Pinoy’s gas-saving invention gets millions of dollars in offers

A former jeepney operator’s gasoline-saving invention has attracted offers from multinational companies interested in buying the rights to the device.

Pablo Planas, the 67-year-old inventor of the Khaos super turbo charger, said he has received offers from companies based in the United States, Germany, Singapore and China after his invention passed the emission standards set by Taiwan.

The Department of Energy (DOE) recently conducted tests on the device’s durability, reliability, emissions and gas savings. Among the vehicles tested was Energy Secretary Vincent Perez’s Honda Accord service vehicle.

The tests conducted by Taiwan and the DOE proved to be a turning point for Planas, who said he has turned down a multimillion-dollar offer that included the migration of his family to the US because only the US would benefit from the "worldwide distribution" of his invention.

"If I accept the offer, Filipinos would not be able to buy my device because only First World countries would benefit and be able to afford it," he said, adding that his invention is the solution to air pollution caused by car emissions and progressive oil price increases.

Planas actually invented the device, made for gasoline engines, in 1973, at the height of the Arab oil embargo when the government enforced fuel rationing nationwide and fuel prices went up. His invention was cited by the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos in 1977 and again by President Arroyo in 2003.

Planas, then an operator of four jeepneys plying the San Juan-Manila route, started tinkering with the engine of his jeepneys to figure out how he could save fuel. He said the source of pollution and of the unburnt fuel, mixed in with the exhaust fumes emitted by an engine, is the wrong air-fuel ratio.

Planas said his Khaos super turbo charger is an air-regulating mechanical device that feeds the right air-fuel ratio — 15 parts air to one part fuel — into the engine to ensure complete combustion and minimize the emission of pollutants such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxide.

He noted that efficient combustion can prolong the lifespan of a car’s engine, spark plugs, muffler and engine oil.

Planas claimed his invention, installed at the intake manifold of a gasoline engine, can save as much as 50 percent on fuel based on 1,000 different types of vehicles tested.

He said his invention is different from a catalytic converter since the latter is a post-combustion device that filters and deposits pollutants in its chamber. The Khaos super turbo charger, on the other hand, is a pre-combustion device that ensures that fuel is completely burned by feeding the right air-fuel ratio into the engine all the time.

When the device was reintroduced into the Philippine market last November, Planas decided to name his invention after Khaos, the Greek goddess of air. It had been modified to suit today’s engines.

Planas’ invention is now being manufactured and distributed by Inventionhaus International Corp., an affiliate of construction conglomerate New San Jose Builders, Inc.

Inventionhaus spokesman Isko Catibayan said they are just waiting for the government to help them promote the product and give it due recognition.

After exhibiting his invention at car shows abroad, Planas is now targeting the lucrative US market. He has discussed the possibility of marketing the Khaos super turbo charger with Claudio Pedery, a Filipino-American who worked for aviation firm Lockheed-Martin.

Planas and his invention will join an international car parts show in Frankfurt, Germany from Sept. 14 to 19. He is currently working on a similar device designed for diesel engines.