compress air powers cars have been out for while. Right now there range is not great. Around 65 to 125miles. I believe there range will improve over time. they are dirt cheap. There fore it only matter of time that air power cars will take over third world countries. This cars can compress air on there on own if you plug them in to a electrical out let. They also can recharge fast if go to compress air station. Also this air power cars can run gas if planing to on long trips.
Fuels cells run on hydrogren. The most likely source is compress hydrogen.
All major cars are experimenting with them but you can not buy one. They are very expensive due to materials that fuel cell is made out of. They have good range. they can not run on gas so if run out and can not find a hydrogen station your in trouble. You
have to have a device that can make hydrogen and compress at home or the car will be worthless.
thunder8
We kinda have a thread on this topic here
http://forum.physorg.com/index.php?showtopic=19964&hl=
feel free to jump in. I would love to find a source for the motor. I have been looking for a year but they are not for sale yet. I have been building a 3 wheeler for about 2 years now and had planed on using an electric motor but if I could find an air motor I could get air conditioning for free. Oh, what the heck,,, here is a pic of it. ( I haven't started on the body yet)
We kinda have a thread on this topic here
http://forum.physorg.com/index.php?showtopic=19964&hl=
feel free to jump in. I would love to find a source for the motor. I have been looking for a year but they are not for sale yet. I have been building a 3 wheeler for about 2 years now and had planed on using an electric motor but if I could find an air motor I could get air conditioning for free. Oh, what the heck,,, here is a pic of it. ( I haven't started on the body yet)
a four cycle engine might be able to be converted. If pressurize the intake it causes to run on air.
QUOTE (thunder8+Jan 18 2008, 11:03 PM)
a four cycle engine might be able to be converted. If pressurize the intake it causes to run on air.
I think it could be done, but converting something into something else is always less efficient than building it from scratch to do what you want it to do.
A computer controlled Wankel style air motor at each wheel would give so many advantages over today's gas motors for short range commuters. Clean exhaust, good traction, cheep to refill, light weight, far less parts, quiet, crash safety, free air conditioning, and more.
The range would be dependent on the size of the storage tanks. One of the best things I think, is that in the event of a crash and (if the tank gets punctured) the fuel (air) would quickly be expelled and there would be no fire hazard as is the case with any other fuel.
In the other thread we discussed an onboard compresser that would run on flex fuel to recharge the tanks. I don't think this is needed. An electric compressor (110/220 volt ac) would only weigh about 20 or 30 lbs and you could plug it in anywhere.
A very small battery bank would be needed for the lights, computer and acceseries, this could be recharged with re-gen brakes and when the compressor is pluged in.
When you look at all of the engineering and heavy parts that go into todays gas motors and complicated transmissions, I can't for the life of me figure out why we don't have air powered cars now.
I think it could be done, but converting something into something else is always less efficient than building it from scratch to do what you want it to do.
A computer controlled Wankel style air motor at each wheel would give so many advantages over today's gas motors for short range commuters. Clean exhaust, good traction, cheep to refill, light weight, far less parts, quiet, crash safety, free air conditioning, and more.
The range would be dependent on the size of the storage tanks. One of the best things I think, is that in the event of a crash and (if the tank gets punctured) the fuel (air) would quickly be expelled and there would be no fire hazard as is the case with any other fuel.
In the other thread we discussed an onboard compresser that would run on flex fuel to recharge the tanks. I don't think this is needed. An electric compressor (110/220 volt ac) would only weigh about 20 or 30 lbs and you could plug it in anywhere.
A very small battery bank would be needed for the lights, computer and acceseries, this could be recharged with re-gen brakes and when the compressor is pluged in.
When you look at all of the engineering and heavy parts that go into todays gas motors and complicated transmissions, I can't for the life of me figure out why we don't have air powered cars now.
PhysOrg scientific forums are totally dedicated to science, physics, and technology. Besides topical forums such as nanotechnology, quantum physics, silicon and III-V technology, applied physics, materials, space and others, you can also join our news and publications discussions. We also provide an off-topic forum category. If you need specific help on a scientific problem or have a question related to physics or technology, visit the PhysOrg Forums. Here you’ll find experts from various fields online every day.
To quit out of "lo-fi" mode and return to the regular forums, please click here.