Economic and environmental evaluation of compressed-air cars.

Climate change and energy security require a reduction in travel demand, a modal shift, and technological innovation in the transport sector. Through a series of press releases and demonstrations, a car using energy stored in compressed air produced by a compressor has been suggested as an environmentally friendly vehicle of the future. We analyze the thermodynamic efficiency of a compressed-air car powered by a pneumatic engine and consider the merits of compressed air versus chemical storage of potential energy. Even under highly optimistic assumptions the compressed-air car is significantly less efficient than a battery electric vehicle and produces more greenhouse gas emissions than a conventional gas-powered car with a coal intensive power mix. However, a pneumatic–combustion hybrid is technologically feasible, inexpensive and could eventually compete with hybrid electric vehicles.

[1]  David L. Greene,et al.  Engineering-Economic Analyses of Automotive Fuel Economy Potential in the United States , 2000 .

[2]  David L. Greene,et al.  Engineering-economic analyses of automotive fuel economy potential in the United States , 2000 .

[3]  D. Linden.  Handbook Of Batteries , 2001 .

[4]  Michael Wang,et al.  Development and use of GREET 1.6 fuel-cycle model for transportation fuels and vehicle technologies. , 2001 .

[5]  Mark A. Delucchi,et al.  An analysis of the retail and lifecycle cost of battery-powered electric vehicles , 2001 .

[6]  Michael Levin,et al.  Using Camless Valvetrain for Air Hybrid Optimization , 2003 .

[7]  Yann Chamaillard,et al.  Parametric optimization of a new hybrid pneumatic-combustion engine concept , 2004 .

[8]  K. David Huang,et al.  Development of a hybrid pneumatic-power vehicle , 2005 .

[9]  Ulf Bossel.  THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF COMPRESSED AIR VEHICLE PROPULSION , 2005 .

[10]  Daniel M. Kammen,et al.  Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions from Deploying Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles , 2008 .

[11]  Bengt Johansson,et al.  Investigation of Different Valve Geometries and Valve Timing Strategies and their Effect on Regenerative Efficiency for a Pneumatic Hybrid with Variable Valve Actuation , 2008 .

[12]  Daniel M. Kammen,et al.  An innovation and policy agenda for commercially competitive plug-in hybrid electric vehicles , 2008 .

[13]  Thomas H. Bradley,et al.  Design, demonstrations and sustainability impact assessments for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles , 2009 .

[14]  Lino Guzzella,et al.  Modelling and optimizing two- and four-stroke hybrid pneumatic engines , 2009 .

[15]  K. David Huang,et al.  Study of recycling exhaust gas energy of hybrid pneumatic power system with CFD , 2009 .