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Journal of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Heating and Ventilation Design of a

Compressed Air Vehicle

Article · January 2014

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 Journal of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Heating and Ventilation
ISSN: 2394-1952 (online)
Volume 1, Issue 3
www.stmjournals.com

Design of a Compressed Air Vehicle

S. Radhika*, D. Swapna, P. Manikanta, S. K. Sunain
RVR & JC College of Engineering (Autonomous), Guntur, AP, India

Abstract
In the present energy scenario, the fossil fuel sources are fast depleting and their
combustion products are causing global environmental problems. So it is inevitable to
shift towards the renewable energy resources which in turn will reduce pollution levels
and save fossil fuels. One possible alternative is hybrid vehicle which uses air and solar
energy. Air-powered cars run on compressed air instead of gasoline and we can develop
the power required to drive the compressor by using solar energy. Due to the unique and
environmental friendly properties of air, it is considered as one of the future fuels which
will run the vehicles. Hence the authors made an attempt to make the hybrid vehicle as a
cheaper and beneficial alternative as compared to hydrogen engines, and bio-diesel
engines. Nevertheless, the compressed air vehicle will contribute in reducing urban air
pollution in the long run. So, in this paper an effort is made to study the design of air
compressed vehicle by modified Hero Honda CD100 engine.

Keywords: Environmental Problems, Renewable Energy Resources, Hybrid Vehicle,

Air Compressor, Compressed Air

*Author for Correspondence E-mail: sajjar99@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION method of refueling and will probably take up

Air engine is a new green research, where the
main aim lies in using non-conventional
energy source to produce power output, i.e.,
air is used as the power source which is used
to run the engine. Compressing a gas into a
small space is a way to store energy. Working
of an air engine or an air car is based on the
above mentioned principle [1]. Instead of
piston displacement by burning of air-fuel
mixture, compressed air is introduced into the
chamber which results in similar piston
displacement. This new technology brings
scope for an eco-friendly car. Though this is
the cleanest and most energy efficient process,
a power source is required to run the air
compressor which in turn powers the air
engine. The potential problem lies in powering
the air compressor. There are various ways of
powering the air compressor, but the best non-
conventional source is through solar power.
Air compressor contains a motor which is used
for the basic function of compressing the air.
The efficiency and the output of the
compressor depend on the capacity of the
motor. The compressor will use air from
around the car to refill the compressed air
tank. Unfortunately, this is a rather slow
to two hours for a complete refill. If the idea of
an air car catches on, air refueling stations will
become available at ordinary gas stations,
where the tank can be refilled much more
rapidly with air that has already been
compressed. Filling your tank at the pump will
probably take about three minutes. Similarly
this research is focused on running the air car
continuously with an air compressor attached
in the car. By doing so, there will not be any
necessity for air filling stations. A 2 hp motor
powered air compressor is sufficient for
running an air car at low speeds of 20–
30 kmph. Air cars are also required to be as
light as possible. Thus, aluminum or its
respective alloys are most suitable for the
building of air cars [2]. The current research
focuses on the aspect of building an air
powered car with its built-in compressor.
Complete exhaust system can be omitted
because air will not be contaminated or
polluted after exiting the air engine.
NEED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES
Global warming or climate change is
undoubtedly one of the most important
challenges for our future generation, and quite

