Driving On Compressed Air: The Little-Known Compressed Air Revolution

[@NewMind]

▶ Visit brilliant.org/NewMind to get a 30-day free trial + the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual subscription

[@andylewis7360]

George Medhurst was FRENCH?? 😳

[@upendaglover2559]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/omiQlXSKjcajla8si=BTMuVARxbg97ssEN

[@Mike80528]

Red Barchetta by Rush in 1981: "Suddenly ahead of me Across the mountainside A gleaming alloy *air car* Shoots towards me, two lanes wide I spin around with shrieking tires To run the deadly race Go screaming through the valley As another joins the chase" (imagining a future where combustion engines were outlawed...)

[@kayakMike1000]

Woah dude... We know you're smart, but you need to make your content more accessible.

[@turbinex_generators]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/noa7lpV3fbGhp8k

[@ChristopherSchreib-yn1vu]

There’s an old time steel mill device called a Vortex Valve’, which was a cheap air conditioning trick, used to make the super-hot steel mill cool enough for the workers to survive working in there. You pump the local air through this valve, and it splits it into two jets of air, one hot, one cold, with the hot air jet piped outdoors. Perhaps some new application of the thing, could help in a few of these air power systems?

[@lo2740]

that wont change anything to the bottom line, compressing air is inefficient by itself, therefore compressed air is a very mediocre storage medium.

[@Richard-oc4lx]

So is team but rember it's not going to be as efficient as petrol .doesn't mean it's nota good medium .itsquickto fill and has a good milage. Its only real issue is it's very explosive that's it's only draw back .​@@lo2740

[@richtomlinson7090]

It's an interesting concept for many other problems. They have small units, that help cool machining processes, without a liquid coolant. They are sort of pricey but interesting. We spray messy coolants at grinding and cutting tools.

[@conanmn2381]

Extremely expensive air conditioning method, one of the worst. Compressed air is typically produced by electricity then compressed air is used to produce cold air with a byproduct consisting of hot air.

[@JayDillon-mm6yv]

Ranque-Hilsch device splitting a single air supply line into hot and cold streams, then routing those to the hot and cold ends of a Stirling engine, could make a superefficient system, or help boost the power of an already very powerful Rotary Wankel airmotor.

[@toddwmac]

As a marksman, I got interested in Pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) rifles a decade ago. Those unfamiliar with PCPs generally laughed at the "boys with their Red Ryders". That has changed. The advances occurring within that niche industry have outpaced traditional firearms and speak volumes on what can be done with pneumatics. I understand that while some/many of the physics and engineering problems are different, if a competitive financial model can be developed, we will see these faster than most expect....and we won't hear them comming. Thnaks for posting.

[@graealex]

Physics will always tell you that compressed air is a very inefficient energy storage. It's even inefficient in a workshop, where its benefits can still outweigh the inefficiency. But for cars, LMAO.

[@bowesterlund3719]

Was looking for this comment. Factories have been moving away from compressed air as a “energy source” (pneumatic cylinders etc in machines) for years now and switching to electric actuators instead. It is way more efficient (thus cheaper and less emissions) to use the electricity directly rather than using electricity to make compressed air and then use it..

[@graealex]

@@bowesterlund3719 Yes, even in the shop, a lot of energy is lost, and with BLDC motors and the necessary controllers/inverters getting cheaper and smaller, one of the main arguments of using pressurized air tools - being compact - has become obsolete. It still has a place in industries where explosions can occur, though.

[@tz8785]

And about 10 years ago, MDI also claimed a practical car powered by compressed air. So far no sign of it hitting the road.

[@graealex]

@@tz8785 The more air you need to store, the less practical it becomes. As a result, there are a few small and range-limited cars on the market, I believe made by Tata.

[@bowesterlund3719]

@@graealexExactly! A good example of what you are saying is a dremel. It can almost do the same work as a similarly sized die grinder but without the 3 hp air compressor. Personally I only use my garage compressor for stuff when I need the air itself. Like pumping tires or blowing dust of things etc

[@WarpedYT]

I haven't seen one of your videos in a minute, I've seen a ton of these compressed-air cars used in India and Mexico.

[@reinoud6377]

Really? Wow, you have some links or photos?

[@NewMind]

Same. Glad you’re back. Been missing those over the top builds!

[@ryanwong772]

It's not compressed air..it's compressed natural gas (CNG) and the engine is still ICE.

[@isaeljosafatmartinezclavel5283]

In Mexico?

[@WarpedYT]

@@isaeljosafatmartinezclavel5283 yes

[@igormac88]

Peugeot-Citroën really dived into the project with the HybridAir concept, which went on years of development and research until they pull the plug due to the rise of the battery hybrids. The system would function like a 48 volt mild hybrid, keeping the car in motion at stable speeds and at low speeds, making possible the 1.2 3cyl gasoline engine to shut off. Very ingenious

[@mrwpg]

Was about to say exactly this... funny how EVERYTHING on youtube is "NEW"...

[@kevinfarlie7696]

It was certainly unexpected to see a professor from my faculty featured in a youtube video on a fairly large channel, and the first time I have heard of this research. Congratulations to Dr. Dincer and Mr. Evrin! I hope our UOIT will better communicate its research throughout our community since this makes me curious what other exceptional research has been done, and simply not well publicized.

[@fuzzywzhe]

This isn't workable. There's huge loses in compressing air, I don't believe they ever demonstrated a vehicle that did over 10 KM much less 100. I smell fraud.

[@christmassnow3465]

In 2007/2008 I read about Tata Motors compressed air project. Back then I was actively trading in the stock market. I bought some stocks and suddenly I heard no updates about the project. I waited while the stock kept going down and heard nothing ever since. The rest is history.

