Compressed air vehicle

[hiqrose]

Uploaded 2009.

Air powered trike built by 3 students at San Jose State University.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBeky4EuyBc

Roy

[rwsmith]

Awesome thanks for sharing!

[newt]

On the site fuel-efficient-vehicles.org on page called 'inventions 2' halfway down is this bit on air power. Not sure if it adds anything new?


In 1931, Roy J. Meyers of Los Angeles built an air-powered car (air has been used for years to power localized underground mine engines). Myers, an engineer, built a 114-lb., 6-cylinder radial air engine that produced over 180 hp. Newspaper articles at the time reported that the vehicle could cruise several hundred miles at low speeds.

In the 1970s, Vittorio Sorgato of Milan, Italy, also created a very impressive air-powered vehicle, using compressed air stored as a liquid. After a great deal of initial interest from Italian sources, his invention is now all but forgotten.

Robert Alexander of Montebello, California, spent 45 days and around $500 to put together a car (U.S. Patent No. 3913004), using a small 7/8ths 12-volt motor to provide initial power. Once going, a hydraulic-and-air system took over and recharged the small electric energy drain.

The inventor and his partner were determined that the auto industry would not bury their “super power” system. To no avail.

Joseph P Troyan designed an air-powered flywheel that could propel an automobile using the principle of “ratio amplification of motion in a closed system.” The Troyan motor (U.S. Patent No. 040011) was easily attached to electrical generators to create a pollution-free, variable-power system.

David McClintock created a free energy device known as the McClintock Air Motor (U.S. Patent No. 2,982,26100) which is a cross between a diesel engine with three cylinders and a compression ratio of 27-to-1, and a rotary engine with solar and plenary gears. It burns no fuel, but becomes self-running by driving its own air compressor.

[Uncle Buddy]

Here's some trivia about those inventors.

Meyers is the famed convict inventor, his story is well worth a Hollywood movie. A very aspergeroidal dude. I won't say more because I'm trying to sell a book about him, actually a chapter in a book, and finding out more than what's already on the net was very expensive, but well worth it.
aircaraccess.com/achf.htm

I don't think Sorogato's car stored the air as liquid. I think he used off-the-shelf Gast air motors on the wheels for his fill-em-up go kart with scuba tanks. Lawrence Livermore Labs once published a "scientific study" which stated that Sorogato's air car was the only air car that had ever been built!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've looked at Alexander's patent several times but it doesn't mention air. Original newspaper articles are the place to look for more interesting claims, as most inventors are unable to convince the patent office that their self-sustaining air engine is not a perpetual motion machine. He has been mentioned in reference to free energy but his source might not be air.

Troyan is one of David London's discoveries. David took pictures of the machine at a convention display. The roll of film, I believe, was destroyed by the developer. One of Troyan's son's said the machine worked, another said it was unfinished (?) This is from memory, so don't quote me.

We have a thread on David McClintock here somewhere. He was an early inventor of auto transmissions including 4-wheel drive. His self-sustaining (thus solar) air compressor worked, but was not commercially viable due to special materials needed for manufacture, due to extreme heat buildup, which later became a non-issue due to the advancement of materials science. So his son Cleo McClintock patented the device with his friend Ed Nelson. Cleo and Ed were infamous self-proclaimed hermits who retired in their '50s to a hilltop Oregon acreage where they worked on inventions, communicated with the atomic structure of the universe, shot at trespassers, and eventually sold the engine. When they cashed the check...well, that story is too good to give away for free. See Air Car Hall of Fame, volume 2, when I get around to writing it.

[chris]

I came across this site while researching comp` air locomotives; as I intend to build one to go with other 15"gauge stock I have made. I also have a lifelong interest in steam road vehicles.This leads me to the following.Porter air locos were well thought out,and hence were successful;helped by in mine temperatures.Stanly steam cars,and similar,were simple to build light,relatively,low revving,high torque They lend themselves to vertical as well as horizontal location;and compounding.The D slide valve also has a lot of good points.Cylinders can be made of alluminium ,as could many other parts formerly made in cast iron.More to come especialy if i`m prompted.

[chris]

On from my last post. A modified stanley engine to suit air better and be easier to make.Move valve chests to outside. Now a single eccentric valve gear [hackworths, or non slider modified type] can be driven from extended crankpins.If you use compound expansion, poor short cut off performance is not critical, nor less efficient; making valve setting simpler than on a conventional steam loco.

[chris]

More stanly eng.I use EN8 bright,steel bar,as rolled ,for shafts.This fits self aligning bearings in cast iron housings.The central gear/sprocket can have a taper lok bush. For cranks ,taper lok bushed chain sprocket duplex or triplex,either hacksawed,or machined, to shape. I would use EN24 for crankpins a tight press fit into the crank.Have keyways milled into the crankshaft for each bush.Don`t forget for self starting 2cyl da engines cranks to be at 90 degrees.It`s often surprising who`s cheapest supplier,machinist;shop arround face to face!American steel specs different;maybe 4130n is ok?

[chris]

I have 2 double acting air cylinders,both a nominal 4"bore 6"stroke; for my 15"gauge loco.This was a time saving, but expensive way to go.The downside of these industrial cylinders are----air cushion space at each end,difficult to get without;solid,no fins outside surface,but at least they are aluminium; standard seals as I have ok to -25deg C,special cold seals only ok to -35deg C. For my [fun] loco this is ok; but would it give you that optimum performance air car.
Stainless steel is much poorer at heat conduction than aluminium;ref Bimba cylinders.

[newt]

Hello all.
A friend sent me this, not proper air power, but entertaining nonetheless, here is video clip of a very fast compressed air/water hybrid trike, like those pop bottle rockets:
www.thedrive.com/watch-this/14394/this-water-powered-trike-goes-0-62-mph-in-0-55-seconds