AIR POWERED CAR

INTRODUCTION

The Air car is the car currently being developed and eventually, manufactured by Moteur Developpement International (MDI), founded by the French inventor Guy Nègre. It will be sold by this company too, as well as by ZevCat, a US company, based in California. The air car is powered by air, specifically tailored for the car. The used air engine is being manufactured by CQFD Air solution, a company closely linked to MDI.

The engine is powered by compressed air, stored in a glass or carbon-fiber tank at 4500 psi. The engine has injection similar to normal engines, but uses special crankshafts and pistons, which remain at the top dead center for about 70% of the engine’s cycle; this allows more power to be developed in the engine. Though some consider the car to be pollution-free, it must be taken into account that the tanks are recharged using electric (or gasoline) compressors, resulting in some pollution, if the electricity

used to operate the compressors comes from polluting power plants (such as gas-, or coal-power plants). Solar power could possibly be used to power the compressors at the fuel station.

CONTENTS

• History
• Purpose
• Construction
• Principle of working
• Design of CAC
• Technology
• Comparison
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
• Applications
• References & conclusion

HISTORY

Charles B. Hodges will always be remembered as the true father of the compressed air concept applied to cars, being the first person, not only to invent the car driven by a compressed air engine but also to have considerable commercial success with it.

In 1979, Terry Miller decided that compressed air was the perfect medium for storing energy. He developed Air Car. It was feasible to manufacture a car that could run on compressed air.

TERRY MILLER COMPRESSED AIR CAR:

Purpose

• Gasoline is becoming more expensive and impractical.
• It is also damaging to the environment.
• It is not a renewable resource, it will eventually run out.
• Air Powered cars run on compressed air instead of gasoline, with zero pollution.

CONSTRUCTION

1. Air tanks

2. Chassis

3. Air filter

4. Electrical system

5. Engine of the car

6. Body

Air tanks

The specifications of the tank are,

• Maximum effective pressure: (300 bars)
• Temperature of use: (–40°C to 60°C)
• The tanks weigh 35–40 kg for 100 liters of air at 300 bars.

CHASSIS

Aluminum rods glued together Using rods enables us to build a more shock-resistant chassis than regular chassis. Additionally, the rods are glued in the same way as aircraft, allowing quick Assembly and a more secure join than with welding.

LOCATION OF AIR TANK WITH A PROTECTIVE PLATE FIXED ON CHASSIS

LOCATION OF ENGINE & AIR TANK ON CHASSIS

AIR FILTERS

The MDI engine works with air that is taken from the atmosphere and air pre-compressed in tanks. Air is compressed by the onboard compressor or at service stations equipped with a high-pressure compressor.

Before compression, the air must be filtered to get rid of any impurities that could damage the engine. Carbon filters are used to eliminate dirt, dust, humidity, and other particles which, unfortunately, are found in the air in our cities.

BODY OF AIR CAR

The MDI Car Body is built with fiber and injected foam, as are most of the cars on the market today. This technology has two main advantages: low cost and reduced weight.

BASIC PRINCIPLE

Air at 100 degrees Celsius and 300 bar pressure is used as fuel. When this air is allowed to expand at atmospheric conditions its volume increases and this energy produced is used to drive the pistons of an air-powered car.

WORKING MODEL

FUEL USED: COMPRESSED AIR

Rather than driving engine pistons with an ignited fuel-air mixture, compressed-air cars use the expansion of compressed air, in a similar manner to the expansion of steam in a steam engine. At high pressure of 30 mpa. Storage tanks are made of carbon fiber for weight reduction.

COMPARISON

ADVANTAGES OF AIR CARS

• Uses air that is naturally and cheaply available.
• Also light in weight (approx 800 kg) due to the use of composite material, with attractive looks.
• Another interesting feature is the pneumatic system. When the car brakes, the kinetic energy from braking is used to drive a pump that helps to restore some of the lost pressure.
• During refueling the natural air is passed through a carbon filter where the impurities of the air are removed and henceforth the air expelled from the car gives Negative pollution i.e. it removes pollution from the surrounding air.
• Refueling can be done at home using an air compressor or at service stations. The energy required for compressing air is produced at large centralized plants, making it less costly and more effective to manage carbon emissions than from individual vehicles.
• Compressed air engines reduce the cost of vehicle production because there is no need to build a cooling system, spark plugs, starter motors, or mufflers.
• Reduction or elimination of hazardous chemicals such as gasoline or battery acids/metals

LIMITATIONS

• The vehicle’s air compressor will probably run on gasoline and this gas will produce pollution when burned.
• Distance could also become a disadvantage. (Less than 100 miles).
• If an air car suffers damage in an accident compressed air tanks can be dangerous.
• Refueling the compressed-air container using a home or low-end conventional air compressor may take as long as 4 hours.

APPLICATIONS

1. Family Cars

2. Vans

3. Taxis

4. Pick-Ups

5. Mini-Cats

REFERENCES

• www.wikipedia.com
• www.google.com
• www.howstuffsworks.com
• www.thefabricator.com
• Oldenburg, Curtis M. (2003). “Carbon Dioxide as Cushion Gas for Natural Gas Storage”. Energy & Fuels 17: 240.do:10.1021/ef020162b. Lay summary — Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
• Lucas, Paul (December 14, 2009). “Air cars under testing but are they efficient?”.” Car runs on compressed air, but will it sell?”. Associated Press. October 4, 2004. Retrieved 2008–09–12.
• “Advantages of compressed air as an energy vector”]. Retrieved 2008–09–16.

CONCLUSION

The AIR POWERED CARS are the best options that provide the most comprehensive answer to the present urban pollution problems in a simple, economic and inoffensive manner. These are clean, easy to drive, comparatively low cost, and do not take a lifetime to pay off. Thus these vehicles are safe to manufacture, safe to use, safe for users, and also environment friendly.