[@thedubwhisperer2157]

Physics sucks...

[@Tanstaaflitis]

Thanks for the updates on MDI. I followed them in the early 2000s, but lost track a long time ago.

[@reinoud6377]

Quite quiet around them

[@lo2740]

MDI is an ongoing scam since at least two decades lol, it is just an investor money trap, anyone slightly interested in the topic knows that. It is incredible this is still going on, they never delivered anything but crappy "prototypes" barely able to run 1km at 40kmh lol. Their business is to sell "license" to their "technology", lol. Of course you are not going to see any car or car factory with such motors, because the efficiency is like 10% with wind in the back, it would only fit some niche sectors and even for these it could only work with massive subsides from governement money, because it makes zero sense economilcally, the efficiency is way too low, meaning it would cost 3 or 4 times more electricity to run than even the most basic and inefficient electrical vehicle, not to mention it requires huge carbon fiber cylinders at 350 bar, which is expensive, dangerous and takes massive room. Finally you'll also need some very special compressor to fill them, and as mentioned the total cycle efficiency is ridiculous. This video is a joke.

[@MatthewHolevinski]

Ya I think we all did, no way that idea is ever going to hold air.

[@Tanstaaflitis]

@@MatthewHolevinski ROFL

[@NackDSP]

Great video. The most popular way to fail with a new technology is to design a weird looking three wheel car that looks unstable and unsafe. I suspect the price of batteries and electric motors going so low made this option look expensive.

[@colleenforrest7936]

I've been following MDIs work on this. Its a great concept. One thing we have got to get over is this idea of "most efficient". Nothing can come to market unless its more efficient than what's out there now. We need to be looking at "efficent enough". Giving the available space, weight, or whatever actual constraints you have (not the slick constraints that make your eyes buldge and you say "oooo" too, but the real constraints), is the given solution efficent enough to solve the problem. A lot more of these devices, if the would just hit the market sooner could get the capital the need to advance the technology.

[@lo2740]

mdi is a wel known scam going on for decades, air motor is a joke, the total cycle efficiency its extremely low, the energy density extremely low, there is a reason why you never see any "air car" it makes zero sense and never will.

[@Richard-oc4lx]

​@@lo2740have you shares in oilor are you just don't like air cars.effitantly they are not petrol .but as a median that is good to move vehicles and re fuel quickly and do what it says on the box . It's very good , if you don't like air cars fine but don't tell liesso people agree withyourway of thinking . Air cars is a good idea .and quicker than electric and solar and wind . Your looking att this medium from the wrong angle .

[@MrGundawindy]

@@Richard-oc4lx air could possibly be the actual worst way to store and transfer energy, especially in a mobile platform.

[@hearsejr]

With new Composites we have the ability now to build lighter components and I have seen what compressed air can do at high pressure. Being a deep sea diver and heavy equiment mechanic useing air tools I believe for short distance operations we can easily build air powered cars. But everyone that has the ability to build what we are seeing in the prototypes looks like a freaking sweet pea or an apple with wheels. I'm thinking if they used a foam cored thin composite skin, add a small LP heater for a heat chamber before the air goes into the intake of the motor, filter the total exhaust an run it into the cockpit, you would have cleaner air in the vehicle then out side it... and free air conditioning. Useing a scuba filling station with proper filting of course, you would even be cleaning the the air as you fill up. The main draw back is the air would be dry and leaves you with dry mouth. You would have to use vegetable based oils and lubricants. I'm thinking of a rotary type engine, in town and mostly a car the size of a large golf cart with a few of the big composite tanks sandwiched by a strong reinforced plate chaises and off the shelf components for the air power supply. It is doable.

[@kingphiltheill]

For use in cars, the main hurdle is space constraints. There's just no space in a Toyota Mirai or Hyundai Nexo. Though these being hydrogen cars, they employ large composite tanks and leave very little interiour space for occupants and luggage.

[@brucewilliams6292]

This is a great video. I could see a lot of other uses for this. Just thinking about the heat recovery from phase changes opens a lot of design possibilities for all kinds of systems. Really well researched! Lately there have been few videos that make me think "oh, I could use this here or there." in a cascade of thoughts on other systems. This is one of the very few videos I have shared and saved. Thank you for restoring YoTub's relevance a bit!

[@davidelliott5843]

Thermal efficiency kills this as an energy storage medium. Batteries are better than 90% (possibly over 95%). The additional costs are quickly recouped.

[@VinceroAlpha]

@@davidelliott5843 He goes over the shortcomings and the current solutions to sit shortcomings in the video. Also he goes over the concept that companies are currently testing that can even have better energy storage in the battery counterparts. Way to show that you didn’t understand the video or watch the whole thing.

[@simonmasters3295]

@@VinceroAlpha totally agree with you, but Mr Elliott feels he knows better.

[@VinceroAlpha]

@@simonmasters3295 🤣😂 thanks

[@jasonbowen8204]

Such a dirty energy though​@@davidelliott5843

[@TheChrisLeone]

I think we're overlooking an obvious energy source- hamsters on wheels

[@jasonnoteboom4489]

As a lowly compressor tech, I just shake my head at the ways these engineers keep me employed. I giggle at the thought of seeing one of these tugging around an old portable 185 just to keep running. That makes as much sense as a new lightning stuck on the side of the road getting recharged from a generator.

[@bowez9]

Nevermind how energy intensive compressing air is. For industrial use it's the single worst way to use power.

[@St0RM33]

meng here...yes it's a stupid concept..i still wonder who invests money on these thing..then i take a look at kickstarter and then i say people are stupid

[@lo2740]

wel, it is actually a scam, well know, and going on for more than two decades, the only achievement of this company is to pump very dumb investors money and sell them "licenses" lol. The energy efficiency of this motor (total cycle) is 5%; but the scamming efficiency is 100%.

