Wheel Industry: Tata Air Car

Monday, June 29, 2009

Air Car From Tata Motors

Tata Motors, India's largest automotive company, on Feb. 5, 2007 announced that it has signed an agreement with Moteur Development International (MDI) of France, inventors of the car, to develop a car that runs on compressed air, thus making it very economical to run and be almost totally pollution free. This article in Rediff India Abroad and the MDI website gives further details.

The air engine has 4 two-stage pistons, i.e. 8 compression and/or expansion chambers on one crankshaft. The pistons work in two stages: one motor stage and one intermediate stage of compression/expansion. They have two functions: to compress ambient air and refill the storage tanks; and to make successive expansions (reheating air with ambient thermal energy) thereby approaching isothermic expansion. It has injection similar to normal engines, but uses a special crankshaft and pistons, which remain at top dead center for about 70 degrees of the crankshaft's cycle; this allows more power to be developed in the engine. The engine is powered by compressed air, stored in a carbon-fiber tank containing 90 cubic meters (3178 cubic feet) of air at 30 MPa (4500 psi).

The expansion of this air pushes the pistons and creates movement. The atmospheric temp. is used to re-heat the engine and increase the range.

The cars have the following characteristics:

• Are light weight vehicle that can reach speeds up to 220 kmph.

• MDI's vehicle's have fiberglass bodies which makes them light, silent urban car.

• The vehicles do not have normal speed gages. Instead, they will have a small computer screen

• Both ends of the seat belt are anchored to the vehicles floor for greater safety.

• The vehicle's uses a patented electric system that makes the car 20 kilos lighter and considerably quieter.

• There are no keys - just an access card that can be read by the car from your pocket.

• In the single energy mode MDI cars consume around US$1.00 (Rs 45) every 60 miles (100 km).

• There is no pollution from the car.

• The vehicle's driving range is close to twice that of the most advanced electric cars (from 200 to 180 miles (300 km) or 8 hours of operation).

• The recharging of the car will be done at gas stations in 2 to 3 minutes at a price of Rs 90, once the market is developed.

• The car also has a small compressor that can be connected to an electrical network (220V or 380V) and will recharged the tanks completely in 3 or 4 hours.

• The car's oil (a liter of vegetable) only needs to be changed every 50,000 km.

• The temperature of the exhaust is between 0 and 15 degrees below zero and can be used for air conditioning of the car.

The car will be produced in both a single engine compressed air cars, the MiniCAT and CityCAT and a dual engine hybrid, a compressed air engine plus a multi-fuel internal combustion engine.

The hybrid has been conceived as much for the city as the open road and will be available in all MDI vehicles. The engines will work exclusively with compressed air while it is running under 50 km/h in urban areas. But when the car is running at speeds over 50 km/h, the engines will switch to fuel mode. The engine will be able to use gasoline, biodiesel, natural gas, LNG, alcohol, etc. It was not clear whether the air engine would also be used as an ICE or whether two engines would be employed in the hybrid.

Engines will be available with 2, 4 and 6 cylinders. When the air tanks are empty the driver will be able to switch to fuel mode.

The car - MiniCAT - could cost around US$8,000 (Rs 350,000) in India and would have a range of around 180 miles (300 km) between refuels. The cost of a refill would be about US$2.00 (Rs 90).

Specifications: MiniCAT

The smallest and most innovative: three seats, minimal dimensions.

• Airbag, air conditioning, ABS, 3 seats, 1.5 m3.

• Dimensions: 2.65m, 1.62m, 1.64m

• Weight: 750 kg

• Maximum speed: 110 kmh

• Mileage: 200 - 300 km

• Maximum load: 270 Kg

• Recharging time: 4 hours (Mains connector)

• Recharge: 3 minutes (Air station)

CityCAT:

A more spacious car with seats which can face different directions. The vehicle's design is based on the needs of a typical family.

• Airbag, air conditioning, 6 seats.

• Dimensions: 3.84m, 1.72m, 1.75m

• Weight: 750 kg

• Maximum speed: 110 kmh

• Mileage: 200 - 300 km

• Max load: 500 Kg

• Recharge time: 4 hours (Mains connector)

• Recharge time: 3 minutes (Air station)

Although there is no official word on when the car will be commercially manufactured for India, reports say that it will be sooner than later.

The MDI headquarters are located in Luxembourg while the prototype factory is in the south of France, where 60 people are employed. According to the MDI website "At the moment the construction of the first serial production factory is being completed, at the same location."
Currently licenses for manufacture and distribution have been sold to companies in Spain, Portugal, Brazil, South Africa, India, Great Briton, France and the United States. ZevCAT has the license in the US.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Tata's Air Car - Is it the next big thing?

Now a day we are facing so many problems like increase in rates of petrol and diesel. But here is an one solution because of the 'PUSHPAK VIMAN' is coming, to solve the problems.

Tata Motors to introduce Air Car - Is it the next big thing? Yeah! Tata Motors is taking giant strides and making history for itself. First the Landrover-Jaguar deal, then the world's cheapest car and now it is also set to introduce the car that runs on air, compressed air to be specific.

With fuel prices touching nearly $150 per barrel some time back, it is about time we heard some breakthrough! India's largest automaker Tata Motors is set to start producing the world's first commercial air-powered vehicle. The Air Car, developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy Nègre for Luxembourg-based MDI, uses compressed air, as opposed to the gas-and-oxygen explosions of internal-combustion models, to push its engine's pistons. Some 6000 zero-emissions Air Cars are scheduled to hit Indian streets by August of 2009.

The Air Car, called the MiniCAT could cost around Rs. 3,50,000 ($ 8177) in India and would have a range of around 300 km between refuels.

The cost of a refill would be about Rs. 85 ($ 2). Tata motors alrady launched the world's cheapest car, Tata Nano priced famously at One lakh rupees by October.

The MiniCAT which is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis that is glued not welded and a body of fiberglass powered by compressed air. Microcontrollers are used in every device in the car, so one tiny radio transmitter sends instructions to the lights, indicators etc.

There are no keys - just an access card which can be read by the car from your pocket. According to the designers, it costs less than 50 rupees per 100Km (about a tenth that of a petrol car). Its mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car (200 to 300 km or 10 hours of driving), a factor which makes a perfect choice in cities where the 80% of motorists drive at less than 60Km. The car has a top speed of 105 kmph. Refilling the car will, once the market develops, take place at adapted petrol stations to administer compressed air. In two or three minutes, and at a cost of approximately 100 rupees, the car will be ready to go another 200-300 kilometers.

As an alternative, the car carries a small compressor which can be connected to the mains (220V or 380V) and refill the tank in 3-4 hours. Due to the absence of combustion and, consequently, of residues, changing the oil (1 litre of vegetable oil) is necessary only every 50,000Km.] The temperature of the clean air expelled by the exhaust pipe is between 0-15 degrees below zero, which makes it suitable for use by the internal air conditioning system with no need for gases or loss of power.

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