caught and half the total particu- could try the next day for lowering pres- the atomised spray straight back to a lig- lates caught (which I believe would have sure and temperature in coal-to-oil and uid column. But again, with no interest,I1 meant the PMIO ultra-small particulates gas-to-synfuel, a hare-brained idiot on was able to get a written release on the two that New Scientist magazine of England Professor Potter's staff (the head of very valuable prototypes, to proceed on has recently so thoroughly written up as Chemical Engineering) unhooked the my own at my own expense. suspected by the EPA as causing asthma, lines. He carried the nozzle out to my car At this point the American EPA Auto most noticeably in children). But this is and told me to go away. He said he could Emission Control people in Washington, not the whole story, as the heat of the see up to six possible applications for the DC and at Ypsilanti took an interest, as my exhaust gas would be expected to boil nozzle and he would steal the technology. device ran off just 4 psi of a four-stage | away the chemical being recycled. Later I met Potter, who was very insulting Lamson blower with 4 psi liquid pressure Shortly after this, the Californian Air and told me to do a six-year course in to match—so it could run off the 9 psito Resources Board (CARB) Haagen-Smit Chemical Engineering to get a Ph.D. 14 psi back-pressure in a car exhaust pipe, catalytic converter dry-system was accept- _ before I came back. plus the round version could muffle the ed by the EPA, and all work on chemical The federal government in Canberra did noise. liquid scrubbing of car and truck exhaust not want to give a grant to look at sonics This was the 1970-71 period in America, stopped for good. For the next seven years converting chemicals, as a professor at before the catalytic converter was accepted I drove about 8,000 miles around America ANU had told them all that sonics never by the EPA for 1975 Detroit production- trying to get interest started again, as converted any chemicals. runs on cars. The EPA was responsible for everyone knew that the catalytic converter Scientific American and US Chemical much of the chemical liquid scrubbing of made 6% to 15% more carbon dioxide Engineering finally came out with long particulates and chemicals from flue gas than a car without one on. Even in Los articles on sonics converting chemicals, pipes in factories and such, but until my device came along there appeared to be no ~ = way possible to make a system small AT ae il i — | — — enough to fit in a car exhaust pipe. &, G42 I had already proved that very high vol- RUN Als ia alan ff, umes of low-pressure liquid and gas could : pass through the slots of the sonic nozzles, VINE plus multi-slot versions could be built for —— much larger diese] engines in ships, rail < locomotives and such. At this time, the leader in the technolo- gy—with their corporate patent filed on the special non-freeze chemical required for the car exhaust scrubbing—was Dow Chemical of Michigan. I selected Ethyl Corp. Research Lab in Detroit to do my trial on a Plymouth V8, from the list the EPA sent me. When I arrived at Ethyl in Detroit for the trial, the special chemical that was sup- posed to be recycled through my device had not arrived from Dow Chemical. We had to use just water. I watched while there was an official EPA-designated cold- start and hot-start test-run with my device attached to the exhaust tailpipe, and I dis- cussed with Ethyl chemists and engineers what sort of gas conversion we might expect. I saw the samples carried up to their laboratory for analytical testing. I was astonished when, back in Montreal, the Ethyl people wrote to the EPA and me, denying that they had even looked for a change in the gas composi- tion! We were given particulate trapping of 50% total and lead-trapping of 33%. Just imagine what would happen if my system had been developed fully and today's lead-petro] cars all had a third of the lead caught and half the total particu- lates caught (which I believe would have meant the PMIO ultra-small particulates that New Scientist magazine of England has recently so thoroughly written up as suspected by the EPA as causing asthma, most noticeably in children). But this is not the whole story, as the heat of the exhaust gas would be expected to boil away the chemical being recycled. Shortly after this, the Californian Air Resources Board (CARB) Haagen-Smit catalytic converter dry-system was accept- ed by the EPA, and all work on chemical liquid scrubbing of car and truck exhaust stopped for good. For the next seven years I drove about 8,000 miles around America trying to get interest started again, as everyone knew that the catalytic converter made 6% to 15% more carbon dioxide than a car without one on. Even in Los on yas E = ad Hes A See hk NEXUS ¢ 45 JUNE-JULY 1996