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Posted on 05/08/2015 8:05:39 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
InternationAL. Good grief!
“The inefficiency is off the charts”
Big time. And I’m assuming the amount of energy obtained when the compressed air is put to work can’t be greater than the energy used to compress the air, which includes BOTH the energy heat energy given up when the air is compressed AND the work it took to compress the air in the first place. And then on top of all of that, when the air performs work as it is uncompressed, it draws back all of the heat it lost when compressed.
It strikes me that this scheme isn’t too much different than trying to use a refrigeration system as a propulsion system. I bet you end up with something like 80% of the total energy inputs being wasted.
And then on top of that, how much actual work can you get out of a, let’s be generous and say 100 gallon tank, at 4400psi of compressed air? Enough to accelerate a 2 ton vehicle to 75mph 2-3 times and then drive it for, what, 3-4 miles after each acceleration? Oh, and the noise of that compressed air uncompromising has to be ungodly. Anybody every hear a supersonic wind tunnel in action, where a few thousand gallons of highly compressed air are suddenly released through a small orifice?
This whole thing sounds to be less feasible than using Unicorn farts.
(BTW, I’d love for an actual engineer to provide real energy and power numbers for my above suppositions.)
KA-BOOM!
Anyone ever see an oxygen tank for oxy-acetelyine welding get the regulator broken off?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1_CQc85jrU
Perhaps the heating fuel is methane emitted from the driver via a pipe, strategically located and fed to a combustion chamber when the struggle buggy is driven on the freeway? Just asking.
300 bar is the upper end for SCUBA tanks so they may be having system parts made by dive equipment suppliers. Also might have these be able to use dive shop air compressors. Hawaii might have some of those.
Zero P website ain’t real heavy on info. They show three variations in pics including a delivery car.
Must have a deep cycle battery. Joystick to steer; three wheeler setup with a twin front wheel that looks like solid rubber forklift/ pallet jack tires from what little I could tell. If they are solid then chunks will be lost and it will ride even rougher. Maybe mower tires. Probably no spare for the back.
$11,000. Has a four hour onboard compressor; did not say to what pressure. Wiper and lights. Heat and A/C who knows? I think high side winds will be a risk. They listed 617 pounds. Fiberglass/ composite construction-— it really should have a roll-bar.
They should be able to sell some of these to congested urban areas. For large industrial sites or airports I don’t think that compressed air vehicles are a bad idea if in a more utilitarian body format.
DUDE...where you gonna put the surf board??
$10,000 Car - AirPod - That Runs On Air https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RBl1LFUQ4c
Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know - The Thorium https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sG9_OplUK8
All the discussion of “explosions” is just ignorant.
The energy to compress air versus energy output is a concern.
The variation in stored, compressed air over temperature changes is a very real threat to efficiency. There is a reason they only want to do this in Hawaii....less temperature variations.
The design is clearly NOT compliant with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Once they are brought into compliance, weight will go up, efficiency and range will go down.
-it wasn't universally used however because electric locomotives -either battery or trolley powered --were generally more efficient---
Wife had one of those when we met. Fuji Heavy Industries before it became Subaru. Kind of like a miniature VW Beetle with doors that open backwards.
But it did get over 60 mpg. Sadly, there were some hills around it wouldn’t go up except, very slowly, in reverse.
Thanks for the link. Do you know of a good pro/con discussion on thorium reactors? Most all the articles I’ve seen were very obviously produced by fans.
Nothing wrong with that, but it just doesn’t help you with the balance sheet of good vs. bad.
I like the idea, esp for the city but I have my doubts. I own an Atlas Copco 90/185 air compressor. It weighs 3000lbs, eats diesel, generates a HUGE amount of heat and vibrates itself apart constantly. Turning diesel into air pressure isn’t cheap at all.
>> That thing’s got death-trap written all over it.
Yeah, it’s so gay, you could get AIDS just sitting in it.
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