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Yamaha-frame bike with scuba tank makes Dyson shortlist [Runs on AIR!]
Phys.Org ^ | 11-06-2012 | Staff

Posted on 11/06/2012 1:29:52 PM PST by Red Badger

Look what an Australian designer would like us to roll with in a no-emissions future: A motorcycle powered by nothing but air. Adding to a growing portfolio of ideas centered around compressed-air engines, this good-looking entry is called the 02 Pursuit. As an alternative-fuel bike, it reaches impressive speeds, given that is powered by a tank of compressed air. Opened up all the way, according to claims, the O2 Pursuit can do over 60 miles on a single tank and can zoom past trees and mountains at 87 mph. The obvious advantage to electric bikes would be that this Pursuit cycle would not require the big heavy batteries, long re-charging waits, and thoughts about battery disposal.

The O2 Pursuit was designed by Dean Benstead, an industrial designer and a graduate of RMIT University, in Melbourne, Australia. Benstead started out with a what-if idea: "Living in a world where people can commute in vehicles and have fun without impacting on the environment in a scenario that seems unachievable and unimaginable—what if we could?" He worked the idea into a functional prototype stage with numerous design iterations along the way. He said he conducted a validation of air as power source with the use of life-cycle analysis mapping and futuring. A Yamaha WR250R frame was fitted with a compressed-air engine, which is the DiPietro Air Engine developed by Engineair Australia, and a standard scuba diving tank. Last year, he showcased his O2 Pursuit air-powered motorcycle at the Sydney Motorcycle and Scooter Show. This year, the O2 Pursuit is one of the inventions that have been shortlisted for the upcoming James Dyson Award. There are 15 projects on the list and the winner and two runners-up will be announced on November 8.

As some suggest, however, the idea is wonderful but not yet practical. The drawback is lack of refilling stations, and a need to find power to compress the air in the first place. While gas stations are available to provide compressed air, they would not be efficient for something like a scuba tank. The answer would be in a "distributed generation smart grid," he said, where refill stations can be positioned around a city or rural area to facilitate the required range. The refill points would be navigable via the user's integrated smartphone and GPS system. Air energy could be compressed via solar or wind and stored in an inert state forever. Right now, however, the O2 Pursuit is a project that provides an inviting look into the use of air as an alternative fuel in, as he said, a post-petroleum world.


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; Technical; Testing
KEYWORDS: motorcycle
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To: beelzepug; All
The electricity is being produced anyway, in my part of the country mostly by hydro power. May as well use it. At least these wouldn’t be driving all over spewing fumes and noise like the two-stroke motors they usually run.

There are no mainstream NEW 2-stroke motorcycles. They've been banned in CA, and no manufacturer wants to build a mass market item that cannot be sold in CA.

The point is, they are claiming "Zero emissions". That is not possible, since only 6.2% of electricity comes from hydropower in the US.

This bike is a fraud, just like "Zero emission" electric cars.

41 posted on 11/06/2012 1:53:12 PM PST by backwoods-engineer (My game is disruption. I will use lethal force --my vote-- in self-defense against Obama.)
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To: mikeus_maximus

couldn’t the energy produced by spinning wheels be harnessed somehow to compress air real-time onboard?


42 posted on 11/06/2012 1:53:16 PM PST by blueplum
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To: AppyPappy

....or windmills........;^)


43 posted on 11/06/2012 1:54:18 PM PST by Red Badger (Why yes, that was crude and uncalled for......That's why I said it..............)
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To: Red Badger
http://biobug.org/scuba/scubatank/ calculates the energy in the compressed air in a scuba tank. So for a 230 bar 12L tank we have 230*12*450 Joules. 1,242,000 joules!

But gasoline has 34,200,000 Joules per liter, so a 12L scuba tank has the same amount of energy as 1.23 fluid ounces of gasoline. Woo-hoo!

44 posted on 11/06/2012 1:54:26 PM PST by KarlInOhio (Big Bird is a brood parasite: laid in our nest 43 years ago and we are still feeding him.)
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To: blueplum
couldn’t the energy produced by spinning wheels be harnessed somehow to compress air real-time onboard?

That would be known as a Type 1 Perpetual Motion Machine. Do you have one that works? I'll give you a million dollars right now if it is demonstrated to work for a week under load.

45 posted on 11/06/2012 1:54:51 PM PST by backwoods-engineer (My game is disruption. I will use lethal force --my vote-- in self-defense against Obama.)
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To: RatSlayer

“It would make for a pretty spectacular wreck to see that bike hit a truck and puncture that tank.”

I’m thinking of that scene in “Jaws.”