[@Glenn.Cooper]

This was a really fantastic and well researched video - thanks!!

[@lo2740]

not well researched at all, typical youtube content, air motor is a joke and it is well known, and MDI is a scam going on for at least two decades lol. Using air in vehcile makes zero sense, the total cycle efficiency is extremely low and always will be because highly compressed air (350 bar) is jsut a terrible medium for energy storage in a vehicle application, as simple as that.

[@shazzz_land]

And the compressor runs on hope, compassion and heart warmth )))))

[@winfordnettles3292]

Yeah, we just had a very blatant example of the resiliency of composite overwrapped vessels with the loss of the submarine.

[@robertoortizespinoza795]

As a mechanical engineer, I have been paying attention to this technology for years and the apathy and skepticism it arouses never ceases to surprise me. I firmly believe that it is part of the solution for sustainable zero-emission mobility. Critical of the researchers is that all the power comes from compressed air, instead of sharing that task with electrostatic storage. The super capacitors would give acceleration to the vehicle through electric motors in the rear wheel drive, and the car would keep rolling with the impulse of compressed air in the front wheel drive. Both forms of propulsion would act on climbs, and both would recover part of the energy when braking. The use of phase change materials is the alternative to improve efficiency. Such a car will be supplied with energy in places where compressing the air supports heat for other processes, such as preheating water, space heating, cooking ovens, swimming pool heating, even milk pasteurization. So no energy would be lost in air compression for large tanks. All charging at these establishments could be done in three minutes: Charging the bank of supercapacitors, melting paraffin and filling the tanks with air at elevated pressures. And since the air that comes out of the pneumatic motors is cold, it would serve to air condition the passenger cabin. I find this solution feasible, but neither the automotive companies, nor the deputies of the European Union, nor Elon Musk, believe the same.

[@RayleighCriterion]

Rather than using compressed air, why not use a liquid that boils and expands greatly under heat. Instead of using low efficiency air compression, instead more efficient induction heating. Viola, you've got a modern 21st steam engine which would only need to be plugged in once a week for typical driving distances.

[@nahometesfay1112]

Heat engines are inherently less efficient than electric motors so there's no real advantage

[@RayleighCriterion]

@@nahometesfay1112 They also cost a fraction to manufacturer compared to electric motors and expensive lithium batteries.

[@lo2740]

it is called steam, we used that two centuries ago.

[@SmoothCanoes]

I always get excited when there new uploads from this channel!

[@HebrewHammerArmsCo]

I remember the TATA in India, Thought it was a great idea as a small around town car.. But electricity is bad, Unless its to charge a Electric Car... The only real issue I saw was the need for 4000 Psi compressors to fill the tank

[@lo2740]

lol, tat was scammed by mdi, it is well known, they were sufficiently stupid to fall for this scam which was already going for two decades at the time, so they must be extremely dumb tho. I is not hard to understand the air is a terrible medium for vehicle energy storage, it is totally impractical for physical reasons and the total cycle efficiency is extremely low, way below anything else.

[@Knightfire66]

we have really good compressors today on the markets. and springs got improved a lot too. and also air is not dangerous as flamable O2 or lithium. doesnt matter 4000 psi oder 8000 psi. well it is but an air coution woud protect you as shield from that. but air coution wont help against an o2 explosion

[@xtophgerard1169]

Tata for the license from mdi registered in Luxembourg

[@DaveAW]

There are 5 or 6 thousand psi compressors for high power air guns. So why not use them to power an air car?

[@tbix1963]

Thanks for sharing your videos, was nice to see an update on this technology. Along time ago when this tech was experiencing a resurgence I pondered if this might be a good substitute for energy in lawn care equipment. Whenever mowing large lawns I would notice the mower deck would get quite hot. In retrospect I’m pondering if my spindle bearings needed some work, but at the time I was convinced that it was from all the friction involved in the cutting, chopping and blowing process and then pondered if the mower deck was made with integrated cooling channels similar to rocket nozzles than maybe the air could be preheated by running thru the mower deck and besides boosting power input to the motor would offer cooling for the operator. 😂

[@alvinnorin8820]

😂🎉

[@Cj-yw8cs]

You might be on to something

[@mrpicky1868]

that 4x energy density in compressed air compared to li-ion is a BS

[@ansgaryeysymontt7155]

Well... Air is quite light.

[@TheArcanis87]

Indeed. And a thermodinamically efficient designs requires thermal storage and two heat powerful exchangers at minimum. Batteries have problems, but at least are feasible. Compressed air has great POWER density, which is why it used in industry. Energy density, both volumetric and gravimetric is dreadful.

[@tz8785]

@@ansgaryeysymontt7155 High pressure air tanks aren't quite as light.

[@ansgaryeysymontt7155]

@@tz8785 even 2mpa tanks are quite heavy.

[@mrpicky1868]

@@ansgaryeysymontt7155 that what ppl usually think before they see 1 atm crush steel tanks. and air really resists hard getting to high pressure. and tank w8 should also be counted

[@blown572hemi]

I drive on compressed air everyday with my air ratchet. Very inefficient when you see the air compressor and how it does it.

[@wolfy1398]

what about self discharge though? if you also want to keep the heat to get more power from the expansion, you will have to insulate the tank, but even the best insulation isn't 100% perfect so you will lose power, also, there is the problem of thermal mass location, you can't compress in a central location and then use the air in the cars or whatever when the heat energy is stored in some sort of thermal battery located where the compressor is

[@ronblack7870]

you would need to use that heat energy somehow in the compression plant to save energy on compression.

