Automaker will sell auto powered by air!

GaryM · May 18, 2007

According to the website http://www.theaircar.com/howitworks.html## The engine actually can run on fossel fuels and compress air at the same time. Doesn't exactly sound like a "car that runs on air".

Dozernut · May 18, 2007

My son and I have air guns that we pump up to 2000 psi and we do this with a hand pump. It takes about 20-30 minutes and we have to stop to bleed off water and let the pump cool for a couple of minutes. This also gives me time to recover, I might like to run with the big dogs but the old body doesn't. There are compressors out there made to pump up the air guns but they are a little expensive, about $1200. The compressors that fill the scuba tanks are bigger and will go to 4500 psi but they do not take hours to fill a tank. the compressor technology is out there but I think the air powered car might be a PT Barnum specialty. I hope that I am wrong and it proves to be a viable alternate.

MadDogDriver · May 18, 2007

Bandybear said:
It certainly can work, it using old steam engine technology, of using a gas under pressure to drive a piston. (Even the internal combustion engines (ICE)operate on the same prinicipal.)

My point is that they are just displacing the point where the emissions are taking place. Instead of coming out the tailpipe of the vehicle, the emissions are coming out the smokestack at the generating plant. With that in mind, I am wondering if the vehicle would get more miles per gallon if it were powered by a conventional ICE or more mileage from the same amount of fuel used to generate the electricity to power the compressor to compress the air to power the vehicle.

In my view, if the energy losses involved in converting the fuel into electricity into compressed air required that more fuel be used, then indeed this is another eco-scam.

A possible eco-scam is something I agree with. They have yet to generate a real perpetual motion machine, but I know MIT and similar schools are working hard at trying to minimize the energy loss within vehicles.

turnkey4099 · May 18, 2007

Well they have been promoting this thing for over 10 years now. At one time they claimed factories were being built in S Africa, Mexico and IIANM Brazil. That was about 10 years ago. They still haven't put one working car on display where real engineers can test it. There are sstill no factories and for sure there are no working prototypes out there.

The energy conversion losses alone make it a loser from the start. It would be far more efficient to just use the electricity to charge batteries. At leat that would yield a working car...oh, that's right it is already being done and has been for several decades already.

Every time I this subject comes up, I look at their web site. Amazing how the claims have changed over the years. IIRC the original version had something about 'burning air' and there was no IC assist power. Now I see it is down to having to sign up to even get any real info on it (no, I didnt' bother).

Harry K

Harry K

coffeeman · May 19, 2007

Dozernut said:
My son and I have air guns that we pump up to 2000 psi and we do this with a hand pump. It takes about 20-30 minutes and we have to stop to bleed off water and let the pump cool for a couple of minutes. This also gives me time to recover, I might like to run with the big dogs but the old body doesn't.

So in an hour or two you can fill up your air car and your ready to go? I can see the news now. 200 million people filling up their car air tanks by pumping the old fashion way. So the increase in exercise causes 200 million people to eat more bread. Thus, leads the way to a huge shortage of wheat and another national crisis. Millions of barrels of oil used to run tractors to harvest the extra wheat needed to power the people who power the cars. Net result; more pollution.

Cheers

Dozernut · May 19, 2007

coffeeman
I do not think I would want to pump up anything by hand to over 4000 psi. The only point I was making is that it does not take hours for a high pressure compressor to reach 4500 psi. If you would like to borrow my hand pump to pump up your air car, you are welcome to borrow it and I would buy you a loaf of bread. With all the caffeine I assume you intake, with the moniker you sport, you could probably pump that sucker up in 10 minutes LOL.
The air guns are a hoot until it comes time to refill the air reservoir. They shoot hard and flat about 1400 fps and have a rotary clip and will shoot match grade.
Have a good one.

coffeeman · May 19, 2007

Dozernut said:
coffeeman
I do not think I would want to pump up anything by hand to over 4000 psi. The only point I was making is that it does not take hours for a high pressure compressor to reach 4500 psi. If you would like to borrow my hand pump to pump up your air car, you are welcome to borrow it and I would buy you a loaf of bread. With all the caffeine I assume you intake, with the moniker you sport, you could probably pump that sucker up in 10 minutes LOL.
The air guns are a hoot until it comes time to refill the air reservoir. They shoot hard and flat about 1400 fps and have a rotary clip and will shoot match grade.
Have a good one.

Hey Doze

Point well taken.

Thanks for the offer for free bread. I can use all the bread I can get.
After coffee #5 I bet I could refill a big tank in 8 min. Especially if there is free bread in the deal.

Cheers... Coffeeman

turnkey4099 · May 20, 2007

Dozernut said:
coffeeman
I do not think I would want to pump up anything by hand to over 4000 psi. The only point I was making is that it does not take hours for a high pressure compressor to reach 4500 psi. If you would like to borrow my hand pump to pump up your air car, you are welcome to borrow it and I would buy you a loaf of bread. With all the caffeine I assume you intake, with the moniker you sport, you could probably pump that sucker up in 10 minutes LOL.
The air guns are a hoot until it comes time to refill the air reservoir. They shoot hard and flat about 1400 fps and have a rotary clip and will shoot match grade.
Have a good one.

Sorta depends on the size of the reservoir. Then there is the problem of getting rid of the heat (wasted energy)... You aren't going to find any compressor capable of those kinds of pressure installed in a homeowners garage.

Harry K

MossRoad · May 20, 2007

There is an outdoor childrens park in Rapid City, South Dakota that has a little blue train engine with yellow trim. It is only about 4 feet high and six feet long. Odd thing is, there is no motor on it, only an air tank. As I recall, it is an air powered locomotive for use in underground mines. The plaque said it could run for 4 hours on one charge. And it was very safe because there was no combustion engine to cause fires. Mines always have a source of compressed air. It was pretty cool. I have a picture of it around somewhere, just can't locate it now.

Of course, its pretty obvious that the energy required to pump that sucker up would be huge. I don't think it would save any energy at all. It would, however, save on emissions in the area it operated, but not in the area where the compressor got its power from, unless that power was electricity generated by solar, wind, water or nuker.