Posted on 02/22/2005 3:21:25 PM PST by goldstategop
These are no ordinary cars. Power comes from fresh air stored in reinforced carbon-fiber tanks beneath the chassis. Air is compressed to 4,500 pounds per square inch — about 150 times the pressure of the typical car tire. The air is fed into four cylinders where it expands, driving specially designed pistons. About 25 horsepower is generated.
Though technical problems are being worked out, company officials say the car is capable of 70 mph and a 120-mile range under normal city conditions, performance that is comparable to electric cars.
Critics say the car has had trouble living up to its range projections. But company officials say they are trying to overcome that by warming the stored air.
Recharging the onboard tanks takes about four hours using the car's small compressor, which can be plugged into any wall outlet. Gas stations equipped with special air pumps can replenish the tanks in about three minutes. Company officials say the oil only needs to be changed every 31,000 miles.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
That's cool if they are. I wasn't aware they are using them here. It certainly solves the "dead battery in winter" problem.
Thank you for the information, I did not know all that.
This is why I love FR.
Yeah I know. It's actually not a bad idea. And even if it was, many bad ideas have turned genius with minor innovations. On the surface, it doesn't appear to be worthwhile. And yeah, I realize France is mostly nuclear-powered. Which would be a step away from oil-dependence. But I just really wanted to take a shot at France. =P But from an engineer's perspective, I don't think that would be too safe a method.
They'll have to pry my big, booming, gasoline powered, V8 engined, SUV and pickup From My Cold Dead Hands!
FMCDH ~ Bump!
If hot air is better, hook old Sot Kennedy up to it. Hot air and alcohol would make a great misture.
I once saw a oxygen bottle (one of the big ones used in cutting torchs) fall and break off the valve. It took off like a photo torpedo and went through a foot thick concrete wall.
Potential as a niche, special use vehicle... but will depend on its price tag. Also 3 hours is not acceptable recharge time if you don't happen to make it to the gas station pump... beef up the compressor or something.
So what is the advantage? It takes power from somewhere to compress the air. Anytime energy is changed from chemical (or nuclear or hydroelectric or wind…) to electric to potential power is lost.
AH! It cuts down on the air pollution in Paris! – except for the power plants upwind of the city.
BTTT
Once, years ago, I was trying to top-off a leaky car air conditioner with R-12, and accidentally dropped the full can of Freon right on the valve, which snapped off. The can leapt into the air and flew about a block down the street, ascending well above the treetops before it ran dry. That's a best-case scenario, only with people along for the ride.
Would a pinhole make it explode? Or would the carbon fiber reinforcement prevent that?
LOL! Sounds like a huge seller!
LOLOL!
You could make it explosion proof - but, it would have to be carried around on a battleship, it would be so heavy.
Braking energy could be harnessed like it is in the gas/electric hybrids. The air tank would weigh a lot less than a bunch of batteries.
"Isn't 4500 PSI about what we see in SCUBA tanks?" Yes but most tanks are at 3,000 psi. Just think about the movie Jaws when they shot the scuba tank and blew up the shark. Another car hitting one of these going 70 could have the same results.
Good point.
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