Whatever Happened To That Compressed Air Car Anyway?

@ Joseph and all the other compressed-air fans on the othe side of my screen!
The idea is very good, but we have this:
- a small external burner in the circuit tank-engine will heat up the compressed air and expand its volume, thereby extending the range by 2-3X; we call this dual-fuel mode (air and whatever fuel). temperature will be controlled to 600°C, therefore no NOx will be formed and combustion being external and constant no toxic exhaust fumes will come off.
- then we have what is called internally "mode3" whereby the engine will be revved up from air in the tank, then one cylinder will be used as a compressor (yes we loose a bit of power here) and this air, lowly compressed, will go through the external burner and into the expansion cylinders. this mode is only valid and viable as from 70-80 kw engine, which will go on the bench in June (to be used initially on .... garbage trucks!) when the small (7kw) engine has gone in the Nano Air. A small air tank will still be in place for start-up and back-up(80-100 litres).
This "mode 3" engine will be used primarily in a production-generator, as ordered by the Dutch glasshouse industry.
Now, how cool is this?

Another variation on my previous idea would be to use the exhaust heat from a small gasoline engine, a lawn mower or motor scooter engine instead of a flash boiler to create steam. The power from the engine could help power the car through a standard transmission or an electric drive motor.

Another variation on my previous idea would be to use the exhaust heat from a small gasoline engine, a lawn mower or motor scooter engine instead of a flash boiler to create steam. The power from the engine could help power the car through a standard transmission or an electric drive motor.

The developers have the right idea, which is not emphasized well enough, regarding their plans to develop on-board energy supply with self-sustainability, as well the inefficiency being addressed by intergrating other phase components to channel and create more available and efficient energy.

the reason why there is no air car around is because it would be a big boost on money and You're not allowed be rich fast and quickly. we have already found how to make cars powered by Water and maybe other sources. the reason why we cant buy and use cars powered by other than Benzine and oil, because it makes you rich quickly. The reason why there is a film named ``Cars`` is because we have to accept that you have to buy and drive Benzine powered cars , ESPECIALLY teens. Every plane in norway has chemtrails in it, chemtrails are filled in planes, once they fly up they start spraying over the air. they are dangerous, they are chemicals that can kill Animals and us Humans. The chemtrail lines fall down in aproximately 24 hrs

I don't understand the safety "issue" . We already allow people to have and operate a vehicle that has zero protection for the driver. It's called a motorcycle. And here in Texas we can't even seem to be able to pass a law that requires a motorcyclist to wear a helmet. ! ! ! ! How can you separate these things? How can my government FORCE me to have a side door on my car that will give me x amount of protection on a side impact put allow me to have a vehicle that if I fall over while setting still at a red light...... could break my foot,knee or leg. Things like this make me livid. This car surely has more protection than a motorcycle for christ sake ! ! ! ! I could gladly sign a document that tells me I'm about to purchase a vehicle that has only a little more protection than a motorcycle. Sounds like a great trade off for not needing to buy gasoline AT ALL. And I know that I will still need a few dollars of electricity to use my air compressor to "fill up" my tank ! ! PS: I don't like the tiny AIRpod.... I prefer the small mini utility van that MDI has built.

I have shares in m d I but never get any info in English only French so do not know how things are progressing I purchased share in 2003 but have not seen any return on my Invesment and fear I may have made a big mistake in investing as I am not kept informed.

Dear All,
Rather unrealated to the topic but it concerns Air generated power to drive engines. I am referring to the claim that a Chinese company Luck Sky has a air generated/air power technology that can "fuel" a normal auto (otto) engine. They call it "aerodynamic engine"
Is there someone who knows how this technology works. I am baffled as they also mentioned "plasma"?
Thank you
Pawiz

If the "air motor" can acheive 68% efficiency.... and to it is added the energy used in compression .... one could perhaps obtain an overall energy efficiency of .... 40-45%..... Now as power plant efficiency varies from 35-60% for Thermal/Combined Cycle projects.... one gets an "end to end" efficiency of around 12-24%.... not very different from IC engines.... However.... one by product of "air power" is.... "free airconditoning"... very essential in hot parts of the world.... raising the "thermal efficiency" by another 5-15% or so and then there is regenerative braking that can further enhance efficiency.....

In addition... "compressed air storage" is much much cheaper, greener and technologically simpler than expensive, limited life/ heavy batteries with substantial (an unaddressed) environmental hazards
during their disposal.

However..., they all pollute "somewhere"...... and if the "energy source" is solar energy..... then one will have "real green and clean" automobiles.... from end to end.... from an operational point of view.

With respect to the "green profile" of the front end (manufacturing) and the "rear end" waste disposal..... air power would definitely come out
ahead.... again.... without any serious waste disposal issues, unlije batteries.

When I went to engineering school over 50 years back.... there was no value or penalty on "tertiary effects" and we were "trained" to just look at "direct effects"..... thermal, electric, mechanical efficiencies and losses.... and the industrial "revolution" was fueled by this "vision".

It now appears we were are not "smart enough" as we buried our hands in the sand and ignored the damage we were doing all around us..... Perhaps, the time has come to ensure we "learn from our past
mistakes".... and this is what air, electric, hydrogen etc.. vehicles is all about... cost, range, acceleration etc.... ignores all this... does it not...???

Very interesting subject, and there is a lot to talk about - I also think Air Power can be made usable.

Cars, bicycles, boats, trucks driven bij air. I like to join that. Are there already possibilities?
Tata Nano was designed to be the next MDI air car, I am still waiting on this car, when...

I have been waiting for this car for two decades now.
I even ordered them on MDI website.
I would probably manage to put something like that myself in those 20 years, but I trusted the experts.
I hope I will get a ride in this car before I die.
And one more thing - do these cars need to be that ugly?
Get another designer asap
and someone who can run things efficiently
I am tired of waiting

Dead men tell no tales Stan Meyer's Widow will attest to that!! Wake up Folks!

No-one has mentioned a trompe as a means of producing compressed air at zero cost after initial materials which are not expensive. Google it.

what you have written is all patently untrue. The compressed air engines were made in huge numbers for use in tiny commercial delivery vehicles to auto-buses, one of which was exported to Spain for trials when I lived there. I suspect the Tata people were paid off or threatened into not persevereing with the air car which was easy to refill and cost virtually nothing. There are still little tata vans and chug alongs to be found working away in India. Better to not speak than say untruths.

Is it possible to have an air car in reality? If yes, how much air is needed for that car to drive 500 miles per air charge? I wonder how the air car will be filled with air.

Instead of using large, heavy cylinders to store compressed air, constuct a vehicle body of small bore tubing covered with, say, glass fibre. In the event of damage, small bore tubing bursting, would not create much danger. More imagination is needed in design. Motorists have been milked ever since the first vehicles appeared and electric cars are another example of continued milking with battery replacement . A pneumatic car would free a motorist from many expenses.

I was interested in Tata Cars and buses for years and thought they must be the vehicles of the future. I bleive they were bought out and suppressed but that may be my paranoia.

Up date facts please

The Air Car concept originated in France by Guy Negre of MCI. The design was licenced to Tata Motors. Guy could not find much financial support for the project. I would had definitely buy one of his cars. His business model implied building a car manufacturing factory in each country in order to keep the car cost down and to ensure local service. But it went down the drain.

Compressed air with driving regeneration is perhaps too logical with unlimited distance capability & would make battery power obsolete.