Air Car

[Richard_D]

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmqpGZv0YT4

[Calvin (no socks)]

Richard, leave it to the French....it needs compressed air to run, to compress the air takes energy... the act of compression generates heat...lost energy... the last rotary engine is more efficient... but still a loss...

It will never replace the internal combustion engine. Unless it is just to produce zero emissions at a particular site, while the energy is burned at another to compress the air.

Long range is in Kilometers... I need 1200 mile range.. between fillups.

[Richard_D]

I thought they said the hybrid could go from California to New York on one tank.

[Twisties]

Richard, leave it to the French....it needs compressed air to run, to compress the air takes energy... the act of compression generates heat...lost energy... the last rotary engine is more efficient... but still a loss...

It will never replace the internal combustion engine. Unless it is just to produce zero emissions at a particular site, while the energy is burned at another to compress the air.

Long range is in Kilometers... I need 1200 mile range.. between fillups.

 

Yes, but the claims are that it will run 200 km on a fill of compressed air and that such a fill costs only "a few dollars".

 

So if true, the car will run something like 130 miles on "a few dollars". Lets for the moment assume that "a few dollars" is something less than $10, and for grins sake, I'll choose $7.50.

 

If an internal combustion car gets 26 mpg it would take 5 gallons of fuel, or at $3.00 a gallon, $15.

 

Now it takes about 36 kwh to equal a gallon of gas, so at about $0.08 per kwh and $3.00 a gallon, the price of energy is currently roughly equal for electricity and gasoline in the U.S.

 

IIRC, internal combustion engines are supposed to be less than 20% efficient (37% theoretical efficiency, and about that in practice). So it would seem that if the compression/decompression cycle were only twice as efficient, the claims would be true. I guess it's within the realm of possibility. This one looks to me like it could be real. I would have to research it before I dismissed it. The gain in efficiency is at least theoretically possible at first glance, and there is no claim of energy from nothing or for free.

 

The factory appears to be real. If it's a con, it's a lot better than the last two or three we've seen.

 

You are quite correct about the effect of transferring the location of the pollution. However that can have significant advantages.

 

In any event, they claim they'll have a car on the market soon. We'll see.

 

I guess too, you'd get energetically free air conditioning... all that air expanding is going to do a lot of cooling.

 

Jan

[ESokoloff]

The factory appears to be real. If it's a con, it's a lot better than the last two or three we've seen.

 

When I first learned of this, I suspected the claims but I think this is a real deal.

A major drawback would be the size/mass of these vehicles and how unsafe they would be on our hi-ways & by-ways.

[Twisties]

Hi Eric!,

 

I don't know about that. My dad has driven Corvettes all his life. He has always talked about how when the fiberglass disintegrates on impact a lot of energy is dissipated.

 

Not sure how the carbon fiber tanks would play into this, but potentially a similar effect, or alternatively they may add significant rigidity and strength relative to a similar weight steel car. Not saying the car will be safe, just that I don't know enough to assume anything. It's different.

 

Additionally, it seems our highways will be seeing fewer Hummers and more sub-compacts.

 

Newsweek reports that industry experts are worried about $200/barrel oil within 6 to 18 months, and already sales have shifted fairly dramatically towards fuel efficient vehicles. They feel that current prices are already causing a fairly dramatic shift in consumer choices, and that if prices hit $200 in such a short time frame we will see profound rollbacks in services and changes in food and product distribution.

 

I should add, on this note, that the air car, or any electric powered vehicle, would have the effect of shifting energy sourcing from oil to coal. This would benefit U.S. energy security, our balance of trade, and limit the excessive shift of power to the oil countries.

 

I would think there would be some very powerful incentives for this technology if it works.

 

To compare to other electric powered options, such lead acid batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, and the like, it is cheap, light, and avoids toxic chemicals (i.e. it's green).

 

If it's real, and works, then I think it has a chance.

[Twisties]

(37% theoretical efficiency, and about that in practice

 

That was supposed to be, ... and about half that in practice.

[ESokoloff]

Not saying the car will be safe, just that I don't know enough to assume anything. ....

Additionally, it seems our highways will be seeing fewer Hummers and more sub-compacts. ......

..... the air car, or any electric powered vehicle, would have the effect of shifting energy sourcing from oil to coal. This would benefit U.S. energy security, our balance of trade, and limit the excessive shift of power to the oil countries.

 

I would think there would be some very powerful incentives for this technology if it works.

 

To compare to other electric powered options, such lead acid batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, and the like, it is cheap, light, and avoids toxic chemicals (i.e. it's green).

 

If it's real, and works, then I think it has a chance.

 

Hopefully they will be powered via sustainable renewable energy sources.

 

Apparently India will soon have these but will they stand up to NHTSA standards?

Still its a start in the right direction & will only get better.

[James Clark]

 

Yes, but the claims are that it will run 200 km on a fill of compressed air and that such a fill costs only "a few dollars".

 

 

A few dollars? Air's only 50 cents down at the Arco station.

[Twisties]

 

Yes, but the claims are that it will run 200 km on a fill of compressed air and that such a fill costs only "a few dollars".

 

 

A few dollars? Air's only 50 cents down at the Arco station.

 

Dude, how am I supposed to answer you, my eye's are still spinning from that avatar... It's cool...

 

We're talking a lot more air at a lot more pressure.... takes more electricity to compress.

 

Jan

[Twisties]

Hopefully they will be powered via sustainable renewable energy sources.

 

Apparently India will soon have these but will they stand up to NHTSA standards?

Still its a start in the right direction & will only get better.

 

So it is real! I want one.

 

Jan

[motoguy128]

Sounds interesting. Compressing air would be an excellent application of wind energy and storing compressed and dried air in pressure vessels. Actually, in most cases, you could compress the air directly, rather than have the losses from electrical energy generation and transmission.

 

There are still significant dangers to compressed air, but arguable less than with a flamable liquid.

 

What's interesting too, is that is regerative braking could be possible as well. Pneumatics can be sued for other funcitons such as pwoer steering, brake booster.

 

And... now ever home garage would have a big compressed air source for power tools. Wahahaha....!!!

 

Roadside tire change... no problem. Pneumatic jack + pneumatic impact wrench and you're back on the road in minutes!