[@rickhaiman9904]

If I remember right a gentleman built a ford grenada powered by compressed air tanks, and a very large rodac impact wrench. Might have been in Popular Science or Mechanics too.

[@feonix138]

It would be great to use for residential home energy storage. Cheap and safe.

[@luongmaihunggia]

Pneumatic motor still has to obey the second law of thermodynamics. Not many people know this.

[@pascalbruyere7108]

Do you mean it’s going to get very cold?

[@luongmaihunggia]

@@pascalbruyere7108 it means efficiency is related to temperature difference

[@radicaledwards3449]

​@@luongmaihunggiatemperature difference

[@luongmaihunggia]

@@radicaledwards3449 yeah, that's what I meant

[@sampleoffers1978]

Battery, otherwise no car works, even combustion engines.

[@Geri_crs]

the low pressure problem can be pixed by using motores designet for lov pressure and highg aireflow, so you can storage like 240atm and the motor runs at max 4atm with a pressure regualtor the problem is fixed. you have the same tourqe and power until your 240 atm tank is at 4atm

[@heilundwissen9833]

1to240bar: work 240to4bar: 0 work 4bar to 1 bar: less work

[@Geri_crs]

@@heilundwissen9833 i cant see the problem, as long the pressure level of the tank is higher than the set 4 atm, you will have constant 100 Work but if the pressure level goes under 4 atm you Tank will be close empty and you will quickly start losing pressure

[@heilundwissen9833]

Use your handpump for 240 bar. After let expand 4bar. Big input, small useful output.

[@Geri_crs]

@@heilundwissen9833 what do you mean ?

[@EinfachFredhaftGaming]

9:50 I drive my EV for 3 years now, never experienced self discharge even when standing for two weeks

[@MoosesValley]

I remember various reading about / watching videos about various people / companies exploring / using compressed air in the 1990's / 2000's ... Lots of fork lifts actually run on compressed air. I hope they can move beyond storing highly compressed air in tanks, because the pressures involved are truly frightening if anything ruptures.

[@GiorgioAresu]

Those fork lifts are gas powered ICE, they do not run on compressed air. The physics of it makes it simply not feasible

[@MoosesValley]

@@GiorgioAresu The forklift was running on compressed air - definitely NOT gas. Do a search on Angelo Di Pietro's work with the Di Pietro Air Motor for starters. His forklift was using air tanks tanks an frighteningly high pressures: 350bars or 5000psi. Sorry, I cannot post links here, because my replies never show up.

[@AaronSchwarz42]

MIDI in France tried to commercialize compressed air vehicles a long time ago. The problem is that air compressors at that pressure range (high PSI, 10K or more) to give good range in composite wrapped air tanks, are neither cheap or energy efficient, way more expensive than a 240vac Level 2 EV charger for Lithium Ion EV's //

[@lo2740]

in fact they never wanted to "commercialize" they just wanted to pump investors money, because to anyone in his right mind it is obvious that air motor vehicle is not going to work anytime, the total cycles efficiency is 5%, 10% with ideal parameters.

[@nuttyDesignAndFab]

fundamentally low energy density is, AFAIK, impossible to overcome. Also you're building a bomb. also now you've added flammable wax to your compressed gas vessel vehicle. Like yeah maybe, but batteries work better and are simpler.

[@taktuscat4250]

I would choose battery fire than exploding 😅

[@jacoby6000]

Did you watch the video before posting this? The tanks are designed to rupture rather than explode Near Isothermal compression helps with the energy density thing The tech can skip the entire elictrical portion of the logistics pipeline, converting mechanical energy directly in to near isothermally compressed air. This drives the efficiency up dramatically. Not sure how adding parrafin wax is supposed to be perceived as more dangerous than gasoline or batteries.

[@fracapolligummala3548]

@@jacoby6000 You need to convert pressure into shaft torque. And that pressure is most likely produced with an electrical pump. So no advantage there. THe efficent design needs a big yikes of heat exchangers and even generator and batteries for feedback inself making it heavy and depended on electrical technology again. And it has quite a bunch of a material that can burn in it making the whole thing also flammalbe. So it has all the disadvatange plus the tanks can also rupture and rapidly decompress. So where is really the benefit?

[@HughZantu]

​@@fracapolligummala3548I think that you're missing the point. Electricity has energy conversion between the mechanical processes whereas compressed air is the literal direct storage of mechanical energy. Tanks can be designed to rupture easily and the vehicles are allowed to be much lighter and more efficient if the designs get funding to perfect themselves

[@Surestick88]

I don't believe the wax comes into direct contact with the compressed air, it's just used to store thermal energy which it does well as its phase transition between liquid and solid occurs around 70C. as this s also where the system likely functions it's a useful material. Bomb? There's a lot of energy in a tank of gasoline. We've nornalised driving around while sitting on a thin metal or plastic tank of highly flammable fluid so if you want to talk about bombs... Lithium batteries can get pretty spicy if mishandled too. Compared to gasoline, wax is pretty tame.

[@Bloated_Tony_Danza]

Low energy density can be overcome at the expense of safety and increased risk of catastrophic failure. Imagine a 4500psi air tank detonating in a collision...even if you survive the crash you will not survive the explosion of the tank. Burning literal TNT would be safer than this!

[@gmeister03]

I remember years ago about this. Like 20 years ago. I’m not surprised it didn’t take off.

[@lo2740]

it is not intended to "take off" just to scam investors, it is a notorious scam, there will never be "air vehicle" because using 350 bar compressed air as a storage medium is a terrible idea, the total cycle efficiency is extremely low, way below any other technology, and it is also extremely impractical to use. It is so obvious, and has been demonstrated multiuple times. This video makes a terrible job at providing meaningful informations, but it is not surprizing, because the goal of the video is to make money, not provide correct and decent informations, as long as the appearence is there...

