air powered car = not coming here :(
05-31-2007, 09:25 PM
#1
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air powered car = not coming here :(
i would so buy one!!! and drive it all the time!
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http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...s/4217016.html
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http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...s/4217016.html
India’s largest automaker is set to start producing the world’s first commercial air-powered vehicle. The Air Car, developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy Nègre for Luxembourg-based MDI, uses compressed air, as opposed to the gas-and-oxygen explosions of internal-combustion models, to push its engine’s pistons. Some 6000 zero-emissions Air Cars are scheduled to hit Indian streets in August of 2008.
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.
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.
05-31-2007, 09:35 PM
#5
Because current car designs are bomb proof? I see this as a great solution for countries such as Indian and China where there is not a lot of open space or long distance travel. Plus if they all start using air. . . price of gasoline goes down. LOL Cool idea, I wonder how many PSI that motor operates at.
05-31-2007, 09:54 PM
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Originally Posted by tCb00b
Because current car designs are bomb proof? I see this as a great solution for countries such as Indian and China where there is not a lot of open space or long distance travel. Plus if they all start using air. . . price of gasoline goes down. LOL Cool idea, I wonder how many PSI that motor operates at.
front end crash = 1 ton grenade on the highway.
05-31-2007, 10:01 PM
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Originally Posted by seattledave
Originally Posted by tCb00b
Because current car designs are bomb proof? I see this as a great solution for countries such as Indian and China where there is not a lot of open space or long distance travel. Plus if they all start using air. . . price of gasoline goes down. LOL Cool idea, I wonder how many PSI that motor operates at.
front end crash = 1 ton grenade on the highway.
05-31-2007, 10:02 PM
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It also costs $12,700 bucks. A good income for a middle class family in India is about 6-7k.
And yeah, 4350 psi is massive pressure. Also, I wonder how the car runs when it's on a 1/4 tank?
And yeah, 4350 psi is massive pressure. Also, I wonder how the car runs when it's on a 1/4 tank?
05-31-2007, 10:04 PM
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Carbon Fiber tanks? Are you kidding me? That can't be good. Zero malliability = extra fragile. The bomb portion of the equation isn't the material the tank is made of, it's the high pressure and possibility of sudden escape of said pressure.
Sudden escape of pressure = sudden release of potential energy = bomb.
Sudden escape of pressure = sudden release of potential energy = bomb.
05-31-2007, 10:05 PM
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Originally Posted by HeathenBrewing
Actually, the tanks are carbon fiber, not metal. They will not blow up like a bomb.
If you filled a rubber balloon with that much pressure, and punctured it, would it not be a tremendous blast capable of serious destruction? Now if you neatly surrounded that explosion with metal parts, would that not send shrapnel everywhere?
05-31-2007, 10:09 PM
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Originally Posted by seattledave
Originally Posted by HeathenBrewing
Actually, the tanks are carbon fiber, not metal. They will not blow up like a bomb.
If you filled a rubber balloon with that much pressure, and punctured it, would it not be a tremendous blast capable of serious destruction? Now if you neatly surrounded that explosion with metal parts, would that not send shrapnel everywhere?
05-31-2007, 10:11 PM
#15
I know paintball guns use CF tanks that run pressures around 4500psi, that was awhile ago though I might be wrong. I haven't been up in that industry for at least 3 years. I think some might even been 6k? No quotes on that though. CF to save weight I assume over metal air tanks. I'll read the whole artilce eventually.
05-31-2007, 10:11 PM
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NOT the article I am looking for, but just a starter:
".....Unlike the majority of traditional cars on the market, MDI´s vehicle's have fibreglass bodies which makes them light, silent urban car....."
"300 bars of compressed air stored on board the vehicle, Is this dangerous for the passengers?
Compressed air tanks have already been proven safe by one of our partners EADS(AIRBUS). This company's reputation in the aeronautical field is unprecedented, given the reliability of its tanks. What's more, the compressed air does not present any risk of explosion. Countless test have been carried out in the most extreme conditions (gun shoots, resistance to fire...) to guarantee passenger safety in every possible condition. The high pressure tanks have been developed using a similar technology to those used in natural gas vehicles and by firefighters. All are produced with carbon fiber over plastic.
