As you all know, the idea of having a car that runs on air has been around for decades but we just haven't had the technology to make the concept become real. We have the technology to capture wind and use it to make electricity.
Since we have that, why can't we put such technology into automobiles?
Well for one thing for sure, one of those large and gigantic windmills won't fit into a car unless you're planning on making an enormous vehicle about the size of Rhode Island. It would require more than 5, if not 10 of those wind props in order to power the thing which will cost well over several million dollars. Plus, wind isn't available everywhere, so that would give a lot of people the disadvantage of owning one. You might also be wondering..."How will the thing even start?". That's a problem as well since that kind of system would require wind in order to start the car and no, fans will not work unless if you have one of giant and massive ones they use in gymnasiums. It would require quite a bit of wind for it to work.
But however, there can be a way to make automobiles run on air. It would be simple and we can use some current automotive technology as well. The idea on how this car will run won't require gasoline at all. Just electricity and air. If you think about it, it's quite simple. All you would basically need are just batteries,some turbines that have some electrical coils attached to make electricity and quite possibly superchargers, turbochargers and prochargers.
"How is this?" you might be asking. Here's the process:
First, the battery will provide power to the vehicle for start up so the car can move, such as backing out of the garage or simply getting out of a parking spot. The battery will continue to run the vehicle until the wind around the car goes into the induction scoops which leads to the next part.
Second, the air going into the scoops will come across a turbine (or multiple turbines) with the electrical coils. This system is based off how the Hoover dam gets power. As the turbine rapidly spins, the coils will continue to spin, generating more electricity. The faster you go, the more electricity the turbines generate since air will come at a higher rate and speed. Some of the electricity will be used to help keep the battery charged as well so you can use the battery for later when you need to start the car.
Third, the turbochargers,prochargers and superchargers will need to be redesigned and re-engineered for this system. The best location for them to be mounted would be right behind the induction scoops. The reason why is because turbochargers,prochargers and superchargers intake air at rapid speeds and they pressurize the air, sometimes resulting in high psi boost ratings, some as high as 19.5 psi. If the air were to come through those chargers and have it blown right onto the turbines, they will spin a lot faster making more electricity so that you can keep going without ever having to stop for gas at all. This will produce very high voltage for the vehicle keeping it running on electricity and keep the battery powered while some left over power can be stored in "reserve batteries" or "emergency packs" just incase if you need emergency power for the vehicle.
Supercharger
Turbocharger
Procharger
The major benefits of having a system like this is that it won't give out any emissions whatsoever. It can go a long way not even having to stop for gas at all. It's a "self-charging" system since the main battery will constantly be powered and charged when driving but the idea of plugging it into a electrical wall outlet can be optional. There can also be a way to capture the energy from braking and converting that energy to electricity giving the car even more power. Plus the cars don't have to be small and compact like the Toyota Prius or the Chevy Aveo. Another note is that if you have specific items that require charging such as cell phones,iPods,PDAs,etc....the vehicle can have special outlets for devices like a USB port, a "cigarette lighter" or even wall electrical outlet ports for the cell phone and laptop chargers since the car will be generating so much electricity. This system can also save lives as a special port can be made for defibrillators and that the lights can be constantly flashing brightly incase if you get stuck on the side of the road at night.
However, like all great ideas, they have downfalls. As of right now I can only think of two major flaws. One being the high risk of being electrocuted and the cost of making such a thing.
I don't know about you but I think this is an awesome yet smart idea to use our current technology. Who knows, maybe it'll be the future way to get around.
NOTE: THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN DOCUMENTED!!
