Can I or should I bother converting my gasoline engine to an air powered engine in my 2003 GMC Yukon?

Question

I have been looking at alternative power sources for vehicles and I am finding that air powered vehicles may be the smartest greenest way to power a vehicle. Electric requires batteries. Air power just requires an air motor or impeller that would rotate the crankshaft of an engine or else bypass that engine. Are there eny kits out there to make this transformation and to eliminate the need to burn oil in my vehicle?

I was thinking of attaching an air pump impeller to the front of the crankshaft, with a clutch that would engage when I engaged the air drive system. When I wanted to drive in the gasoline mode, that clutch would be released.

I would need enough air pressure to only turn the impeller with the crankshaft turning with it. I would leave the engine in place and when I selected air drive mode it would turn off the fuel and the electrics that drive the gasoline powered parts of the car.

Vacuum would come from the same place as it did before the air power moved the car, there would be exhaust of air only, no fuel.

This vehicle would be for adaptation to air or gasoline drive. The air system would be charged with compressed air into a tank that could be carried in the back of the vehicle.

I am just wondering how much air pressure I would need, what PSI would be needed to propel the vehicle.

I plan on using all the other systems on the vehicle as built.

If the electricity to run the compressor to charge the air bank is coming from a hydroelectric or other green source, there is no carbon production, cept maybe that used to manufacture all the parts?

Answer 1

You can't get enough power from an air powered engine to run an SUV because air compressors are very inefficient. That's why air-powered cars are so lightweight and won't be introduced into the USA (because they won't pass our crash tests, as they have to be made of very lightweight materials).

A system which stores energy in a battery and transfers it through electrical wire to an electric motor is nearly 90% efficient. That's why electric vehicles are designed that way.

Answer 2

Not practical for this application. Too much power would be wasted rotating an engine that isn't doing anything.

To pump air into this engine to make it rotate, you would need to build a custom camshaft to open and close the intake and exhaust valves at the correct time. You would not want to use the existing 4 stroke camshaft. Power would be wasted during the compression and non existent power stroke, wasting half of your power. Do you have the skills needed to engineer and machine such a camshaft?

You could remove the engine and related components such as the fuel system. Then replace it with an air driven motor. You would need one with enough power to move your 4500 pound Yukon. It would need to be adapted to the remaining drive train. It would need to operate at the correct RPM range to move your Yukon at a good speed. What good would is a Yukon with a top speed of 12 MPH.

You need a way to operate the power steering. Have you ever tried driving a 4500 pound vehicle without power steering? It will make a man out of you. You also need to figure out how you will operate the power brakes without engine vacuum.

You need to figure out how to power the electrical system. Stuff like the required exterior lights, windshield wipers, horn, etc. Heating and air conditioning may also be required.

If you live in a cold climate, you may need to figure out how you are going to dry the air in the air system. If not, your air motor will quickly become a block of ice and stop functioning.

You might be better off finding a vehicle engineered from the ground up to run off air. I would bet it would cost you over $100,000 to convert your Yukon to air power. It would be cool, but only for a few miles.

Also, have you considered that it takes electricity to run the air compressor to supply air to this vehicle? Electricity that most likely comes from fossil fuels. So are you really saving the environment?

Answer 3

What you are asking is close to what a Stanley Steamer CAR did...VERY CLOSE!!!!!! Stanley Steamer CARs did 80MPH top speed. As a matter of fact, a Stanley Steamer could run off of air, but you would still need a big air tank, one that could blow you and your truck and everyone else around you up like a big bomb. S.S.'s ran off of steam pressure which came from boiling water. You would HAVE TO have at least a DIESEL ENGINE BLOCK because of the higher torque power a air engine would produce. Then you would need a smaller air tank with an big air pump, but what would you connect to the air pump to power it? electric motor with batteries , gas/diesel engine?

No matter what YOU WOULD NEED a AIR COMPRESSOR that was powered by a engine.

Just look at this one->

Chicago Pneumatic Quiet Rotary Screw Air Compressor with Dryer —
-30 HP engine, 230 Volts
-120GAL. air tank

Only $14699.99

I wouldn't dare use a tank that big, shoot I wouldn't dare even use a 60gal tank. I personally would put the air tank in a sealed WELDED safe PERMANENTLY with a few big air holes in it!

Answer 4

Don't mean to point out the obvious,but compressed air is considered to be one of the most expensive "utilities" available by engineers.Think for a moment,to compress air,some sort of power is required to drive the compressor.The best air compressors are 30% efficient.When factoring the driver cost for a compressor and the inherent inefficiencies of air compressors,you are actually using more energy than an average internal combustion engine would require.

Answer 5

I am glad you asked what PSI you would need, because that is the problem. You would need an impossibly high PSI to go more than a few feet. I doubt any pressure tank strong enough exists that could take a car even 1 mile. And of course you would need a pump to fill that tank with that high pressure. And electric car would be FAR easier, IMO.

Answer 6

you have been gazing too many YouTube movies. there's a whiff of Discovery Channel in there, too. That 'pennies on the mile' could--and could--enhance extensively while non-gas autos are compelled to pay their share of street taxes. whether it extremely is not suitable a lot, by way of fact there are no electric autos in production good now. it extremely is basically web pages consisting totally of delivers. i could be maximum susceptible to believe GM's estimate on the Chevy Volt: it extremely is going to likely be out in 2010--consistent with possibility. of direction you may desire to purchase autos which have been converted to electric ability: there have continually been some floating around eBay. they're notoriously confusing to handle.

Answer 7

Lol. Good luck buddy

Answer 8

Why don't you just put some wings on it???