Air powered cars??

http://www.mdi.lu/english/

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4251491.html

I wonder if this technology lends itself to DIY applications? Imagine an air powered speedy. But I can't believe that air will be "free"...govt's will find a way to tax that air somehow.

I have to question the physics (thermodynamics?) of compressing air and then releasing it to push pistons. I think the system losses are way out of line. Electricity has 10% losses, gasoline has near 70% losses and compressed air - I dunno?

Related question - when all these electrics, hybrids, steam powered, air powered vehicles start filling the roads, who pays for the roads? State and Federal gasoline taxes pay for most roads and road maintainence today. Who pays tomorrow?

Exactly Here taxes are about 60% of the price of fuel. Population ages, needing more medical care, more hospital care, more prescription drugs, population ages less are working and paying taxes. More and more production moves to China.........

EXACTLY correct, it doesn't look good!

I GOT IT!!!!!

When gasses are compressed they get hot, right? What's the best source of hot air on the planet? CONGRESS!!!! So we hook up a big pipe to the Capitol building and collect the exhalations of our wonderful elected representatives. Of course we pay them for it. Those funds are used for the roads and we no longer have to get our fuel from overseas. It's a win-win, I tell ya!

I amaze myself sometimes.

What?

Mike -- China is on the verge of a WTF experience with their own elderly. Their "one child" policy for the last 35 years means fewer workers and lots fewer children to provide traditional in-home support for the older population. Lots of younger people moving to the cities also means less physical support for their parents. And rising technology and standard of living means they will live longer. Assuming euthanasia (that might be a pun) is not an option (Chinese mythos concerning the elderly), in about 10 years things on the elderly front will be a real problem for China.

G.

They'll figure out some way to get the taxes I'm sure. I've mentioned before that our electicity conservation plan was so effective here, and we have such a small customer base, that what they did was to raise the rates so even though we use less, we pay more. REason given was that we were conserving too much.

So when it becomes an issue you bet your a$$ you'll pay.

But now the technology sounds interesting, and air is free....for now.

Inre the air cars - I saw one in India and it's a neat priciple. They do work, but are more of an in-city commuter that would be a good option if you're *really* worried about emmissions.

Basically, you have extremely high pressure air stored in onboard tanks, which you mix with ambient air. This creates some sort of compression/expansion cycle, which powers the car. Anyway, it's a cute idea, fairly quite (as I recall), and lends itself to a broad variety of power inputs to charge the compressed air.

Just after you get t' boned, the built in i pod starts playing The Animals: "Sky pilot"

I guess this qualifies as an air vehicle

"High pressure air stored in outboard tanks . . ."

Can I please NOT be anywhere around this thing when an accident occurs? I once saw what happened when a high pressure nitrogen tank (like on a gas welding cart) got knocked over and the control valve got knocked loose. The tank exited the building - right thru a cinder block wall - and then proceeded to raise havoc in the parking lot outside! This happened at the G. M. Tech Center shops in Detroit around 1964. I saw the hole in the wall. So please, may I be excused from this one?

Immediately you think of ruptured air tanks...kabloom!!

But if you read about it they say the tanks are specially made of composite and what they do is crack and release pressure slowly, even in accidents. I'd have to see some examples of this to believe it.

Gents, the high pressure tank for cars has been solved. Composite materials are used and if they are damaged and release gas, the structure just turns into a big ball of fuzz. It would be exciting, and likely noisey, but the thing will not generate shrapnel nor will it fly around like a heavy gas bottle.

Ever see a car fire? Or what happens when all that gas ignites at one time? We run around town and elsewhere with what amounts to a large bomb in our tanks all the time. Shit can happen, and all that enegergy can be released at one time, but it is hard to do, and we cope.

Meanwhile, the compressed gas car thing is a fool's erand, I think. More scam than engineering. Much energy is wasted in compressing the gas, which has the compression work available to you later, but also a lot of heat generated when compressed that is wasted. Expanding the gas through a trurbine or piston arrangement to make the car go will not be 100% either. A complete energy audit of the whole process will not be very impressive, I do believe. Better you should compress natural gas and put that in the tank, and then burn it in an engine. That has been done.