Carbon Build Up 2011Apr26

7/27/2019 Carbon Build Up 2011Apr26

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TABLE of CONTENTS

Introduction 3

Carbon Bui ld-up 4

The Technical Side 6

The Chemistry 8

The Physics 10

Other Components Affected by Carbon Deposits 11

Dr iving Conditions 13

Oil-based Carbon Build-up 14

The Ef fects of Carbon Build-up on Performance 15

Carbon Deposit Treatments and Remedies 17

A Revolutionary New Method 20

The Process 21

The Resul ts 22

The Evidence 22

Dynamometer Results 30

Conclusion 34


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Introduction

The purpose of this report is to present comprehensive information to automotivejournalists. Epoch, along with its local partners wish to invite you to witness productdemonstrations, perform tests using the cars of your choosing, includingdynamometer and mile speed and time tests both before and after our carboncleaning procedure. Information regarding the causes of carbon deposit build-up,effects on engine components and performance, available remedies and benefits areincluded. We hope this report proves useful and interesting, and will warrant yourvisit to see and evaluate the benefits of our innovative technology.

In a nutshell, Epoch has created a Carbon Cleaning System that uses ordinary softwater, which is electrolyzed into a mixed oxygen-hydrogen gas. Our system makesthis gas on demand, so there are no issues regarding the storage of oxygen orhydrogen gases.

Traditional methods for carbon cleaning are well known. Expensive mechanicalremoval is perhaps the costliest, time consuming and least popular method in usetoday.

The most popular method is using fuel additives, which are advertised as beingeffective in eliminating carbon deposits while you drive. While I will not go into the

possible health and environmental issues related to the handling and use of thesechemical additives, in general, they must be used regularly to be effective and do not

prove able to remove the hard carbon that comes from long-term build up. One verycommon main ingredient in these types of products, including the ones used by new

car dealerships, is formaldehyde, the same controversial chemical that is used forembalming.

More recently, a number of chemical-based carbon cleaning systems have beengaining momentum in the market. While they do seem to be more effective than thefuel additive method, the procedure is quite costly; up to $200 each time.

Epochs Carbon Cleaning System uses no chemicals. Oxy-hydrogen gas producesabsolutely no pollution when burned, making it the most environment-friendly fuelknown to man. The entire procedure takes less than one hour, including setup,cleaning and finishing. In fact, it is easy. Simply connect the output hose from our

system to either a vacuum port or the air intake of an engine. With the engine runningat normal operating temperature, simply turn on our system and wait forty minutes.Then remove our output hose and replace the vacuum line if needed.

The rest of this report includes a lot of information about the effects of carbon buildup, and the benefits of using our system. In our own testing, we have seen significantimprovements in horsepower and torque, with engines running smoother and morefuel efficient, with the added bonus of improving tailpipe emissions. The othernotable advantage is that it is really quite affordable. We estimate that the end-user feefor this procedure will be between 25 and 50% less expensive than the $200 method,and the positive effect lasts for at least 6 months in a normal personal use car. If youwant to skip all the boring details, please go to page 20 for information and results.


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Carbon Bui ld-Up

Carbon is a natural byproduct of the combustion process of fossil fuels,which is vented through a vehicles exhaust system. As such, it is normal

for a thin layer of carbon to cover engine parts and exhaust componentsthat come into contact with the combustion process. With the introductionof unleaded fuel back in the 1970s, carbon deposits were greatly reduced.

However, more recent changes in regulations of fuels additives have ledto increases of carbon deposit build-up once again. Normally, carbondeposits do not present a noticeable problem to drivers until they becomeexcessive. But the effects of carbon build-up are present in almost allvehicles on the road today.

The introduction of contaminants into the combustion process such as oil,poor fuel quality or overly rich fuel mixtures, as well as poor drivinghabits or driving in such conditions as inner-city and stop-and-go trafficcan cause more rapid carbon build-up that will become excessive andreduce engine performance; ultimately requiring costly service or repairsif left unchecked.

Many automotive technicians and enthusiasts are well aware that severecombustion chamber carbon buildup can create significant drivabilityissues with todays engines. Demands for more powerful and fuelefficient engines have resulted in a complex system of sensors, enginemanagement computers, emissions components and highly refinedinternal geometries, all built to much tighter specifications than in the

past.

The good news is that drivers enjoy a better ride. The bad news is thatonboard control systems often mask the onset of problems until they

become more pronounced, and therefore more serious.

It's all too rare, however, for the automotive service industry and driversalike to focus on the fact that carbon buildup and slowly deteriorating

performance is a gradual (and mostly unnoticed) process that not onlyaffects engine performance but fuel economy and emissions as well.

