Compressed air powered car $2 a tank possible 1,000 mile range

[michael hurd]

Not bringing a guy down.... it is called reality check people...! We drive too much as it is, and buy new vehicles all the time ( myself excepted ). The oil companies, insurance companies, and even the government doesn't want you driving older vehicles, heck they want them off the road. Most people throw them away like a disposable spray can.

There is nothing wrong with driving a 10 year old vehicle that is structurally and mechanically sound. The car makers don't like it as they are not making profits.

[Marvel]

My daughter drives a '96 Geo Metro with a 4 cyl. Mitsubishi engine. She has about 175k miles on it and gets about 45mpg. It has been a great car for her. She got hit by two deer once, ran into the side of the car. Sheeesh! It didn't hurt it too badly, fortunately.

[seti]

Not bringing a guy down.... it is called reality check people...! We drive too much as it is, and buy new vehicles all the time ( myself excepted ). The oil companies, insurance companies, and even the government doesn't want you driving older vehicles, heck they want them off the road. Most people throw them away like a disposable spray can.

There is nothing wrong with driving a 10 year old vehicle that is structurally and mechanically sound. The car makers don't like it as they are not making profits.

I wish I still had my 1967 Fleetside Chevy. Rebuilt it bumper to bumper and no blasted computer.

I think we are going to see an explosion of hybrids and new ideas in cars. The compressed air cars are in India already I'll just be suprised if they ever are released in the US even if they say so now.

[oldtimer]

Not bringing a guy down.... it is called reality check people...! We drive too much as it is, and buy new vehicles all the time ( myself excepted ). The oil companies, insurance companies, and even the government doesn't want you driving older vehicles, heck they want them off the road. Most people throw them away like a disposable spray can.

There is nothing wrong with driving a 10 year old vehicle that is structurally and mechanically sound. The car makers don't like it as they are not making profits.

Ten. lol. My newest car is 17 years old.

[DrWho]

If this is the real deal you can sign me up. They can take their oil and shove it. The cars are small and ugly but so what air as fuel.....GENIUS.

I only skimmed through the article, but it's gonna take some energy to compress the air in the first place...probably using electric pumps. You're gonna need some kind of fuel to provide that electricity and the more times you convert between forms of energy, the less efficient the total picture becomes...

[seti]

If this is the real deal you can sign me up. They can take their oil and shove it. The cars are small and ugly but so what air as fuel.....GENIUS.

I only skimmed through the article, but it's gonna take some energy to compress the air in the first place...probably using electric pumps. You're gonna need some kind of fuel to provide that electricity and the more times you convert between forms of energy, the less efficient the total picture becomes...

I read a more in depth review earlier with specifics on how the engine works but now I can't find the link. At higher speeds they use small amounts of fuel.

[billybob]

I say go ahead make my life! Let us have some competition in the car marketplace. Let us proceed to a better life without fossil fuels. If you want to stay with oil driven, well cool, just for me pop the bubble on oil. Meanwhile deep drilling in the gulf (Mexico) with companies like Devon, I trust to do a good job meanwhile to help fuel the machine, until we can do better. We are far behind in innovations driven by oil to thwart technolgies that will help the consumer. If solar, wind,etc.were seen as viable, which they are, it is now up to the marketplace to get behind these alternative energy sources, and let science sort out problems as they should arise. Simplistic.......you bet.

[pauln]

"and let science sort out problems as they should arise. Simplistic.......you bet."

Perhaps a little too simplistic...

The compressed air car concept is a lightly veiled version of the perpetual motion machine.

The energy required to compress the air is greater than the energy released by driving the car.

The compressing of air is identical to winding a spring.

The kinetic energy of winding (compressing) is converted (at a net loss) to potential energy. Then the potential energy is conveted (unwound/decompressed) back to kinetic energy (at a loss).

Unless and until a source of pre-compressed air is found, this whole thing is a fraud.

[Jeff Matthews]

Paul, you may know more on the engineering limitations, but I think the "net loss" statement is too much of a blanket statement. The winding (compressing) may require more energy than the amount of energy derived as kinetic energy, but that does not mean that there is an economic loss. It depends upon the cost of the energy to "wind."

[Jeff Matthews]

Mark, Paul was referring to "winding" as being the process to compress the air to create potential energy. If the cost to wind is low, then we would care a lot about compressed air cars.

[Jeff Matthews]

I see. Yes, I absolutely agree.

[Jeff Matthews]

It's not electric. Why does the industry always overlook the obvious, most-efficient alternative?

[jacksonbart]

Sounds like it would make a viable loud golf cart. Given the possible MPG of small lightweight cars using conventional combustion engines it’s going to take $10+ a gallon gas when all electric vehicles will make sense. I mean all electric with lighter better batteries that have yet to be invented would work and produce much more torque than conventional engines. Carbon fiber seems like a logical replacement for the steal and plastic components today. Expect to see car costs rise and fewer car companies and models and the cost to manufacture raises, ala commercial aircraft (Boeing/AirBus). We would also have to invest back into freight trains and reduce the number of 18-wheelers roaming the highways or produce separate highway routes. That said could you imagine the environmental issue of disposing of these burnt out electric vehicles and their leaking batteries? We need to invent a transporter ala Star Trek.

[seti]

CARS THAT RUN ON AIR ! ? COMING NEXT YEAR - GEM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoWFvm1sdf4

The sound generated makes the thing sound like a motorboat. Looks like many hurtles to overcome but at least someone is working on such an idea. Yes I am an optimist.

[seti]

$80 for me to fill my tank today. IF I drive conservative I can make it two weeks but that is still $130 a month. I feels sorry for the commuters.

I am also interested in the SkyCar http://www.moller.com/

[Daddy Dee]

Hard to imagine a down side for this car.

[Groomlakearea51]

No mention that depressurizing of the tank is an endothermic process. That means no heater for driving when it's cold. That heat will have been generated and lost to the atmosphere when the tank was pressurized.

But that valve head apparatus would certainly a great the AC unit when letting it out....

[Groomlakearea51]

but it's gonna take some energy to compress the air in the first place...probably using electric pumps. You're gonna need some kind of fuel to provide that electricity and the more times you convert between forms of energy, the less efficient the total picture becomes...

As the Diving Officer for the county.... I'm familiar with high pressure compressors. The SO and FD went in on a Mako compressor to fill our dive cylinders. They are only 80CF's and at 3000 psi. That compressor, which has to meet OSHA and Navy "clean, dry air" standards cost us $20k. We do about 400 tanks a year, etc. and it's just about paid for itself I suppose. But.... It's a massive piece of equipment, uses three compressors, in stages, and fills 6 "cascade" tanks of 120CF at 6000 psi. Assuming we scrap the filters, or reduce them to the minimum so that the Tata operating valves can function without too much humidity, it's still gonna be a big system. It's 220 volt, and sucks some serious AC when running.

The Mako unit can fill 3 tanks at a time, at 7 minutes fill time, and they still get pretty "hot" (Charles' Law in action). It takes me (with help slinging tanks) about 3 hours, compressor running full blast, to fill 50 tanks (that would be 4000cf) from a dive class. That unit, by my calculations would do the Tata tank in about 2 hours to 4500 psi (DIN tank pressure).

So notwithstanding the gas laws...... The "fuel" station better have a serious compressor system, and a way to do something about the heat. I guess we'll see what happens when the Tata's hit the street.

[Daddy Dee]

Marshall,

Thanks for the view into the world of compressed air. I'd been wondering about that.

The video suggests that the cost of compressed air would make travel roughly 1/3 the cost of gas travel.

[CECAA850]

I guess we'll see what happens when the Tata's hit the street.

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