What goes in is what comes out

[Aerodynamix]

Motorcycles Designed to Run on Air
Jessica Marshall, Discovery News



Aug. 14, 2008 -- We may be driving on air in the next few years. That is, we may be driving vehicles powered by compressed air, instead of gasoline or diesel fuel.

Researchers Yu-Ta Shen and Yean-Ren Hwang of the National Central University in Taiwan have developed an air-powered motorcycle, which uses the energy in compressed air, rather than gas, to drive the motor.

"In Taiwan, air pollution is a very serious problem in the city," Hwang said. Twenty percent of all air pollution comes from motorcycles, he added, especially carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons. These emissions are worse from motorcycles and scooters than cars.

Since the only thing coming out of the new motorcycle's tailpipe is air, large-scale adoption of the new technology could take a big bite out of air pollution in Taiwan, where motorcycles are the most popular form of transportation, or in other places where motorcycles represent a large proportion of traffic.

The motorcycle would still require energy to compress the air needed to power the engine. The amount of pollution associated with that energy will depend on what kind of a power plant provides electricity to the area in question.

The current prototype can hold a little more than two and a half gallons of compressed air, which would carry the bike and driver about three-quarters of a mile.

In the future, the tank size will be increased three to four times, and the maximum pressure the tank can hold will be increased so that the motorcycle could go almost 20 miles without a refill, Hwang said, "which would be adequate for usage in the city. We would need an air compressor to refuel, most likely at a fueling station."

They published their work in the journal Applied Energy.

[Aerodynamix]

Read on to page 2 of the article. They talk about plans to bring an air-powered series-hybrid type car to the US market after 2009 that's expected to get more than 100 mpg.

[F14CRAZY]

I haven't read the article but its sounds really innovative and like it would work...the pressure in the tank must be crazy high

[steinravnik]

I wonder what the environmental impact would be in producing the canned air to power these things?

[Chaz_23]

Still waiting for the Chinese to come out with a car powered by dark matter.

[tkrelston]

Originally Posted by Chaz_23

Still waiting for the Chinese to come out with a car powered by dark matter.

That was SO last year!

[Tequilujan]

hardly impressive, Guy Negre has been doing this forever

[johnstarnes]

This is very promising, especially if the power to compress the air comes from a non-polluting source like wind or solar.

[xicer]

as a guy who plays paintball and therefore has a good working knowledge of high pressure pneumatic systems i'm really intrigued by this

[Flyingbunnys]

I'm not sure this could power more than a motorcycle. Also wouldn't the further it goes the more effective it is.

[Ming]

You apparently haven't seen the old oil burning machines they use in Taiwan to compress that air - and they run nonstop inside the city limits:






J/K ....

[SCCA1995]

Originally Posted by Ming

You apparently haven't seen the old oil burning machines they use in Taiwan to compress that air - and they run nonstop inside the city limits:


J/K ....

[motorman]

gasoline power vehicles will be with us for the next 50 years no matter what the libs want. there are over 500 million of them in the states alone and they ain't going away

[ronald mcretard]

Originally Posted by motorman

gasoline power vehicles will be with us for the next 50 years no matter what the libs want. there are over 500 million of them in the states alone and they ain't going away

Do you really think that "the libs" are the only ones that want us to ween ourselves from foreign oil? Talk to HoosierRon, or countless others around here.