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I did not realize that pneumatics had left, but much prefer hydraulics to avoid compressibility issues. I like my compressibility limited to the bladder (inert gas) in the accumulator.
To boil it down a little consider the hydraulic launch assist, an independent system that works on the (otherwise undriven) rear axle of a fwd vehicle.
Basically it converts inertia to pressure, in two steps. wheel to accumulator-accumulator to wheel. Efficiency about 95% overall, regen to apply. On flat ground you can basically turn it into a hill, "climbing" while using better bsfc to add pressure over maintaining velocity in your vehicle, once the accumulator charge reaches capacity (always with a reserve), you reverse stroke on the launch assist rear axle, which drives the car, allowing the engine to shut down, for a distance approaching 1.5 mile, before the cycle is renewed.
Purchased as an option or retrofitted, a launch assist rear axle makes any car a hybrid or better yet EVERY car a hybrid, capable of automated pulse and glide without any variation is vehicle speed, which has been shown to double efficiency overall.
Capacity? One acceleration event from 0-75 mph, or onepulse inevery 1.5 miles on perfectly flat ground, very close to the range of a 1gen Insight on battery alone.
Don't worry, the patent expires in another 12.5 years.
regards
mech
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