The Future: Compressed Air Hybrid?

[FritzR]

http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/001552.html

I guess you'd need to get rid of the cam and use electric valves in order for the engine to work also as a compressor

[GeekGuyAndy]

I don't understand this concept as they put it. How is it going to run without a cam? And how is the air going to move the engine?

I've read about compressed inert gas regen braking where when you brake it compresses the gas which can then be released the next time you give it gas. It's short term storage in use, but requires no funky new engines and could be made to fit cars today. It's a good alternative to a bank of batteries for more benefit than a current hybrid can get from braking due to only being able to capture some energy and convert it to electricity and then convert back to moving energy.

[GasSavers_veloman]

I thought of this idea before reading about it anywhere. Great for regenerative braking IMO.

[FritzR]

Originally Posted by GeekGuyAndy

I don't understand this concept as they put it. How is it going to run without a cam? And how is the air going to move the engine?.

Well you would use computer controlled electric valves instead of a cam. These are kind of like pneumatic cylinders that move shafts like you have on a lot of manufacturing equipment except instead of being moved by air there is a coil around the cylinder that would push the valve down magneticaly and then use a spring to retract it when no voltage is present. That way the motor can be changed to a two stroke compressor by changing the way the valves operate

[skewbe]

Apparently some diesels use the engine as a starter motor/compressor:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automob...umatic_starter

Seems like it would take a lot of air to run as a motor though.

[VetteOwner]

yea, i would also suspect it would take alot of air... i built a single piston(the piston head is a 1/2") air compressor motor in my high school shop class, and while i can get it up to a couple thousand rpm's it will run our 20 gal compressor down to the point where the compressor kicks in rather quickly. ill have to snap a short video of it sometime.

[FritzR]

I guess they already have them

http://airhybridblog.com/2006/11/

http://www.scuderigroup.com/technolo..._sideview.html

http://fp.images.autos.msn.com/meris...5Cn468260a.jpg