[@GeoffryGifari]

Some interesting questions! 1. How easy can "refueling" be for a compressed air vehicle? 2. How can compressed air vehicles handle changes of external temperature? 3. Related to the previous question, can heat radiation from the sun/ambient air (like when a car accumulates heat on a parking lot) be harvested to maintain the air temperature? 4. Is there a way to maintain the pressure while air is being discharged (i'm thinking an inner spring-loaded piston, reducing the volume of the tank (raising pressure) while air escapes) 5. How would the size of the air tank affect the practicality of vehicles like this?

[@veryInteresting_]

I think refueling would be the same as current CNG refueling stations.

[@grantmccoy6739]

For 2, Heat would increase pressure. And yes, you could take advantage of that. 4, it would just increase the pressure from the beginning. It would be the same as just running a higher pressure. You could use some kind of powered device to increase pressure at will, but that would be counter productive.

[@Isgolo]

Compressed air tanks are heavy, I seriously doubt that the energy density can be increased without increasing the pressure to an unsafe level and survive the amount of compression and decompression cycles that a car would need. Composite materials are great, but tend to degrade over time. That is one of the advantages of heavy steel in industrial compressed air tanks, once they reach a certain level of wear, the steel stops degrading, giving it a much longer lifespan than composites.

[@lo2740]

of course, in fact mdi is a scam, going on for more than two decades, the only achievement of their "air motor" is to pump money out of very dumb investors. This "technology" which isnt one, is totally useless because the whole cycle efficiency is extremely low and compressed air is totally unpractical as an energy storage medium in a vehicle. In i think just compressing air at 350 bar is alreayd less efficient than any lelectrical vehicle, which tells a lot, they would need a motor with 200% efficiency (lol) to compensate for the very bad efficiency of the first conversion (-compressing air to 350 bar) which of course is not going to append.

[@BrownMInc]

So cool to see someone I've met on this channel! Dr. Dincer was a lecturer of mine, Thermo & Heat Transfer

[@randyking476]

All of this "alternative" energy research, with it's increasingly complex ideas is the new alchemy and it will be just as successful.

[@jochenstacker7448]

alchemy turned into chemistry and made our modern world possible. Without it, we'd still sit in mud huts and rub sticks together for fire.

[@Hamdad]

Complexity is scary huh. I too miss a simpler world. But not every new thing is bad.

[@chrisgrill6302]

And internal combustion engines aren't complex? With all the massive infrastructure behind obtaining, refining and distributing the fuel... I don't think this compressed air thing will go anywhere on a large scale either but let's not leave any stones unturned.

[@masterimbecile]

Tom Stanton eat your heart out.

[@andylewis7360]

Aww poor Tom 😢 😂

[@JonathanTamm]

A 30 second flight on compressed air and a 12 minute flight with batteries 24 x longer and 1/10 the volume.

[@jupreindeer9500]

When I was a kid, I had this toy that utilized compressed air for its 'fuel'. It had this tiny tire pump that filled up the plastic chamber. And I've always wondered if on a far more compressed basis, if this notion could be utilized for real cars. Another thing I have questioned is if those air pumps that can be found at most fueling stations could be utilized for 'refueling' such cars. If so, it would be amazing to refuel at 25 cents to 1 dollar... or even find those gem stations that still have free air. However, I always figured the storage capacity was far too low to permit such a car to surpass two miles per tank. Nice to see that with a little more engineering...

[@blue_beepblue_beep6358]

Why don't MDI teem up with MDI ? Also sand as the heat storage would allow very high temperatures to be electrically stored after compression, to increase range and performance.

[@terenceiutzi4003]

Wow ! And it only takes 3 HP to produce 1 HP of compreesded air! That should triple the pollution problems!

[@Knightfire66]

you think lithium is clean? do you think its ok to charge batteries with so much electricity? compressing air is 0 damage for the environment

[@terenceiutzi4003]

@Knightfire66 but a battery is 60 percent efficient, and compressing air is 30 percent efficient. They are both environmentally a disaster!

[@upendaglover2559]

i found mdi in 2007. dont forget regusi air in south america.

[@gunnargervin1275]

A French or Italian company sold small trucks that ran on compressed air, quite cheap, 5000 euro +-, but air went out of it, probably cos they were a bit slow.

[@DanielL-j1h]

I remember watching a discovery Channel documentary about compressed air powered cars on discovery Channel in the mid 2000s. Always wondered what happened to the idea.

[@Welgeldiguniekalias]

It's because - Insane pressures are required to get a good yield, causing a lot of stress on the tanks which will need to be replaced regularly, adding cost, - Air tanks must be thick and thus bulky to handle the pressures involved, and must be made from expensive high grade steel, - Efficiency is really not all that since a lot of energy is lost in the form of heat during compression, - The system freezes over if decompressed too rapidly, and heating is required to overcome this, further reducing efficiency, - Max. power tapers off as the tanks are slowly depleted, - Steam power proved more efficient, cheaper, versatile, and reliable. Compressed air engines have only niche applications, really.

[@James-cs2wi]

All you need is a powerful compressor a set of oversized injectors and the engine timed up to regulate with the compressor on engine stroke it's as simple as that😊😊😊😊😮 by using a rotary coupling compressor it should be no problem

[@mr_ice117]

I can definitely see this working together with hybrid cars to get its start. I dont see why not

[@proto57]

I had read, years ago, that Thomas Edison built and used an air powered motorcycle... or maybe more accurately an air assist bicycle. I can't find a reference to it on the internet the moment, however. As I remember, it would use the air motor to help power up hills, but when going downhill he could throw a valve that would then use those air motors as compressors to put some pressure back in the tanks.

