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Special Feature : Air Pollution Control Technologies Special Feature : Air Pollution Control Technologies

Compressed air car


S.S. Thipse

It is hard to believe that compressed air can be used to drive vehicles. However that
is true, and the “air car”, as it is popularly known, has caught the attention of re-
searchers worldwide. It has zero emissions and is ideal for city driving conditions.
MDI is one company that holds the international patents for the compressed air car.
Although it seems to be an environmentally-friendly solution, one must consider its
well to wheel efficiency. The electricity requirement for compressing air has to be
considered while computing overall efficiency. Nevertheless, the compressed air
vehicle will contribute to reducing urban air pollution in the long run.

The history of compressed in Nantes in 1879). In 1892, Robert


air vehicles Hardie introduced a new method of
heating that at the same time served to
ne cannot accurately claim that

O compressed air as an energy


and locomotion vector is recent
technology. At the end of the 19th cen-
increase the range of the engine.
However, the first urban transport
locomotive was not introduced until
1898, by Hoadley and Knight, and was
tury, the first approximations to what
could one day become a compressed based on the principle that the longer
air driven vehicle already existed, with the air is kept in the engine the more
the arrival of the first pneumatic loco- heat it absorbs and the greater its
motives. In fact, two centuries before range. As a result they introduced a
that Dennis Papin apparently came up two-stage engine. Figure 1 shows the
with the idea of using compressed air early compressed air vehicles.
(Royal Society London, 1687). In 1872 Charles B. Hodges will always be
the Mekarski air engine was used for remembered as the true father of the
street transit, consisting of a single- compressed air concept applied to cars,
stage engine. It represented an ex- being the first person, not only to in-
Dr. S.S. Thipse tremely important advance in terms of vent a car driven by a compressed air
Assistant Director pneumatic engines, due to its forward engine but also to have considerable
Engine Development Laboratory thinking use of thermodynamics, which commercial success with it. The H.K.
Automotive Research ensured that the air was heated, by Porter Company of Pittsburgh sold hun-
Association of India (ARAI) passing it through tanks of boiling wa- dreds of these vehicles to the mining
P. O. Box No. 832 ter, which also increased its range be- industry in the eastern United States,
Pune 411044, India tween fill-ups. Numerous locomotives due to the safety that this method of
Tel: (+91-20) 3023 1434 were manufactured and a number of propulsion represented for the mining
E-mail: thipse.edl@araiindia.com regular lines were opened up (the first sector. Later on, in 1912, the American’s

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Special Feature : Air Pollution Control Technologies

Figure 1: Some early compressed air vehicles

Figure 2: MDI vehicles Design of the compressed


air vehicle

Compressed air engine


This engine was developed between
the end of 2001 and the beginning of
2002. It uses an innovative system to
control the movement of the 2nd gen-
eration pistons and one single crank-
shaft. The pistons work in two stages -
one motor stage and one intermediate
stage of compression/expansion. The
method was improved by Europeans, pansion of the compressed air drives
adding a further expansion stage to the the pistons to create movement, replac- engine has 4 two-stage pistons, i.e. 8
engine - 3 stages. ing the burning of fossil fuel in a con- compression and/or expansion cham-
ventional engine. In an air-refilling sta- bers. They have two functions: to com-
tion (currently unavailable as service press ambient air and refill the storage
Compressed air technology tanks; and to make successive expan-
stations have not been fitted yet) it is
After twelve years of research and de- sions (reheating air with ambient ther-
estimated to take between three and
velopment, Guy Negre has developed mal energy) thereby approaching iso-
four minutes to re-fuel. At home, with a
an engine that could become one of thermal expansion. Figure 3 shows the
220V plug, it takes three and a half
the biggest technological advances of hours. compressed air engine.
this century. A French engineer by pro- CAT vehicles have significant eco- Two technologies have been de-
fession, he has designed a low con- nomical and environmental advan- veloped to meet different needs:
sumption and low pollution engine for tages. With the incorporation of bi-en- z Single energy compressed air en-
urban motoring that runs on compressed ergy (compressed air + fuel) the CAT gines; and
air technology (Figure 2). The CATS Vehicles have increased their driving z Dual energy compressed air plus
(Compressed Air Technology System) range to close to 2000 km with zero fuel engines.
“air car” from Motor Development In- pollution in cities and considerably re- The single energy engines will be
ternational is a significant step for zero- duced pollution outside urban areas. available in both Minicats and Citycats.
emission transport, delivering a com- Also, the application of the MDI engine These engines have been conceived
pressed air-driven vehicle that is safe, in other areas, outside the automotive for city use, where the maximum speed
quiet, has a top speed of 110 km/h and sector, opens a multitude of possibili- is 50 km/h and where MDI believes
a range of 200 km. Costing next to noth- ties in nautical fields, co-generation, polluting will soon be prohibited. The
ing to run, the Zero Emission Vehicle auxiliary engines, electric generators dual energy engine, on the other hand,
(ZEV) range - which includes a pick-up groups, etc. has been conceived as much for the
truck and van - was released in 2005. Compressed air is a new viable city as the open road and will be avail-
Guy Nègre is the head of Research and form of power that allows the accumu- able in all MDI vehicles. The engines
Development at Moteur Developement lation and transport of energy. MDI is will work exclusively with compressed
International (MDI) cars, where the Zero very close to initiating the production air while it is running under 50 km/h in
Emission Vehicle (ZEV) prototype has of a series of engines and vehicles. The urban areas. But when the car is used
been in production since 1994. The two- company is financed by the sale of outside urban areas at speeds over 50
stroke engine is powered by com- manufacturing licenses and patents all km/h, the engines will switch to fuel
pressed air stored in tanks at about 150 over the world. Table 1 lists the techni- mode. The engine will be able to use
times the pressure in car tyres. The ex- cal specifications of the vehicle. gasoline, gas oil, bio-diesel, gas, liq-

