Air Car: India's Eco-Friendly Auto

  • Thread starter Thread starter baywax
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Air Car India
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the Air Car, a compressed air-powered vehicle developed in India, exploring its design, efficiency, and potential impact on transportation. Participants examine the technical aspects of compressed air as an energy source, its efficiency compared to traditional fuels, and the implications for pollution and practicality in urban settings.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants highlight the low cost of operation for the Air Car, suggesting it could be a practical option for consumers in India.
  • Questions arise regarding the size of the air tank needed to achieve the claimed range and performance, with comparisons to gasoline engines made.
  • Concerns are raised about the efficiency of compressed air as an energy storage medium, with some participants noting that it is relatively inefficient compared to gasoline.
  • Some argue that a hybrid version of the Air Car, which includes a gasoline-powered compressor, could optimize efficiency but question the rationale behind using gasoline to compress air.
  • Participants discuss the potential for using compressed air in urban driving to reduce pollution, while others express skepticism about the overall advantages compared to electric hybrids.
  • Alternative energy storage methods, such as flywheels and mechanical springs, are proposed, with discussions on their practicality and efficiency compared to compressed air systems.
  • Thermodynamic limits on the efficiency of compressors and compressed-air engines are noted, suggesting inherent challenges in the technology.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views regarding the efficiency and practicality of compressed air as a vehicle power source. There is no consensus on the advantages or disadvantages of the Air Car compared to other technologies.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include uncertainties about the specifications of the Air Car, the efficiency of the proposed hybrid system, and the overall feasibility of compressed air as a viable energy storage solution.

  • #31
Popular Mechanics has seen enough merit in this invention (air car) to write an article about it.

Barring any last-minute design changes on the way to production, the Air Car should be surprisingly practical. The $12,700 CityCAT, one of a handful of planned Air Car models, can hit 68 mph and has a range of 125 miles. It will take only a few minutes for the CityCAT to refuel at gas stations equipped with custom air compressor units; MDI says it should cost around $2 to fill the car’s carbon-fiber tanks with 340 liters of air at 4350 psi. Drivers also will be able to plug into the electrical grid and use the car’s built-in compressor to refill the tanks in about 4 hours.

Of course, the Air Car will likely never hit American shores, especially considering its all-glue construction. But that doesn’t mean the major automakers can write it off as a bizarre Indian experiment — MDI has signed deals to bring its design to 12 more countries, including Germany, Israel and South Africa.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4217016.html

There's also a video on UTube of the vehicle which also demonstrates how you can hand pump air into the air tanks on board the air car.:rolleyes:



Critics of the air-powered car idea say that the cars only move the air pollution from the car's exhaust to somewhere else, like an electrical power plant. These cars do require electricity in order for the air to be compressed inside the tanks, and fossil fuel power is needed to supply electricity.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/air-car1.htm

Electricity is also available from solar panels, hydro dams, tidal generators, wind generators, fuel cell generators ( http://www.generatorhydrogen.info/ ) etc...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Computer science news on Phys.org
  • #32
psst psst psst psst psst psst pssssst psst psst psst psst psst

(aircar that needs a tune up :wink:)
 

Similar threads

How Do the Weight of Batteries Compare to Tanks in Air-Powered Cars?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
5K
Compressed Air Car: Is My Thermodynamics Calculation Correct?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K