The tanks that MDI puts in its vehicles are similar to those already in use in natural gas busses in Germany and other countries."
http://www.theaircar.com/faq.html#p7
".....Unlike the majority of traditional cars on the market, MDI´s vehicle's have fibreglass bodies which makes them light, silent urban car....."
"300 bars of compressed air stored on board the vehicle, Is this dangerous for the passengers?
Compressed air tanks have already been proven safe by one of our partners EADS(AIRBUS). This company's reputation in the aeronautical field is unprecedented, given the reliability of its tanks. What's more, the compressed air does not present any risk of explosion. Countless test have been carried out in the most extreme conditions (gun shoots, resistance to fire...) to guarantee passenger safety in every possible condition. The high pressure tanks have been developed using a similar technology to those used in natural gas vehicles and by firefighters. All are produced with carbon fiber over plastic.
The tanks that MDI puts in its vehicles are similar to those already in use in natural gas busses in Germany and other countries."
http://www.theaircar.com/faq.html#p7
05-31-2007, 10:14 PM
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Have you seen the pics of the guy that overinlated a the landing gear of a jet? The guy looks he was put into a blender, just meat all over the hanger.
Jet tires are around 100 psi I believe. And this tank holds 435 times more pressure than that.
But alas, that is not really going to be the issue. The issue is going to be air escaping through the fittings, apparently held together with glue, and people only getting about 1/2 the advertised range.
Jet tires are around 100 psi I believe. And this tank holds 435 times more pressure than that.
But alas, that is not really going to be the issue. The issue is going to be air escaping through the fittings, apparently held together with glue, and people only getting about 1/2 the advertised range.
05-31-2007, 10:17 PM
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They do meet the standard on automobile safety where they are sold....
Safety issues can be overcome with good engineering. It will be interesting to see how this does in India. Looking to put 6K of them on the city streets by Aygust '08.
Safety issues can be overcome with good engineering. It will be interesting to see how this does in India. Looking to put 6K of them on the city streets by Aygust '08.
05-31-2007, 10:25 PM
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One of the most frequently asked questions is about the safety of the compressed air storage tanks. These tanks hold 90 cubic metres of air compressed to 300 bars. Many people ask whether this system is dangerous in case of an accident and if there is a risk of explosion. The answer is NO. Why? Because these are the same tanks used to carry the liquid gas used by buses for public transport. The tanks enjoy the same technology developed to contain natural gas. They are designed and officially approved to carry an explosive product: methane gas.
In the case of a major accident, where the tanks are ruptured, they would not explode since they are not metal. Instead they would crack, as they are made of carbon fibre. An elongated crack would appear in the tank, without exploding, and the air would simply escape, producing a loud but harmless noise. Of course, since this technology is licenced to transport an inflammable and explosive gas (Natural gas), it is perfectly capable inoffensive and non-flammable air.
It is fitting, therefore, that MDI has reached an agreement with the European leader in aerospace technology Airbus Industries for the manufacture of the compressed air storage tanks. With a remote supervision arrangement, Airbus Industries oversees the making of the storage tanks at each MDI factory. The coiled carbon fibre technology used in the construction of the tanks is complex and requires a substantial quality control process which the multinational company, home of the Airbus aircraft, will provide for our vehicles.
http://www.theaircar.com/tecno.html
In the case of a major accident, where the tanks are ruptured, they would not explode since they are not metal. Instead they would crack, as they are made of carbon fibre. An elongated crack would appear in the tank, without exploding, and the air would simply escape, producing a loud but harmless noise. Of course, since this technology is licenced to transport an inflammable and explosive gas (Natural gas), it is perfectly capable inoffensive and non-flammable air.
It is fitting, therefore, that MDI has reached an agreement with the European leader in aerospace technology Airbus Industries for the manufacture of the compressed air storage tanks. With a remote supervision arrangement, Airbus Industries oversees the making of the storage tanks at each MDI factory. The coiled carbon fibre technology used in the construction of the tanks is complex and requires a substantial quality control process which the multinational company, home of the Airbus aircraft, will provide for our vehicles.
http://www.theaircar.com/tecno.html