Combining the reality of today's high fuel cost with a focus on loweringemissions, increasing engine efficiency and life span, engine de-carbonization services offer a genuine benefit to consumers and a great

opportunity for preventive maintenance (PM) business.


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The ever-increasing price of fuel in recent years has become a veryemotional hot topic. Creating an environment-friendly and affordablesolution that can save real dollars every time drivers pull up to a gas

pump andreduce engine emissions is truly a win-win proposition for all.

Putting carbon cleaning services on the top of preventative maintenanceservice schedules will make real bottom line sense to both service centersand customers.

Engine carbon deposits have a measurable effect on performance,emissions and fuel economy. Routine carbon cleaning has been shown to

prevent these problems, and remedial cleaning removes more severedeposits that have already formed.

The methods vary, as do the results.

However, Epoch Energy Technology Corp has developed a trulyinnovative method that is most effective, environment friendly, non-invasive, simple, fast and affordable.

Epochs method also requires no messy clean up, since the entire processis done via a vacuum hose to the engines intake manifold or through theair intake. More about this remarkable creation can be found later in thisarticle.


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The Technical Side

Optimum cylinder combustion depends on the correct air/fuel ratio forengine operating conditions. With a stoichiometric 14.7 parts air to 1 part

fuel (the exact proportions required for an optimum reaction to occur),where the fuel is the most variable and critical factor of the ratio. Fuel ismost commonly supplied to the cylinders by fuel injectors, with somevehicles using throttle bodies or carburetors on older engines. It is notonly required to deliver a specific and precise amount of fuel to eachcylinder, but the fuel must also be in a well atomized form. This is whyfuel injectors have become the delivery method of choice, since it is muchmore precise than other means. To maintain optimum combustionefficiency, the injectors must be operating very close to OE design

specifications, and hard or active carbon deposits within the combustionchamber must be at a minimal level.

Fuel injectors are designed to operate through several billion cyclesduring their useful life. Even if a customer drives only 10,000 miles peryear, each injector on the engine will need to pulse approximately 15million times. That's a fantastic amount of use for any mechanical device.Despite this incredible load, most injector designs rarely fail due tomechanical or electrical faults. The most common problem relating toinjectors is restriction. Even slight restrictions will interfere with both the

injector's atomization quality and the fuel volume it's able to deliver at agiven engine load and rpm. This will cause carbon deposits to build upmore quickly.

Given time, contaminant build-up in fuel tanks, fuel lines or the fuel rail,or even in the fuel itself, will always restrict injector flow; that's a fact oflife. Foreign particles such as rust will also accumulate within the injectorfilter or fuel filters to effectively reduce fuel flow. Extremely small rust

particles may even pass through the tiny injector filter itself, causing

altered spray patterns as well as reduced injector volume; they may evenprevent the injector pintles from seating properly.

Whether a pintle is sticking on or off its seat, over-fueling of cylinderswill always occur. If an injector's pintle is off its seat, not only will thecorresponding cylinder be flooded with fuel, but also the PCM (via O2sensor feedback) will reduce fueling to other cylinders, causing a lack of

performance (and a reduction in fuel economy), and creating the potentialfor engine, piston or ring damage. On the other hand, if a stuck pintle

never opens, that cylinder will receive no fuel at all and the PCM will tryto correct a lean bank issue by over-fueling the rest of the cylinders on


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that O2 sensor bank. These scenarios are common on vehicles whose fuelsystems have not been regularly maintained. Injectors need to be veryclean for optimum system performance and fuel economy.

Although a PCM (in closed loop) can alter injector flow by reducinginjector pulse width, it cannot control a single faulty individual injector.Just one inefficient injector will affect the overall performance and fuelefficiency of an engine. Aside from issues relating to fuel quality, theenvironmental heat injectors are subject to will invariably cause internalas well as injector tip clogging. Every day, unburned fuel additives adhereto injector pintles and orifices and will eventually alter injector flowvolume and fuel spray patterns. After an engine is stopped, the injectortips become a heat sink and will bake residual fuel and/or fuel additivesonto the nozzle tips. Eventually, this will cause such symptoms as lack ofengine performance, leaking injectors and damage to other componentssuch as O2 sensors and catalytic converters when multiple cylinders areover-fueled to compensate for one or more under-fueled cylinders as thePCM attempts to maintain the stoichiometric ratio. But way before theseissues become severe, a significant reduction in fuel economy will occur.

