DEBRIS.COMgood for a laugh, or possibly an aneurysm

Ever since the story of the 100 MPG carburetor, I’ve been wary of miraculous claims of fuel-saving inventions. A reasonable person has to think that after 80-plus years of development, the world’s engineers have done just about everything they can do to wring a few more MPG out of the internal combustion engine (ICE). If nothing else, the success of recent hybrid models proves that the best thing you can do to improve the mileage of an ICE is to turn the damn thing off.

A recent article in Popular Science made me question the facts. It’s a story about Somender Singh, a mechanic from Mysore, India, who claims to have “conquered the internal combustion engine.”

His invention is not a miracle carburetor. It’s not a device at all. If anything, it’s something you’d take away rather than add to an internal combustion engine. And the result, Singh claims, are phenomenal:

• improved fuel efficiency (up to 25%)
• increased torque
• reduced idle speed
• reduced operating temperature

It sounds miraculous. Either this is the best-kept secret on the planet, or a load of crap.

Here’s the original PopSci article:
Obsession: Mr. Singh’s Search for the Holy Grail

Here’s the website of the inventor, Somender Singh:
http://www.somender-singh.com/.

Here’s the invention, in seven easy steps. Don’t forget your Dremel tool:
How do I cut a groove?