View Single Post
Old 01-27-2013, 02:08 PM   #28 (permalink)
jamesqf
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Earth
Posts: 5,209
Thanks: 225
Thanked 811 Times in 594 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Mechanic View Post
Using air brings on the potential for an explosion, combining air with any trace of a combustible liquid or gas such as any lubricant could create the same process as a diesel engine, especially when you consider 3k PSI pressures which are many times greater than the general 400 PSI compression pressures of a diesel engine before the mixture is ignited. An inert gas eliminates that possibility.
There's another potential problem for automotive use. Compressing a gas creates heat (and uncompressing it absorbs heat), which is why scuba tanks are generally filled in a water bath. What happens to that heat in a car? Especially when you're doing something like descending a mountain?
  Reply With Quote