Part of the fuel injector's job is to atomize fuel by physically turning theliquid fuel supplied to the fuel rail into very tiny droplets. But in order forthe fuel to be fully combusted and release as close to 100% of its energy

as possible, it must be vaporized. Only after vaporization can the fueleffectively mix with oxygen to form an efficient combustible mix. Evenin a brand-new engine, total vaporization of fuel will never take place.Over time, the problem of inefficient atomization from restricted injectorswill build carbon deposits on the valves, pistons, etc. Because carbondeposits are a very poor heat conductor, the fuel vaporization processeventually will become less and less effective and consequently, willreduce individual cylinder combustion efficiency, waste fuel, decrease

performance and create more undesirable emissions. This becomes a

vicious cycle, since it lends itself to becoming an ever increasingproblem. Carbon deposits create the foundation for even greater depositsto form.

So exactly how and why does carbon residue accumulate? The number 1reason is that there's always some degree of combustion inefficiency inthe chamber to begin with. But the wasted energy from incompletecombustion that results in carbon accumulation in the first place can alsoaccelerate and compound the waste of fuel energy.


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The Chemistry

Hexane (C6H14) is the primary chemical compound found in gasoline.Hard carbon deposits that accumulate in a gasoline engine are always an

indicator of wasted energy from incomplete conversion of a specific typeof hydrocarbon (hexane) to carbon dioxide. Like any other chemical,hexane can be separated into other substances only by a chemicalreaction. In the case of an internal combustion engine, that reaction iscombustion.

When the hydrocarbons (HCs) contained in gasoline burn, the chemicalreaction involves molecular oxygen. Theoretically, this type ofcombustion should have only two byproducts left over; carbon dioxide

(CO2) and water (H2O). Of course, in the real world of a gasoline enginesfour-stroke process, the reaction that takes place will never be total andcomplete.

During the combustion process, heat transforms unconsumed vaporizedHCs into a solid or hard substance known as an activated carbon.Activated carbon will accumulate on hot components within thecombustion chamber in a grainy composition containing many smallcracks and edges exposed at its surface, making it extremely porous and anatural absorbent of additional raw or un-reacted hydrocarbons.

Obviously, PCM cold enrichment strategy is required even in the case ofa brand-new engine because sufficient vaporization of atomized fuel oncold internal parts is impossible to achieve. The inevitability of carbon

buildup will eventually result in engine performance issues such asengine loss of power and responsiveness, stalling, etc.

Injectors spray their fuel volume very close to the beginning of an intakestroke; it's only later in the stroke that the inlet valve actually opens in

order to draw air and fuel into the cylinder. Small portions of theatomized hydrocarbons sprayed by injectors will invariably be absorbedand transformed by heat into additional activated carbon residue.

Direct injection engines do not suffer from this particular problem, butmost engines today do not employ direct injection, opting for fuel railinjection instead.


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Heavily carbon-coated combustion chamber components like pistons andcylinder walls become a very effective fuel sponge, absorbing greater andgreater quantities of raw hydrocarbons.

This causes a lean air/fuel charge to be drawn into the chamber, resultingin a less efficient combustion stroke with additional unconsumed HCsavailable to be transformed into activated carbon deposits.

Over time, increasingly leaner-than desired air/fuel mixtures will becreated through absorption of raw HCs to preexisting activated carbonduring each successive intake stroke cycle. Carbon residue expands moreand more, growing like a fungus and all the while wasting energy andcreating the potential for other issues such as pre-ignition or poor valvesealing or sticking.

While it's normal to expect that some degree of unconsumedhydrocarbons will remain from even the most efficient results of aninherently imperfect combustion process, a cars tailpipe can be a goodindicator of how much carbon "waste" and buildup has been occurringinside the combustion chamber. Obviously, a black and sooty tailpipeindicates greater combustion inefficiency and fuel waste.


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The Physics

Carbon buildup in the combustion chamber will also affect heat transfer.You might already be aware that an additional heat buildup of just 30 to

40F from excessive combustion chamber carbon deposits can cause pre-ignition, resulting in a reduction in fuel economy, and that PCM-adjustedtiming retardation from an active knock sensor signal will cause evengreater loss of engine efficiency.

But did you know that excessive hard carbon deposits also effectivelyreduce an engine's volumetric efficiency?

During the combustion and exhaust strokes, the cylinder head and pistonrings that contact the cylinder walls absorb some portion of the heat ofcylinder combustion; however, the piston crown acts as the primary heatsink.

Depending on the heat transfer characteristics of a particular engine, theamount of heat initially absorbed (and temporarily stored) by the pistonduring the combustion and exhaust portions of the engine strokes can besignificant. A portion of this stored heat is inevitably transferred to theair/fuel charge during the intake and compression strokes.

Heat transferred to the induction charge should be enough only toimprove evaporation of the fuel to avoid condensation on the cylinderwalls. Heavily carbon-coated piston and combustion chamber surfacesthat inordinately raise the temperature of the incoming intake mixture intothe combustion chamber result in air/fuel mixtures that attain relativelyhigher temperatures at the end of the intake stroke than at its start, andthis in turn can reduce volumetric efficiency.

