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Driving With Gas

Gas-powered vehicles in the United States will comply with strict regulations for exhaust emissions being imposed there after 1994, with the help of University of Auckland engineers.

Auckland UniServices Ltd, the university's commercial arm, has licensed its engine management system for gaseous fuels to Automotive Natural Gas Inc (ANGI) of Milton, Wisconsin. The deal is worth several hundred thousand dollars.

The microprocessor-based system was re-designed to control carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen, all harmful substances found in exhaust fumes.

Tests at independent Californian laboratories proved so successful that ANGI decided to offer the system in its product range. The first commercial units will go on sale in October.

The Vehicle and Fuels Research Unit of the university's School of Engineering has spent four years developing the device. It was initially designed to improve the power performance and fuel consumption of CNG engines.