Overview
Due to soaring oil prices in the international market and declining fossil fuel reserves around the globe,a lot of research is ongoing in auto industry all around the world to develop a car that could run on more economical fuels other than gasoline like compressed air,compressed natural gas,solar energy or electrical energy.To meet the challenges posed by rising oil prices,an ex-Formula One engineer Guy Nègre,a visionary inventor and founder of Luxemberg-based French auto-maker company Moteur Developpment International (MDI) ,has come up with a unique solution that is not only economical but also environment-friendly.He has developed an engine that runs on compressed air and has zero emissions of its own.This engine is indeed one of the greatest inventions of this century.Negre's compressed air car can cover a distance of about 120miles between refuelling and can hit the speed of up to 70 miles.
Due to soaring oil prices in the international market and declining fossil fuel reserves around the globe,a lot of research is ongoing in auto industry all around the world to develop a car that could run on more economical fuels other than gasoline like compressed air,compressed natural gas,solar energy or electrical energy.To meet the challenges posed by rising oil prices,an ex-Formula One engineer Guy Nègre,a visionary inventor and founder of Luxemberg-based French auto-maker company Moteur Developpment International (MDI) ,has come up with a unique solution that is not only economical but also environment-friendly.He has developed an engine that runs on compressed air and has zero emissions of its own.This engine is indeed one of the greatest inventions of this century.Negre's compressed air car can cover a distance of about 120miles between refuelling and can hit the speed of up to 70 miles.
Figure 1 : Different Models of vehicles
produced by MDI
MDI has partnered with an Indian Auto-maker company Tata Motors to bring to market a car that runs with the engine developed by Guy Nègre and powered by compressed air. "It's safe,doesn't pollute,doesn't explode,it's not poisonous and it's not expensive",said MDI representative Sebastien Braud.
The vehicle Models produced by MDI,that run on the engine powered by compressed air are : MiniFlowAIR,OneFlowAIR,MultiFlowAIR,CityFlowAIR and AIRPod.
Design and Working Principle:
An electric pump compresses air into a tank at a pressure of 300 bars.The piston of the air car's engine is pumped by the escaping compressed air.The electric pump can be powered from the ordinary household electrical outlet and it takes about 3-4 hours to complete the recharge.The compressed air car can be powered only by air or by air combined with some conventional fuel like gasoline,diesel and ethanol or by air combined with an electric plant with regenerative braking.
"When you get home you normally plug in your cell phone",said Braud."Well,now you do that with your car too".He also added,"It certainly can't hurt...It will help people switch over".
An electric pump compresses air into a tank at a pressure of 300 bars.The piston of the air car's engine is pumped by the escaping compressed air.The electric pump can be powered from the ordinary household electrical outlet and it takes about 3-4 hours to complete the recharge.The compressed air car can be powered only by air or by air combined with some conventional fuel like gasoline,diesel and ethanol or by air combined with an electric plant with regenerative braking.
"When you get home you normally plug in your cell phone",said Braud."Well,now you do that with your car too".He also added,"It certainly can't hurt...It will help people switch over".
Figure 2 : The Engines used in MDI's Vehicles
(Images via MDI)
According to MDI,the high pressure tanks to be used on MD's vehicles will be made of carbon fibre and thermoplastic liner.These tanks are not dangerous in the event of a crash as they do not split up.This technology is already being massively used in the vehicle running on compressed natural gas.
The bodies of the MDI's vehicle,designed by MDI,are made of composite materials,fibre glass and polyester risen on polyurethane foam.
The MDI engines can be used for a wide range of applications, varying from 4 to 75 hp.These engines are used on vehicles designed for urban use, backup generators or industrial tractors. They are particularly tailored for applications where the torque has an importance and when an averagely moderate power is needed.
Further details about the vehicles powered by compressed air fuelled may be found at the website of MDI.
Future Prospects :
According to msnbc,despite being a unique solution to to battle the soaring fuel prices and environmental pollution in terms of zero-emission,auto-analysts are not very optimistic about the future of the vehicles powered by compressed air fuelled engines at least in the near future,until unless a major automaker company markets this technology through its global network after buying this technology.
"If you buy a Peugeot or a Renault,you know that there is a dealer close by if you have a problem",said Gaetan Toulemonde of Deutshe Bank Securities."If your car has only one dealer in France,what are you going to when it needs repairs? "
Environmentalists are also sceptical of the claims about Air Car being environment-friendly in terms of zero-emissions. According to Karsten Krause,a member of European Federation for Transport and Environment,a Brussels based green lobby group,converting electrical energy to compressed air is inefficient and it does not seem eco-friendly either as it seems like transferring environmental burden to another place.
According to Wikipedia,as of January 2009,Tata Motors of India had planned to launch a car with an MDI compressed air engine in 2011.
According to BBC News, Terry Spall from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers says: "I really hope he succeeds. It is a really brave experiment in producing a sustainable car."
According to Wikipedia,as of January 2009,Tata Motors of India had planned to launch a car with an MDI compressed air engine in 2011.
According to BBC News, Terry Spall from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers says: "I really hope he succeeds. It is a really brave experiment in producing a sustainable car."
Despite criticism from auto-analysts and conventional auto industry,Guy Nègre seems optimistic about the future of this technology.All Guy Nègre needs is support from industry and society.
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