JoRACHV (2014) 1-6 © STM Journals 2014. All Rights Reserved Page 1
Compressed Air Vehicle
possibly any generation in history. The
worldwide scientific community is unanimous
in its agreement that global warming is
happening, that is our fault, and that the
opportunity to stop it is slipping away (Figure
1). If we let it get out of our control, the
consequences – which are already evident in
most of our lifetimes – will be catastrophic [3].
Fig. 1: Temperature and CO2 Levels for
Last 1000 Years.
BRIEF HISTORY OF HYBRID
VEHICLES
Compressed air has been used since the 19th
century to power mine locomotives and trams
in cities such as Paris and was previously the
basis of naval torpedo propulsion. During the
construction of the Gotthardbahn from 1872 to
1882, pneumatic locomotives were used in the
construction of the Gotthard rail tunnel and
other tunnels of the Gotthardbahn (Figure 2).
Fig. 2: Pneumatic Locomotive.
In 1926, Lee Barton Williams of Pittsburg,
USA, presented his invention: an automobile
which, he claims runs on air. The motor starts
on gasoline, but after it has reached a speed of
ten miles an hour the gasoline supply is shut
off and the air starts to work. At the first test,
his invention attained a speed of 62 miles an
hour. The first hybrid diesel and compressed
air locomotive appeared in 1930, in Germany.
JoRACHV (2014) 1-6 © STM Journals 2014. All Rights Reserved
Radhika et al.
The pressures brought to bear by the oil
industry in the transport sector were ever
greater and the truth of the matter is that they
managed to block investigation in this field. In
January 1975, driving on compressed air was
proposed by Sorgato in Italy as a viable fuel-
economy alternative to the electric car for
industrial and urban use. The first
experimental model had nine air bottles
charged to 2840 psi by an external
compressor. Top speed of this near-silent and
non-polluting vehicle was said to be 30 miles
per hour and had duration of around two
hours. In 1976, Ray Starboard from Vacaville,
California developed a truck that was able to
drive on compressed air. He felt that he had
invented the power system of the future, a
system that would greatly change the
automotive face of the world. In 1979, Terry
Miller decided that compressed air was the
perfect medium for storing energy. He
developed Air Car One, which he built for $
1,500. Terry’s engines showed that it was
feasible to manufacture a car that could run on
compressed air. He patented his method in
1983 (US4370857). The first air cars will
almost certainly use the compressed air engine
(CAE) developed by the French company,
Motor Development International (MDI). Air
cars using this engine will have tanks that will
probably hold about 3200 cubic feet (90.6
kiloliters) of compressed air. The vehicle’s
accelerator operates a valve on its tank that
allows air to be released into a pipe and then
into the engine, where the pressure of the air’s
expansion will push against the pistons and
turn the crankshaft. This will produce enough
power for speeds of about 35 miles (56
kilometers) per hour. When the air car
surpasses that speed, a motor will start to
operate the in-car air compressor so it can
compress more air on the fly and provide extra
power to the engine. The air is also heated as it
hits the engine, increasing its volume to allow
the car move faster.
Concept of Hybrid Car
Air compressors collect and store air in a
pressurized tank, and use pistons and valves to
achieve the appropriate pressure levels within
an air storage tank that is attached to the
motorized unit. There are a few different types
of piston compressors that can deliver even air
pressures to the user. Automotive compressors
Page 2
Journal of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Heating and Ventilation
Volume 1, Issue 3
ISSN: 2394-1952 (online)
are combustion engine compressors that use
the up-and-down stroke of the piston to allow
air in and pressurize the air within the storage
tank. Other piston compressors utilize a
diaphragm, oil-free piston. These pull air in
and pressurize it by not allowing air to escape
during the collection period [4]. Typical air
engines use one or more expander pistons or
rotary expanders. It is necessary to heat the air
or the engine during expansion. Like other
non-combustion energy storage technologies,
an air vehicle displaces the emission source
from the vehicle’s tail pipe to the central
electrical generating plant. Where low
emissions sources are available, net production
of pollutants can be reduced. Emission control
measures at a central generating plant may be
more effective and less costly than treating the
emissions of widely dispersed vehicles. Since
the compressed air is filtered to protect the
compressor machinery, the air discharged has
Fig. 3: Block Diagram of Compressed Air Vehicle.
METHODOLOGY
The authors are going to use Hero Honda
CD100 engine with some modifications. The
operation of this engine is similar to a regular
2-stroke, but with a few changes. In this
