Quote:
Originally Posted by Xist
How will you power the compressor? I do not have any idea why, but I once figured out how much air an engine needs, wondering about using it in a vacuum or something, and storing enough air to use for combustion was unrealistic. As Occasionally6 demonstrated, air-powering an engine would not really work with tanked air.
I think that cRiPpLe_rOoStEr had an interesting contribution, using an ICE to compress air and the Peugeot and Citroën prototypes.
People often said that if crazy ideas work, then every car manufacturer would be using them.
Except my mother. She is a conspiracy theorist and insists that people have invented far more efficient engines, great hydrogen-cell systems, etc, the oil companies did not like them, and they disappeared. However, one of my professors mentioned a friend that came up with an oil system for cars that would last much longer. He was sued until he went bankrupt and then they bought his patent.
Maybe his system was not so much better. Perhaps he could have proved that it lasted 7,500 miles, while most people tell you to change it every 3,000 miles.
Anyway, I think that there is plenty of room for innovation. Not all ideas are viable, though. Hopefully, our friends here can give you more feedback.
|
Current oil systems allow for 7,500+ miles. I change mine every 8,000, the same time I rotate tires. The 3000 mile mark is a conservative one, usually recommended for vehicles that do mostly city driving. Most people cite that number because oil changes are cheap, its the one thing you do that effects engine longevity the most, and why not use the most conservative interval.
As for the air powered engine, gasoline combustion is going to be more efficient and practical. To produce the amount of air required you would need an on board compressor that uses electricity or gas. If you go electric you need to buy batteries, find a way to charge them, etc. Using gas to power a compressor to replace gas is counter intuitive, as gas combustion would be more efficient. Electricity still costs money, and I tend to believe that powering an air compressor to power the engine, rather than using an electric motor, is less efficient therefore will just be more trouble than it's worth.