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AIR CAR
Abstract
The Air car is a car currently being developed and, eventually, manufactured by Moteur Developpement International (MDI), founded by the French inventor Guy N gre! It "ill be sold by this company too, as "ell as by #ev$at, a %& company, based in $alifornia! The air car is po"ered by an air engine, specifically tailored for the car! The used air engine is being manufactured by $'FD (ir solution, a company closely lin)ed to MDI! The engine is po"ered by compressed air, stored in a glass or carbon*fibre tan) at +,-- psi! The engine has in.ection similar to normal engines, but uses special cran)shafts and pistons, "hich remain at top dead center for about /-0 of the engine1s cycle2 this allo"s more po"er to be developed in the engine! Though some consider the car to be pollution*free, it must be ta)en into account that the tan)s are recharged using electric (or gasoline) compressors, resulting in some pollution, if the electricity used to operate the compressors comes from polluting po"er plants (such as gas*, or coal*po"er plants)! &olar po"er could possibly be used to po"er the compressors at fuel station!

References
3! 4evin 5onsor (6--,*3-*6,)! 7o" (ir*8o"ered $ars 9ill 9or)! 7o"&tuff9or)s! :etrieved on 6--;*-,*6,! 6! :obyn $urno" (6--+*-3*33)! Gone "ith the "ind! The &unday Times (%4)! :etrieved on 6--;*-,*6,!

AIR CAR

123seminarsonly.com email us for more reports 123seminarsonly@gmail.com 1.Introduction

(n Air Car is a car that can run on compressed air alone "ithout the use of conventional fuels used in present day automobiles! The car is po"ered by an air engine! The air engine is an emission*free piston engine using compressed air! The engines are similar to steam engines as they use the e<pansion of e<ternally supplied pressurised gas to perform "or) against a piston! For practical application to transportation, several technical problems must be first addressed=

(s the pressurised air e<pands, it is cooled, "hich limits the efficiency! This cooling reduces the amount of energy that can be recovered by e<pansion, so practical engines apply ambient heat to increase the e<pansion available! $onversely, the compression of the air by pumps (to pressurise the tan)s) "ill heat the air! If this heat is not recovered it represents a further loss of energy and so reduces efficiency! &torage of air at high pressure re>uires strong containers, "hich if not made of e<otic materials "ill be heavy, reducing vehicle efficiency, "hile e<otic materials (such as carbon fibre composites) tend to be e<pensive! ?nergy recovery in a vehicle during bra)ing by compressing air also generates heat, "hich must be conserved for efficiency! It should be noted that the air engine is not truly emission*free, since the po"er to compress the air initially usually involves emissions at the point of generation!

This most recent development using pressuri@ed air as fuel in an engine "as invented by Guy N gre, a French engineer! In 3AA3 the inventor Guy N gre started up Moteur Developpement International (MDI), Bu<embourg and invented a dual*energy engine running on both compressed air as on regular fuel! From this moment on he managed to create a compressed air only*engine, and improved his design to ma)e it more po"erful! In the 3, years he1s been "or)ing on this engine, considerable progress has been made= the engine is no" claimed to be competitive "ith modern I$?s! It is probably still not as po"erful as an I$? (although depending on "hich model of air engine vs model I$?)! 8roponents claim that this is of little importance since the car can simply be made lighter, or the tan)s be put on a higher pressure (psi*level), pushing the engine to above a comparable I$?* engine! Cther people that have been "or)ing on the idea are (rmando :egusci and (ngelo Di 8ietro! They too have companies, :ugusci started up :egusci (ir and Di 8ietro started up ?ngine (ir! They are selling their engines!

