Air Powered Car - Coming 2009 or 2010

[CrazyIvan]

In light of the Water-Powered Engine thread...thought I'd put one here.

Car supposedly runs on air, holds 8 or 9 gallons of fuel and can go 800 to 1000 miles on one tank full.

Air-Powered Car Coming to U.S. in 2009 to 2010 - Zero Pollution Motors - 1000-Mile Range - Popular Mechanics

It doesn't say exactly how it works, but I am guessing the fuel runs a high-pressure air compressor, and the engine is run off of the compressed air.

Car is kinda FUGLY, but better than the crappy mileage we get now. hehe.


Here's to hoping Big Oil doesn't make these guys dissappear!

[TexasT]

The car IS fugly and probably doesn't have any power.

[TXplt]

There is no zero pollution motor. Something somewhere has to provide the energy to make it go. I guess you could argue that a solar cell car was zero pollution, but even making solar cells creates some pollution.

[CrazyIvan]

"Zero Pollution Motors" is the name of the company I think. They don't profess that their vehicle is pollutant-free.

Here you go:

Zero Pollution Motors - Air Car

I didn't look at that, but I was correct, it is a compressed Air powered engine.

Here are the specs:

http://zeropollutionmotors.us/zpmtem...eet_xprize.pdf

Max Speed: 96mph - not bad
Power: 75CV (this is about 74 Horsepower) - not bad for a small commutter car.

[TXplt]

^^ thanks very much--interesting read; using compressed air as energy storage medium (like a flywheel of sorts). They tout 0 CO2 emissions though (not that CO2's a pollutant) which is completely false--didn't intend to be mean or anything--just get a bit weary of these "ZEV" 's which is not at all correct--the energy has to come from somewhere (in this case, something is burned somewhere to compress the air). I do think we should be using everything we have, though.

[Bravo]

Wouldn't there be a greater risk when getting in an accident?

When crashing a gasoline powered car, the fuel burns slowly, rarely "exploding".

When crashing a car powered on compressed air, what happens when that massive air take ruptures?

[CrazyIvan]

Bravo,

I'm sure they have thought about that. The tank is probably encased in a protective 'safe' for lack of a better term, or some other device. It may also be just protected from sides and the top, so that the decompression is directed toward the ground if it is punctured.

There may also be a pressure release valve that is opened when the vehicle senses itself in a severe or specific type of crash, safely releasing the pressure. Would work similar to the sensors used to set off airbags.

[TexasT]

I saw one of those little smart cars driving on the busiest highway in Houston one night. I was wondering why all the drivers around were getting pissed off and speeding up to cut her off. I felt like she was gonna die because people with more powerful cars were cutting her off. Then again she was driving in the wrong lane. Not the far left but not as far right as she could have been.

[ArkansasHunter]

I don't care if it looks fuggly I would have one just to get back at the Oil Co.'s

BEEP beep !!!!!!

[TexasT]

I might rather get a Vespa. Only thing is they don't protect you against the environment like the fugly car.

[nighthawk80]

Originally Posted by Bravo

Wouldn't there be a greater risk when getting in an accident?

When crashing a gasoline powered car, the fuel burns slowly, rarely "exploding".

When crashing a car powered on compressed air, what happens when that massive air take ruptures?

Isn't that how you'd get the turbo to work

But seriuosly, just to go to work and back, I'd buy it. That would be awesome. 96 mph and 74 horsepower, thats ok, I'm never in a hurry to get to work anyway

[Seabeescotty]

Can that engine be mounted on a motorcycle?

[CrazyIvan]

probably not. You'd need the air tank, the compressor, a battery, a small fuel tank and the motor.

Perhaps you could, but I don't think the specs (power & range) would be the same as that used in the car version.

[dhermesc]

I wonder if the compressed air is "captured" from the combustion chambers of the gas engine? A lot of potential "power" is expelled through the exhaust pipe on conventional engines.

It would be a good commuter car. I wonder why its coming from India? Did we finally outsource all our engineers there?

