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# OAR Box 1830 Prepped byOllie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 167 ) IV-C-134 Docket Number: 

# A-87-1 1

Printed 11/13/2008 7:21:00 AM Sheet 167 of 232* , ^!> * •SW* 78 —P. 2

UNITE D STATE S ENVIRONMENTA LPROTECTIO N AGENC Y I A\l/X . . » AN N ARBOR . MICHIGA N 4810 5

OFFIC E O F CT O O Q inO Q AI R AN D RADIATIO N

Mr . Donal dBuist , Directo r Automotiv e Emission s & Fue l Econom yOffic e For dMoto r Compan y Th e America nRoa d Dearborn , M I 4812 1 Dea r Mr . Buist : Than k yo u fo r th e briefin g whic hyo u an d you r staf f presente dt o Dic k Wilson , mysel f and othe r EP Astaf f o n Septembe r 26 , 198 8 concernin g th e statu s o f Ford' s evaluatio n o f th e simplifie donboar dcontro l concep t use di n th e EP A demonstratio nhardware . Thi s lette r i s intende dt o summariz e som e o f th e majo r conclusion s fro myou r presentatio nan d associate ddiscussion s a s w e understoo dthem . I hav e als o summarize dwha t w e believ e t o be . th e followu p item s agree dt o a t th e conclusio no f you r presentation . W e appreciat e th e amoun t o f effor t whic hFor dha s investe d i nit s investigation s o f thi s hardwar e concept . A t th e sam e time , a s w e discusse ddurin g you r presentation , ther e appea r t o b e som e ke yarea s whic hhav e no t ye t bee ndeal t wit hi n developin g a wel l performin g system . Thi s wa s clearl yeviden t i nyou r evaluatio no f overal l fil l qualit yfo r th e syste mwhic h Fordha s developed . Yo u indicate dtha t th e syste mwhic hyo u installe do n a For dTauru s could , no t fil l successfull ya t dispensin g rate s abov e 7 gal/mi nand tha t th e F-25 0 light-dut y truc k coul d d o s o onl yafte r th e fil l pip e wa s raise dsom e fiv e inches . Yo u als o identifie dlarg e number s o f prematur e shutoff s a s a problem . Neithe r o f thes e tw o problem s ar e presen t o n ou r hardware , althoug hw e ha d t o dea l wit hbot ho f themi n th e cours e o f ou r developmen t program . Fro myou r presentatio nw e identifie dtw o area s whic hyo u hadno t evaluate dand whic hma yb e responsibl e fo r thes e problems . First , you r vapo r handlin g hardwar e downstrea mfro m the fue l tan k i s causin g excessiv e backpressur e i n th e tan k durin g refueling . Th e caniste r appeare dt o b e th e mos t likel y caus e and yo u agree dt o som e followu p wor k i n thi s area . Base d o nou r experience , th e pressure s yo u ar e usin g ar e simpl yto o hight o allo wsatisfactor yfil l performance , an d i t wa s a surpris e t o u s tha t yo u ha d no t alread ytake nstep s t o lowe r you r operatin g backpressure . Raisin g th e fillpipe , usin g >.tw o ven t valves , o r lowerin g th e dispensin g flo wTNt r.ate^0-a'tl * no t appropriat e solution s t o thi s problem . b^L^-'.P. 3

Th e second proble mw e identifie d wa s th e fac t tha t yo u ha d no t mad e an

ymodification s t o th e anti-spitbac k bal l valve . Ou r ow n experienc e wit hthi s valve , a s describe d i n ou r presentation s o n ou r hardware , wa s tha t th e specifi c gravit yo f the bal l ha d t o b e increase d somewha t i n orde r t o preven t freguen t prematur e shutoffs . However , For d ha s use d th e valv e wit hno modification s an d n o investigatio n o f th e effec t o f thi s valv e o n fil l quality . Yo u als o agree d t o followu p wor k o n thi s component . Th e abov e deficiencie s i n the For d desig n o f a simplifie d systemnee d t o b e correcte d befor e a meaningfu l evaluatio n ca n b e completed . Prio r t o that , you r conclusion s abou t th e performanc e o f suc hsystem s o n For d product s ar e premature . W e knowo f n o uniqu e characteristi c o f For d vehicles , no r di d yo u identif yany , whic hwoul d imped e th e us e o f th e basi c simpl e system concep t o n you r vehicles . I n fact , a t leas t fo r you r F-25 0 light-dut ytruck , implementatio n shoul d b e eve n simple r tha n o n the Genera l Motor s vehicl e whic hw e use d becaus e o f th e relativel ystraigh t fil l pip e configuratio n o f th e stoc k system . Anothe r importan t aspec t o f you r presentatio n wa s a vide o tap e o f th e rollove r testing , whic hyo u performe d o n th e enlarge d ven t valve . Thi s tap e showe d tha t th e hand modifie d valv e whic hyo u use d di d no t sea l properl ydurin g rollover , and yo u indicate d you r belie f tha t obtainin g satisfactor yand reliabl e rollove r protectio n fo r an enlarge d valv e wa s a seriou s problem . W e d o no t believ e thi s t o be th e case . I t wa s no t a t al l surprisin g tha t th e modifie d valv e di d no t sea l wel l durin g rollove r tests . Th e valv e wa s han d modifie d an

