Compressed Air Car bewyn

Introduction  It is hard to believe that compressed air can be used to drive vehicles. However that is true, and the “air car”, as it is popularly known, has caught the attention of researchers worldwide.  It has zero emissions and is ideal for city driving conditions.  MDI is one company that holds the international patents for the compressed air car. Although it seems to be an environmentally-friendly solution, one must consider its well to wheel efficiency. The electricity requirement for compressing air has to be considered while computing overall efficiency. Nevertheless, the compressed air vehicle will contribute to reducing urban air pollution in the long run.

 An Air Car is a car that can run on compressed air, with out use of conventional fuels.  The car is powered by an air engine.  The air engine is an emission free piston engine using compressed air.  These engines are similar to steam engines as they use the expansion of externally supplied pressurized gas to perform work against a piston.

Technology  Mankind has been making use of uncompressed airpower from centuries in different application viz., windmills, sailing, balloon car, hot air balloon flying and hang gliding etc.  The use of compressed air for storing energy is a method that is not only efficient and clean, but also economical and has been used since the 19th century to power mine locomotives, and was previously the basis of naval torpedo propulsion. In 1903, the Liquid Air Company located in London manufactured a number of compressed air and liquified air cars.  The major problem with compressed air cars was the lack of torque produced by the "engines" and the cost of compressing the air.

MDI  Its mileage is about double that of the most advanced and current electrical car.  The car has a top speed of 68 mph.  Once the market develops, refilling will take 2-3 minutes and cost only $2.00 to fill the cars carbon fiber tanks with 340 liters of air at 4350psi. It will then be ready to go another miles.  As a viable alternative, the car carries a small compressor which can be connected to the electrical grid and refill the tank in 3-4 hours.  Due to the absence of combustion and, consequently, of residues, changing the oil (1liter of vegetable oil) is necessary only every 31,000 miles.  The temperature of the clean air expelled by the exhaust pipe is between 0 – 15 degrees below zero, the air conditioning system makes use of the expelled cold air with no use of Freon.  The final selling price will be approximately 10,900 USD.

Advantages of All Compressed Air Vehicles  The costs involved to compress the air to be used in a vehicle are inferior to the costs involved to fuel a normal combustion engine.  Air is abundant, economical, transportable, storable and, most importantly, nonpolluting.  The technology involved with compressed air reduces the production costs of vehicles by 20% because it is not necessary to assemble a refrigeration system, a fuel tank, spark plugs or silencers.  Air itself is not flammable  The mechanical design of the motor is simple and robust

 It does not suffer from corrosion damage resulting from the battery.  Less manufacturing and maintenance costs.  The tanks used in an air compressed motor can be discarded or recycled with less contamination than batteries.  The tanks used in a compressed air motor have a longer lifespan in comparison with batteries, which, after a while suffer from a reduction in performance.  Some of the air used is returned to the air tank.

Air car in India  Tata Motors has signed an agreement with Moteur Development International of France to develop a car that runs on compressed air, thus making it very economical to run and almost totally pollution free. Although there is no official word on when the car will be commercially manufactured for India, reports say that it will be sooner than later.  The car - MiniCAT - could cost around Rs 350,000 in India and would have a range of around 300 km between refuels.  The cost of a refill would be about Rs 90. In the single energy mode MDI cars consume around Rs 45 every 100 km.  The smallest and most innovative (three seats, minimal dimensions with the boot of a saloon), it is a great challenge for such a small car which runs on compressed air.

Conclusion  The technology of compressed air vehicles is not new. In fact, it has been around for years. Compressed air technology allows for engines that are both non-polluting and economical. After ten years of research and development, the comp ressed air vehicle will be introduced worldwide.  Unlike electric or hydrogen powered vehicles, compressed air vehicles are not expensive and do not have a limited driving range. Compressed air vehicles are affordable and have a performance rate that stands up to current standards.

References  SAE , Schechter.M., “New Cycles for Automobile engines.”  Internet website,  Internet website,