123seminarsonly.com email us for more reports 123seminarsonly@gmail.com 2.Engine Design

It uses the e<pansion of compressed air to drive the pistons in a modified piston engine! ?fficiency of operation is gained through the use of environmental heat at normal temperature to "arm the other"ise cold e<panded air from the storage tan)! This non* adiabatic e<pansion has the potential to greatly increase the efficiency of the machine! The only e<haust gas is cold air (D3, E$), "hich may also be used for air conditioning in a car! The source for air is a pressuri@ed glass or carbon*fiber tan) holding air at around F,--- lbfGinH (6- M8a)! (ir is delivered to the engine via a rather conventional in.ection system! %ni>ue cran) design "ithin the engine increases the time during "hich the air charge is "armed from ambient sources and a t"o stage process allo"s improved heat transfer rates! The (rmando :egusci1s version of the air engine has several advantages over the original Guy N gre1s one! In the initial Guy N gre1s air engine, one piston compresses air from the atmosphere, holding it on a small container that feeds the high pressure air tan)s "ith a small amount of air! Then that portion of the air is sent to the second piston "here it "or)s! During compression for heating it up, there is a loss of energy due to the fact that it cannot receive energy from the atmosphere as the atmosphere is less "arm than it! (lso, it has to e<pand as it has the cran)! The Guy N gre1s air engine "or)s "ith constant tor>ue, and the only "ay to change the tor>ue to the "heels is to use a pulley transmission of constant variation, losing efficiency! In the :egusci1s version, the transmission system is direct to the "heel, and has variable tor>ue from @ero to the ma<imum "ith all the efficiency! 9hen vehicle is stopped, Guy N gre1s engine has to be on and "or)ing, losing energy, "hile the :egusci1s version has not! In Iuly 6--+, Guy N gre abandoned his original design, and sho"ed later a ne" design "here he stated to have it invented bac) in year 6--3, but his ne" design is identical to the (rmando :egusci1s air engine "hich "as patented bac) in 3AJA (%ruguay) "ith the patent number 66A/;, and bac) in 3AA- ((rgentina)! In those same patents, it is mentioned the use of electrical motors to compress air in the tan)s!

3.Uses of air engine

The N gre engine is used to po"er an urban car "ith room for five passengers and a pro.ected range of about 3-- to 6-- miles (3;- to F6- )m), depending on traffic conditions! The main advantages are= no roadside emissions, lo" cost technology, engine uses food oil for lubrication (.ust about 3 liter, changes only every F-,--- miles (,-,--)m)) and integrated air conditioning! :ange could be >uic)ly tripled, since there are already carbon fiber tan)s "hich have passed safety standards holding gas at 3-,--lbfGinH (/- M8a)!

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The tan)s may be refilled in about three minutes at a service station, or in a fe" hours at home plugging the car into the electric grid via an on*board compressor! 7o"ever, the air engine and refueling system, considered as a system, are not pollution free e<cept in special cases, as the electric po"er generation "ould have its o"n environmental costs! Cne of the special cases is "here an operator of such a vehicle installs photovoltaic or "ind drive electric po"er generation!

4.MDI CATs (Co !ressed air tec"no#og$ cars%

MDI prepares to introduce compressed air vehicles to the mar)et! MDI has developed a high performance compressed air technology! 9hen it is compared to traditional gasoline po"ered engines, MDIKs engine is far superior in terms of energy used and thermodynamics!