So just like restricted injectors issues, carbon deposits are undesirable, but

over time become unavoidable. These energy-absorbing deposits build upnot only on components directly exposed to the combustion chamber-such as pistons, rings and valves-but also on injector tips, throttle bodies,EGR passages and exhaust components.

Deposits create cold performance and fuel economy concerns long beforethey show up as a severe drivability issue.


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Other Components Affected by Carbon Deposits

There are other engine components vulnerable to carbon depositaccumulation:

EGR-

No engine is 100% combustion-efficient. Some carbons will normallyexit through the exhaust system. Activated carbon is then reintroduced

back through the intake via the EGR system and tends to build up andclog EGR passages. Engines having excessive oil consumption can alsoexacerbate the problem. Oil-based carbons can build up when piston rings

become worn, enabling oil to leak past the rings from the crankcase. Oilcan also be drawn into the combustion chamber from worn intake valvesor valve guides. Oil-based carbon deposits will appear to have a wet andsticky consistency, as opposed to the drier activated carbon deposits thatare caused from inefficient or incomplete combustion.

Injectors-

Aside from the injector issues mentioned earlier, carbon deposits that

build up on fuel injector tips (from heat soak) will inevitably cause anuneven fuel pattern spray. As the spray pattern degrades to unevenlyatomized patterns, an increase in carbon buildup will also occur.

Rings-

Many of today's engines use aluminum pistons and other components.Since aluminum pistons experience higher thermal expansion

characteristics than cylinder walls, they must be designed to haveadequate clearance at the most extreme temperature conditions. Theexpansion rates between the pistons and cylinder bore walls will be at itsgreatest under full-load engine conditions, so under partial loadconditions, the aluminum piston-to-cylinder wall clearance is greater thanthe optimum amount. This increase in the space between pistons andcylinder walls increases the likelihood of carbon buildup in the ring area.


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Spark Plugs-

According to spark plug manufacturers, carbon fouling accounts for themajority of all spark plug troubles. NGK states that carbon deposits that

build up on the firing end of a spark plug will form a conductive pathfrom the center electrode and down the insulator nose to where theinsulator meets the metal shell. This will allow for the electrical current toleak through. When voltage is applied under certain conditions, thecarbon path may allow enough current to prevent proper voltage to buildup at the gap, and a misfire will occur.

Additional Components-

Carbon deposits can also accumulate on the throttle body and intakemanifold as well as in the catalytic converter and on oxygen sensors.Underlying component faults that cause cylinder combustion efficiency to

be any less than what the engine was designed to deliver when new willaccelerate like that of a ticking carbon-deposit time bomb.

For example, if the ignition system produces a lower-than-normal sparkin one or more cylinders, more unburned fuel will result (higher HCs) and

increased deposits will accumulate.

Too much fuel in the chamber (running rich), EGR system faults anddirty, dripping or clogged fuel injectors will all lead to more wastedenergy and greater combustion inefficiency. This unburned fuel willaccumulate in the form of carbon deposits in the combustion chamber.

Performing repairs to damage from carbon deposits are limited to onlythose components serviced or replaced during the procedure. Forexample, if the catalytic converter is replaced, it will function normally

only if the other components are operating within appropriate tolerances.However, if carbon deposits are still present inside combustion chambers,higher than normal amounts of carbon will exhaust into the newconverter, shortening its life span and operating efficiency.

That's why a good carbon cleaning procedure after performing anyemissions-related repair is also highly recommended.


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Oil-based Carbon Build-up

Aside from the active carbon based build-up mentioned before; thesecond type of carbon build-up comes from the oil used to keep the

engine well lubricated.

Oil-based carbon build-up occurs when piston rings become worn and oilis able to leak past the rings from the crankcase. Oil can also leak fromvalves into the combustion chamber.

Typically oil-based deposits appear as dark black and have a gummy, tar-like consistency.

If carbon buildup is present in the EGR passages, it is probably the resultof oil leaking down the valve stems.

An automobile that is burning oil will tend to emit exhaust that has abluish tint and may be a little heavier than normal.

Oil-based carbon deposits build up faster than fuel-based and causegreater problems to surface more frequently.

Repairs for engines that exhibit signs of oil-based carbon deposits areoften expensive.

These engines are most often found in older vehicles which owners tendnot to want to perform extensive repairs.

In these cases, carbon cleaning provides an affordable option forimproving engine efficiency and performance while lowering emissions.