[@gsestream]

drive on h2so4 electroplating batteries, any electroplating metal, as metal-air battery, carbon rod-felt electrodes, recharging the sulfate to metal and h2so4, like znso4/h2so4 and zn+o2, yes rechargeable zinc-air battery, the only downside is some amount of self-discharge because of zn+h2so4 -> zno2 + h2, but either the electrolyte can be removed when not in use or use some other electroplateable metal that will not react fast/at-all with h2so4, like tin. also if you dont want/need to recharge, then baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) water will work for iron, zinc, aluminium, tin, as single use, or single recharge, with silver plate as the air-electrode.

[@thebclpoonilli3098]

i think if they added a vacuum chamber, the energy exchange would improve. fully expanded air is easier to compress then partially expanded air. like using hot water to make ice cubes. also using whirlpool effects the transfer air would help, like spinning a bottle of liquid and turning it upside down to empty it.

[@robertlackey7212]

Why not make a hybrid system the compressed air and fuel is injected into a cylinder promoting thorough mixing and giving a automatic boost pressure , ignited , the power stroke proceeds normally , and the exhaust stroke also proceeds normally until top dead center when the exhaust valve in closed and the new fuel and compressed air is injected together starting the cycle over. You eliminate the intake valves , turbocharger , inter cooler, air filter , and a lot of under the hood plumbing. and you end up with a small simple high boost engine that is powered by both compressed air and fuel and if a renewable energy source is used to compress the air , you eliminate the need for renewable energy storage since the compressed air bank at the "gas" station is also your renewable energy storage system.

[@St0RM33]

...well you will have to re-charge your air compressor every day and carry that bomb around..a turbocharger is an energy recovery device..there are better ways to do vehicle energy recovery on deceleration like flywheels or batteries/ultracapacitors (even just using the existing alternator)

[@robertlackey7212]

Clearly you did not comprehend what I proposed.@@St0RM33

[@namele55777]

very promising development. I cannot wait to see how this technology can perform if given enough refinement.

[@lo2740]

lol, compressed air vehicles is a scam going on for more than two decades, the only achievement of this "technology" has always been to pump dumb "investors" money. You will never see air powered car because the total cyle efficiency is extremely low, way lower than electric or thermal.

[@fluffycritter]

I remember seeing a thing about compressed-air personal vehicles in the early 1990s, and even then it was something that was on its second or third try. Interesting how this idea keeps coming around. Maybe someday it'll stick.

[@frasercrone3838]

Its because other technology's emerge or improve that can eliminate some of the drawbacks that made this energy storage and propulsion less adequate in the past.

[@shawnd567]

Not likely. Very inefficient

[@wayne7521]

Tomy brought a tou out in the 80s , hoom dorm !!

[@countryjoe3551]

It keeps appearing and disappearing because it is hideously inefficient. Sorry.....

[@clickbaitnumberone1403]

Parafin!!? Pretty amazin, still collect candles where ever I go, gonna build an heat exchanger one day I m pretty sure.

[@robertchristensen7950]

You could use the compressed air to heat water, or heat the home during winter, and then cooling during summer. And you can use zeolite to heat the air supplied to the generator.

[@Hamdad]

Somehow the video never gets around to mentioning how poor the energy density of compressed air is. At one point it implies it's 4X that of lithium ion, which a quick google debunks (perhaps efficiency was confused with energy density?). This is the real reason MDI/ZPM haven't brought their vehicles to market, not market trends towards batteries or any of the other reasons listed. The simple fact is that the AirPod and other prototypes never were independently shown to have a range any greater than about 4.7 miles. Not 47, but 4.7, as in not even five miles. "Fast recharging" also doesn't mention the noise level of the compressor, or that not just any gas station compressor would be capable of filling the tanks to the required pressure. This is why the Shark Tank investor pulled out of ZPM after the show aired, presumably upon speaking with his engineering consultant.

[@lo2740]

this video is a joke, typical "youtube content" to make money, zero proper reasearch and zero meningful information. The total cycle efficiency of using compressed air for vehicule is laughable, the compression to 350 bar is 50% efficiency with the best in class compressors, and the efficiency of "air motor" is 20% for best in class, meaning even with all best in class it could only achieve at total cycle efficiency of 10%, and in reality it is more 5%. Not to mention the energy density would already be very low if the whole cycle was 100% efficient, but with 5 to 10% effective efficiency it becomes more than maughablee. Orders of mangitubde below electric or thermal motor.

[@b43xoit]

h = 3.6 ks, for conversion to SI.

[@TurboWorld]

I see a few applications where turbos would help this. Great information, real cool video!

[@tednawrat9312]

I don't wish to nitpick, but this from Wikipedia: "George Medhurst (1759-1827) was an English mechanical engineer and inventor", is available from a quick Google search. I've no problem with him being of any other nationality, but perhaps it would be best to represent him accurately in a video about conveying people by means of compressed air.

[@WriteInAaronBushnell]

Compressed air storage and thermal storage both allude to the wisdom of Isaac Arthur, "If brute force isn't working, then you aren't using enough".

[@Stan-b3v]

I always wanted to adapt an air compressor/ drive motor into a log trailer and store the air compressed by using it to brake , and then release it when pulling adverse grades. The air could be stored in the reach tube and the compressor/ drive attached to one of the trailer axles, thus providing more drive traction as well.

[@jamesvandamme7786]

Chrysler tried to make a hydraulic accumulator for buses some time ago. Too complicated and heavy. You need a motor/compressor in addition to your prime mover power train.

