The Daily Herald from Provo, Utah • 119

Sunday, February an, THE HERALD, Provo, Utah-Page Research on Hydrogen Powered Auto, Chief Aim of Prove fvrinn IncAihiia Jp iirwEil I Seeks fo Sove 4rea Problems A Hi Since 1966 Roger Billings has been experimenting with hydrogen powered automobiles and today he heads Energy Research Corporation, a Provo based firm that continues with his high school started project, The most recent rw Mr. Billings and his associates have had was announced last month at an energy symposium at Santa Barbara City College. It was there he demonstrated what he called "the first hydrogen fueled car with a reasonable fuel system." He explained at that tiros that what he meant by reasonable was that the system was oprationally and financially feasible for powering automobiles. But in an interview, Mr. Billings reported that more problems hive to be solved before the hydrogen powered car can take to the ctreets enmasse.

For example, the of the tank will need to be reduced. The present corporate structure represents a merger in 1S73 between Energy Research Corporation and the Kipper Corporation of Salt lake Gty. The merger provided the firm with the funds required to carry on the necessary research. The scientific nucleus of the organization rests in a partnership formed between Mr. Billings and Frank Lynch, a UCLA graduate student who has also been involved with hydrogen powered vehicles.

The research team includes Nathaniel Baker, ah associate of Mr. Lynch at UCLA, and Dr. Donald MacKay, whose 35 years of experience as an engineering researcher and educator have added maturity to the youthful staff. Dr. Angus Blackham, professor of Chemistry at BYU also participates as a part-time consultant.

Energy Research has taken on projects other than the hydrogen powered car project. For example, the research firm conducted a series of tests as a technical critique of th Environmental Protection Agency plan for reducing air pollution in Provo. The firm is also working on vrCtcl with Winnebago Motorhomes, to create a total hydrogen system for the vehicle including the main power plant, and domestic appliances on board the vehicle such as heating, electric supply, air conditioning and cooking. Mr. Billings sees the use of hydroger.

as a major answer to the critical problems of air pollution in the country. With deadlines fast approaching for raising automobile emission standards, the potentL! for the hydrogen powered car becomes apparent to most of us. For him that observation is so much history. "We cant say enough about the scientific capabilities concentrated in this community," the institute's president said. "None of these projects could be accomplished without the wealth of talent available to us.

Because they are here, we are here." Eyring Research Institute can be traced to an idea of Carlyle Harmon, now chairman of the board. He is joined on the board by Henry Eyring, Clyde Williams, Bill Gould, Merrill Bushnell, John Dahlsttom, and Knight Allen. CARLYLE HARMON RONALD G. HANSEN a ml I by JERRY M.YOUNG Herald Business Editor For Eyring Research Institute, i73 was a year of organization and initiation as the founders moved steadily from basic concepts, which brought about its formation, toward launching of the first project. According to Ronald G.

Hansen, president of ERI, the public, non-profit organization was developed as a means of focusing the technical and scientific tatent of the staff supplemented by the resources available at Brigham Young University, the University ot Utah and other such institutions, onto significant problems in regional development. Much of ERI's program depends on a working relationship between the off-campus institute and the research resources on campus. Mr. Hansen pointed out that the basics of this cooperative spirit were established prior to ERI's formal foundation in Sept. 1972.

Theory Applied The fundamental concepts of ERI might take on a more tangible form by describing the organization of the institute, Mr. Hansen explained. ERI's part in research projects are coordinated by the director of technical services. In the latter part of the year S. Reed Nixon joined the firm in that capacity.

He was soon followed by Richard J. Benson as director of Programs and support services. In the near future the institute will aiuiounce the enlistment of program managers for each of five general research areas in energy; minerals and metals; environmental sciences, socio-economic, and in new business development or miscellaneous. In turn, each program manage will coordinate several possible projects within his general classification. Energy Research For example, the program manager over energy projects will work toward initiating and then coordinating and supporting assignments in oil and oil shale research; uses of coal, including gasification of coal; nuclear research; geothermal research, and solar energy research.

One of the institute's first three major contracts deals with research in coal gasification. This involves a two year study contracted by the Office of Coal Research in the amount of over $200,000. Principal investigator for the project is Dr. Ralph Coates of BYU's Department of Chemical Engineering. For the past five years, Dr.

Coates has beer working with similar research, almost three years of which have been done on a grant from the same federal agency. The proposed continuation of the project would carry the research on an expanded scale, Dr. Coates explained. Advantages Discovered Dr. Coates has developed a process for gasifying coal which will yield a gas with a higher BTU value than can be produced by other processes.

A distinct advantage of the process is that it requires simpler, more compact equipment and therefore becomes cheaper for commercial use. But the coal research project is only one of several already begun or contemplated by ERI's management team. Mr. Hansen stated that he is also anxious to work on many types of fuels projects. For example, the institute has also submitted proposals in the area of coal mining technology.

Other Activities Mr. Hansen reported that ERI began a project Nov. 1, 1973 to develop a ballistic trajectory simulation for the Minuteman Missile. On Dec. 31, the institute also began a study funded by the Department of Transportation dealing with investigating a hydraulically activated safety barrier.

In the next few months, ERI looks forward to beginning another study which will involve 'a detailed analysis of air pollution along the Wasatch Front. This region is one of six designated for detailed work in measuring particular sizes and distribution and in correlating those factors with health information, Mr. Hansen explained. i ff's tig 'i ''I'liir" i if i A Wkifi H'fJiT! nrf i .1.1 mil ill IH.ILIJ, A II. lb 11 4 70 STORES AND MORE TO COME Labeling Ignored LOSANGELES(UPI)-Most shoppers pay little or no attention to nutritional labeling, 'unit pricing, date coding and similar newly required data on grocery packages, a new survey by the University of Southern California Business School indicates.

The study indicated only 37 per cent of the shoppers made use of the data. Orem.