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The Effects of Carbon Deposits on Performance

In general, carbon deposits can cause a drastic drop in both fuel economyand performance. Because so many automobiles on the road rely on

computers and sensors for optimal engine performance, it is easy to seehow carbon deposits can play havoc with modern engines. For example,most automobiles rely on an onboard computer to adjust the air/fuel ratioin accordance to the O2 readings for optimal performance. Becauseoxygen sensors are exposed to engine exhaust, it is easy to see howsusceptible they are to contamination from carbon-deposits. Incorrectoxygen sensor readings cause the computer to make performanceadjustments based on incorrect data, which also adds to the problem.

Particularly thick deposits also tend to increase engine compressionsimply because the carbon deposits take up more space inside thecombustion chamber. Abnormally high compression may result in sparkknock (detonation), particularly when driving under load or accelerating.In more extreme conditions, if carbon deposits are thick enough, the topof the piston may actually come into contact with the carbon-coatedcylinder head or valves. When this happens, the sound resembles ahammer noise or like a connecting rod bearing has gone bad.

Carbon build-up can also result in excessive auto emissions. Anexcessively rich fuel mixture or burned oil can create a heavy carbonresidue that coats the inside of the catalytic converter. If left unchecked,excessive carbon deposits can make the catalytic converter ineffective at

burning residual fuel vapors (hydrocarbons). A sufficiently compromisedcatalytic converter will need to be replaced. In addition, if your staterequires annual auto emissions testing, you may fail simply because yourcatalytic converter is unable to reduce your vehicle's auto emissions towithin the standards set.

The 8 signs to watch out for if you suspect carbon build-up:1. -Engine pinging, knocking or pre-ignition2. -Hesitation3. -Poor acceleration4. -Overall lack of power5. -Carbon fouled spark plug(s)6. -Repeated stalling in cold weather7. -Black exhaust smoke (excessively rich fuel mixture) or blue-gray

smoke (burning oil)8. -Engine hammering sound (from excessive deposits on piston heads)


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From an emissions standpoint, the same environmental concerns thatdrove the development of unleaded fuels, high energy ignition systemsand electronic fuel injection also greatly reduced carbon deposits.

Prior to the mandated use of unleaded fuels, carbon deposit issues couldaccurately be described as substantial. Further reduction in carbondeposits were later accomplished by the addition of various chemicals tocreate detergent fuels, which help keep carbon deposits from adhering tohot metal surfaces like intake valves and fuel injectors.

However, carbon waste deposits have reappeared with a vengeance inrecent years.

Since the EPA first established the minimum additive performancestandards in 1995, most gasoline marketers have actually lowered theconcentration level of detergent additives in their gasoline by up to 50%!

Fuel octane and the quality or type of fuel used in an engine can also bean area of concern.

Drivability Index (DI) is a measure of gasoline's total tendency tovaporize completely. A high DI number is less volatile than a low

number. Premium grade gasoline for high-compression engines is rated ata higher DI (less volatile) than regular or midgrade gasoline for low andmedium compression engines respectively. Since fuels with a higher DInumber or octane burn more slowly, higher compression ratio enginestypically use higher octane fuels to avoid heat-induced pre-ignition.

However, when using a high-octane (less volatile) fuel than an enginewas designed for, fuel will burn too slowly, resulting in incompletecombustion, increased carbon deposits and drivability concerns such as

increased cold start problems and performance shortfalls during enginewarm-up, hesitations and stalling at moderate ambient temperatures.


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Carbon Deposit Treatments and Remedies

Reading to this point should have convinced you that in order for anengine to achieve maximum fuel economy, each individual cylinder must

be operating at maximum efficiency and that carbon deposits inside theengine act to destroy that efficiency.

Idle quality can be a very useful indicator as to individual cylinderefficiency of an engine with no apparent performance issues. Have youever noticed how the idle quality of an engine that shakes or vibratessignificantly improves after a good fuel and induction system service?Engines shake because the relative combustion inefficiency differences

between individual cylinders also create an imbalance in the power in

their respective combustion strokes, and the degree of the imbalancedirectly relates to the intensity of the shaking. The subsequent exhauststrokes of inefficient individual cylinders will likewise produceasynchronous pressure pulses exiting through the tailpipe.

Perhaps you remember the age-old test of holding a rag to the exhausttailpipe. If the rag was periodically sucked back toward the tailpipe, itwas an indication that a cylinder was misfiring. Any combustioninefficiency in a cylinder is a "partial" misfire, and the same principleapplies. Uneven exhaust pulses are driven by the unequal partial pressure

of oxygen (PpO2) contained in a less efficient cylinder's exhaust stroke. Ifall cylinders of an engine are combusting with the same relativeefficiency, the PpO2 of each individual cylinders exhaust stroke will beidentical. On the other hand, dissimilar pressure from combustion-inefficient cylinders will create repeating asynchronous pressure waves inthe exhaust.

