Better Gas Mileage

Although the price of crude oil in the world market has eased somewhat, there is still the specter of the world economic slowdown to be concerned about. One of the biggest costs a household has is gas, and in these uncertain times people are clamoring for more gas mileage, asking car makes for better fuel economy, and anything that can be a gas saver.

The good news for those who cannot wait for the car manufacturers is that there are a lot of options available out there. There are many new developments in the area of bio fuels. There is now home made bio diesel, and home bio diesel conversions kits. But for those not keen on manufacturing their own fuel, there are other options such as Hydro Assist Fuel Cells, and one other promising system called Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter (PICC) technology.

This technology is in the early stages of development. But even at this early stage it is already showing its promise - up to five times gas mileage increase.

In truth, every car has a Catalytic Converter, so the technology is not new. Catalytic converters are installed in the car’s emission system, right there in the exhaust pipe. It is used for breaking down the large gas molecules that were left un-burnt in your engine into smaller particles that can be incinerated before being released into the air.

The PICC uses this system in reverse - instead of breaking down the gas for easier burning after it goes through the engine, PICC turns your fuel into a gas form, breaks down the fuel into smaller particles and THEN sends it to the engine. That means there is more burn happening in the engine using far less fuel. That is, theoretically, how the PICC will work.

How can fuel savings be achieved, and how much?

PICC is seen by researchers to compliment modern fuel injection technology introduced by car manufacturers. Fuel injectors control the entry of just the right amount of fuel into the combustion engine improving a car’s fuel consumption. Adding the PICC system means less fuel is needed to output generate the same amount of power from the engine.

In one PICC scientific test, a 318 V-8 Chrysler engine (a known gas guzzler) was put to the test on a brand new dynamometer the same as Detroit manufacturers use. It was run at 3,000rpms under a 50% load for an hour. Pre PICC modification, the engine ate up 18 pounds of fuel. Converted this approximates to 22 mpg. The second run was conducted with the PICC on, and the same test was run under the exact same conditions. Posttest checks confirmed the engine used only 2 pounds of fuel, a 9-fold increase for a 200 m per gallon mileage.

PICC is almost ready, but even in the development and testing stages, it is beginning to create a buzz in the car community. When it is finally perfected, it would mean more savings for consumers.

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