46 posted on 11/06/2012 1:55:37 PM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
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To: Red Badger

I thought of a tank rupture too. I am scared of cheapo air compressors for that reason. I wonder what pressure these are charged to. You would be riding around with a bomb between your legs. In the event of a rupture there could be body parts lost that you will NEVER find again. Makes me cringe to think about it.


47 posted on 11/06/2012 1:55:53 PM PST by Reddon
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To: bigbob

What I could not understand about the French car is It’s moving @ whatever MPH all it takes to compress the air back to the tank is a flywheel on a wheel moving to compress air!
With pressure valves and dual tanks the air could be replaced while driving!


48 posted on 11/06/2012 1:56:00 PM PST by Conserev1
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To: backwoods-engineer

This bike is a fraud, just like “Zero”................


49 posted on 11/06/2012 1:57:09 PM PST by Red Badger (Why yes, that was crude and uncalled for......That's why I said it..............)
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To: backwoods-engineer

I love making the comment to electric car owners: “Nice coal burner!”

The Fiskar people weren’t amused.


50 posted on 11/06/2012 1:57:35 PM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est.)
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To: blueplum

Uh.....no..............


51 posted on 11/06/2012 1:58:24 PM PST by Red Badger (Why yes, that was crude and uncalled for......That's why I said it..............)
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To: I want the USA back

It requires a tremendous amount of energy to compress air....of all the equipment in my shop, I pay more for the air compressor than anything else. And that’s only at about 100 psi. A SCUBA tank requires a High Pressure Air Compressor (HPAC), anything in excess of 1000 psi, and would likely be a 5K psi compressor. Although it’s a cute idea, it would be far less efficient than good ole’ gasoline.


52 posted on 11/06/2012 1:59:23 PM PST by rottndog (Be Prepared.....for what's coming AFTER America.)
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To: FreedomPoster
http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/fisker-karma-spontaneously-combusts/
53 posted on 11/06/2012 2:01:06 PM PST by Red Badger (Why yes, that was crude and uncalled for......That's why I said it..............)
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To: RatSlayer

You know, it occurred to me that that might be the case today. I haven’t done any dirt-biking for many years. I ride a cruiser these days and it takes a lot of air to move 800 lbs of bike and 200 lbs of rider. I think I’ll stick with dinosaur premium.


54 posted on 11/06/2012 2:01:43 PM PST by beelzepug ("0bama is a feckless crapweasel")
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To: backwoods-engineer

AirForce PCP Hand Pump, for AirForce Rifles, Incl. Hose + Adapter, Pumps up to 3600 psi

55 posted on 11/06/2012 2:01:59 PM PST by Errant
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To: Blue Highway
Shops in SoCal usually charged $3-5, $6+ seems standard here in Hawaii with higher electric costs.

Same charge whether a small low pressure tank or a large high pressure tank. For this bike, a HP100+ would be the ticket. Not too heavy for the air load.

56 posted on 11/06/2012 2:02:29 PM PST by doorgunner69
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To: FreedomPoster

Oh, and BTW, FiskAR makes great scissors.

FiskER makes great outdoor grills.........kinda expensive though.....


57 posted on 11/06/2012 2:02:36 PM PST by Red Badger (Why yes, that was crude and uncalled for......That's why I said it..............)
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To: Red Badger
Just to play devil's advocate here; pneumatic motive power does have some advantages.

* If you're in a hot climate, you get "free" cooling, from the release of the expanding air. OTOH, if you're in a cold climate, you don't get this benefit and you still have to figure out how to heat your vehicle.

* The refills would be quick -- quicker than any solution proposed for battery-electric vehicles. Or, you could have slow refills using a small compressor at home.

* Regenerative braking could capture a lot more energy than is possible in an electric vehicle.

* The article mentions powering the compressors by using wind or solar power. That could be a way of making some use of the wind power or solar power that is produced when it's not otherwise needed. Of course, that requires an assumption that wind and solar power are inevitable, regardless of financial or other considerations.

* Compressed air tanks have greater energy density than batteries -- i.e. they don't weigh as much.



Tata "AirPod" prototype. (India)
58 posted on 11/06/2012 2:03:36 PM PST by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: Blue Highway

“What’s the cost of filling up a scuba tank?”

Depends on the size, generally around $12.


59 posted on 11/06/2012 2:05:32 PM PST by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: wonkowasright

Me either.......

Air devices require CFM. A tank small enough to fit on a cycle can’t deliver many cubic feet.


60 posted on 11/06/2012 2:05:54 PM PST by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... Present failure and impending death yield irrational action))
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