The Compressed Air Engines

[Copedawg]

This is kind of neat

http://www.mdi.lu/english/

The Compressed Air Engines

The fruit of more than ten years of researches, MDI’s mono-energy engines operate on a totally eco-friendly basis using compressed air stored at high pressure.

These engines are used on vehicles designed for urban use, backup generators or industrial tractors. They are particularly tailored for applications where the torque has an importance and when an averagely moderate power is needed.

Together with the zero pollution engines, some other versions having the same technical basis have also been created by MDI, they are known as the dual-energy engines. In the case of dual-energy engines, an energetic adjuvant (petrol, diesel, oil, alcohol or gas) is burned in an external continuous combustion chamber. These dual-energy engines have more range and the amount of toxic gases released is very low.

Less than two Liters per hundred Kilometers (at 90 Km/h for MiniFlowAIR)
Zero NOx,
3 to 4000 times less unburned HC compared to conventional engines.
3 times less C02 emissions in comparison to classic engines.
These engines will be fitted on production generators. Regarding the vehicles that will be operated using these engines; there will be no pollution when used in towns as they would be operating on the ‘compressed air mode’ only.
On the motorway these engines provide a good range thanks to the combustion of the liquid or gas adjuvant.

Finally based on this new technology, MDI has imagined and developed a « thermodynamic theory » which will give rise to further improvement in the years to come, thus creating a real energetic revolution.

All MDI engines have an active chamber and are protected worldwide by patents.
They can be used for a wide range of applications, varying from 4 to 75 hp.
The engines will be used in the following:

Urban transporters
MDI’s eco-friendly cars (OneFlowAIR, MiniFlowAIR and CityFlowAIR)
MDI’s urban transporters (MultiFlowAIR)
Production and backup generators
Tow tractors and fork-lifts
Agricultural tractors
Boat engine
Light aircraft engine

[cowpoke]

thermodynamic theory?? Are they actually using the compressed air as a change in pressure to create a Temp difference then capture electron flow from the diff?

I wonder what this really is??

[MyDinarAndMe]

thermodynamic theory?? Are they actually using the compressed air as a change in pressure to create a Temp difference then capture electron flow from the diff?

I wonder what this really is??

I think they are using the compressed air to drive the pistons.

[SNAFU]

I think they are using the compressed air to drive the pistons.
yes! but they are leaving out a link. They say it can go 800 miles a tank (air) but needs to plug in and recharge overnight at that point.
I think it's still "On the drawing board"

[MyDinarAndMe]

yes! but they are leaving out a link. They say it can go 800 miles a tank (air) but needs to plug in and recharge overnight at that point.
I think it's still "On the drawing board"

I think the "recharge" is just refilling the than with air. There is another company working with the same concept, I will find out the name and post it here. It explains how everything works.

[railroad]

I think the "recharge" is just refilling the than with air. There is another company working with the same concept, I will find out the name and post it here. It explains how everything works.

Reasearch the "MDI AIR CAR". A fellow in France(Guy Negre') has built this car and is selling the rights to build in foreign countries. The MDI AIR CAR was on Discover show about a year and 1/2 ago. I did a little reasearch and found a website that explains the functions of the air motor. The car has carbon fiber tanks that carry 4500psi to store the air in. The motor will also run on gas. On air it will reach speeds up to 50mph and 70mph on gas. While running on air the engine comes to a stop when you stop the car to conserve the air. The engine obtains its power from a redesigned piston and crankshaft. The engine is a 2 cylinder but it has a power stroke in both directions so it's a lot like a 4 cylinder. The car comes with an inboard compressor that requires about 6 to 8 hours to top off the air tanks. In Europe they were looking at a filling station that has a compressor that you would pull up and fill your air tanks in about 3 minutes. An ordinary compressor will run around 125psi to 175psi. This vehicle will require a special type of compressor that can obtain 4500psi. So the local "Walmart" compressor won't quit get it. The A/C on the car (when the car is powered by air), comes from the exhaust off the engine. When the car is running on air the exhaust is clean air. Due to the air being compressed and released it cools the air and it can be channeled through the air vents in the car and used as A/C. The car comes in several forms, a 6 passenger taxi, a small pickup truck, and a sedan. They have air bags, ABS brakes, and roll over protection. Videos of the cars function, operation, body styles, and charging of the tanks can be found on the web. This guy (Guy Negre') has been working on this car concept since 1993. He has made many changes and improvements on the car like using the carbon fiber tanks instead of steel tanks. Steel tanks are heavy and at 4500psi they become a bomb. The carbon fiber tanks are lighter and will tear rather explode if an accident ruptures the tanks. He has also designed the car to have options like extra tanks for extended range. Larger vehicles will have 2, 3, or even 4 engines in them depending on the size of the vehicle and the power it needs to pull various loads. The engines are 2 cylinders like I stated before and they can be attached together to get the 4, 6, or 8 cylinder versions. A very interesting concept. If I remember right, the engines lubrication is not a petroleum based oil, it's cooking oil that is used in the crankcase. The engine running on air does not produce enough heat to break down the oil so ordinary cooking oil was used in the crankcase. Since the first article I read about the MDI air car, the inventor is working on another engine design that is almost identical to the motor he has now, but the new design has a way of forcing some of the clean air exhaust back into the air tanks so it extends the range of the vehicle without robbing noticable power from the engine.