An o&er&ie' of t"e air car

The technology that MDI vehicles use is not ne", in fact it had been around for years! $ompressed air technology allo"s for engines that are both non polluting and economical! (fter ten years of research and development, MDI is prepared to introduce its clean vehicles onto the mar)et! %nli)e electric or hydrogen po"ered vehicles, MDI vehicles are not e<pensive and do not have a limited driving range! MDI cars are affordable and have a performance rate that stands up to current standards! To sum it up, they are non*e<pensive cars that do not pollute and are easy to get around cities in! T"o technologies have been developed to meet different needs= &ingle energy compressed air engines Dual energy compressed air plus fuel engines The single energy engines "ill be available in both Minicats and $itycats! These engines have been conceived for city use, "here the ma<imum speed is ,- )mGh and "here MDI believes polluting "ill soon be prohibited! The dual energy engine, on the other hand, has been conceived as much for the city as the open road and "ill be available in all MDI vehicles! The engines "ill "or) e<clusively "ith compressed air "hile it is running under ,- )mGh in urban areas! 5ut "hen the car is used outside urban areas at speeds over ,- )mGh, the engines "ill s"itch to fuel mode! The engine "ill be able to use gasoline, gas oil, bio diesel, gas, li>uidi@ed gas, ecological fuel, alcohol, etc! 5oth engines "ill be available "ith 6, + and ; cylinders, 9hen the air tan)s are empty the driver "ill be able to s"itch to fuel mode by using the carLs on board computer! The vehicles do not have normal speed gauges! Instead, they "ill have a small computer screen that sho"s the speed and engine revolutions! The system allo"s for infinite possibilities such as G&M telephone systems, G8& satellite trac)ing systems, programs for delivery people, emergency systems, internet connections, voice recognitions, map presentation, traffic information!!! in three "ords( t"e future is no'.

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%nli)e the ma.ority of traditional cars on the mar)et, MDIKs vehicle1s have fibre glass bodies "hich ma)es them light, silent urban car! The car1s body is tubular, light "eight, and is held together using aerospace technology!

Fig 3! (n MDI $(T car :egarding security, the seatbelt system is different from "hat "e )no"! Cne part of the belt is anchored to the floor of the car, li)e traditional cars! The other part of the belt, in stead of being attached to the side of the car, is also anchored to the floor of the vehicle! This helps to secure the bodies of the driver and passengers in the case of a collision! MDI is also considering a system to replace traditional )eys! This system "ould utili@e an access card! 9ith this card it "ould be possible to open the car from a short distance a"ay "ithout having to actually insert anything in the car! In the single energy mode MDI cars consume less than one euro every 3--4m! (around -!/, ?uros) that is to say, 3- time less than gasoline po"ered cars! 9hen there is no combustion, there is no pollution! The vehicle1s driving range is close to t"ice that of the most advanced electric cars (from 6-- to F-- )m or J hours of circulation) This is e<actly "hat the urban mar)et needs "here, as previously mentioned, J-0 of the drivers move less than ;-4m! a day! The recharging of the car "ill be done at gas stations, once the mar)et is developed! To fill the tan)s it "ill ta)e about to 6 to F minutes at a price of 3!, euros! (fter refilling the car "ill be ready to drive 6-- )ilometres!

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The car also has a small compressor that can be connected to an electrical net"or) (66-M or FJ-M) and "ill recharge the tan)s completely in F or + minutes! 5ecause the engine does not burn any fuel the car1s oil(a litre of vegetable) only needs to be changed every ,-,---4m! The temperature of the clean air e<pulsed form the e<haust pipe is bet"een - and 3, degrees belo" @ero and can be subse>uently channelled and used for air conditioning in the interior of the car!

).T"e *asic +rinci!#e of t"e CATs 34 Engine

The $(TLs F+ ?ngine is a +*cylinder engine "hich "ill be used in cars in serial production!

Fig 6!$(TLs F+ ?ngine This engine "as developed bet"een the end of 6--3 and the beginning of 6--6! It uses an innovative system to control the movement of the 6nd generation pistons and one single cran)shaft! The pistons "or) in t"o stages= one motor stage and one intermediate stage of compressionGe<pansion!

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Fig F! Detailed vie" of the MDI engine The engine has + t"o*stage pistons, i!e! J compression andGor e<pansion chambers! They have t"o functions= to compress ambient air and refill the storage tan)s2 and to ma)e successive e<pansions (reheating air "ith ambient thermal energy) thereby approaching isothermic e<pansion! Its steering*"heel is e>uipped "ith a ,)9 electric moto*alternator! This motor is simultaneously= the motor to compress air, the starting motor, the alternator for recharging the battery an electric moderatorGbra)e, a temporary po"er supply (e!g! for par)ing) !

