At Blumenthal Cos., a 59-year-old Oklahoma City company that remanufactures engines, a tested converter that boosts fuel savings came about almost by accident as the company grappled with extending the transmission lifespan on fleet trucks used by some of its customers.
Robert Yarbrough, senior general manager of Blumenthal's engines and automatics division, and employee Richard Walker were the chief designers who collaborated on the idea three years ago for a converter that would keep heavy-duty truck running longer.
"At UPS, they were burning up transmissions at 40,000 miles, and the first converter we designed prolonged that to 120,000 miles,” Yarbrough said.
Test results show big savings
From that initial discovery of fuel savings for big, half-ton trucks, next came designs that also would improve the performance of smaller, everyday vehicles.
The company acquired a patent for its power lock converter system a year ago and since then has put it through tests on different cars and trucks to gauge actual savings. What they found was an increase in mileage from 24 percent to 59 percent depending on a vehicle's make and model.
The company invested $30,000 for the converter's patent and almost $275,000 just for converters for Ford engines. Its research determines that, so far, the converter can be installed in General Motors vehicles, Ford and Chrysler sport utility vehicles and rear-wheel drive cars, and Dodge diesel trucks.
At $695 installed, the converter's price "will pay for itself within six months in fuel savings,” Yarbrough said.
http://newsok.com/fuel-saving-converters-results-drive-optimism/article/3301885/?tm=1222220643
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