[@daniellapain1576]

I can see it being very efficient tech, there are even quiet running compressors. You could technically run one off less solar energy than batteries require and use a tesla turbine to collect electricity in ultra capacitors. We have been unknowingly perfecting this technology in the background for years. Bringing it altogether in a system is a no brainer. It's the other side of it I don't like. It's a neat idea, It does have its issues though. One being when they do go wrong, sure they might not explode but they will take off like a rocket and take out a brick wall as any welder will tell you about their air tanks. Your gonna have to really fasten down the large tanks to prevent this which adds weight to the system. Which makes me question using it. The safety device on a vehicle would be a tank around the other tanks that would direct the compressed air upwards. Look up what it takes to hold down a rocket btw.

[@gerardmcgroarty6104]

Look up MDI they make cars that run on a compressed air filter

[@turningpoint4238]

I remember getting excited about MDI and air compressed transport. As soon as I realized how quickly batteries were developing the future became obviously electric.

[@gkdresden]

The design and operation of the MDI air engine was very much like that of an internal combustion engine. It has intake and outlet valves to work with ambient air. Instead of a spark plug or fuel injection valve it has a firing valve for compressed air. So the use of the compressed air is reduced to its absolute minimum, because it is fired into the pre-compressed air after compression cycle.

[@lo2740]

mdi is a complete scam intended to pump "investors" money, the bottom line is very simple, compressed air, at 350bar, have never been and will never be a "good" storage medium, simply because the total cycle effiency is extremely low, it cost a lot more energy to compress air at 350 bar that what you could recover from its decompression, even if the efficiency was then 100%, and it is very far from benig 100%. So the total cycle effiency will always be an order of magnitude below anything else, thermal, electrical etc.

[@WhatDadIsUpTo]

I don't know about automobiles, but I garner FREE compressed air on my North Texas homestead and it in turn runs machinery as well as makes electricity. I use a small south-facing (tilted @ my latitude)12-15 volt solar panel, which drives a small air compressor whenever the sun shines. I have 2,000+ gallons of storage. My receiver system auto-dumps at 120 psig. Two thousand gallons of compressed air beats expensive and dangerous lithium batteries any day of the week. Free compressed air gives me lots of other free stuff, like electricity for air conditioning, etc.

[@JonathanTamm]

A 100 watt solar panel running a 12 volt air compressor so 500 watt hours as on a sunny day would not manage to get a 2000 gallon tank up to 120 psi in a day even if it survived running the first day even at 100 % effiancy just using the solar panel 1/2 hour running a small AC. My 1000 watt air compressor takes 10 minuites to get the 20 gallon tank up to 120 psi 2,000 would take 1,000 minuites 16.66 hours with only 100 watts x that by 10 for 166.6 hours almost 7 days I sense bull shit.

[@WhatDadIsUpTo]

@JonathanTamm I sense two things myself First: You have a potty mouth Second: Stupidity on your part. I have 15 (at last count) 12-volt pv panels driving small motors, driving a 16:1 reduction transmission and each a small air pump. I have 11 windmills flying and 22 more awaiting final assembly. My friend with a 3D printer makes parts for me as he has time. Each windmill drives 6 diaphragm pumps and has 14 moving and 6 stationary parts. I'm 75 and been at this likely more years than you've breathed air. You appear to be looking at things through the wrong end of the binoculars. Turn them around!

[@WhatDadIsUpTo]

@JonathanTamm I sense narrow-mindedness. You know what they say about "assuming", right? I have numerous $30 pv panels running geared-down (16:1) diaphragm pumps as well as 11 (currently) windmills each sporting 6 diaphragm pumps and 22 more in different stages of completion. Try looking at life through the OTHER end of your binoculars!

[@pwolkowicki]

The only serious downside is a compressed airtank. Have you seen, how it can explode with 300-400 bar?

[@Knightfire66]

I love compressed air. and i can imagine how powerful the thrust can be if you use powerful compressors and a good tank. I think every one knows pneumatic lifters and screwdriver and dart guns. I think the industry knows that a car is possible. but they cant earn much money from empty air. so they dont make air cars. and without the heaavy batteries and all the metal parts of the engine the car wouldnt even be so hearvy. you dont have to move so much weight.

[@GreyDeathVaccine]

Top notch quality video. Thanks.

[@ErikssonTord_2]

France has used compressed air buses for many years, but with some issues, well documented in the video here! Range at speed being one of the problems!

[@dscmaker]

the main problem is, that air has the N2 molecule, (O2 is the same story) hence it is a 2-atomic gas. If you compress it, a certain amount of energy by hits between molecules is transferred into rotational energy , and is, regarded as heat, lost for mechanical work in decompression, which we want to have for motors. If you don´t mind an efficiency loss, then it´s o.k.

[@johnjackson8561]

As a Canadian energy conservation expert and pneumatic researcher and enthusiast I can assure you that this is the future of energy. All that matters is that the heat is kept in the system.

[@WireWeHere]

Adiabatic at ya? Sounds interesting already with so much wasted heat for a norm. BC Canadian here.

[@suruxstrawde8322]

Ah it’d be better if we had hybrid renewable machines with pedal power options so people can exercise while they drive.

[@suruxstrawde8322]

Technically we could chemically utilize air for energy since biological life already does that, but idk how we’d get a nonbiological hard tech construct to do that.

[@JonathanTamm]

We do bicycles and electric bicycles, 200 watts in a car will run the ECU , radio and the blower fan you want an extra 2,000 watts if you want the AC while you pedal and hand controls as your feet are busy.

