MDI’s OneCAT
Posted on 03/30/2007 7:17:49 PM PDT by Rick_Michael
A car with an air-compressed engine will be able to drive around 124 miles or eight hours for just under $2.
The OneCAT, created by Moteur Development International (MDI) Founder Guy Nègre, can reach a speed of 68 mph and can cover about 124 miles, or eight hours of travel, which is more than double the road coverage of an electric car. When recharging the tank, the car needs to connect to an outlet for three to four hours or attach to an air pump at a gas station for two minutes.
Economy and the ecological benefits are the main advantages for the client since the car´s maintenance cost is 10 times less than that of a gasoline-powered car.
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The vehicle (www.theaircar.com) gets its power from 90 cubic meters of compressed air stored in fiber tanks. The expansion of air pushes the pistons and creates movement. The atmospheric temperature re-heats the engine and increases the road coverage. The air conditioning system makes use of the expelled cold air. Due to the absence of combustion and the fact there is no pollution, the oil change (one liter of vegetable oil) is only necessary every 31,000 miles.
At the moment, MDI has four models, a car, a taxi (five passengers), a pick-up truck, and a van. The final selling price will be $10,800 (£5,500).
MDI, founded in Luxembourg, based in the south of France, with commercial offices in Barcelona, has researched and developed the Air Car over 10 years, and the technology has more than 30 international patents.
MDI already signed with 50 factories in Europe, America, and Asia. The company is offering 20 licenses in the U.K. as exclusive manufacturing areas for cars as well as offering other licenses in the nautical and public transport sectors.
The company just signed a deal with Tata Motors in India to develop a new and cost-saving technology for applications for the Indian market.
The company is initially looking to produce 3,000 cars each year, with 70 staff working one eight-hour shift a day.
MDI developed two technologies to meet different needs. One is the single energy compressed air engines, and the other is dual energy compressed air plus fuel engines
The single energy engines will be available in Minicats and Citycats. These engines are for use in the city use, where the maximum speed is lower and the need for an environmentally safer car is greater.
The duel energy engine, on the other hand, can see use in the city, but also the open road. The engines will work exclusively with compressed air while it is running under 50 km/h in urban areas. When the car hits speeds over 50 km/h, the engines will switch to fuel mode. The engine will be able to use gasoline, gas oil, bio diesel, gas, liquidized gas, ecological fuel, and alcohol.
The engine types will be available with two, four, and six cylinders. When the air tanks are empty, the driver will be able to switch to fuel mode, thanks to the car’s on board computer.
This engine (for more information, click on www.theaircar.com/howitworks.html) has four two-stage pistons, i.e. eight compression and/or expansion chambers. They have two functions: to compress ambient air and refill the storage tanks; and to make successive expansions (reheating air with ambient thermal energy) thereby approaching isothermic expansion.
Its steering wheel is equipped with a 5kW electric moto-alternator. This motor acts as the:
No clutch is necessary. The engine is idle when the car is stationary, and the vehicle starts via the magnetic plate which re-engages the compressed air. The electric motor allows for the parking capabilities.
For related information, go to www.isa.org/manufacturing_automation.
Watch video below
"The energy, no matter what its final form (air pressure) has to come from somewhere. And in the end, that source of origin is fossil fuel (except for solar cells.) This is just replacing a battery with an air tank."
Understood. It's a matter of effiency in my view. Less cost. I'm not praise the Goremind. I'm just thinking of our long-term security (both economically and physically).
Algae fuel would be the best alternative, although costs are too high...at the moment. I do believe our economy will be algae-driven in the future, if all things go well. That or fusion...but I think fusion is the DREAM.
Comfortably carries an average family of four Weebles.
If you believe all this about this car; I have a perpetual motion machine I would like you all to invest in.
Never ever worry about energy again; just spin it once and it goes and goes and goes and goes sometimes faster and faster and faster...
Last time I gave it a big shove to get it moving and I couldn't get it stopped until I hooked up the contraption to car brakes and then I wore two sets out before I could stop it.