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Special Feature : Air Pollution Control Technologies

uidized gas, ecological fuel, alcohol, Table 1: Technical specifications of a Minicat vehicle
etc. Both engines will be available with Mono-energy Dual-energy 2 Dual-energy 4
2, 4 and 6 cylinders, When the air tanks
are empty the driver will be able to Length m 2.65 2.65 2.65
switch to fuel mode, thanks to the car’s Width m 1.62 1.62 1.62
on board computer.
Height m 1.66 1.66 1.66

Engine working Number of seats - 3 3 3


Approximately 90m3 of compressed air Luggage compartment
is stored in fibre tanks in the vehicle. volume Dm3 500/700 500/700 500/700
The engine is powered by compressed
Weight Kg 550 520 540
air, stored in a carbon-fibre tank at 30
MPa (4500 psi). The tank is made of Engine - 41P03 41P01 41P01/4
carbon fibre in order to reduce its
Power cv 25 25 50
weight. The engine has injection simi-
lar to normal engines, but uses special Max. speed Km/h 110 125 140
crankshafts and pistons, which remain Urban range (zero pollution) Km 140/150 50 50
at top dead centre for about 70 degrees
of the crankshaft’s cycle; this allows CO2 emission in urban use g/Km 0 0 0
more power to be developed in the Non-urban range Km 80 1650 1500
engine. The expansion of this air
Non-urban consumption
pushes the pistons and creates move-
(petrol) litres - 1.8 2
ment. The atmospheric temperature is
used to re-heat the engine and increase CO2 emission in
the road coverage. The air condition- non-urban use g/Km 0 35 40
ing system makes use of the expelled
Price (from) taxes included € 9200
cold air. Due to the absence of com-
bustion and the fact there is no pollu-
tion, the oil change is only necessary Figure 3: Compressed air engine
every 50,000 km.

Distribution and valves


To ensure smooth running and to opti-
mize energy efficiency, air engines use
a simple electromagnetic distribution
system, which controls the flow of air
into the engine. This system runs on
very little energy and alters neither the
valve phase nor its rise.
No clutch is necessary. The en-
gine is idle when the car is stationary
and the vehicle is started by the mag-
netic plate, which re-engages the com-
pressed air. Parking manoeuvers are
pressed air tanks. The control system Gear box
powered by the electric motor. The P04
maintains a zero-pollution emission in Gear changes are automatic, powered
engine is equipped with patented vari-
the city at speeds up to 60 km/h. by an electronic system developed by
able-volume butts and a dynamic vari-
MDI. A computer which controls the
able-volume volumetric reducer. The speed of the car is effectively continu-
engines can be equipped with and run Articulated con-rod
ously changing gears. The latest of
on dual energies - fossil fuels and com- The MDI con-rod system allows the pis-
many previous versions, this gearbox
pressed air - and incorporate a reheat- ton to be held at Top Dead Centre for achieves the objective of seamless
ing mechanism between the storage 70o of the cycle.This way, enough time changes and mimimal energy con-
tank and the engine. is given to create the pressure in the sumption. Its steering wheel is equipped
This mechanism allows the engine cylinder. The torque is also better, so with a 5kW electric moto-alternator. This
to run exclusively on fossil fuel, which the force exerted on the crankshaft is moto-alternator connects the engine to
permits compatible autonomy on the less substantial. Figure 4 shows the ar- the gearbox. It has many functions:
road. While the car is running on fossil ticulated connecting rod and the drive z It supports the CAT’s motor to allow
fuel, the compressor refills the com- train. the tanks to be refilled.