Fig +! FD vie" of the engine interior

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No clutch is necessary! The engine is idle "hen the car is stationary and the vehicle is started by the magnetic plate "hich re*engages the compressed air! 8ar)ing manoeuvres are po"ered by the electric motor!

Fig ,! The engine "hich "ill be fitted in the MDI cars in serial production!

Articu#ated con,rod
The MDI con*rod system allo"s the piston to be held at Top Dead $entre for /-0 of the cycle! This "ay, enough time is given to create the pressure in the cylinder! The tor>ue is also better so the force e<erted on the cran)shaft is less substantial than in a classic system!

Fig ;! (rticulated con*rod

-ear bo.

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Gear changes are automatic, po"ered by an electronic system developed by MDI! ( computer "hich controls the speed of the car is effectively continuously changing gears ! The latest of many previous versions, this gearbo< achieves the ob.ective of seamless changes and mimimal energy consumption!

Moto,a#ternator
The moto*alternator connects the engine to the gearbo<! It has many functions= It supports the $(TKs motor to allo" the tan)s to be refilled! (s an alternator it produces bra)e po"er! It starts the vehicle and provides e<tra po"er "hen necessary!

Distribution and &a#&es

To ensure smooth running and to opitimi@e energy efficiency, the engines use a simple electromagnetic distribution system "hich controls the flo" of air into the engine! This system runs on very little energy and alters neither the valve phase nor its rise!

Fig /. Distribution valve

/.T"e Air car0s tec"nica# detai#s

a) $ompressed air tan)s
The compressed air tan) is a glass or carbon*fibre tan)! These tan)s hold A- cubic metres of air compressed to F-- bars! This system is not dangerous in case of an accident as there is no ris) of operation! 5ecause these are the same tan)s used to carry the li>uid gas used by buses for public transport! The tan)s en.oy the same technology developed to contain natural gas! They are designed and officially approved to carry an e<plosive product= methane gas!

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In the case of a ma.or accident, "here the tan)s are ruptured, they "ould not e<plode since they are not metal! Instead they "ould crac), as they are made of carbon fibre! (n elongated crac) "ould appear in the tan), "ithout e<ploding, and the air "ould simply escape, producing a loud but harmless noise! Cf course, since this technology is licensed to transport an inflammable and e<plosive gas (Natural gas), it is perfectly capable inoffensive and non*flammable air! The tan)s in $(Ts vehicles are composed of an interior thermoplastic container "hich ensures it is airtight! This is held in a coiled and crossed carbon fibre shell! This techni>ue is the result of many studies into factors such as= mechanical specifications, density of material, choice of fibres etc! The conditions of use are ma<imum effective pressure (F-- bar) and the temperature of use= from N+-E$ to ;-E$! The tan)s are submitted to numerous tests to meet official approval, among "hich are= ! (irtight testing ! 8ressure testing (3!,OF--P+-, b) ! :upture testing (6!F,OF--P/-, b) ! $ycles at ambient and e<treme temperatures ! Fire*resistance testing ! :esistance to cuts ! &hoc) and fall testing During rupture testing, the tan) crac)s, but does not brea) up, producing no splinters or fragments! In the event of a crac)ed tan), it is most li)ely to occur "ithin the cylinder itself!

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Fig J!&pecial machines ma)ing the tubular shell The tan)s used in the $(TKs vehicles should last for a period of fifteen years, to be tested every five years and are sub.ect to "ear and tear according to conditions of use! The tan)s "eigh F, * +- )g for 3-- litres of air at F-- bars! In the Mini$atKs the tan)s "eigh /- * J- )g! For e<tra security, a protective plate is fi<ed underneath the vehicleKs chassis and in addition limits access to the circuit of high pressure air! There is also an e<traction system to deal "ith "ater produced by condensation!

