[dgun]

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4251491.html?series=19

And while ZPM is also licensed to build MDI’s two-seater OneCAT economy model (the one headed for India) and three-seat MiniCAT (like a SmartForTwo without the gas), the New Paltz, N.Y., startup is aiming bigger: Company officials want to make the first air-powered car to hit U.S. roads a $17,800, 75-hp equivalent, six-seat modified version of MDI’s CityCAT (pictured above) that, thanks to an even more radical engine, is said to travel as far as 1000 miles at up to 96 mph with each tiny fill-up.

I posted an article several months ago about this car being manufactured in India and was quickly admonished by the QatzelText for being a sheeple.

But the technology is reasonable and interesting and apparently workable considering its use in India.

I would be interested in knowing exactly how the air tanks become full and pressurized. If by drawing power off the grid, then that is not the best scenario, but it beats using gasoline considering the grid is partially hydroelectric, wind power, small part solar, small part nuclear to go along with all the coal it burns.

And between coal and gas I would choose coal because it makes the US less dependent on foreign oil.

But it would be even better if the air tanks could be filled using a completely 'green' technology.

Thoughts? Other than that the car is ugly?

[Muck]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmqpGZv0YT4

Its an interesting idea. I was looking at it a few days ago, but thought that the motor-in-wheel technology was more likely to succeed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T40ZqLZiZyg

[Thunderhawk]

Motor in wheel technology has been about for a long time.
Not sure how well they perform in snow

[ThereBeDragons]

Air power is similar to fuel cells in the sense that both are merely ways of storing energy (presumably from the grid) in an efficient way. It's essentially a way of producing a battery-powered car where the battery doesn't suck ass (many problems with batteries, shit for efficiency being one of them, and many many more prevent you from loading up a battery to power a decent car. But all energy that isn't naturally occurring chemical (ie, gasoline, that comes directly from crude) must come from the grid; it's not like we can mine compressed air.

[Thunderhawk]

The tanks (for the French version) are filled to 300 bar. That is almost 300 atmospheres worth of pressure. A car tire has ~1 atmosphere of pressure. Im sure the holding tanks are safe, but a small puncture will probably shoot out a stream of compressed air powerful enough to cut through flesh (or perhaps even, the car body..)

But all energy that isn't naturally occurring chemical (ie, gasoline, that comes directly from crude) must come from the grid; it's not like we can mine compressed air.

At high vehicle speeds an air intake could be used.

[ThereBeDragons]

At high vehicle speeds an air intake could be used.

The important part is not the air itself, but the compression thereof, which is where the energy is contained. Taking in uncompressed air is not very useful because compressing it would take energy (and why not directly power the motor if you already have that energy on had.)

[Typhoon]

The tanks (for the French version) are filled to 300 bar. That is almost 300 atmospheres worth of pressure. A car tire has ~1 atmosphere of pressure. Im sure the holding tanks are safe, but a small puncture will probably shoot out a stream of compressed air powerful enough to cut through flesh (or perhaps even, the car body..)

I work with cylinders presurised to this level a lot and they are guite safe even when you throw them around . The cylinder will most likely go through a regulator before it hits the engine so any leak would be at a much lower pressure than the tank itself.
Plus air is pretty much inert, its not going to set on fire or harm anyone if it leaks, so in many ways it has a lot of advantages over conventional combustion fuels.

Though going to the pumps would be interesting, do you pressurise it yourself or just swap the tanks for pre-pressurised ones?

[dgun]

But all energy that isn't naturally occurring chemical (ie, gasoline, that comes directly from crude) must come from the grid;

Well, by 'grid' I mean the electric grid we all use. If that is the way you use it also, it is not true that all power must come from the grid.

Specifically, I was thinking of power from a wind mill or solar panels directly compressing the air, etc.

As to your assumptions about fuel cells, I think we have had this argument before, but it takes nothing from the grid. And it is not a battery, and I am sure that I have had this argument with Qatz also.

[Muck]

Motor in wheel technology has been about for a long time.

Outrunner motors have been around for a while, but I dont know of any on-the-road car that uses them at the moment.

At high vehicle speeds an air intake could be used.

Not really.

Though going to the pumps would be interesting, do you pressurise it yourself or just swap the tanks for pre-pressurised ones?

Re-pressurise them. I think they said it would take about 10 minutes, or do it at home overnight with the built in compressor. I cant remember the figure exactly, but somewhere they talked about the compressor the refuel stations would have to use, and it was many hundred bhp.

[Thunderhawk]

I work with cylinders presurised to this level a lot and they are guite safe even when you throw them around

Are such chambers typically pressurized in a multistage compression process, or direct from atmosphere to compressor* to tank ?

*at 300 bar, this is well above what I am familiar with. Im assuming such pressures are reached by either expensive centrifugal pumps, or a several staged positive displacement pumps.


As for puncture, Im thinking a nail, sharp rock or police spike strip (accident or purposefully) into the tank itself or damage to the pressure regulator (if its external), not a leak from a bad coupling.

The important part is not the air itself, but the compression thereof, which is where the energy is contained. Taking in uncompressed air is not very useful because compressing it would take energy (and why not directly power the motor if you already have that energy on had.)

Moving at high speeds effectively compresses air around the vehicle. Some of that compressed air can be funneled into the air intake. If the pressure is sufficiently high it may be worth it to turn the compressor on and refill, though that assumes there is an intermediate pressure tank aswell.

[Typhoon]

Fortunately they are delivered them already pressurised, so no idea how they compress them. The tanks themselves are very robust (have to be at that pressure), bult like bombs and about the size of me.

I think the only problem you could have would really be in a crash, then again conventional engines can be as dangerous in such situations.

[sploop!]

http://www.cyber-media.com/aircar/

Lots of interesting stuff on the link above.

1000 miles at up to 96 mph with each tiny fill-up.

I really doubt this. I think they have accidentally added an extra zero to the distance figure. See the link below...

http://www.cyber-media.com/aircar/range/rangetestresults.html

This is an urban car, it needs a range of maybe 60 miles minimum, and a maximum speed of 60mph would be plenty enough. Don't get too excited...

[dgun]

I really doubt this. I think they have accidentally added an extra zero to the distance figure. See the link below...

Yeah, I think you're right.

[hannu]

I hope this car is rear wheel drive & fitted with a decent slipper.

There just aren't enough drift cars around nowadays.

[Thunderhawk]

I really doubt this. I think they have accidentally added an extra zero to the distance figure.

There is a difference between tests on a level road in ideal conditions, and real world usage. The same applies to mileage on conventional gasoline engine cars.

[QatzelOk]

A statue of Henry Ford is crying tears of liquid money.