View Full Version : Air powered car - low running cost and zero pollution
jalmir
03-20-2007, 03:41 PM
Many respected engineers have been trying for years to bring a compressed air car to market, believing strongly that compressed air can power a viable "zero pollution" car. Now the first commercial compressed air car is on the verge of production and beginning to attract a lot of attention, and with a recently signed partnership with Tata, India’s largest automotive manufacturer, the prospects of very cost-effective mass production are now a distinct possibility.
Full Article here (http://gizmag.com/go/7000/)
FordFasteRR
03-20-2007, 03:57 PM
as with all other forms of vehicles powered by compressed liquids or gasses / etc, the inherent danger is the fact that you are basically sitting on a bomb.
This is not to say that it is not as safe as sitting on a barrel or two of gasoline that is just as volatile - but rather the gasoline does not suffer from the same stresses and structural requirements for storage and reliable transportation as these newer systems...
I am not dispatching the idea, it appears to work quite well.
Now we need to see it built, and implemented !!!
If it catches on, it will hopefully make a great impact on the pollution and emissions that cloud some of the biggest cities in the world...
Now - getting the American public to accept it is an entirely different problem !
as with all other forms of vehicles powered by compressed liquids or gasses / etc, the inherent danger is the fact that you are basically sitting on a bomb.
This is not to say that it is not as safe as sitting on a barrel or two of gasoline that is just as volatile - but rather the gasoline does not suffer from the same stresses and structural requirements for storage and reliable transportation as these newer systems...
I have also heard that if gasoline was to start up today as a fuel source it would never pass. I am all about hydrogen. It is clean and abundant. And yes I know, a bomb.
FordFasteRR
03-20-2007, 04:17 PM
I have also heard that if gasoline was to start up today as a fuel source it would never pass. I am all about hydrogen. It is clean and abundant. And yes I know, a bomb.
I like hydrogen, but not the liquid form (there is a company working on a solid form of hydrogen that will solve the high pressure issues)... because it is extremely volatile, must be compressed to 5000 + psi ... Not to mention the fact that our current technology yields a net energy loss during the manufacturing, transporting, and delivery process for Hydrogen - that means that it takes more energy to make and use hydrogen that what it delivers to the consumer as usable energy !
YIKES !
Doohickie
03-20-2007, 05:57 PM
Neither hydrogen nor compressed air are energy sources; they are merely energy storage media. The air-powered car is *not* zero polluting; it's just that the pollution and cost of fuel is hidden in the power grid (which operates a compress to compress the air so it can be used.
Both compressed air and hydrogen are like powering a car with a rubber band- the energy to "charge" the medium has to come from somewhere, whether it is from your finger winding up the rubber band or line electricity running a compressor for air or an electrolysis machine to make hydrogen.
I'm actually going to an alternative energy seminar Thursday; it will be interesting to see if the compressed air car is mentioned.
jalmir
03-20-2007, 06:11 PM
Yeah the car IS doing pollution because you have to compress that air, but what they meant is that the car produce no emmissions. And even if it need energy to compress that air I think we can all agree that it's 1000 better than the fossil fuel engine we all use!
PSUsouthpaw
03-20-2007, 06:43 PM
Yeah the car IS doing pollution because you have to compress that air, but what they meant is that the car produce no emmissions. And even if it need energy to compress that air I think we can all agree that it's 1000 better than the fossil fuel engine we all use!
Yeah, but odds are its going to use fossil fuel sources to power whatever is making the compressed air to begin with...and you still have to expend energy to compress, store and transport the compressed air, unless you have a very large compressor at each filling station.
jalmir
03-20-2007, 06:56 PM
Yeah, but odds are its going to use fossil fuel sources to power whatever is making the compressed air to begin with
Yeah but whatever engine is used a an air compressor will be less pollution then if all cars served at that "air station" were fuel engine ... or am I wrong ?
SuperGLS
03-20-2007, 07:24 PM
I saw this (or something similar) on TV recently.
Seems like a good idea to me.
I like hydrogen, but not the liquid form (there is a company working on a solid form of hydrogen that will solve the high pressure issues)... because it is extremely volatile, must be compressed to 5000 + psi ... Not to mention the fact that our current technology yields a net energy loss during the manufacturing, transporting, and delivery process for Hydrogen - that means that it takes more energy to make and use hydrogen that what it delivers to the consumer as usable energy !