b) 5ra)e po"er recovery

The MDI vehicles "ill be e>uipped "ith a range of modern systems! For e<ample, one mechanism stops the engine "hen the car is stationary (at traffic lights, .unctions etc)! (nother interesting feature is the pneumatic system "hich recovers about 3F0 of the po"er used!

c) The body
The MDI car body is built "ith fibre and in.ected foam, as are most of the cars on the mar)et today! This technology has t"o main advantages= cost and "eight! No"adays the use of sheet steel for car bodies is only because of cost * it is cheaper to serially produce sheet steel bodies than fibre ones! 7o"ever, fibre is safer (it doesnKt cut li)e steel), is

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easier to repair (it is glued), doesnKt rust etc! MDI is currently loo)ing into using hemp fibre to replace fibre*glass, and natural varnishes, to produce 3--0 non*contaminating body"or)!

d) The (ir Filter

The MDI engine "or)s "ith both air ta)en from the atmosphere and air pre* compressed in tan)s! (ir is compressed by the on*board compressor or at service stations e>uipped "ith a high*pressure compressor! 5efore compression, the air must be filtered to get rid of any impurities that could damage the engine! $arbon filters are used to eliminate dirt, dust, humidity and other particles "hich, unfortunately, are found in the air in our cities! This represents a true revolution in automobiles * it is the first time that a car has produced minus pollution, i!e! it eliminates and reduces e<isting pollution rather than emitting dirt and harmful gases! The e<haust pipe on the MDI cars produces clean air, "hich is cold on e<it (bet"een *3,Q and -Q) and is harmless to human life! 9ith this system the air that comes out of the car is cleaner than the air that "ent in!

e) The $hassis
5ased on its e<perience in aeronautics, MDI has put together highly*resistant, yet light, chassis, aluminium rods glued together! %sing rods enables to build a more shoc)* resistant chassis than regular chassis! (dditionally, the rods are glued in the same "ay as aircraft, allo"ing >uic) assembly and a more secure .oin than "ith "elding! This system helps to reduce manufacture time!

f) ?lectrical system
Guy N gre, inventor of the MDI (ir $ar, ac>uired the patent for an interesting invention for installing electrics in a vehicle! %sing a radio transmission system, each electrical component receives signals "ith a microcontroller! Thus only one cable is needed for the "hole car! &o, instead of "iring each component (headlights, dashboard lights, lights inside the car, etc), one cable connects all electrical parts in the car! The most obvious advantages are the ease of installation and repair and the removal of the appro<imately 66 )g of "ires no longer necessary! 9hats more, the entire system becomes an anti*theft alarm as soon as the )ey is removed from the car!

123seminarsonly.com email us for more reports 123seminarsonly@gmail.com 1. Mode#s

a%2a i#$
( spacious car "ith seats "hich can face different directions! The vehicleKs design is based on the needs of a typical family!

C"aracteristics( (irbag, air conditioning, ; seats! Dimensions= 9eight= Ma<imum speed= Mileage= Ma< load= :echarge time= :echarge time= F!J+m, 3!/6m, 3!/,m /,- )g 33- )mGh 6-- * F-- )m ,-- 4g + hours (Mains connector) F minutes ((ir station)

Detail of the on*board computer!

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b%3an
Designed for daily use in industrial, urban or rural environments, "hose primary drivers "ould be tradesmen, farmers and delivery drivers!

4!ecifications( (irbag, air conditioning, (5&, 6 seats, 3!, mF! Dimensions= 9eight= Ma<imum speed= Mileage= Ma<imum load= :echarging time= :echarging time= F!J+m, 3!/6m, 3!/,m /,- )g 33- )mGh 6-- * F-- )m ,-- 4g + hours (Mains connector) F minutes ((ir station)

Detail of steering "heel!

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c%Ta.i
Inspired by the Bondon Ta<i, "ith numerous ergonomic and comfort advantages for the passenger as "ell as for the driver!