Exhaust stroke pressures will vary in direct relationship to the combustionefficiency of each cylinder and can now be measured in real time by

software capable of analyzing individual cylinder exhaust strokes viasignals from a pulse sensor inserted into the tailpipe. However, the oldrag test is a good quick and easy method, although far less accurate,

when proper analyzer equipment is not available.

To treatcarbon build-up there are off the shelf fuel additives that tend toreduce or treat carbon build-up to varying degrees of effectiveness. Thesegenerally contain solvents that primarily work to clean up fuel injectorsand injector rails. In order to be most effective, they must be added to thevehicles fuel tank periodically. Some manufacturers even recommendthat their product be added with each fill-up! No matter how effective this


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mightbe, the cost benefit simply doesnt exist for this type of productrequiring frequent or continuous use.

There are more thorough carbon cleaning options available at mostautomotive service and repair facilities. Some of these solutions involve

the use of special chemicals, pumps and vacuum devices, mixed solutiondelivery apparatus or even blasting equipment to remove stubborndeposits.

In the past, if your engine had excessive carbon deposits, parts of theengine needed to be disassembled to do a thorough cleaning. Also, keepin mind that to do a comprehensive job, the entire procedure wouldrequire at least the removal of the intake manifold, fuel injection system,exhaust manifold, cylinder heads and all related components. In the most

extreme cases, the entire engine would need to be taken apart to gainaccess to the cylinders, piston and rings. This is time consuming and veryexpensive!

So how do most people deal with carbon deposit issues? A variety ofcarbon-cleaning equipment is available.

One of the simplest methods is a chemical additive that's introduced tothe plenum and fuel rail through a delivery system suspended from the

hood by a hook. This type of equipment is pressurized by shop air tointroduce strong chemical solvents to the fuel rail and induction systemsin order to clean fuel injectors and help remove upper engine deposits.This method is not able to completely remove all carbon deposits, andrequires that the engine oil and filter be replaced after the procedure toavoid permanent engine damage. This is because the strong chemicalsused can compromise the engine oil and filter. There are also the issues ofsafety in handling the strong chemicals and environmental concerns aboutthe waste create and the emissions produced during the procedure.

A second option includes on-car cleaning machines that are connected tothe vehicle's fuel system inlet and return lines with vehicle-specificadapters. This type of machine bypasses the fuel supply from the vehicletank, replacing it with the fuel/solvent tank located inside the machine. Amixture of chemical cleaning solution and gasoline is supplied to the fuelrail to pass through the injectors and run the engine. Carbon and othercontaminants in the injector nozzles, on the intake valves, in thecombustion chamber, on the O2 sensor and in the catalytic converter areremoved and exit through the exhaust system. This method also

recommends changing engine oil and filter immediately after the


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procedure is completed. The same environmental and safety concernsexist with this rather costly method too due to the chemicals used.

A third option is cleaning by chemical foam. Although slightly more

effective in cleaning stubborn deposits inside the cylinders, clean up isextremely messy and chemical residue is harmful to both people andvehicles. Chemicals are fed into the cylinders via a compressed air tank,after the spark plugs have been removed. This causes the chemical agentsto foam up, which is said to scrub the surfaces inside the combustion

chambers. However, the relative position of each piston directly affectsthe foams ability to contact carbon coated surfaces, since each piston isin a different position within its cylinder. Once the foam has done its job,it must all be flushed out and completely removed from both internal andexternal engine surfaces. As this method also produces the most chemicalwaste, environmental and safety concerns must be strongly considered.As with the aforementioned methods, engine oil and filter changes areabsolutely required to avoid catastrophic engine damage.

Even these types of cleaning are typically only about 75% effective (orless) in cleaning fuel injectors, and usually not effective in totallyremoving carbon deposits deep within combustion chambers and catalyticconverters.

For this reason, only the first and second type of injector-cleaningequipment may be best suited for preventive maintenance types ofservices rather than for solving drivability issues arising from high-heat-soak engines or from injectors clogged by sediments such as rust or watercontamination of ethanol blend fuels.

Introducing solvents to an engine to chemically remove carbon does do asomewhat effective job in cleaning the tops of intake valves, but

potentially plugged or disintegrating injector pintle baskets are not

replaced and you have no way of knowing their condition without havingthe proper equipment to do so.

The high-heat-soak conditions typical in the drive cycles of today'straffic-challenged commuters harden deposits trapped in injector inletscreens, and the injectors themselves make a totally effective chemicalcleaning impossible.

Even though some contaminants may become soft enough for chemicalsto dislodge, some or all of the more stubborn deposits might not be

cleaned.


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A Revolutionary New Method

Only now can the inside of the engine can be cleaned of carbon depositsin a totally non-invasive procedure, using a simple, safe, environment-

friendly 40-minute method.

