A car that runs on air

http://theaircar.com/ ^

[BlueSky194]

What are people's opinion of this?

[SteelCurtain_SSN720]

-NEW YORK TIMES HEADLINES, 2021-
"U.S. running out of air, U.N. tax on consumption suggested."

"America's air addiction: should we consider drilling ANWAR?"

"Air gap widens between Whites, Minorities."

[Asfarastheeastisfromthewest...]

I've studied this one quite a bit and think that there is actually quite a lot of potential with this - not necessarily with the MDI design (which I have not looked at in detail) but with the concept of air powered engines in general. There are quite a few ways that air engines can operate and the jury is still out on which one makes the most sense. Here is another one for example - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1636030/posts (this one was discussed as operating on biodiesel but can operate on air too. As pointed out in other posts, one still has to generate the compressed air and that isn't necessarily cheap since it almost always means electricity and high pressure compressors are not all the efficient - the bit of analysis that I've done shows that it can still be quite economical though and particularly so if there is a use for the heat that is generated during the compression process (this improves the overall efficiency enormously). One big advantage (and the reason why the electrical companies should rejoice with this is that it becomes a very viable way to level load electrical stations. The big problem now is that there is a peak in the morning when people get out of bed and fire factories up for the day and another peak later in the afternoon when people come home from work. Then the power demand drops off gradually and the electrical generators go into idle mode until the next morning when the cycle starts over again. (Thank goodness for coal powered plants as they have no problem adapting to this cycle as opposed to the nukes which really only operate at a single capacity.) What air powered cars do is help to level load i.e. each home owner could have a storage tank in their garage and a compressor that starts in the evening and gradually fills over the course of the evening in order to replenish the supply for the next day (or this of course could happen at as commercial fill station.) If other forms of compressing air become viable, the possibilities become even more interesting.

As for the cars themselves, there are some big advantages - absolutely zero pollution and very low maintenance being the main ones. Believe it or not, you can get a lot more torque out of a much smaller package so there is a substantial weight reduction. As has been pointed out, the generating stations still produce pollution but it is a lot easier to deal with it there than at a car exhaust pipe. The drawback is the limited driving range but recently they have been developing tanks in the 4,000 to 10,000 psi range and with this level of capacity, it won't be long before it will be very feasible to have air-powered cars on the road with a range of 50 to 100 miles. This still may not seem like much but it does satisfy the needs of most people for going back and forth to work or shopping. The issue of marketing around this device is an unknown of course - as is the technical viability of people having their own 'fill station' in their own garage (if that is what they choose to do as opposed to going to a commercial outlet).

[Old Professer]

"The company is financed by the sale of manufacturing licences and patents all over the world."

Blue Sky.

[thackney]

Well, from an efficiency view point, is the cycle more efficient that a gasoline engine.

Can you provide some information on that claim? Efficiency including the entire delivery of power?

[Disambiguator]

Do they sound like a bunch of impact drivers out on the road?

You know, like how 2-stroke dirt bikes sound like chainsaws on wheels?

[taxcontrol]

I make no claim... please re-read my post.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

If I'm going to pay money anyway, I'd rather have zero pollution.

Excuse me, but where do you think the energy to compress the air comes from?

[nuke rocketeer]

Looks like a pissed-off bug!

[from occupied ga]

What are people's opinion of this?

SCAM!

Trolling for dimwitted investors

[TChris]

From the website:

The MDI con-rod system allows the piston to be held at Top Dead Centre for 70º of the cycle.

So, that means it spends nearly 3/4 of its time doing...nothing? ROFL!

The Articulated con-rod, exclusively patented by MDI.

This way, enough time is given to create the pressure in the cylinder. The torque is also better so the force exerted on the crankshaft is less substantial than in a classic system.

Torque is better, but the force exerted is less. What a hilarious con job! I'll bet there are guys giving this dude money too.

[thackney]

If you are only looking at part of the process, the comparison of efficiency isn't meaningful.

[Redcloak]

why do they have to make these things look so stupid

So that the driver looks less stupid by comparison. (Kinda like putting Helen Thomas next to Rosie O'Donnel to make Rosie look like a hottie.)

[hosepipe]

[ A car that runs on air ]

The next pork funding of Congress.. Congress could buy this concept... This MUST be investigated.. A car that runs on air driven by those on minium wage.. Raise the minimim wage and it may get more miles to the bloviation..

[#1CTYankee]

"Have they thought of trying a twisted rubber band car?"

Shhhh, my patent hasn't been approved yet.

[Obadiah]

Looks like one of those yellow plastic toy coups my kid is always leaving in the driveway.

[Right Wing Assault]

It has zero pollution.

NO. How can you compress large amounts of air to put into these 'cars' without pollution? Air compressors use electric motors (that are plugged into a polluting power plant) or gas engines that pollute on their own. Of course, you could always get a bicycle pump and pump on it for about 16 hours a day.

[nuke rocketeer]

Interesting, as the thermodynaimcs and mileage page has an URL error. Could it be that the promoter was caught overpromising how much energy it would save and pulled it. I notice nowhere did he promise energy savings, just pollution free.

Also, it will be pollution free only if the electricity to compress the air comes from a nuke, wind, solar, or hydro plant. I could find no information on the air tank capacity and max operating pressure, or I would have calculated it.

[palmer]

runs on water

Unless I'm in a hurry, I normally walk across.

[nuke rocketeer]

It would soon be a squashed bug on the windshield of a normal truck or car!

[Protagoras]

Every time gas prices make a big leap upward, these kinds of things start coming out of the wood.

Which is a good thing.

Nothing produces innovation faster than necessity.