Energy and exergy analyses of experimental compressed air vehicle prototype with heating element

摘要

In this study, a new automobile powering system with compressed air is developed, built and tested. A working prototype for this pneumatic vehicle is developed at the Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, and its performance is investigated through energy and exergy efficiencies. The compressed air vehicle consists of a novel powering option integrated with a heating element prototype. The study introduces a new compressed air vehicle prototype with four air motors for powering the wheels. In addition, the compressed air exiting the motors is recovered for a second expansion to provide electrical power that heats the air before being recovered. A dynamometer is used for investigating the performance of the developed prototype. The energy efficiency for the prototype is found to be 59.5%. Also, the exergy efficiency is 51.0%. The prototype driving range is calculated to be 128 km with 300 litres of air at a pressure of 350 bars. The maximum shaft work generated is measured as 20.84 kW.