The EPOCH EP-350B Carbon Cleaning System is uniquely different.Simply connect it to a vacuum line on the engine, and run the car at idlefor 40 minutes with the EP-350B running.

This method is not only effective and simple, but it requires no messyclean up afterward and poses no environmental or safety risk.

Furthermore, engine oil and filter dont need to be changed after the

process is finished (unless required for routine engine maintenance). Forthe service provider, this is also a very profitable method, since the actualcost for consumables of performing one procedure is the combined costof about 2 kilowatts of electricity (usually less than USD$0.20) and 0.5liters of water (about USD$0.05).

Just water and electricity are used in a patented process to produce a non-toxic, non-polluting mixed oxygen-hydrogen gas on demand that is fedinto the engine via the vacuum line.


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The Process

The process for carbon cleaning using the EPOCH EP-350B is quitesimple.

The EP-350Bis connected to the engines intake manifold via a vacuumhose. Water and carbon can be seen from the tailpipe after the 40-minuteprocedure has been completed and the engine revved to blow out residualmaterial. When the oxy-hydrogen enriched fuel mixture ignites insideyour engine, combustion is faster and more complete. This also causesany unburned residue to be burned. The bi-product of burning theoxygen-hydrogen gas from the EP-350B is ultra-high temperature steam.The combined effects of complete combustion with greater turbulenceand force, increased combustion speed and the water vapor act in asimilar manner as getting your carpet steam cleaned. All deposits areloosened and ejected from the engine and out of the vehicles exhaust.


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The Resul ts

The photos below show before and after treatment inside the engine. Theafter photos are of exactly the same cylinders as the ones above them to

most clearly show the differences. The original surfaces and markings areonce again visible, which demonstrates the effectiveness of this treatment.

The Evidence

What follows are detailed emissions results before, during and after thecarbon cleaning process was done on a number of cars. As you can see,every car yielded different results. This is of course due to a number ofreasons including overall engine age and component condition, theamount of carbon build-up, type of engine, etc. While some vehiclesshow greater emission improvements than others, the overall trend is very

positive indeed.


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EP-350B Carbon deposit removal test report 01Date of test procedure: 2009/6/17Vehicle: 1994 MERCEDES BENZ-C180; Displacement: 1.8L;Kilometers: 95,272

EmissionType

Before After 20min After 40min After Emission reductionrate

CO (%) 0.66 0.37 0.38 0.17 74%

HC (ppm) 414 417 145 99 76%

CO2 (%) 14.1 14 11.8 14.5 -3%

O2 (%) 1.34 1.53 4.16 1 25%

NOx (ppm) 73 89 71 18 75%

(1) Before (2) After completion of procedure

EP-350B Carbon deposit removal test report 02Date of test procedure: 2009/6/17Vehicle: 2004 LEXUS-RX330; Displacement: 3.3L; Kilometers: 86,600

EmissionType


CO (%) 0.06 0 0.01 0.01 83%

HC (ppm) 96 105 104 74 23%

CO2 (%) 15.3 15.3 15.7 15.8 -3%

O2 (%) 0.38 0.37 0.38 0.42 -11%

NOx (ppm) 80 13 25 26 68%



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EP-350B Carbon deposit removal test report 03Date of test procedure: 2009/6/17Vehicle: 1999 NISSAN-CEFIRO (Police Vehicle); Displacement: 3.0L;Kilometers: 93,697

EmissionType


CO (%) 0.84 0.61 0.61 0.04 95%

HC (ppm) 205 105 106 17 92%

CO2 (%) 12.8 11.2 11.1 12.6 2%

O2 (%) 1.77 4.26 4.39 2.38 -34%

NOx (ppm) 212 170 154 15 93%



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EP-350B Carbon deposit removal test report 04Date of test procedure: 2009/6/17Vehicle: 2005 NISSAN X-TRAIL; Displacement: 2.0L; Kilometers:78,088

EmissionType


CO (%) 0.26 0.01 0.01 0.01 96%

HC (ppm) 386 1 1 108 72%

CO2 (%) 15 14.1 14.4 14.4 4%

O2 (%) 0.14 0.26 0.13 0.11 21%

NOx (ppm) 55 110 105 36 35%


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EP-350B Carbon deposit removal test report 05Date of test procedure: 2009/6/17Vehicle: 1997 NISSAN-CEFIRO; Displacement: 2.0L; Kilometers:124,892

EmissionType


CO (%) 0.28 0.26 0.06 0.06 79%

HC (ppm) 193 92 78 82 58%

CO2 (%) 15.1 13.7 14.6 14.7 3%

O2 (%) 1.07 1.43 0.31 0.49 54%

NOx (ppm) 120 391 12 20 83%


EP-350B Carbon deposit removal test report 06

Date of test procedure: 09-06-22Vehicle: 1999 TOYOTA-CAMRY; Displacement: 2.0L;Kilometers: 111,006

