This sounds pretty cool. You could "pump it up" at home for free if you have solar panels: http://www.gizmag.com/go/7000/
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ari @ Mar 20 2007, 11:58 AM) [snapback]409034[/snapback]</div> Pretty interesting but safety standpoint a "glued Chassis" does not sound to good.. I would prefer a welded joint versus glued tubular steel.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(regenme @ Mar 20 2007, 02:10 PM) [snapback]409041[/snapback]</div> Yeah, sounds great except for a fiberglass body holding a compressed air tank. I'd hate to imagine another care ploughing <strike>into </strike> through one of these. Safety test data will be interesting to read if they actually go into production.
yeah, and people complain about having the trunk full of batteries.... did anyone see the MythBuster episode where they blew up compressed air tanks. IT WENT THROUGH A CEMENT WALL.... take that fiberglass body... I'll take risk of fire over that explosion!
Battery is still much more efficient that compressed air (the losses are pretty bad with air, but still much better than fuel cells). Range is a lot shorter than batteries too. A bonus of the compressed air car is that you get large amounts of "free" air-conditioning from the exhaust (which is very cold indeed due to the expansion of the gases).
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(clett @ Mar 21 2007, 11:30 AM) [snapback]409466[/snapback]</div> Interestingly, in the article they claim a range superior to most electric cars: 200-300km. Also, I don't know what is the truth, but I have read 2 sources that claim that the self-discharge rate is lower than for batteries. Being a scuba diver myself, I can attest that those things hold their pressure quite long. In theory, the energy/weight efficiency of compressed air tanks is similar to batteries (even advanced electrochemical batteries if you consider fibre-inforced tanks to reduce the weight). But one big problem is that the pressure output is decreases very rapidly if you consume it, complicating the design of the engine. The cooling of the air during rapid expansion is actually another problem. Only an isothermal process can achieve optimum efficiency. It's a fun idea that, in order to work properlly, this is an engine that should be heated by the environment rather than cooled. I think the biggest advantages of this concept over batteries are that the storage device can be produced much cheaper, has a longer life time (and no degradation), is much more environment-friendly, and can be recycled better.
hi the tanks on the Air cars ive read and seen programs about ,do have very safe tanks. its kevlar made and are designed to crack in a special way in an accident ,, You will not get an explosion or a tank on the "loose" interesting vids for You who havent seen them , prototypes , but i just read a few days ago that the french aircar is very close to be ready for consumers... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmqpGZv0YT4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFbKINlXzRk shhhhhhhhhzzzzzzz Andreas