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Special Feature : Air Pollution Control Technologies

Figure 4: Articulated connecting rod and drive train uefied gases on some urban buses.
That means that the tanks are prepared
and certified to carry an explosive prod-
uct: methane gas. In the case of an ac-
cident with air tank breakage, there
would be no explosion or shattering
because the tanks are not metallic but
made of glass fibre. The tanks would
crack longitudinally, and the air would
escape, causing a strong buzzing sound
with no dangerous factor. It is clear that
if this technology has been tested and
prepared to carry an inflammable and
explosive gas, it can also be used to
carry air.
z It starts the vehicle and provides meters. The car also has a small In order to avoid the so-called ‘rocket
extra power when necessary. compressor that can be connected effect’ (air escaping through one of the
z As an alternator it produces brake to an electrical network (220V or tank’s extremities causing a pressure leak
power. 380V) and will recharge the tanks that could move the car), MDI made a
completely in 3 or 4 minutes. small but important change in the design.
z Because the engine does not burn Where the valve on the bus tanks are
Additional features
any fuel, the car’s oil only needs to placed on one of the extremities, MDI has
of the MDI car be changed every 50,000 km. placed the valve in the middle of the tank
z Light-weight: The vehicle has a fi- z The temperature of the clean air reducing the ‘rocket effect’ to a minimum
berglass body, which makes it a expelled from the exhaust pipe is (Figure 5).
light, silent urban car. The car’s body between 0 and -15 degrees and
is tubular, and is held together us- can be subsequently channelled
ing aerospace technology. It can and used for air conditioning in the
Air car in India
reach speeds up to 220 km/h (even interior of the car. Tata Motors has signed an agreement
though the legal limit is 120). z Advanced features such as GSM with Moteur Development International
z It does not have normal speed telephone systems, GPS satellite of France to develop a car that runs on
gauges. Instead, it has a small com- tracking systems, programmes for compressed air, thus making it very
puter screen that shows the speed. delivery people, emergency sys- economical to run and almost totally
z Its electric system is also revolution- tems, Internet connections, voice pollution free. Although there is no offi-
ary. MDI has bought a patent that is recognitions, map presentation and cial word on when the car will be com-
bound to reduce the importance of traffic information can be incorpo- mercially manufactured for India, re-
electrical systems in all cars. The rated. ports say that it will be sooner than later.
trick consists in using a small radio z Regarding security, the seatbelt The car - MiniCAT - could cost around
signal. The system makes the car system is different from what is Rs 350,000 in India and would have a
20 kilograms lighter and consider- known. One part of the belt is an- range of around 300 km between refu-
ably quieter. chored to the floor of the car, like els. The cost of a refill would be about
z In the single energy mode, MDI cars traditional cars. The other part of the Rs 90. In the single energy mode MDI
consume less than one euro every belt, instead of being attached to cars consume around Rs 45 every 100
100 km (around 0.75 euros), that is the side of the car, is also anchored km. Figure 6 shows the proposed air
to say, 10 times less than gasoline- to the floor of the vehicle. This helps car for India. The smallest and most in-
powered cars. to secure the bodies of the driver novative (three seats, minimal dimen-
z Its driving range is close to twice sions with the boot of a saloon), it is a
and passengers in the case of a
that of the most advanced electric great challenge for such a small car
collision.
cars (from 200 to 300 km or 8 hours which runs on compressed air. The
z There are no keys - just an access
of circulation). This is exactly what MiniCAT is the city car of the future.
card that can be read by the car
the urban market needs where, 80
from your pocket.
per cent of the drivers move less
than 60 km a day. Other developments in com-
z The recharging of the car will be Safety features of the air car pressed air car technology
done at gas stations, once the mar- The CATS air tanks store 90m3 of air at Currently some new technologies re-
ket is developed. To fill the tanks, it 300 bars of pressure (four tanks have garding compressed air cars have
will take about 2 to 3 minutes at a a capacity of 90 litres, and they store emerged. A Republic of Korean com-
price of 1.5 euros. After refilling, the 90m3 of air at a pressure of 300 bars), pany has created a pneumatic hybrid
car will be ready to drive 200 kilo- just like tanks already used to carry liq- electric vehicle car engine that runs on

