Posted on 03/19/2007 4:47:16 PM PDT by HangnJudge
March 19, 2007 Many respected engineers have been trying for years to bring a compressed air car to market, believing strongly that compressed air can power a viable "zero pollution" car. Now the first commercial compressed air car is on the verge of production and beginning to attract a lot of attention, and with a recently signed partnership with Tata, India’s largest automotive manufacturer, the prospects of very cost-effective mass production are now a distinct possibility. The MiniC.A.T is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis that is glued not welded and a body of fibreglass. The heart of the electronic and communication system on the car is a computer offering an array of information reports that extends well beyond the speed of the vehicle, and is built to integrate with external systems and almost anything you could dream of, starting with voice recognition, internet connectivity, GSM telephone connectivity, a GPS guidance system, fleet management systems, emergency systems, and of course every form of digital entertainment. The engine is fascinating, as is and the revolutionary electrical system that uses just one cable and so is the vehicle’s wireless control system. Microcontrollers are used in every device in the car, so one tiny radio transmitter sends instructions to the lights, indicators etc
Most importantly, it is incredibly cost-efficient to run – according to the designers, it costs less than one Euro per 100Km (about a tenth that of a petrol car). Its mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car (200 to 300 km or 10 hours of driving), a factor which makes a perfect choice in cities where the 80% of motorists drive at less than 60Km. The car has a top speed of 68 mph.
(Excerpt) Read more at gizmag.com ...
No gas tank or battery
non-flammable propellant
exhaust temp of 0 - 15 degrees below zero make great air conditioner
Fill up at home overnight and make use of off-peak electricity
Good arguement for ramping up nuclear power
Made by Tata motors, India's largest car maker
200 to 300 km range (120-180mi)
Gets us off the habit of giving money
to those who want to kill us
http://www.theaircar.com/
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1636348/posts
posted previously 05/22/2006
bump
I want my Air Car.
What compresses the air? Magic pixies?
Let Al Gore ride in it first. When I see the eco nazis truly using these products, I might give a s*** until then, it is "feel good" fantasy.
Sorry, it blows.
Nope - ramp up nuclear power production
get off the gasoline habit
If it takes longer than 10 mins to recharge or replace power, it's another lost attempt.
I couldn't have said it better.
Union pixies. You just know the price is gonna go up.
Sorry, it blows.
But it blows cold air, might be useful to us in the South
3 minutes to recharge from a compressed air source
~4 hours if you recharge it at home
The numbers don't add up... Sorry...
Assume an average speed of 20 kph - that translates to ~5.6 meters per second. Pretty slow, overall. But we'll say it's a commuter vehicle in rush hour! And we'll negate any friction losses, too...
Now assume the vehicle weighs in at 500 kg, loaded (it'll be light!), and that it will run for 250 km (right in the middle of the range provided).
It takes about 9.8 Watts to move one kilogram one meter in one second.
So, we have 9.8 Watts per kg-m/s times 500 kg * 5.6 m/s = 27.4 kW.
Now, we have a range of 250 km, right? So at 20 kph, that is 12.5 hours:
27.4 kW * 12.5 hours = 343 kW-h.
Assuming a cost of USD$3 to run it, that would translate to around (300 cents /343 kW-h) 0.87 pennies per kW-h. Or $0.0087 per kW-h.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have pretty cheap electricity, thanks to all the abundant hydro we have. And we pay around 6.5 cents per kW-h. SO that would be around 7.5 times as expensive as the article's rate...
I'd expect to see refill costs in the $30 per tank range, not $3. Meaning you're paying around $1 per 10 km of range, or $3 per 30 km of range. Like a typical large vehicle if powered by gas (assuming gas at $3 per gallon, and you get 20 MPG).
And note that the small Aero, or Prius - vehicles that get 45 MPG in the same type of low speed operation - would have even more distance per dollar...
Numbers just don't add up...
Union pixies. You just know the price is gonna go up.
Make 'em in India if it matters
I don't care
I'm tired of giving money to
people who want to kill me
Air Car?
This thing blows L0L
Nuclear is only a portion of our electrical generation. And if you believe nuclear power is pollution free, can we store the spent fuel at your place?
I have a problem with false advertising. Compressed Air is also very inefficient energy storage due to the loss caused by heating and subsequent cooling.
ROTFLMAO!
I'm working on a Di-lithium crystal power source right now in my basement.
I probably won't be able to go commercial for awhile...I still haven't figured out how to get a constant stream of anti-matter.
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