How to Run a Car Using Compressed Air

It could be the ultimate green car: a French engineer name Guy Negre has patented and developed a vehicle that runs on compressed air. You can find the prototypes in Europe and mass production begins soon in India. Or, if you're an engineer, maybe you can use these very basic steps to develop your own adaptation of the concept.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• A strong knowledge of mechanical engineering
• A car and all of its basic parts
• Air tanks
• Access to a machine shop and a whole lot of tools, scrap, metal and fabricating equipment.

1. Compressed air is stored in onboard tanks, storing energy in much the same way as a compressed wire spring.
2. The first engine piston takes in outside air, compresses it to around 300 psi and 200 degrees fahrenheit in the compression chamber.
3. A patented system allows the pistons to pause at top dead center while the shaft rotates. While the pistons are paused, a small amount of compressed air from the onboard tanks is released into the expansion chamber, creating a lower pressure volume at about 140 psi and a lower temperature.
4. A high speed shutter opens between the compression and expansion chamber. The sudden difference between air pressures and temperatures creates pressure waves, sending energy through the expansion chamber and driving the piston to power the engine.
5. The on-board air tanks can be recharged at SCUBA and other special compressor stations in 3 to 4 minutes or in 3 to 4 hours via an on-board compressor that can be plugged into a standard electrical outlet.