EmissionType


CO (%) 0.44 0.53 0.41 0.02 95%

HC (ppm) 98 146 93 3 97%

CO2 (%) 14.5 14.2 14.5 15.3 -6%

O2 (%) 0.73 1.1 1.08 0.1 86%

NOx (ppm) 91 492 157 18 80%



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EP-350B Carbon deposit removal test report 07Date of test procedure: 09-06-22Vehicle: 1995 NISSAN-SENTRA; Displacement: 1.6L;Kilometers: 208,430

EmissionType


CO (%) 0.33 0.38 0.03 0.01 97%

HC (ppm) 201 103 109 84 58%

CO2 (%) 14.2 13.4 12.9 14.4 -1%

O2 (%) 1.13 1.34 2.52 0.93 18%

NOx (ppm) 148 557 100 47 68%


EP-350B Carbon deposit removal test report 08Date of test procedure: 09-06-23Vehicle: 1993 FORD; Displacement: 1.6L; Kilometers: 201,883

EmissionType


CO (%) 0.12 18.43 0.42 0.05 58%

HC (ppm) 94 175 278 23 76%

CO2 (%) 11.7 5.2 11.9 12.9 -10%

O2 (%) 4.47 7.23 3.8 3.36 25%

NOx (ppm) 2 286 97 1 50%(1) Before (2) After completion of procedure


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EP-350B Carbon deposit removal test report 09Date of test procedure: 09-06-25 (Taxi)Vehicle: 2003 TOYOTA-CAMRY; Displacement:2.0L;Kilometers: 252,662

EmissionType

Before After 20min After 40min After Emission reductionRate

CO (%) 0.46 0.5 0.39 0.04 91%

HC (ppm) 627 424 424 362 42%

CO2 (%) 14.1 14.1 14 14.7 -4%

O2 (%) 0.75 1.18 1.07 0.58 23%

NOx (ppm) 107 625 527 6 94%


EP-350B Carbon deposit removal test report 10Date of test procedure: 09-06-25 (Taxi)Vehicle: 2004 TOYOTA-WISH; Displacement: 2.0L;Kilometers: 177,411

EmissionType


CO (%) 0.38 0.29 0.34 0.11 71%

HC (ppm) 440 247 476 235 47%

CO2 (%) 14.6 14.3 14 14.5 1%

O2 (%) 0.82 1.73 1.65 0.5 39%NOx (ppm) 114 490 532 1 99%



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EP-350B Carbon deposit removal test report 11

Date of test procedure: 09-06-25 (Taxi)Vehicle: 2002 TOYOTA-CAMRY; Displacement: 2.0L;

Kilometers: 319,743

EmissionType


CO (%) 0.27 0.34 0.18 0.07 74%

HC (ppm) 419 425 460 171 59%

CO2 (%) 14.2 14.7 13.2 14.6 -3%

O2 (%) 0.62 0.68 1.71 2.21 -256%

NOx (ppm) 94 59 197 3 97%

(1) Set up (2) Before

(3) After 40min (4) After completion of procedure


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Dynamometer Results

The following graphs represent testing done on three cars. The blue linesrepresent the engine performance prior to having the carbon cleaning. The

red lines indicate power and torque after the carbon cleaning process wascompleted.


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Carbon Cleaning in Singapore

Recently, we did a number of carbon cleaning procedures in Singapore onsome pretty hot cars. Here are some photos.


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Conclusion

Now that you know the facts, its up to you.

Carbon cleaning engines can not only deliver an immediate reduction inoverall fuel consumption (and cost) but also reduce long-term costs (andvehicle down time), and in diagnosing drivability faults by quicklyeliminating carbon deposit related issues.

The added benefits are that emissions will also improve as will enginehorsepower and torque. For vehicles that fail the required emissions tests,this procedure can offer an affordable and immediate solution forlowering their emissions.

Ignoring this vital PM Service will inevitably lead to the need to repaircarbon damage and cause unnecessary sensor and catalytic converterfailures and replacements.

Also Available:

The EP-130B for Carbon Cleaning motor Scooters;

EP-560B & EP-1000B models for carbon cleaning heavy construction

equipment, buses, trucks and a variety of large displacement engines.

Join the energy evolution, get the EPOCH solution

EPOCH: the KEY to Unlock Natures Energy!

Test data, photos and other material compiled at Epoch Energy Technology Corp

Reference articles:

Carbon Deposits, Cleaningup Whats Left behindJohn Thompson

Catalytic Converter TheoryKevin S. McCartney

Gear River ConvertersNewsletter; March, 2007, Issue 5

Documents

Carbon Build Up 2011Apr26