William D. Bond
Encyclopedia
William D. Bond is an inventor and mechanical engineer who retired from General Motors
after spending his entire career with the car maker. He is most noted for his innovative work on intake manifolds, a three wheeled concept car, and early electric cars in the 1960s.
to Dale Bond, an entrepreneur and Myrtle Swedlund Bond, a music teacher. He graduated from Iowa State University
in 1960 with a BS degree in Engineering and is a member of the Iowa State University chapter of Tau Beta Pi
, an engineering society for academic excellence. In the early 1950s, he raced on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. He was one of the charter members of the Ames, Iowa
hot rod club and the Night Crawlers in the mid 1950s. Bond served as a ballistic meteorologist for the National Guard during the Korean War
era.
Bond received his first patent in 1968 for a Mounting and Cooling Apparatus for Semiconductor Devices. This apparatus cools the electrical switching device. He was featured on the cover of August 15, 1972 issue of Automotive Industries
magazine in a feature story about Early Fuel Evaporation which General Motors received a patent for in 1973. In 1975, he received a patent for a Quick Warm-up Intake Manifold. This is a temperature control system that allows the heat to be directed to the intake manifold when the engine is cold.
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
after spending his entire career with the car maker. He is most noted for his innovative work on intake manifolds, a three wheeled concept car, and early electric cars in the 1960s.
Background
Bond was born January 2, 1931 in Winterset, IowaWinterset, Iowa
Winterset is a city in Madison County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,768 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Madison County....
to Dale Bond, an entrepreneur and Myrtle Swedlund Bond, a music teacher. He graduated from Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
in 1960 with a BS degree in Engineering and is a member of the Iowa State University chapter of Tau Beta Pi
Tau Beta Pi
The Tau Beta Pi Association is the oldest engineering honor society in the United States and the second oldest collegiate honor society in America. It honors engineering students who have shown a history of academic achievement as well as a commitment to personal and professional integrity...
, an engineering society for academic excellence. In the early 1950s, he raced on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. He was one of the charter members of the Ames, Iowa
Ames, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
hot rod club and the Night Crawlers in the mid 1950s. Bond served as a ballistic meteorologist for the National Guard during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
era.
Career
A member of the engineering staff, Bond worked for General Motors from July 1960 until his retirement in February 1993. His early work involved one of the earliest electric cars, the Electrovair II, a 1966 Corvair Monza sedan powered by silver-zinc batteries. The battery pack gave the Electrovair II a similar performance to that of the conventional gasoline powered Corvair which the car was based on with a top speed of 80 mph. As the project manager of the Electrovair II, Bond served as the spokesperson and driver when the car was demonstrated to the press in October 1966. It is the oldest historic vehicle on display at the GM Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Bond then worked with the Electrovan, which is credited as the world's first hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle. The Electrovan had a top speed of 70 mph, was able to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 30 seconds and had a range of 120 to 150 miles. It is currently on display at the GM Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, Michigan.Bond received his first patent in 1968 for a Mounting and Cooling Apparatus for Semiconductor Devices. This apparatus cools the electrical switching device. He was featured on the cover of August 15, 1972 issue of Automotive Industries
Automotive Industries
Automotive Industries, Ltd. is an Israeli Automaker and major supplier of the Israeli Security Forces.Located in Nazareth Illit, the company was originally founded in 1966 by Automotive Equipment Group as a plant for the assembly of cars and trucks...
magazine in a feature story about Early Fuel Evaporation which General Motors received a patent for in 1973. In 1975, he received a patent for a Quick Warm-up Intake Manifold. This is a temperature control system that allows the heat to be directed to the intake manifold when the engine is cold.