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One of the most basic problems with using the atmosphere or any other gas containing oxygen is when you compress it above 500 PSI, then you run the risk of "dieseling" if there are any trace amounts of lubricants in the pressure vessel.
Now you can always turn that around and make a system that intentionally injects combustible vapor into a specially designed pressure vessel where the spontaneous ignition of the vapor increases the pressure reserve in the vessel for power production.
Compressing a gas increases its temperature, but that same temperature drops when the pressure is released. Various theories concerning the insulation of the pressure vessel and maximization of heat retention could be applied to an atmospheric driven hybrid.
Another issue with such a design is the necessity to create something like 50 atmospheres of pressure with only a single stage of compression, which requires some unique designs that have no poppet or reed valves and virtually no chamber of unmoved atmosphere in the pump providing the pressure. This also runs the same risk of spontaneous combustion of the high pressure atmosphere when exposed to lubricants.
Potential development of non combustible lubricants (some may already exist) that are solutions to the "dieseling" issue may be a solution.
I believe the basic rotary piston engine like the WW1 examples has much room for modern development and application in vehicles, apparently a position that is not shared or very well understood by most. The lack of reciprocation in that design from so long ago is intriguing, to me at least.
regards
Mech
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