20-03-2014, 12:19 PM
COMPRESSED AIR AS ALTERNATE FUEL
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Abstract
Automobile is unavoidable in our modern life.
The inventions in the field of automobile are reaching a
higher level every day. With sky-rocketing fuel prices, the
running cost of a vehicle has become a barrier to market
entry. So usage of alternate fuels must be brought to its
peak. In that list compressed air has got its own advantages
outsmarting other alternate fuels. Air, which is abundantly
available and free from pollution, can be compressed to a
higher pressure at very low cost so that the atmospheric
pollution can be eradicated. One such new technology, which
uses the compressed air is the engine called as “compressed
air engine”. It is based on the principle that “compressing a
gas into a very small space and thus when the gas expands
again, the energy is used to do work”. They are powered by
motors fueled with compressed air, stored at a very high
pressure. It has an injection similar to normal engines but
uses a special type of crank shafts and pistons. It has a cycle
in itself, that the air conditioning system can make use of the
expelled cold air from the exhaust of engine.
INTRODUCTION
A compressed-air engine (CAE) is powered by
compressed air (It is often called a third utility after
electricity & natural gas), which is stored in a tank.
Instead of mixing fuel with air and burning it in the
engine to drive pistons with hot expanding gases,
compressed-air
engine
use
the expansion of
compressed air to drive their pistons.
COMPRESSED AIR – AN ALTERNATE FUEL
With the recent developments in the field of
automobiles & increase in ease of buying &
maintaining them, there is increase in automobile
customers across the country, thus leading to
demand of fuel to power them. Keeping in mind the
reason for demand for fuel in present & as well as in
future, invention in new techniques of using alternate
fuels are in need. There are list of alternate methods
such as use of hydrogen internal combustion, stirling
process, gas turbines, steam etc., COMPRESSED
AIR known to be a feasible alternate fuel in present
& as well as in future by experimenting under
various conditions.
COMPRESSED AIR ENGINE
It is an emission free piston engine that uses
COMPRESSED AIR as source to supply power. There is
absolutely zero emission at the exhaust. The air released
is drastically cleaner than the ambient air because of the
filters used. It is basically a 4-cylinder engine which is 70
lbs, compared to 200 -600 lbs for other engines. It uses
vegetable oil for lubrication, easily available and needs to
be changed rarely.
The engine uses a special
electromagnetic distribution system which controls the
flow of air into the engine.
WORKING OF AIR ENGINE
The engine is powered by compressed air, stored in a
carbon-fiber tank at 30MPa (4500psi). The engine has
injection similar to normal engines, but uses special
crankshafts and pistons, which remain at top dead center
for about 70 degrees of the crankshaft's cycle, this allows
more power to be developed in the engine. The expansion
of this air pushes the piston and creates movement.
EMISSIONS
Compressed air engines are emission-free at the exhaust.
Since a compressed air engines source of energy is
usually electricity, its total environmental impact depends
on how clean the source of this electricity is. The
emission of air engine totally dependant on the purity of
air that is put into the tank. If impure air is filled in the
tank, same would be the level of impurity of the emission.
The emission level would highly depend on the location
and time of filling air in the tank.
CONCLUSION
By considering the country’s present scenario, developing
new techniques for use of alternate fuels are a must-do.
This is a revolutionary engine design which is not only
eco friendly, pollution free, but also very economical.
This addresses both the Problems of fuel crises and
pollution. However excessive research is needed to
completely prove the technology for both its commercial
and technical viability. This technology will make it
easier for us being mobile present and as well as in future
and it will give us some assurance that we wont be buying
our mobility from monopolies.