10-07-2017, 09:22 AM
A compressed air car is a compressed air vehicle that uses a motor powered by compressed air. The car can only be powered by air, or combined (as in a hybrid electric vehicle) with gasoline, diesel, ethanol, or an electric plant with regenerative braking. Compressed air cars are driven by compressed air driven engines, which are stored in a high pressure tank as 30 MPa (4500 psi or 310 bar). Instead of propelling the engine pistons with a fuel-air mixture on, compressed air cars use the expansion of compressed air, similar to steam expansion in a steam engine. There have been prototypes of cars since the 1920s, with compressed air used in torpedo propulsion.