YIKES !
I hear ya. It all takes time. I remember hearing in a chemistry class a couple years ago that Bush was planning on having hydrogen cars by 2010. We'll see about that. As for now, the technology is just too new. Right now it is not cost efficient or energy efficient, I agree with you. Given time these problems will be solved. I mean, a car that has an emission of H2O is pretty nice. Have you guys seen the BMW hydrogen car? I feel like I just jacked this thread by bringing up hydrogen.
Estopatitiana
03-21-2007, 07:01 PM
well if you guys watched future car the current air powered car is possibly going to compress its own air, so the use of fuel to power a compressor will eventually be lost...so that means zero poluution
ArunSenior04
03-21-2007, 11:01 PM
They were showing that the unit used to create the hydrogen fuel is about the size of a fridge. Pretty interesting stuff. As technology advances, it could definately be possible fuel source in 2-3 decades.
ba_feitl
03-23-2007, 12:40 PM
people also dismissed the internal combustion engine back in the horse days because *Gasp* you going to fill a tank full of explosive liquid and mount it right behind the driver of the coach !!! *Gasp*
nothing is perfect right away, that's what research is for ...
Brad
ps: In this case you could use battery cell technology to store power from regenerative braking which in turn would power the compressor which in turn creates the compressed air which in turn powers the engine :) All is happy and well.
Perhaps a better more efficient compressor could elimnate the need for high pressure storage at all and just directly send the compressed air through a line to the engine
Brad
Munky
03-23-2007, 01:05 PM
Apparently Europe is outlawing R134a refrigerant in 2011.
Check this article out, it's pretty interesting:
10 Tech Trends That'll Change The Way You Drive (http://www.motortrend.com/future/future_vehicles/112_0703_new_car_technology)
babot
03-23-2007, 01:14 PM
well if you guys watched future car the current air powered car is possibly going to compress its own air, so the use of fuel to power a compressor will eventually be lost...so that means zero poluution
I didn't watch the program... but..
If the air powered car compress its own air, where the energy to compress air is coming from? The energy to compress air comes from the compressed air??!?!?? (Then, they are making a perpetual mobile.)
I'm very skeptical because I know a Korean guy who gathered investment of several million dollars for compress air automobile (saying that he can upgrade his compressed air car to compress air by its own, later) showing a car that runs by compressed air, which is stored in a air tank. However, he then ran away to southern asia and I got no further news.... :) So I suspect it's the same scam. He usually advertised his research to non-tech related people saying that his car uses 'free' energy because the air is free... (well... ;;; no way..... you have electricity bills!)
Technically, it's no better than using a battery powered car, which makes emissions/pollutions at power plants because many countries still burn coal and oil to make electricity. And in this way, it is usually less efficient than gasoline engine. (loss at power plant and power lines)
ps. That guy used to use name of many engineers with Ph.D degree from reputable universities by consulting small parts of his compressed air engine, not the whole system, which made it possible to get 'positive' feedback. In such ways, many perpetual mobile guys say that they already have 'patents' (to get some investments).
ps2. However, I'm not sure whether that guy really believes that he can do it or he knows that it's a scam. (Because there really are some crackpots that believe that believe in perpetual mobile and devote their lives in perpetual mobile.....) I'm sorry if you think perpetual mobile is possible, but as an engineer or scientist (my boss says i'm or i should be a scientist.. but I think I'm an engineer.), I'm already biased. :D
ba_feitl
03-23-2007, 01:28 PM
Apparently Europe is outlawing R134a refrigerant in 2011.
Check this article out, it's pretty interesting:
10 Tech Trends That'll Change The Way You Drive (http://www.motortrend.com/future/future_vehicles/112_0703_new_car_technology)
I could go a/c free myself, I prefer open windows no matter the speed or temperature. The rest of my family is another story "it'll mess my hair", "its too windy" blah.. blah.. blah.. I say buck up little camper !!!
Munky
03-23-2007, 01:48 PM
Hahah..yeah, i've always spoiled myself with my A/C.
When I was on a 6 hour car trip with my dad and no A/C, I was complaining of the heat, so he would ramble off about his drive to NY City with his parents when he was a kid.
According to him, it was about 170° F outside and the roads were melting, but he was fine. :rolleyes:
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