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Special Feature : Air Pollution Control Technologies

electricity and compressed air. The en- Figure 5: Position of air tanks in a compressed air vehicle
gine, which powers a pneumatic-hy-
brid electric vehicle (PHEV), works Pistones
alongside an electric motor to create
the power source. The system elimi- Escape
nates the need for fuel, making the
PHEV pollution-free. The system is con-
trolled by an ECU in the car, which con-
trols both power packs i.e. the com- Interca-
pressed-air engine and electric motor. mbiadores
The compressed air drives the pistons, de calor

which turn the vehicle’s wheels. The air


is compressed, using a small motor, Reserva
powered by a 48-volt battery, which de Aire
powers both the air compressor and
the electric motor. Once compressed, Depositos Placa de protection
the air is stored in a tank. The com-
pressed air is used when the car needs
a lot of energy, such as for starting up Figure 6: Compressed air car for Figure 7: PHEV in Republic of Korea
and acceleration. The electric motor India
comes to life once the car has gained
normal cruising speed. The PHEV sys-
tem could reduce the cost of vehicle
production by about 20 per cent, be-
cause there is no need for a cooling
system, fuel tank, spark plugs or silenc-
ers. Figure 7 shows the PHEV in the
Republic of Korea.

Well to wheel efficiency of a


compressed air car
We are all familiar with the standard
measure of vehicle efficiency. Miles per
gallon, or the CO2 emissions derived
from it does not show the whole pic- source should also be considered. To hydrogen powered vehicles, com-
ture. The drilling, pumping, transport- be precise, the efficiency from com- pressed air vehicles are not expensive
ing, and refining of petroleum products pressor to wheel of the air car is calcu- and do not have a limited driving range.
such as gasoline and diesel requires lated to be ~40 per cent according to Compressed air vehicles are afford-
additional energy that we often over- some reports. In comparison, the effi- able and have a performance rate that
look. By some estimates this “well to ciency of electric vehicles from battery stands up to current standards. To sum
tank” phase adds 15-20 per cent to the to wheel is 80 per cent. If the air com- it up, they are non-expensive cars that
emissions/energy use. pressor is powered by an ICE with an do not pollute and are easy to get
But where does the energy go efficiency of about 40 per cent, then the around in cities. The emission benefits
once it gets into the vehicle’s tank. First, overall efficiency of the air car from fuel of introducing this zero emission tech-
the car must overcome the aerody- to wheel is 40% x 40% = 16%, which is nology are obvious. At the same time
namic drag in order to maintain a given poor, as compared to an IC engine or the well to wheels efficiency of these
velocity. For this, figures for the vehicle’s battery-electric powertrain. vehicles need to be improved.
coefficient of drag, the cross sectional
area and the density of air are required. Conclusion References
Multiplying the coefficient of drag by The technology of compressed air ve- 1. SAE 1999-01-0623, Schechter.M.,
the cross sectional area results in a hicles is not new. In fact, it has been “New Cycles for Automobile en-
good indicator of how aerodynamic a around for years. Compressed air tech- gines.”
car is. In case of the compressed air nology allows for engines that are both 2. Internet website, www.theaircar. com.
car, the electrical energy that is required non-polluting and economical. After ten 3. Internet website, www.peswiki.com
to compress the air lowers the overall years of research and development, the 4. Internet website, www.mdi.lu Internet
efficiency. Furthermore, environmental compressed air vehicle will be intro- website http://www.inhabitat.com/
pollution generated at the electricity duced worldwide. Unlike electric or 2007/06/01/tata-motors-air-car. ˆ

TECH MONITOR z Nov-Dec 2008 37

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