Compressed Air Cars – What Are They?

Compressed air cars have been getting a bit of attention lately and are being hailed as a mode of transport for the future. With their incredible energy efficiency and sustainable use, experts are predicting that they will become very popular among consumers.

They are also considered to be extremely safe in terms of its fuel being hazardous, and there are no emissions from the exhaust.

Scientists and environmentalists are saying that these types of cars are going to be the way of the future, providing that oil companies with deep pockets don’t suppress the technology and manufacturing as they have done in the past.

compressed air car

What Are Compressed Air Cars?

In a regular vehicle, a mixture of air and fuel will be used in the engine to drive the pistons with hot and expanding gases. A compressed air car operates by using the expansion of compressed air in order to drive their pistons which are located inside a cylinder.

One or more rotary expanders or expander pistons are used in compressed air engines which are used to heat the engine or the air during expansion.

Advantages of Compressed Air Cars

  • Emission Output

Compressed air engines work using non-combustion energy storage and will displace the emission from the vehicle’s tailpipe and into the centrally located electrical generating module.

The compressed air is filtered in order to protect the compressors machinery, so the discharged air contains fewer dust particles.

  • No Bio-Carbon Based Fuel

Another contributing factor to a compressed air cars emission output is the forgoing of bio-carbon based fuel. These fuels and gasoline are not required to operate this vehicle which results in a cheaper source of energy with far fewer emissions as opposed to a regular car.

  • Low Self-Discharge

Another source of clean energy that is being used for cars is the use of batteries. One of the problems with using batteries as the source of energy for a vehicle is that they self-discharge their energy over time at a greater rate that a compressed air vehicle does.

  • Removal of Hazardous Chemicals

Compressed air cars are proven to be very safe, and the removal of dangerous chemicals used for fuel is a primary contributor for this. Hazardous chemicals such as gasoline or battery acid can be used in other vehicles and can cause dire consequences if they are exposed to an accelerant.

  • Potential Energy Recovery

Some pneumatic systems can be designed for these vehicles to allow energy recovery by way of braking. This can be engineered in a fashion that will compress and store up upon braking so the vehicle can have a higher rate of self-refuelling.

  • Reduction in Size

Due to the lower energy requirements, the engines on compressed air vehicles are a lot smaller than traditional car engines. This means that the vehicle as a whole can also be significantly smaller than a standard car and greatly reduce its environmental impact.

As a result of this, there is a lower maintenance cost associated with these cars and a lower contribution to the wear and tear of the roads they share with other vehicles.

  • Environmentally Friendly

The air tanks can be recycled and disposed of with a lower footprint than regular vehicles will leave.

compressed air car

There is less pollution as a result of this, and a compressed air tank can be refilled many more times in a shorter amount of times for electric car batteries to be recharged.

Disadvantages of Compressed Air Cars

  • Refilling

When air gets compressed in order to be filled into the tank, its temperature will increase. There will be an issue if the stored air is not cooled at the moment that the tank is being filled up. This will result in a pressure decrease later when the air cools off and results in a decrease in energy.

  • Crash Safety

Compressed air cars can be built extremely compact, much like the first SMART Cars which were released. This does not resonate well with some people who believe that the small size of the vehicle is a safety risk if in the event that they crash.

Should I Look Into Compressed Air Cars?

Compressed air cars are only going to progress with their technological advancements and become more energy efficient, safer, practical, and popular.

They are definitely being seen as a progressive mode of transport that is going to be widely used in future, and you may even see them starting to be utilized for means of public transportation.

We all know that greenhouse gases and carbon emissions are toxic for our planet and environment, and if we maintain our current usage of these gases and fossil fuels, our planet is going to be no longer able to sustain our lives.

Our civilization is at a certain point in time where we need to make drastic changes to the sources of fuel that we use and move on towards more energy efficient fuels that have a smaller impact in damaging our planet.

compressed air car

There are billions of cars being used every single day globally which are emitting an enormous amount of dangerous gases into our atmosphere and causing irreparable damage.

Compressed air vehicles are going to be very cost-friendly for consumers to purchase and the manufacturers are not looking to make exorbitant profits by exploiting our need for transportation.

The use of pneumatics has proven to be vital in our daily lives and utilizing pneumatics as a primary element in our modes of transportation is a very forward-thinking and sustainable approach.

By getting a compressed air car, you can save so much money on refueling your vehicle without having to line the pockets of the oil companies who have been suppressing energy efficient technology such as this.

Cars, as we know them today, will cease to exist over the coming decades, and you will see the progression that energy efficient vehicles such as compressed air cars will make on our planet.

David is the blog editor of e-pneumatic blog, and the main author of its articles. He is also a student of automation in the Gdansk Technical University in Poland.

1 comments On Compressed Air Cars – What Are They?

  • The air storage cylinders as envisaged at the moment are the weak point in the design of air cars, just like batteries are the weak point in electric cars. How about making the whole bpdy of an air car out of small bore tubing. Eliminate large and heavy air cylindes which will need testing periodically to comply withe safety regulations. In the event of a crash, and small bore tubing is damaged, the escape of high pressure air is relatively harmless. The small bore tubing could be encased in a plastic material for appearance. Ever since the first motor vehicle, successive governments have devised ways to wring money out of motorists. The pneumatic car could ease the financial burden on motorists by eliminating the need to replace much of that which is required of petrol or diesel cars. I.E. fuel, oil, engine parts, etc.

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