Air-powered Car

[bobbert]

<div>I got this in an e-mail today:</div><div>Will this be the next big thing? Tata Motors of India thinks so.</div><div>It is an auto engine that runs on air.</div><div>That's right; air not gas or diesel or electric but just the air. Tata Motors of India has scheduled the Air Car to hit Indian streets by August 2012.</div><div><div>The Air Car, developed by ex-formula one engineer Guy N. For Luxembourg-based MDI, uses compressed air to push its engine's pistons and make the car go.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The Air Car, called the "Mini CAT" could cost around 365,757 rupees in India or $8 ,177 US.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The Mini CAT which is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis, a body of fiberglass</div><div>that is glued not welded and powered by compressed air. A Microprocessor is used to control</div><div>all electrical functions of the car. One tiny radio transmitter sends instructions to the lights, turn</div><div>signals and every other electrical device on the car. There are not many devices.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The temperature of the clean air expelled by the exhaust pipe is between 0-15 degrees below zero,</div><div>which makes it suitable for use by the internal air conditioning system with no need for gases or loss of power.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>There are no keys, just an access card which can be read by the car from your pocket.</div><div>According to the designers, it costs less than 50 rupees per 100 KM, that's about a tenth the cost of a car</div><div>running on gas. It's mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car, a factor which makes</div><div>it a perfect choice for city motorists.</div><div>The car has a top speed of 105 KM per hour or 60 mph and would have a range of around 300 km or</div><div>185 miles between refuels. Refilling the car will take place at adapted gas stations with special air compressors.</div><div>A fill up will only take two to three minutes and costs approximately 100 rupees and the car will be ready to</div><div>go another 300 kilometres.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>This car can also be filled at home with it's on board compressor. It will take 3-4 hours to refill the tank,</div><div>but it can be done while you sleep.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Because there is no combustion engine, changing the 1 litre of vegetable oil is only necessary every 50,000 KM</div><div>or 30,000 miles. Due to its simplicity, there is very little maintenance to be done on this car.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>This Air Car almost sounds too good to be true.</div></div><div><br></div>

 

[Guest]

Very cool and a definite thing of the future. I remember many discussion in the auto shop I worked in about using compressed air for vehicles as well as maglev which is a good future possibility for mass transit.<br><br>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_levitation_train<br><br>Bri<br><br>

 

[blars]

Compressed air as energy storage is interesting, but I don't expect it on US highways in the near future.&nbsp; That car is comparable to a golf cart, and that may be the first place this is used in the US.<br>

 

[Kisatchieman]

<P>That little fella would make a great "toad" to pull behind an RV, if you could rig up a tow bar for it. Could possibly refill the air tank via an inverter off the tow vehicle while your cruising down the highway.&nbsp;Why can't&nbsp;Ford, Chevy, etc. build something like this?&nbsp;&nbsp;</P>

 

[Mangyhyena]

Until air obtains a high cost, we ain't getting no cars that run on air. TPTB will never allow us to drive cheaper. They will demand their cut.

 

[ped]

<P>If that were to happen there would be a frantic search by governments to figure a new scheme to restrict access to air in order commoditize it. Since that may prove very difficult, this car will go the way of all other alternatives.</P>

 

[Journeyman]

I don't even like paying for air to fill my tires.<div>Air should be free.</div><div><br></div><div>Dennis</div><div><br></div>

 

[Guest]

It still runs on electricity.&nbsp; Electricity runs the air compressor, the air compressor fills the tanks to a very high pressure. The air is&nbsp; free but you have to pay for the energy to push it into the tank just as you have to pay for electricity to push the electrons to recharge an electric vehicles battery. It does sound like a good idea but Im not sure of the efficiency of compressing air vs charging batteries.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp; Similar example would be how a house is heated. Its more efficient to move heat through water vs air. So hot water heat systems are more efficient at moving heat from the source of combustion to the desired room compared to forced air systems. Sounds like nit picking but someone educated figured it all out. <img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br>

