MDI's Compressed Air Technology Systems: C.A.T's ©(*).

[Ivan Seeking]

After ten years of research and development of pollution-free engines and cars powered by compressed air, MDI is proud to present:

Compressed Air Technology systems © : C.A.T's ©(*).

http://www.theaircar.com/howitworks.html

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

I haven't studied this yet but to me this seems an unlikely technology. This must be terribly inefficient. It even strikes me a bit as a scam - clean technology? Comments?

 

[Cliff_J]

Given how long it takes a decent air compressor to charge a 60 gallon tank to 125psi going to 4,000psi should take far more than 4 hours and instead more like 4 days. And after meeting people damaged by exploding truck and tractor tires at a mere 90psi, or even unplugging an air hose and having it whip around kicking up dust, I would be hesitant to jump to using a 4,000 psi filling rig by hand.

Efficiencies and issues of generating, storing, and transferring the compressed air aside, this still seems very optimistic. 124 mile range at 60MPH that effectively puts it on a level playing field to the EV1?? My guess is that the energy density of the lead acid battery and efficiency of power conversion with an electric motor & controller should easily be able to beat this setup hands down.

Why don't we just all build a H2 fueled steam boiler? Can't imagine what rush hour would look like in the morning... :-)

Cliff

 

[Artman]

No, I agree that it does not sound like clean technology. It requires electricity to run the compressor (unless it is on a hydro electric or windmill system).

I don't see it getting that kind of range either.

 

[salamander]

And it is a pretty ugly car too!

I think electric cars have more potential, are more efficient, practical and perhaps even better from a enviromental point of wiev, if good fuel cells are developed. However there must come something good out of this research too. Perhaps in a couple of years...

 

[drag]

Unless I'm really missing sopmething, it looks like total BS.
Just do a simple compressed ideal gas energy conversion, this
thing certainly can't propel a car to any reasonable distance,
let alone 200 km. And if you compress the air using a chemical
engine then you've gained nothing and just got more efficiency
decrease of the whole thing, let alone converting chemical
energy into electricity and then into the compression energy.
French people...

 

[Entropy]

That car is uglier than the Honda Element. And that's one ugly car. If you ask me feul cells are the wave of the future.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Unless I'm really missing sopmething, it looks like total BS.

Note that the Thermodynamics and Mileage link doesn't work at the home page. http://www.theaircar.com/howitworks.html

It is getting plenty of press. I wonder if we aren't going to have a lot of egg on the faces of technical editors, sooner or later.