Call me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmqpGZv0YT4
Watch the video. These guys are ready to go to market. The end of a video shows a Wankel style engine that works even better. Looks pretty convincing to me, and much better than electric or hydrogen.
If I wanted to drive around in a golf cart then I might consider this. I'll stick with my 405hp Corvette Z06 - and I ain't buying no stinkin' Carbon Offsets!
"though electrical car cost far too much money (due to the battery)."
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The batteries are also a waste disposal nightmare, a problem that is not considered by many who discuss electric vehicles. Also, the set of batteries can make a used electric car economically worthless as it depreciates to a value of about $3000 by the measure of any gasoline powered car.
If this takes off, I wonder what state governments will do for tax revenue? You can compress at home and never visit a gas station again - at least for driving around town.
"I once foolishly brought up the subject of air powered cars on an alternative energy thread. Man, I was excoriated as a greenie dimwit."
It shouldn't be this way. Alternative shouldn't be a liberal thing. It's our responsiblity to review these things and not prejudge them as only for the Greenies.
Of coarse not, and I agree. I think biodisels along with other forms of energy in the long-run will win out.
I do think we should drill in Alaska and on the coast, but we have to keep our eyes open for things like this. Who knows, it could live up to the hype.
Who cares about Carbon. The cost savings would be phenomenal, not to mention reshaping global politics. We could nuke Iran with no worries.
I have 3 cars. Different cars for different uses.
The future will be about options.
http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/000129.html
"Negre explains that, in the tanks, the air is both cooled to minus 100 degrees Centigrade and compressed to 4,500 pounds per square inch. Then it’s injected into a small chamber between the tanks and pistons, where it’s heated up by ambient outside air that forces it to expand into a larger chamber situated between the small chamber and the pistons. That heat exchange between the two chambers, he continues, creates the propulsion that drives the up-and-down strokes of the engine’s four pistons."
OH DRAT.
Those pesky details, like keeping the air at minus 100 degree centigrade while it is parked in the hot sun, just keep getting in the way.................. Wonder how much energy would be used by a portable air conditioner hammering away on a tank of air 24/7 trying to keep it from getting above minus 100 degress centigrade and EXPLODING!!!!!!!!!!!!
This alternative stuff violatin all the rules of thermodynamics and economics, to say nothing of reality and justified and sanctified behind the fear that some terrorists are gonna make a buck offa energy is just gitten too absurd to even laugh at anymore.
Compressed air... My A$$!!!
"If this takes off, I wonder what state governments will do for tax revenue? You can compress at home and never visit a gas station again - at least for driving around town."
I think they get most of their revenues through estate taxes. Although you have point. I'm sure they would still make money from the energy company. While I think the efficiency levels seem to be better with this system...they would still effectively produce more demand from the electricity companies.
In the long-run, they suggest that solar power will be competitive with other forms of energy in 15-20 years. So we're looking at some rather big shifts in whom has the money.
Mini CAT? More like micro teensy kitten.
If a tank was ruptured in a wreck, you'd get a heckuva POP! No fire, but it would shrapnel everything within hundreds of yards.
"Who cares about Carbon. The cost savings would be phenomenal, not to mention reshaping global politics. We could nuke Iran with no worries."
I laugh...but I know your serious. I don't think it should be as drastic, but military conflicts in the area would be less liable to economic diaster....so yeah, I generally agree.
"If a tank was ruptured in a wreck, you'd get a heckuva POP! No fire, but it would shrapnel everything within hundreds of yards."
Watch the video...that issue is spoken of, and dealt with.
That's going to be one huge bang when the tank ruptures in an accident (fiberglass?) ... if you want to run off of expanding gas then you can always go back to the Stanley Steamer ,,, water expands 1600x when going to steam ... I just don't see how that amount of energy can be stored with just compression into the tanks at no more than 120 psi (remember they said you can "recharge" at a standard tire fill at a gas station) ..
If kept in a vacuum insulated tank (big Thermos bottle), it could last a fairly long time. As the compressed (even liquified at that temp?) air heated slowly it would have to be bled off.
Interesting. Especially the rotary motor.
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