d no t manufacture d wit hth e precisio n neede d fo r tigh t sealing . I t had no t bee n intende d t o pas s a rollove r test , sinc e th e valv e manufacture r had assure d u s tha t thi s requiremen t wa s eas yt o satisf ywit hproduction-typ e hardware . Yo u indicate d some contac t wit hth e valv e supplier , wherei n theyindicate d t o yo u tha t eve n our recentl yprocure d prototyp e two-stag e ven t valv e migh t no t pas s rollove r testing . W e hav e sinc e reviewe d thi s matte r wit hthem , an d the yhav e assure d u s tha t rollove r protectio n wa s no t difficult , and tha t th e ne w valv e whic hw e procure d wa s i n fac t teste d extensivel yfo r rollove r functio n befor e being supplie d t o us . I n attemptin g t o explai n ho wyo u mayhav e gotte n an incorrec t impression , th e valv e supplie r indicate d tha t i t ma yhav e arise n fro mhi s comment s tha t a productio n syste mwoul d likel yperfor mbette r than th e prototyp e becaus e productio n system s woul d hav e smoothe r wal l surface s an d coul d hav e a floa t designe d fo r greate r closin g powe r tha n th e prototype . Th e valv e supplie r als o indicate d tha t th e prototyp e valv e whic hw e procure d wa s evaluate d fo r it s abilit yt o preven t th eP. 4 -< ' • . * escap e o f liqui d fro mthe tan

k during sloshing du e t o suc h thing s a s shar

p cornering , sudde n stops , etc . Ther e wer e n o condition s identified during whic hth e valv e passe d liqui d fue l (other than entraine d fin e droplets ) ou t o f the tank . Thus , anothe r o f th e concern s yo u raise d appear s t o b e resolved . Your briefing containe d a substantia l amoun t o f bot h modelin g an d tes t dat a relate d t o vapo r generatio n rate s an d th e performanc e o f your curren t evaporative controls . Th e modelin g result s wer e quit e interesting , howeve r w e ende d wit h a numbe r o f unanswere d question s whic hyo u agreed t o dea l wit h i n a futur e meeting . I t appear s fro myour presentatio n that , a t 9 RVP , th e differenc e i n vapo r generatio n betwee n th e stoc k Tauru s tan

k an d the simplifie d refueling syste mi s les s than 1 0 percent . Fromyour tes t dat a w e not e the fac t tha t th e stoc k evaporative " contro l syste mon th e Tauru s vehicl e wa s abl e t o nearl ypas s the doubl e hightemperatur e diurna l requiremen t o f ou r newdraf t regulations , an d tha t yo u believe d tha t onl ya smal l increas e in caniste r siz e woul d b e require d t o satisf y ou r proposal . Yo u agreed tha t the vapo r storag e capacit y required t o handl e refueling emission s wa s verysimilar , an d therefor e tha t improved evaporative systems an d refueling contro l systems woul d requir e simila r caniste r sizes . Yo u als o agreed that , in orde r t o handl e possibl e extreme running los s condition s an

d no t ven t t o atmospher e (even wit h9 RVP fuel) , the tan

k ven t valv e capacit yfor eithe r evaporativ e or refuelin

g control s woul d hav e t o b e similar . Finally , w e had discussion s abou t your conclusion s a s t o the component s required t o contro l eithe r refueling o r onl y eva p an d runnin

g losses . W e di d no t believ e tha t you r conclusion s wer e adequatel yjustified . Difference s betwee n your position an

d our s wer e no t full yresolved , however . Muc h o f thi s wa s du e t o your view s on th e workabilit yo f th e simpl e refuelin

g contro l system . Thus , resolution o f thes e question s mus t wai t unti l yo u hav e complete d your followu p hardwar e work . Than k yo u agai n fo r your presentation , w e foun d i t constructive . W e look forward t o a n earl yfollowu

p meeting about your modeling an d t o continuing interaction o n th e othe r point s reviewed above . I f yo u hav e an yquestion s o n an yo f thes e areas , pleas e fee l fre e t o contac t me abou t them . Sincerel yyours ,
Charle s L . Gray,ytfr . Directo r • / Emissio n Contro l Technolog yDivisio n cc : A-87-1 1 A-85-2 1 6421 W