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Air Car

  • 30-04-2007 7:13am
    #1
    silverharp
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,854 ✭✭✭✭


    http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/mar/21car.htm


    seems to be some development here

    A belief in gender identity involves a level of faith as there is nothing tangible to prove its existence which, as something divorced from the physical body, is similar to the idea of a soul. - Colette Colfer



Comments

  • #2
    BendiBus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,074 ✭✭✭BendiBus


    I doubt compressing air using mains electricity is all that clean if the source of mains power is coal/oil etc.

    What happens if there's a fuel tank rupture at 4500psi? A hissing sound or the first car in orbit?


  • #3
    silverharp
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,854 ✭✭✭✭silverharp


    BendiBus wrote:
    I doubt compressing air using mains electricity is all that clean if the source of mains power is coal/oil etc.

    What happens if there's a fuel tank rupture at 4500psi? A hissing sound or the first car in orbit?

    True, it depends on the original power source, but it would be useful for countries with high % of nuclear or Hydro/wind, combine it night time recharging. The car itself is probably quite light so there would be less wt being moved around.

    The safety tests would be interesting for sure, realistically though it seems to be designed as a low speed city car but I assume it has to pass a high speed impact test.

    A belief in gender identity involves a level of faith as there is nothing tangible to prove its existence which, as something divorced from the physical body, is similar to the idea of a soul. - Colette Colfer



  • #4
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 93,581 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    he car -- MiniCAT -- could cost around Rs 350,000 in India and would have a range of around 300 km between refuels. The cost of a refill would be about Rs 90.

    350,000.00 INR = 6,250.58 EUR
    90.00 INR = 1.60707 EUR

    That works out at about 0.5c per km
    MDI explains that 90m3 of compressed air is stored in fibre tanks. The engine is powered by compressed air, stored in a carbon-fiber tank at 30 MPa (4500 psi).
    4500psi is a little over 300 bar - if so how much energy does that represent ?

    90m3/300=0.3m3 = 300L

    compressed air at 20 bar 0.27 MJ/Kg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_density
    300 bar = 5.4MJ/Kg ( one m3 of air weighs 1Kg )
    90m3 x 5.4= 486MJ - is this enough ? -
    486MJ / 34.6MJ/L == 14L of petrol


    http://www.tata.com/tata_motors/media/20070206.htm
    Tata Motors, French company to make engines powered by air
    The Financial Express — February 6, 2007

    In what could be termed as the pursuit for the ultimate environment-friendly automotive engine, Tata Motors, which has set an ambitious target to roll out its Rs 1-lakh car by 2008, has joined hands with the MDI Group of France for further development and refinement of a unique engine technology that uses compressed air as fuel. The agreement between the two companies envisages, apart from the development of the technology, its application and licensing in India. Tata, however, did not disclose how much the company would invest in the project.
    ...
    According to sources at Tata Motors, the process of development is in its initial phases and it may take a couple of more years before the final product rolls out.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed_air_energy_storage - more accurate equation if you wish.


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