[lorcin25]

I don't believe our government would ever let cars like that one become popular. There is too much money in fuel. Gas companies will do whatever they can to keep that from happening.

[CrazyIvan]

Originally Posted by dhermesc

I wonder if the compressed air is "captured" from the combustion chambers of the gas engine? A lot of potential "power" is expelled through the exhaust pipe on conventional engines.

It would be a good commuter car. I wonder why its coming from India? Did we finally outsource all our engineers there?

India is a little country with a hell of a lot of people. It is basically throwing 3 times the amount of the total people in the US into the area of Texas.

They have very poor atmospheric conditions there because of pollution from automobiles. They have low wages and income. Oil prices driven up by the rest of the western world have all but bankrupted those who use fuel for transportation in India.

This is cause for them to develop alternative energy sources for transportation. Sure, you can use electricity such as in cars like that of Tesla Motors: Tesla Motors But...you still need to burn fossil fuels (primarily) to provide enough electricity to run such a vehicle.

Atmosphere is atmosphere. Doesn't matter if it is CO2, O2, He, H, or otherwise...it can be compressed and stored in a tank. So doesn't matter if the air is pure or dirty. That pressure can in turn run gears and provide energy, just like in an air-powered nail gun.

[TXplt]

Originally Posted by dhermesc

I wonder if the compressed air is "captured" from the combustion chambers of the gas engine? A lot of potential "power" is expelled through the exhaust pipe on conventional engines.

Actually, not so much (at least not so much power good for putting something in motion). Engine functions as a big air pump. If you increase exhaust pressure by attempting to get work out of the exhaust, you make the engine run less efficiently, negating any potential gains. You could conceivably use the thermal energy itself for something useful (electricity, preheating fuel/air when applicable, recovering it to heat something, etc.). Second law of thermo limits the maximum energy of motive energy you can get from the engine. The absolute best you can ever do is the temperature in the hot section minus the temperature of the surroundings (in degrees Kelvin) divided by the the temperature of the hot section. This number is always less than one, and is usually less than one-third. This is also why there are practical limits to the efficiency of all heat engines (including turbines at power plants).

Originally Posted by CrazyIvan

This is cause for them to develop alternative energy sources for transportation. Sure, you can use electricity such as in cars like that of Tesla Motors: Tesla Motors But...you still need to burn fossil fuels (primarily) to provide enough electricity to run such a vehicle.

Atmosphere is atmosphere. Doesn't matter if it is CO2, O2, He, H, or otherwise...it can be compressed and stored in a tank. So doesn't matter if the air is pure or dirty. That pressure can in turn run gears and provide energy, just like in an air-powered nail gun.

You'll need to burn something to power this car as well. The energy to compress the air has to come from somewhere. It's right now probably fossil fuels (i.e. electric power plants burning fossil fuels); later this may be better--the cleanest cycle would be nuclear breeder to electricity to power cars (compressed air, hydrogen, or electric). India is working on a uranium-thorium cycle reactor.

[CrazyIvan]

Originally Posted by TXplt

You'll need to burn something to power this car as well. The energy to compress the air has to come from somewhere. It's right now probably fossil fuels (i.e. electric power plants burning fossil fuels); later this may be better--the cleanest cycle would be nuclear breeder to electricity to power cars (compressed air, hydrogen, or electric). India is working on a uranium-thorium cycle reactor.

I didn't say this car wouldn't use fossil fuel. But, it is a heck of a lot better alternative to other cars that use more fuel. 800-1000 miles on 8-9 gallons? That is AWESOME!

[Zephri]

Saw these on the history channel (or maybe discovery). I must have one!

on another note I bet ya it takes less energy to compress air than it does to refine oil.

[JohnBlaze]

Originally Posted by CrazyIvan

India is a little country with a hell of a lot of people. It is basically throwing 3 times the amount of the total people in the US into the area of Texas.

Sorry, but you're way wrong there. India is 1,269,346 square miles; Alaska, our biggest state, is only 663,267 sq miles, or about half.And Texas is smaller than Alaska.