4!ecifications( (irbag, air conditioning, ; seats! Dimensions= 9eight= Ma<imum speed= Mileage= Ma<imum load= :echarging time= :echarging time= F!J+m, 3!/6m, 3!/,m /,- )g 33- )mGh 6-- * F-- )m ,-- 4g + hours (Mains connector) F minutes ((ir station)

Detail of the driverKs seat!

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d%+ic5,U!
The RpleasureR car= designed for e<cursions, outdoor sports or "ater sports! (lso suitable for tradesmen and small businesses!

4!ecifications( (irbag, air conditioning, 6 seats! Dimensions= 9eight= Ma<imum speed= Mileage= Ma<imum load= :echarging time= :echarging time= F!J+m, 3!/6m, 3!/,m /,- )g 33- )mGh 6-- * F-- )m ,-- 4g + hours (Mains connector) F minutes ((ir station)

e%Mini Cats

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The smallest and most innovative= three seats, minimal dimensions "ith the boot of a saloon= a great challenge for such a small car "hich runs on compressed air! The Minicat is the city car of the future!

4!ecifications( (irbag, air conditioning, (5&, F seats, 3!, mF! Dimensions= 9eight= Ma<imum speed= Mileage= Ma<imum load= :echarging time= :echarging time= 6!;,m, 3!;6m, 3!;+m /,- )g 33- )mGh 6-- * F-- )m 6/- 4g + hours (Mains connector) F minutes ((ir station)

6.Co

ercia#i7ation

(s soon as the MDI engines and vehicles are commercially viable ("ithin 3*F years, depending on the version) they "ill have a mar)et, "ith very limited competition, if any, for an estimated period of 3-*3, years! The commercial strategy is currently concentrated on the urban mar)ets, "ith products including ta<is, delivery vans and pic)up truc)s!

5ased on a ne" concept of local vehicle production and sales, MDI promote regional manufacturing license rights in the form of franchised turn)ey factory

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systems! &uch a turn)ey factory "ill have a normal production capacity of 6---*+--- vehicles per year and "ill employ some 3F- people! ( model factory is being constructed in 5rignoles, France! ( ta<i called RTC8R (Ta<i #er8 +ollution) and pic)ups truc), "ere built! In May 3AAJ, the first road tests of these prototypes "ere done in 5rignoles, France! ( great interest in the @ero pollution concept has been e<pressed by the ne"s media! &ince May 3AAJ, the ta<i RTC8R has been the sub.ect of more than +television programs and several ne"spaper and maga@ine articles around the "orld!

Fig A! Cn*road trials of the MDI ta<i To manage the development process successfully, MDI has contracted its product research and development activities to $'FD (ir &olution, a company based in 5rignoles, France! 7ere, under the direction of Guy Negre, some F- engineers and technicians have at their disposal the most modern e>uipment for engine and vehicle development, testing and production, supported by the latest in information technology!

The company says the cars "ill initially go on sale in France, "here the first assembly line is due to start production in the middle of ne<t year!

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The Mini$(T& three*seater compact, a commercial version of a prototype sho"cased at the 6--6 8aris Motor &ho", "ill be priced at SA,J,-! The $ity$(T& si<*seater sedan "ill retail for S3;,---!

9.Conc#usion
The air car "hich is the result of a long research and development is a clean, easy to drive, high performance car! MDI has achieved "hat the large car manufactures have promised in a hundred years time! The end product is a light "eight vehicle that can reach speeds up to 66- )mGh (even though the legal limit is 36-), a product that does not pollute li)e t"entieth century vehicles and does not ta)e a lifetime to pay off! ?ssentially, MDI has developed a modern, clean, and cheap car that meets most peopleLs needs! The principle advantages for an air po"ered vehicle are=

Fast recharge time Bong storage lifetime (electric vehicle batteries have a limited useful number of cycles, and sometimes a limited calendar lifetime, irrespective of use)! 8otentially lo"er initial cost than battery electric vehicles "hen mass produced!