[@coin777]

15:00 Maybe make it look like a car , so people will want to buy it ;D

[@hotbird3]

The mindset of more mileage has to change first, everyone wants a 1000mile vehicle even to go to a 500 yard grocery store.. Its like the Obesity pandemic, the technologies should complement each other and used as per need

[@thedubwhisperer2157]

Compressed energy air storage: 0.07MJ/kg at 200bar in a steel bottle. Lithium Battery: ~0.5MJ/kg. Diesel: 45MJ/kg. 50l (1900MJ) diesel in plastic tank: ~50kg 1900MJ compressed air: ~ 27000kg

[@lo2740]

of course, and if it was the only problem, comrpessing air at 350 bar tops at 50% efficiency, with the best compressors in the industry, and air motor tops at 20% efficiency, so it is not hard to understand that this "technology" is not one and it not going to fly, it is just a scam to pump very dumb investors moeny, which negre did successfully until he died and is now continued by his son.

[@samsonsoturian6013]

This is more an indictment on the inefficiency of batteries

[@willsteuer1621]

Brilliant! Now how large of a diesel engine do I need to run the air compressor that compresses all of this FREE Air? Or do I just use an electric motor on the air compressor that uses electricity from a coal fired power plant?

[@solapowsj25]

Excellent presentation. 👍👍

[@JoseLopez-hp5oo]

I am still waiting for some KZbinr to make a rubber band motor out of bungee cord. Torque/twist it up with an external motor to "charge it" and see how far you can take a typical passenger card on elastic drive!

[@lo2740]

youtubers only goal is to get money, and for this the only thing they create is "content" according to the guidelines of the american coporations, which goal is that the "user" can produce and consume its own crap and pay them to do this, and so far it works quite well (youtube, social medias, amazon, google).

[@JonathanTamm]

Been done about 20 meters,

[@chuck2501]

I remember a compressed air taxi on "tomorrows world" when I was a kid, so 30 years ago?

[@nolol9907]

9:52 is there really no fire hazards related to it? i was under the impression that compressed air was very flammable, unless you pull the o2 out. even if the air isn't flammable, would the benefit not be outweighed, by the fact that if ruptured it could explode?

[@thedubwhisperer2157]

No, air is not combustible at any pressure.

[@JonathanTamm]

A pertol car and a compressed car in a crash is a match made in heaven fuel blasted with compressed air. Only bettered by a petrol tanker and a compressed oxygen truck crash.

[@yvanpimentel9950]

Compres air on a grid scale is chipper than batteries KW/ $ can be 5 to 10 cheaper than litiun and 10 times the life of any battery,compressor attached directly to wind power will allow and wind unit to keep working as compressor because no interconexión is needed so no burocracy,the extra heat can be collected even supplement by solar, decompress air get below 0°F , something usable for refrigeración ,even if solar is used to recharge solar is cheaper than fuel,even having the sistem next to a nuclear or gas generator so the exes heat is used to reheat the air

[@Transit_Biker]

Grid scale storage could be a good start for this tech, then adapt that to vehicles.

[@heilundwissen9833]

Compress slowly and cool.

[@brianrivasoconer5543]

When i was a kid in the 1970s i had a toy car that ran on compressd air . I always thought it would be better air cars or bicycles

[@ThinkAboutMyComment]

I have a way of pressurizing air tanks without using fuel or solar and to mass pressurize them quickly and continuously for only the cost of the plant.

[@Dat_Sun]

"Instant torque" like dumping the clutch?

[@TheBitterSarcasmOfMs.Anthropy]

This is really old technology. I remember seein clips from RT about prototypes backin 2006

[@lo2740]

it is an investor scam going on from more than two decades, 2 second of research make it obvious, that is why it seems this youtuber is again just making content, not proper reasearch.

[@leocurious9919]

9:00 4x the energy "per weight or volume" of Li-Ion batteries? Sure sure. At 300 Wh/kg for Li-Ion, that would need to be 1'200 Wh/kg for compressed air. A isothermal compressed air storage (ICAES) has 3.6 MJ/m³, thats 1'000 Wh/m³. Notice that 1 kg 1 m³ is kind of not the same. Even at normal pressure, 1 m³ of air is already more than 1 kg, let alone at high pressures well beyond 200 bar.

[@fabioteixeira868]

While I very much disagree with the statement that "there is very little self-discharge": yeah the tank may not leak, but the heat from the paraffin will eventually scape, the approach of separating the storage of heat and pressure energy remains very interesting. You see, even with the air tank pressurized to full capacity, more energy can be added to the "air-battery" system in form of heat (from any source) to the paraffin tank. And, most importantly, it provides means to later recover that heat energy that did not originally "belong" to the compressed air. I wonder if it would be efficient enough for home storage...

[@lo2740]

if it was the only problem lol, the total cycle efficiency of compressed air as a storage medium applied to vehicles is laughable, 5 to 10%, that is compressing to 350 bar is 50% efficiency, best of the industry, and air motor is 20% efficiency, best of the industry, total cycle efficiency with best figures 10%, in reality, more 5%, lol.

[@Law0086]

A cool topic would be how noise reduction from vehicles of all kinds works and impacts the environment. Autos, boats, trains, planes, etc.

[@EfrahaimMasocol]

put some gas and spark with that compressed air and you have power 💥

[@bin1busch]

Just build solar and wind powered air compression stations, where tanks are filled while sun is shining. Your air-car gets empty you just drive to one of thousands solar compression stations SCS and refill your tanks for very low cost. The sun does not sends bills. Just a easy closed system with some solar panes some tanks a little bit of control electrics and voila, the air car can go anywhere.

[@FiftymonkeysonAtree]

Then why not liquid air energy storage it has far superior energy density and future please sir make you next video subject about it

[@akinnon2000]

The first time i ever heard about air compressed vehicules was in Stephen King's "RunningMan".

[@thedubwhisperer2157]

They will always be science fiction!

[@palarious]

There's a more widespread compressed air locomotion market in India, if i remember correctly.

[@romualdaskuzborskis]

Lol, replace highly flammable medium with pneumatic spring explosion risk - nice!