Page 4 Alternatives tor Fuel Considered Faced with dry oil wells in most of the world after the year 2000, alternatives are being considered ranging from coal, alcohol, and hydrogen. Ross Eskelson, chairman of WSC Automotive Engineering Technology explores a few of these alternatives. “Coal, more abundant than oil, could be used to produce liquid fuels, through chemistry. As yet these processes are relatively inefficient and costly.” Alcohol is a possibility for fuel use, Mr. Eskelson said, but it is slightly more expensive to produce than gasoline and the heat energy derived from it is only slightly better than half as much as gasoline. Miles per gallon of fuel would be greatly decreased using alcohol. “It is possible to use some blend of alcohol and gasoline to extend the time we run out of oil, however, alcohol does produce some other undesirable characteristics in engines such as poor starting and carburetor icing (tendency to form ice in the throat of a carburetor during periods of high humidity). Mr. Eskelson cited another approach that shows some potential, the engine that uses hydrogen as a fuel. Preeminent in research in this field is the work being done by the Billings Energy Corporation, Provo, Utah. Mr. Billings has several cars successfully operating using hydrogen as a fuel and there are hydrogen-fueled buses operating on an experimental basis in the Provo, Orem area and Riverside, Calif. “Hydrogen is expensive now, but the potential for production in quantities is such that it could become competitive in price with gasoline. The main problem in using hydrogen as a fuel has been the explosive nature of the gas which complicates handling,’ said Mr. Eskelson. Billings has been successful in reducing this danger to a practical level by storing the hydrogen in tanks which contain a metal hydride. “The hydrogen, in effect, is absorbed by a spongy metal which is an iron titamium alloy. When the hydrogen is stored under these conditions it is as safe, if not safer, than gasoline fuels,’’ he said. “Blectric cars have some potential, particularly in urban areas, but for the near future the cost of the battery system is high, the operating range of the electric vehicle is quite limited, and the time for recharging is excessive. A battery to power an average sized pickup truck would weigh approximately 1,000 pounds and have a relatively short range of 60 to 100 miles. ‘When the production of cheap electricity has come about through fusion or other advanced technological processes and when battery technology is drastically improved the electrically driven Economic Outlook (continued from page 3) Housing was expected to be the brightest star in the economic show for 1977. Predictions called for a total of about 1.8 million housing starts this year, a 20 percent increase from the units completed in 1976, and the fourth highest number in the past two decades. Even with stable financing and slightly declining mortgage rates, these estimates appear to be overstated. Housing starts in January dipped sharply from the December peak and this trend continued through February. One reason for this decline is the fact that buyers are facing inflated prices. Building material costs are expected to rise 10 percent during the balance of this year and buyer costs will more than likely increase by a greater amount reflecting size and amenity increases. During 1977, the nation’s credit markets will reflect economic events as they unfold. Large deficit spending by the Federal Government may be expected to increase the demand for loanable funds. The extent to which this increase will be offset by declines in the borrowing of the private sector will depend on the strength of the economy and the upward pressure placed upon interest rates. With regard to the supply of funds, Federal Reserve Chairman Burns has an- nounced long run money supply growth targets that should adequately generate the volume of credit needed to keep interest rates at their present levels for the balance of 1977. Other variables affecting interest rates such as inflationary expections and the general uncertainty of both borrowers and lenders, however, will add upward pressures on these rates. Insummary, as 1977 begins the U.S. economy seems poised for a renewal of vigorous growth. However, the prospects for the coming year suggest a higher than usual degree of uncertainty. Unemployment should decline, but by an amount insufficient to substantially reduce the present high number of idle workers. Strong pressures to stimulate the economy to alleviate this situation will bring about the resumption of price increases. These forces plus the effects of the drought in much of the nation and the effects of a harsh winter in the East should combine to raise consumer prices to levels in excess of last year but below the double digit rate of 1974. The pressing task of public policy for this year will be the choice of measures to promote growth without significantly increasing inflation. Our bets have been placed, we must now wait for the race to be run. Ross Eskelson tells how to get the most for your fuel dollar. vehicle could become the ultimate answer for individual transportation similar to the automobile,” said Mr. Eskelson. Best estimates by experts in the field indicate the internal combustion engine, using gasoline, will still be the main method of powering automobiles for the next ten years and probably for the next 20 years, he said. Mr. Eskelson discusses three pertinent factors on conservation since “‘best predictions indicate we will have to live with problems of high cost and shortages for some time.”’ 1) The difference between a poorly tuned automobile and a_ properly tuned automobile is a 10 to 15 percent savings in fuel consumption. This may not sound like much but considering the United States has approximately 80 million cars operating, with a predicted new car sales of 14 million per year, by 1985 the savings can be considerable. 2) Reduction of the weight of the automobile is the main thing that will effect conservation of fuel. Changes in law, undesirable as they may be, will probably be necessary as consumers still seem to prefer the large automobile as indicated by the increase in sales of full sized automobiles the past year. The miles per gallon a car will get is nearly directly proportional to the weight of the automobile. There are other items such as wind resistance but the main factor is weight. The explanation of why a Honda can advertise 50 miles per gallon is not because the Japanese hold a monopoly on creative design but because the Honda weighs about 1800 — | 7 pounds as compared with 4500 pounds | for a full sized American built car. This is not meant to imply that the Honda engines are not beautiful pieces of design, however, the stratified charge engine or controlled @ vortex combustion chamber areli relatively old ideas and work best in f engines of small displacement such as the Honda. 1 About ten years from now thea average car will be about the size of thi the “‘Honda Accord” and will have a small transverse engine with a front- Fai wheel drive. Transverse engines are located cross-wise in the car and Ca essentially over the front wheels. This f particular engine arrangement seems f to give the most usable space inside f the car for the least weight smallest outside dimensions. andi v 3) A word about the published fuel J consumption figures which are on the Bhi car sticker as required by the environmental control agency. These se figures are an estimate based on{ some experiments run under ideal® conditions and regardless of what the) salesman tells you the only way a car fe will achieve these figures is under the n same ideal conditions or in a “‘free) fall.”’ € Downgrade the mileage estimates w to about published 75 to 80 percent of figures for a closer proximation of the cars sumption under conditions. average fuel the? ap-& con-? driving