engine, instead of ports on the cylinder walls,
valves are used for injection and exhaustion of
fuel, i.e., air in the cylinder. This is an open
cycle system and only two processes take
place during the operation, expansion and
exhaust, expansion being the power stroke.
The engine has been tested for various valve
timings and the best one has been adopted.
When the piston is at TDC, the inlet valve
opens and the compressed air gushes into the
cylinder from the storage tank and pushes it
downwards. In this process, air expands
providing momentum to the piston and hence
rotating the crankshaft. As the piston reaches
JoRACHV (2014) 1-6 © STM Journals 2014. All Rights Reserved
less suspended dust in it, though there may be
carryover of lubricants used in the engine [5].
Air Engine Powered by Solar Energy
The main aim of this research work is to use
renewable energy resources to run the vehicle.
In this research, the authors have used air
energy and solar energy to run the vehicle. Air
energy is used as a fuel input to the vehicle.
Solar energy is used to charge the batteries.
This battery power is used to run the
compressor. Figure 3 depicts the block
diagram of the work carried out [6]. The solar
energy is absorbed by the solar panels which
are connected in series. This solar energy is
used to charge the batteries. This battery
power is used to run the compressor. The
compressor supplies the compressed air to the
engine. We can regulate the flow of
compressed air into the engine by a proper
valve arrangement (Figure 3).
the BDC, through a small opening which is
bored on the cylinder wall, some volume of air
escapes to the atmosphere, reducing the
resistance force that will be acting on the
piston as it tries to come up. Now, the exhaust
valve opens and the remaining air is exhausted
out. This process continues for each cycle and
the engine runs accordingly. As the pressure of
air in the tank reduces, so does the output
derived from the engine.
Changing from 4-Stroke to 2-Stroke
To convert the four-stroke to two-stroke
engine, the authors have designed a camshaft.
For replacing the original cylinder head, a new
set of two flank cams has been designed for
operating the inlet and exhaust valves of the
modified engine. Both the exhaust and inlet
cams are symmetric about the center line of
Page 3
Compressed Air Vehicle
the cam shaft [7]. The cams are made of mild
steel. These cams provide determined motion
to the follower based on the assumed cam
profile, which is done in actual practice. The
design of this cam shaft has been altered to run
the original four-stroke engine as a two-stroke
engine. This can be done in two ways. One of
the methods is by changing the timing ratio,
i.e., for one rotation of the camshaft the
crankshaft also rotates once, hence becoming a
two-stroke engine. For this, a smaller sprocket
that matches the one that is mounted on the
crankshaft is machined and mounted on the
camshaft [Figure 4]. The cam chain will then
run both the sprockets in 1:1 ratio. Another
method is by doubling the number of lobes on
the cam shaft itself. The lobes are made
symmetrical about the cam shaft axis, thus
obtaining a double sided lobe for the inlet as
well as the outlet valve. As a result, although
the ratio between the crankshaft and the
camshaft remains 2:1, the valves open and
close once for each rotation of the crankshaft
Fig. 4: Modified Cam Shaft.
Transmission Losses
Transmission system in a car helps to transmit
mechanical power from the car engine to give
kinetic energy to the wheels. It is an
interconnected system of gears, shafts, and
other electrical gadgets that form a bridge to
transfer power and energy from the engine to
the wheels. The complete set up of the system
helps to maintain the cruising speed of the car
without any disturbance to the car’s
performance. The oldest variant of the
transmission system in India is the manual
transmission that has undergone various
modifications and alterations to form the
present day automatic transmission. A
transmission or gearbox provides speed and
JoRACHV (2014) 1-6 © STM Journals 2014. All Rights Reserved
Radhika et al.
torque conversions from a rotating power
source to another device using gear ratios. The
transmission reduces the higher engine speed
to the slower wheel speed, increasing torque in
the process. A transmission will have multiple
gear ratios (or simply “gears”), with the ability
to switch between them as speed varies. This
switching may be done manually (by the
operator), or automatically. Directional
(forward and reverse) control may also be
provided. In motor vehicle applications, the
transmission will generally be connected to the
crankshaft of the engine. The output of the
transmission is transmitted via driveshaft to
one or more differentials, which in turn drive
the wheels.
Air Compressor
An air compressor is a device that converts
power (usually from an electric motor, a diesel
engine or a gasoline engine) into kinetic
