Compressed-air car
Thermal energy losses in the compressor and tankage reduce the capacity factor of compressed air systems.
In 2020, Dr. Reza Alizade Evrin of Ontario Tech University developed an isothermal compressed air vehicle.
Using plastic might permit open source fabrication using numerical control, including additive manufacturing.
For example, multistage air compressors and intercoolers or hydraulic pumps might be attached directly to trompes, hydropower, VAWT wind turbines or stirling engines using a solar concentrator.
The "di pietro" engine has been tested partially with CAD and finite element analysis programs.
A wind turbine or other renewable energy source can directly drive an air compressor or hydraulic pump.
There may be some lubricants emitted by some systems, but further development might reduce this with oil free compressors and intercoolers Composite pressure vessels and pneumatic components could permit compressed air cars to be a circular industry.
Thermal storage of heat from a renewable solar source is also possible using a phase change material such as a molten salt.
[1][2] Compressed air technology adapts to renewable energy and possibly a circular economy, if biobased or recycled composites can be used.
Efficiency is also helped by the low weight of composite pressure vessels relative to steel tanks or lithium-ion batteries.
Refueling is possible in many places using only wind, solar power or hydropower to move an air compressor, hydraulic pump or Stirling engine.
[11] There is no fire hazard after accidents, unlike systems that utilize combustion fuels or high power batteries.
Compressed air engines reduce the cost of car production, because there is no need to build a cooling system, spark plugs, starter motor, or mufflers.
They reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals such as gasoline, battery acids and related metals such as lead.
There are mechanical methods (e.g. continuously variable transmissions or auxiliary motors) to reduce this effect, but they add expense.
[14] One of the main innovations of this company is its implementation of its "active chamber", which is a compartment which heats the air (through the use of a fuel) in order to double the energy output.
As of January 2009[update], Tata Motors of India had planned to launch a car with an MDI compressed air engine in 2011.
Tata Motors announced in May 2012[18] that they have assessed the design past phase 1, the "proof of the technical concept", and were proceeding to full production for the Indian market.
Tata moved to phase 2, "completing detailed development of the compressed air engine into specific vehicle and stationary applications".
In February 2017, Dr. Tim Leverton, president and head at Advanced and Product Engineering at Tata revealed that the project was "starting industrialisation" with the first vehicles to be available by 2020.
It produced prototypes of small vehicles using a rotary air engine designed by Angelo Di Pietro.
[23] Peugeot and Citroën announced that they intended to build a car using compressed air as an energy source.
[24][25] In January 2015, there was disappointing news from France: PSA Peugeot Citroën has delayed indefinitely the development of its promising-seeming Hybrid Air powertrain, apparently because the company has been unable to find a development partner willing to share the huge costs of engineering the system.
