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Is There Really a 106 mpg Car?The 106 mpg air car concept has created quite a bit of excitement and interest in the whole idea of cars powered by compressed air. The concept is that compressed air is stored in a high pressure tank and released into an air engine where it provides the power to propel the vehicle. Low cost to operate, little or no emissions, and decent range and performance makes this a very interesting idea. Let's take a closer look at how this 106 mpg air car concept is supposed to work. In normal operation at speeds under 35mph, this 106 mpg car is only supposed to run off of compressed air stored in the onboard air tanks. This is supposed to result in zero driving emissions. The air tanks are made from carbon fiber with a plastic liner. Designed to hold air pressures of around 4500psi, these carbon fiber tanks are supposed to be safer than metal, because they supposedly split open rather than explode into pieces during an accident. The idea is that refilling of the air tanks can be done at special service stations equipped with high pressure air compressors, at home with a special compressor, or with the air car's onboard compressor. In this concept, the compressed air is released from the tank and ultimately pushes on pistons inside the air engine - much like on a conventional internal combustion piston engine. Only in this case, there is no combustion (no burning of air & fuel) taking place inside the air engine. However, this particular 106 mpg air car concept does burn some fuel at higher speeds (or when driven longer distances). To help extend the range, a heater is used to heat the air after it leaves the air tank and before it enters the air engine. This heating of the air is done by burning fuel and it leads to an increase in volume and further expansion of the air. This enables the air to do more work inside the air car engine. At higher speeds (above around 35mph), or when driven for extended ranges, the air car uses an onboard engine and compressor to pressurize the tank and provide compressed air to run the air engine.
Example of a Prototype Air Car Engine The particular air car technology discussed in on this page has been invented by Guy Negre and developed by his company - Motor Development International (MDI) which located in France. Other companies have licensed the technology from MDI with the hopes of bringing this fuel efficient technology to roads around the world. Two such companies are Zero Pollution Motors (ZPM) based in the USA, and also the largest automaker in India - Tata Motors. Even though fuel is burned in the air car, it is supposed to be done in such a way that is much more efficient than a conventional automobile. When it's all said and done, the more efficient use of fuel is supposed to make this a fuel sipping 106 mpg car with a top speed of over 90mph. Range is supposed to be over 800 miles with an 8 gallon fuel tank. The concept car shown above is supposed to be made of aluminum, fiberglass, plastic and weigh in at UNDER 2000 lbs with seating for 6 people. All this information is based on a concept car and computer simulation. Keep in mind that the actual performance and specifications might be different on a production vehicle. In any case, the idea is quite interesting and the potential for a 106 mpg air car is very exciting. Time will tell if this air car concept eventually becomes a widespread reality around the world.
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106 mpg Air Car