energy by compressing and pressurizing air.
Air compressors collect and store air in a
pressurized tank, and use pistons and valves to
achieve the appropriate pressure levels within
an air storage tank that is attached to the
motorized unit. There are a few different types
of piston compressors that can deliver even air
pressures to the user. Automotive compressors
are combustion engine compressors that use
the up-and-down stroke of the piston to allow
air in and pressurize the air within the storage
tank. Other piston compressors utilize a
diaphragm, oil-free piston. These pull air in,
and pressurize it by not allowing air to escape
during the collection period.
These are the most common types of air
compressors that are used today by skilled
workers and craftsmen. Before the day of
motorized engines, air compressors were not
what they are today. Unable to store
pressurized air, a type of antique air
compressor may be found in the blacksmith’s
foundry bellows. Now the air compressor is
capable of building extreme pressures in
storage tanks capable of storing enormous
amounts of pressurized gases for industrial use
[8].
Solar Panels and Its Specifications
Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into
electricity, either directly using photovoltaics
(PV), or indirectly using concentrated solar
Page 4
Journal of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Heating and Ventilation
Volume 1, Issue 3
ISSN: 2394-1952 (online)
power (CSP). Different types of solar cells or
solar panels are used for varied power outputs.
The efficiency or the output of the panel
depends upon the structure and the
arrangement of silicon in the panel. The solar
panels using for the purpose of charging the
batteries are of poly-silicon type photo voltaic
cells. Poly crystalline panels are more feasible
when compared to mono crystalline solar
panels. In order to achieve the required voltage
to run the air compressor the photo voltaic
cells are connected in series connection,
thereby producing an output of 36 V [9].
Specifications
Three Poly crystalline solar panels connected
in series of maximum voltage 12 V and 70 W.
Charge Controller and Its Specifications
The charge controller is a necessary part of our
power system that charges batteries, whether
the power source is PV, wind, hydro, fuel, or
utility grid. Its purpose is to keep our batteries
properly fed and safe for the long term. A
charge controller is an electronic voltage
regulator, used in off-grid systems and grid-tie
systems with battery backup that controls the
flow of power from the charging source to the
battery. The charge controller automatically
tapers, stops, or diverts the charge when
batteries become fully charged.
Specifications
Voltage: 36 V
Current: 30 A
Inverter and Its Specifications
A power inverter, or inverter, is an electrical
power converter that changes direct current
(DC) to alternating current (AC); the
converted AC can be at any required voltage
and frequency with the use of appropriate
transformers, switching, and control circuits.
Solid-state inverters have no moving parts and
are used in a wide range of applications, from
small switching power supplies in computers,
to large electric utility high voltage direct
current applications that transport bulk power.
Inverters are commonly used to supply AC
power from DC sources such as solar panels or
batteries. The inverter performs the opposite
function of a rectifier. The electrical inverter is
a high-power electronic oscillator [10].
JoRACHV (2014) 1-6 © STM Journals 2014. All Rights Reserved
Specifications
The authors want to use a 2.2 kV 36 V inverter
to supply power to the air compressor.
Batteries and Their Specifications
A battery is a device consisting of one or more
electrochemical cells that convert stored
chemical energy into electrical energy.
Specifications
Current: 35 AH
Voltage: 12 V
No. of batteries: 3
CONCLUSIONS
The technology of compressed air vehicles is
not new. In fact, it has been around for years.
Compressed air technology allows engines that
are both non-polluting and economical. This
paper explores the effective application of
pneumatic power and solar power. On the
whole, the technology is just about modifying
the engine of any regular IC engine vehicle
into an air powered engine.
The air powered engine technology is cheaper
in cost and maintenance, can be easily adapted
by the masses and it does not cause any kind
of harm to the environment. Instead, its wide
spread use will help mankind in controlling the
serious problem of global warming.
The authors can conclude that air engine is a
feasible research in the near future in mass
production. This research is eco-friendly and
does not use any type fossil fuels.
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Vehicle World Survey 2003. Breakthrough
Technologies Institute, Washington, D.C.
February 2004.
4. Verma SS. Air powered vehicles. The
Open Fuels & Energy Science Journal.
2008; 1: 54–6p.
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