Zero Pollution Vehicles

"MDI is a project initiated and directed by Guy NEGRE the CEO of the company, this mechanical engineer started his career with researches on engines' efficiency.
Among his numerous creations, we particularly remember a rotary distribution device for a R8 GORDINI which produced 152 HP at 11 000 rpm, his light aircraft engines (SACMA) and also the development of a 3.5 liters W 12 engine, for Formula 1 races in the 80s. Throughout his career Guy NEGRE, has designed nearly one hundred engines.

Having in mind the protection of the planet, Guy NEGRE has then concentrated his efforts towards the development of zero pollution engines and created MDI in 1991.
The aims of this company are to promote and develop ecological energies; conceive and produce non-pollutant vehicles and systems.
Its study office develops new technologies and innovative production methods.
MDI is the owner of numerous patents pertaining to the improvement of its compressed air engines and their technical environment; these patents are protected in 127 countries.

Fifty engineers and technicians work on the compressed air vehicles with the support of TATA Motors, the exclusive licensee for MDI's technologies in India since 2007.
The agreement provides that TATA will support the technologies final development and optimization for their use in India.

In the rest of the world MDI follows its business models (see Industrial concept) i.e. the sales of licenses and turnkey factories for the manufacturing and commercialization of its products." ... more

Mono Energy Engines (Compressed air only)
"Ambient air is compressed in the vehicle's tank (see HP tanks refilling). The air coming from the high pressure tank crosses a pressure reducer (patented by MDI which allows a quasi isothermal transformation). It is then used in a system of expansion with work, consisting of an active chamber and an expansion cylinder. This new thermodynamic cycle consist of:
  - The feeding of the charge cylinder (or the active chamber) at constant pressure. This phase is performed at constant pressure and temperature; it produces significant work on the crankshaft. It makes it possible to double the efficiency of a conventional expansion.
  - Expansion of the volume of air created by the active chamber in the expansion cylinder.
  - Exhaust
The mono energy compressed-air engines are totally eco-friendly.

Dual- energy engines (Compressed air + energetic adjuvant)
The engine has the same base as the engine described above. An external combustion chamber (at constant pressure and variable volume), is added. An energetic adjuvant is thus use to heat the compressed air before introducing it into the system of expansion with work. The combustion is continuous and not related to the engine's cycle; this allows a better control of emissions. The dual-energy engines are totally 'multi-fuel', have unprecedented consumption figures and are 'iso-efficient' in charge and rev." ... more

"Engineair Pty Ltd, based in Melbourne, Australia is a company focusing on the development of air motor technology based on a unique rotary piston concept.

Different from conventional air motors, the Engineair motor invented by Angelo Di Pietro, has virtually eliminated vibration, internal wear, friction and offers superior performance for a wide variety of applications.

The Di Pietro motor
The Di Pietro motor concept is based on a rotary piston. Different from existing rotary engines, the Di Pietro motor uses a simple cylindrical rotary piston (shaft driver) which rolls, without any friction, inside the cylindrical stator. The space between stator and shaft driver is divided in 6 expansion chambers by pivoting dividers. These dividers follow the motion of the shaft driver as it rolls around the stator wall. The motor shown is effectively a 6 cylinder expansion motor.

The cylindrical shaft driver, forced by the air pressure on its outer wall, moves eccentrically, thereby driving the motor shaft by means of two rolling elements mounted on bearings on the shaft. The rolling motion of the shaft driver inside the stator is cushioned by a thin film of air. Timing and duration of the air inlet and exhaust is governed by a slotted timer which is mounted on the output shaft and rotates at the same speed as the motor.

Variation of performance parameters of the motor is easily achieved by varying the time during which the air is allowed to enter the chamber: A longer air inlet period allows more air to flow into the chamber and therefore results in more torque. A shorter inlet period will limit the air supply and allows the air in the chamber to perform expansion work at a much higher efficiency. In this way compressed air (energy) consumption can be exchanged for higher torque and power output depending on the requirements of the application.

Motor speed and torque are simply controlled by throttling the volume or pressure of air into the motor. The Di Pietro motor gives instant torque at zero RPM and can be precisely controlled to give soft start and acceleration control." ... more

"Air Car Factories was born with the confidence and the vocation to invest in the development of clean technologies and to make them available to final users. We are open to the new proposals that we know exist, and to working jointly with those people and companies that share our ideas and our work ethic.

Air Car Factories is a worldwide company that firmly believes that we can achieve more and do things better by opening up to the option of freedom of participation and new collaborations.

Air Car Factories was founded with a defined vision and philosophy: air driven cars, efficient vehicles that do not emit gases, the optimisation of energies applied to transport... Specifically, making ecological technologies accessible to the public at large, where we have set ourselves the task of ensuring that the availability of these products is immediate.

Our main target is to launch and commercialise a hybrid car using compressed air and electricity and based on own technology within 12 months, a project that we will be developing jointly with our own engineers and through agreements with different universities.

At the same time we will be setting up a distribution network to sell the vehicles that we are going to distribute and, in the future, to sell our own compressed air cars.

Miguel Celades Rex, the founder of Air Car Factories, is an expert in communications and marketing, in franchise consultancy and in the introduction of new projects and products to the market. For 8 years Miguel was the main commercial promoter of the project and technology developed by Guy Negre and MDI. He has now launched a new stage leading a plural and ambitious project the main goal of which is the immediate marketing of a compressed air driven car and also, at the same time, the development and distribution of the ecological and economical technology and products that society so fervently awaits and demands." ... more

VGT Technologies Inc. - RoundEngine.

"VGT Technologies is presently developing a Hybrid Pneumatic Vehicle based on pressurized air being used for supercharging and auxiliary power for acceleration and short term high power demands. Supercharging the combustion engine will enable downsizing to about half the displacement volume or making efficient use of variable displacement technology i.e. displacement on demand thereby saving fuel and emissions.

Regenerative braking will recharge the air tank as well as during normal driving when the combustion engine is most efficient. The Hybrid Pneumatic Engine system using RoundEngine technology will be less expensive and environmentally more friendly than a Hybrid Electric Engine system currently on the market. There are no batteries to replace and only a simple control system for less complexity and easy maintenance.

In addition the VGT Hybrid Pneumatic Vehicle will have the unique capability of recycling waste heat from the exhaust and convert it to power saving even more fuel and emissions.

An energy storage system using pressurized air is based on a non-chemical,compressed air tank technology which has virtually NO negative impact on the environment.The air tank will last as long as vehicle or longer.

In the first phase of development VGT will focus on the air drive using the RoundEngine technology and supercharging. The front axle will be powered by the combustion engine,the rear axle will be powered by the air drive. The purpose is to prove the air drive and the supercharging with associated downsizing or variable displacement in an automotive application and to demonstrate fuel and emissions savings. A RoundEngine is presently in the final assembly phase followed by the integration into a vehicle." ... more