MDI AIR CAR  - lifestyle, ecology, economy

“The World's Cleanest Car" - MDI Air Cars have the potential to help countries reduce dependency upon foreign fossil fuels while emitting no greenhouse gases.

Visionary 19th century French writer Jules Verne once described
a fantastical future world where cars would run on air.

      ZEVCAT          Zero Emission Vehicle Compressed Air Transport

Compressed air tanks

   One of the most frequently asked questions is about the safety of the compressed air storage tanks. These tanks hold 90 cubic metres of air compressed to 300 bars. Many people ask whether this system is dangerous in case of an accident and if there is a risk of explosion. The answer is NO. Why? Because these are the same tanks used to carry the liquid gas used by buses for public transport. The tanks enjoy the same technology developed to contain natural gas. They are designed and officially approved to carry an explosive product: methane gas.

   In the case of a major accident, where the tanks are ruptured, they would not explode since they are not metal. Instead they would crack, as they are made of carbon fibre. An elongated crack would appear in the tank, without exploding, and the air would simply escape, producing a loud but harmless noise. Of course, since this technology is licenced to transport an inflammable and explosive gas (Natural gas), it is perfectly capable inoffensive and non-flammable air.

   It is fitting, therefore, that MDI has reached an agreement with the European leader in aerospace technology Airbus Industries for the manufacture of the compressed air storage tanks. With a remote supervision arrangement, Airbus Industries oversees the making of the storage tanks at each MDI factory. The coiled carbon fibre technology used in the construction of the tanks is complex and requires a substantial quality control process which the multinational company, home of the Airbus aircraft, will provide for our vehicles.

Brake power recovery

   The MDI vehicles will be equipped with a range of modern systems. For example, one mechanism stops the engine when the car is stationary (at traffic lights, junctions etc). Another interesting feature is the pneumatic system which recovers about 13% of the power used.

The body

    The MDI car body is built with fibre and injected foam, as are most of the cars on the market today. This technology has two main advantages: cost and weight. Nowadays the use of sheet steel for car bodies is only because of cost - it is cheaper to serially produce sheet steel bodies than fibre ones. However, fibre is safer (it doesn't cut like steel), is easier to repair (it is glued), doesn't rust etc. MDI is currently looking into using hemp fibre to replace fibre-glass, and natural varnishes, to produce 100% non-contaminating bodywork.

The Air Filter

   The MDI engine works with both air taken from the atmosphere and air pre-compressed in tanks. Air is compressed by the on-board compressor or at service stations equipped with a high-pressure compressor.

   Before compression, the air must be filtered to get rid of any impurities that could damage the engine. Carbon filters are used to eliminate dirt, dust, humidity and other particles which, unfortunately, are found in the air in our cities.

   This represents a true revolution in automobiles - it is the first time that a car has produced minus pollution, i.e. it eliminates’ and reduces existing pollution rather than emitting dirt and harmful gases. The exhaust pipe on the MDI cars produces clean air, which is cold on exit (between -15º and 0º) and is harmless to human life. With this system the air that comes out of the car is cleaner than the air that went in.

The chassis

   Based on its experience in aeronautics, MDI has put together highly-resistant, yet light, chasses, aluminium rods glued together. Using rods enables us to build a more shock-resistant chassis than regular chasses. Additionally, the rods are glued in the same way as aircraft, allowing quick assembly and a more secure join than with welding. This system helps to reduce manufacture time.

Electrical system

   Guy Nègre, inventor of the MDI Air Car, acquired the patent for an interesting invention for installing electrics in a vehicle. Using a radio transmission system, each electrical component receives signals with a microcontroller. Thus only one cable is needed for the whole car. So, instead of wiring each component (headlights, dashboard lights, lights inside the car, etc), one cable connects all electrical parts in the car. The most obvious advantages are the ease of installation and repair and the removal of the approximately 22 kg of wires no longer necessary. What’s more, the entire system becomes an anti-theft alarm as soon as the key is removed from the car.
 

Here's a brief look at how the FlowAIR (formerly CAV's - Compressed Air Vehicle) engine will run:

Low speeds: When the car is traveling 35 miles (56 km.) per hour or less, the engine runs only on air compressed to 4,500 pounds per square inch (31,028 kilo-newtons per square meter). The compressed air is stored in reinforced carbon-fiber tanks, which have a capacity of about 80 gallons (304 liters) and are attached below the chassis.

Higher speeds: When the driver accelerates above 35 miles (56 km.) per hour, the CAV's computers automatically kick on a small fuel burner positioned between the motor and the compressed air tank. Fossil or bio fuel will power that heater, but not through traditional internal combustion. Instead, the heat generated by the burning liquid fuel is the central element in generating greater speed. Heat automatically adds pressure to compressed air. So any boost in acceleration means higher pressure in the air that drives the engine's pistons. Voilà, more power.

Compressed air refills: Owners can generate a full tank of compressed air by plugging the car into a home socket. A recharge takes about four hours. Service stations may also offer compressed air refills, taking about three minutes to complete. The estimated cost of a full refill is less than $3.

CO2 emissions: No federal regulatory agencies have yet certified just how low the CAV's actually emissions will be. MDI officials, however, promise that the car will be put through all of the usual regulatory wringers. In the meantime, they're saying that there will be zero CO2 emissions at speeds of less than 35 miles per hour. Driven faster, the CityCAT will emit 2.52 ounces of CO2 per mile (4.41 grams per kilometer), according to MDI officials.

That's strikingly lower than the 1.192 pounds of CO2 per mile (333.8 grams per kilometer) that the average American auto puts out, according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. And the CityCAT's CO2 output is also considerably less than the 6.58 ounces of CO2 per mile (115.2 grams per kilometer) that's emitted by Toyota's Prius Plug-in Hybrid. Source