 

[Les H]

There are solar cars and airplanes that can run and operate 24 hrs at a time, so why not otner alternatives? And Tata motors has been around a LOOONG time. They are the ones who build those iconic three wheel buggies that you see in every Nat Geo episode that has someone carring half thier house with them. About 4 years ago , my wife and I looked at a three wheel car and pickup that was for sale, new for about $7k

We never saw them again, and I have only seen them one time in an ad at a used car lot. Thing is, you need a motorcycle liscense to drive it under the current DMV laws, including wearing a helmet. People don't want this, they want 10 liters of turbocharged monster so they can tow thier 43' fifth wheel toy hauler containing $25k worth of 4x4 side by side doing 92 mph down the road. As long as people will shell out $73k for a Cadillac escalade, the air car wont stand a chance, never mind the 5 mph bumper laws.
Unfortunatly, DDC is right, they won't come here. But the argument for a CLEANER car that uses far less energy is still alive in some places.

 

[Seraphim]

I don't even like paying for air to fill my tires. Air should be free. Dennis

The air is free - you're paying for the energy required to pump it into the tank.

 

[Mangyhyena]

It's an interesting idea. When comparing, it is between batteries, gasoline, diesel, fuel alcohol, or an air tank. For the environment, seems like the air tank should have less of an impact on the environment. It really comes down to which source of power we choose to run the compressors.

I wonder if solar panels could be used to power a compressor in a cost effective way. Or, could wood gas run the compressor and provide enough compressed air to run a vehicle for an average day of driving distance? Or, could we use the oceans waves, breeze, and currents to power the compressors? (I realize this is an unworkable idea, using the constant movement of waves and currents to produce power, along with the consistent breeze on the ocean. Very unworkable. Just ask any energy expert whose research is funded by the oil companies.)

Compressed air is just the storage medium for whatever form of energy is used to run the compressor. As a storage medium, compressed air seems to have a few advantages over gasoline, diesel, NG, propane, and electricity. Air tanks cost less and have a longer life span than batteries. Compressed air isn't flamable. Compressed air can be done at home or at least locally, reducing fuel transportation costs.

The key word "energy experts" will tout is efficiency. They will say compressed air isn't efficient, therefore, it is unworkable. To me, it looks like an excellent storage medium that could be used to store excess energy production. Excess energy production like the energy we waste when the wind blows on windmills during non-peak usage hours. Currently, the shaft in a windmill is disconnected during the night so the windmills will not produce electricity during those non-peak hours. Why not use the windmills to run compressors during non-peak hours, using the compressed air as the storage medium? Not efficient, right? Guess the same goes for the waves and currents in the ocean. Much better to make no energy from these clean, cost-free sources of energy than to harness them and store that energy as compressed air so we can use it later when we need it.

I know energy experts, funded by the oil companies, can explain why storing the cost-free energy all around us as compressed air is a terrible, unworkable idea. To uneducated fools like myself, their explanations are simply beyond my feeble comprehension. Better to waste it than harness it.

 

[yasminB]

Many countries are raising their specifications for fuel emissions and alternate-powered automobiles are gaining interest. It only makes sense that some car maker would set its mind to the most plentiful power source accessible: the air we breathe. Tata has taken the initiative in collaboration with Motor Development International. Several such concepts have been doing the rounds of auto shows but nothing concrete has emerged out of this as yet. Tata Motors, the car manufacturer credited with having developed the World's most economical car, the Tata Nano, is keen on pursuing further research in the domain to implement it in cars. Tata Motors of India has publicized that it will be doing so. Tata Motors has already used the compressed air engine in concepts but the real test will be to make the compressed air car engine commercially viable for it to be used in a car to become a part of its product line. Try to find <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cardealexpert.com/news-information/auto-news/tata-air-car/">the best car to buy</a> in your area.<br>