Compressed Air Car

Not Just Full of Hot Air

Once just an idea and now a working reality, air cars are being incorporated into our eco-friendly and low emission future of transportation.  Instead of using the chemical reactions involved in burning fossil fuels, they utilize the power and energy of compressed air to power the engine of the car. A few select companies have started producing air cars in the mass market. The one we will be focused on is Zero Pollution Motors.

How It Works

Air cars. Is it as simple as it sounds? Actually, yes, it is. Of course air alone can’t be used to fuel the car. Energy needs to be stored in the air first. That’s what a mechanical compressor’s for. The air is also heated prior to entering the engine so the volume increases as it is released into the engine. The energy from the compressed air is given off to drive the pistons that power the engine (Lampton, C., 27 October 2000).

The accelerator operates a valve on the tank that allows air to enter the engine. Pressure, from the air expanding, pushes against the pistons and turns the crankshaft. Past 56kmh the internal air-compressor compresses more air on the go and provides additional power. It is due to this extra process that gasoline is required (Lampton, C., 27 October 2000).

Diagram Explained:

Mode A: Operating with compressed air from Air Tank only (1) in town under 35 mph
Mode B: Operating with compressed air from Air Tank only (1) which is being heated (2)
Mode C: Operating with air from the Intake (3) which is being heated (2) on highway over 35 mph
Mode D: Operating as in Mode C but also refilling (4) Air Tank while running

(How the CAE Engine Works, n.d.)

The Plus Side of Things

To all drivers who know what it’s like to be on a student budget: can you imagine how great it would be if you only needed a Toonie to fill up the tank? Imagine all the food you could buy! Yes, you still have to pay for some gasoline but you definitely do not have to pay as much as you need to nowadays. You can get an incredible 848 miles or 1, 365 km on one tank of air and eight gallons of gas. Don’t cringe at the thought of still having to use gas. You actually have the option of using eco-friendly biofuels to run the compressor (Compressed Air Vehicle Specifications, n.d.).

Fine, it’s true that there’s a bizarre look to the car, but once you realize that Zero Pollution Motors estimates their selling price to be a mere $17, 800, appearance won’t be placed so high up on the priority list (Compressed Air Vehicle Specifications, n.d.).

The Drawbacks

No matter how good something sounds, there will always be downsides. So here they are!

The compressed air car is only considered emission-free at the tailpipe if you’re driving at 56km/h or less. Any faster speed means burning fuel and creating pollution. Another source of pollution comes from generating the electricity needed to run the air compressors at gas stations. It’s possible, however, to bypass this process if you’re willing to wait 1 to 2 hours to compress air into your tank at home. Although it may seem incomparable to the 3 minutes it would take for a high-powered compressor at a gas station to fill the tank, the option of being even more environmentally friendly is always there (Lampton, C., 27 October 2000).

So Will It Explode?

It’s a big question that quickly comes to mind when anyone mentions compressed air cars. In short, the answer is no.

It’s obvious that compressed air is dangerous, but the air tanks are designed to crack and release the high pressure rather than shatter and explode in case of a crash (Total Safety, n.d.).