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Compressed Air Engine

Article · August 2017

DOI: 10.9790/1684-1404070105

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IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE)
e-ISSN: 2278-1684,p-ISSN: 2320-334X, Volume 14, Issue 4 Ver. VII (Jul. - Aug. 2017), PP 01-05
www.iosrjournals.org

Compressed Air Engine

Mr.Baddela Saivardhan
Student, Department Of Mechanical Engineering,
JNTUA College Of Engineering(Autonomous),Pulivendula, Andhra Pradesh, India
Corresponding Author: * Mr.Baddela Saivardhan

Abstract: This paper work deals with the Compressed-air engine as a pneumatic actuator that converts one
form of energy into another. The Air Driven Engine is an eco-friendly engine which operates with compressed
air. This Engine uses the expansion of compressed air to drive the pistons of the engine. An Air Driven Engine is
a pneumatic actuator that creates useful work by expanding compressed air. There is no mixing of fuel with air
as there is no combustion. An Air Driven Engine makes use of Compressed Air Technology for its operation The
Compressed Air Technology is quite simple. If we compress normal air into a cylinder the air would hold some
energy within it. This energy can be utilized for useful purposes. When this compressed air expands, the energy
is released to do work. So this energy in compressed air can also be utilized to displace a piston. Compressed
air propulsion may also be incorporated in hybrid systems, e.g., battery electric propulsion and fuel tanks to
recharge the batteries. This kind of system is called hybrid-pneumatic electric propulsion. Additionally,
regenerative braking can also be used in conjunction with this system.
Keywords: Air, Compressed, Engine, Energy, Propulsion, Pneumatic actuator.
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Date of Submission: 08 -07-2017 Date of acceptance: 28-08-2017
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I. Introduction
At first glance the idea of running an engine on air seems to be too good to be true. Actually, if we can
make use of air as an aid for running an engine it is a fantastic idea. As we all know, air is all around us, it never
runs out, it is non-polluting and it is free. An Air Driven Engine makes use of Compressed Air Technology for
its operation. Compressed Air Technology is now widely preferred for research by different industries for
developing different drives for different purposes. The Compressed Air Technology is quite simple. If we
compress normal air into a cylinder the air would hold some energy within it. This energy can be utilized for
useful purposes. When this compressed air expands, the energy is released to do work. So this energy in
compressed air can also be utilized to displace a piston. This is the basic working principle of the Air Driven
Engine. It uses the expansion of compressed air to drive the pistons of the engine. So an Air Driven Engine is
basically a pneumatic actuator that creates useful work by expanding compressed air. This work provided by the
air is utilized to supply power to the crankshaft of the engine. In the case of an Air Driven Engine, there is no
combustion taking place within the engine. So it is non-polluting and less dangerous. It requires lighter metal
only since it does not have to withstand elevated temperatures. As there is no combustion taking place, there is
no need for mixing fuel and air. Here compressed air is the fuel and it is directly fed into the piston cylinder
arrangement. It simply expands inside the cylinder and does useful work on the piston. This work done on the
piston provides sufficient power to the crankshaft

II. Components
• CYLINDER
• PISTON
• COMBUSTION CHAMBER
• CONNECTING ROD
• CRANKSHAFT
• CAMSHAFT
• CAM
• PISTON RINGS
• GUDGEON PIN
• INLET
• EXHAUST MANIFOLD
• INLET AND EXHAUST VALVE
• FLYWHEEL

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 Compressed Air Engine

III. Engine Specifications

Type of fuel used : Petrol (previously)
Cooling system : Air cooled
Number of cylinder : Single
Number of stroke : Four Stroke
Arrangement : Vertical
Cubic capacity : 100 cc

IV. Layout of the Project

(Fig.1.project layout)

V. Compressed Air Engine Principle

A compressed-air vehicle is powered by an air engine, using compressed air, which is stored in a tank.
Instead of mixing fuel with air and burning it in the engine to drive pistons with hot expanding gases,
compressed air vehicles (CAV) use the expansion of compressed air to drive their pistons. One manufacturer
claims to have designed an engine that is 90 percent efficient. Compressed air propulsion may also be
incorporated in hybrid systems, e.g., battery electric propulsion and fuel tanks to recharge the batteries. This
kind of system is called hybrid-pneumatic electric propulsion. Additionally, regenerative braking can also be
used in conjunction with this system.

A. Engine
A Compressed-air engine is a pneumatic actuator that creates useful work by expanding compressed
air. They have existed in many forms over the past two centuries, ranging in size from hand held turbines up to
several hundred horsepower. Some types rely on pistons and cylinders, others use turbines. Many compressed
air engines improve their performance by heating the incoming air, or the engine itself. Some took this a stage
further and burned fuel in the cylinder or turbine, forming a type of internal combustion engine. One can buy the
vehicle with the engine or buy an engine to be installed in the vehicle. Typical air engines use one or more
expander pistons. In some applications it is advantageous to heat the air, or the engine, to increase the range or
power.

B. Tank
The tanks must be designed to safety standards appropriate for a pressure vessel, such as ISO 11439.
The storage tank may be made of:
1. Steel,
2. Aluminum,
3. Carbon fiber,
4. Kevlar,
5. Other materials or combinations of the above.
The fiber materials are considerably lighter than metals but generally more expensive. Metal tanks can
withstand a large number of pressure cycles, but must be checked for corrosion periodically. One company

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 Compressed Air Engine

stores air in tanks at 4,500 pounds per square inch (about 30 MPa) and hold nearly 3,200 cubic feet (around 90
cubic metres) of air. The tanks may be refilled at a service station equipped with heat exchangers, or in a few
hours at home or in parking lots, plugging the car into the electrical grid via an on-board compressor.

C. Compressed Air
Compressed air has a low energy density. In 300 bar containers, about 0.1 MJ/L and 0.1 MJ/kg is
achievable, comparable to the values of electrochemical lead-acid batteries. While batteries can somewhat
maintain their voltage throughout their discharge and chemical fuel tanks provide the same power densities from
the first to the last litre, the pressure of compressed air tanks falls as air is drawn off. A consumer-automobile of
conventional size and shape typically consumes 0.3-0.5 kWh (1.1-1.8 MJ) at the drive shaft per mile of use,
though unconventional sizes may perform with significantly less.

D. Emission Output
Like other non-combustion energy storage technologies, an air vehicle displaces the emission source
from the vehicle’s tail pipe to the central electrical generating plant. Where emissions-free sources are available,
net production of pollutants can be reduced. Emission control measures at a central generating plant may be
more effective and less costly than treating the emissions of widely-dispersed vehicles. Since the compressed air
is filtered to protect the compressor machinery, the air discharged has less suspended dust in it, though there
may be carry-over of lubricants used in the engine.

VI. Working Principle

Today, internal combustion engines in cars, trucks, motorcycles, aircraft, construction machinery and
many others, most commonly use a four-stroke cycle. The four strokes refer to intake, compression, combustion
(power), and exhaust strokes that occur during two crankshaft rotations per working cycle of the gasoline engine
and diesel engine. The cycle begins at Top Dead Center (TDC), when the piston is farthest away from the axis
of the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston from Top Dead Center (TDC) to Bottom Dead
Center (BDC).

A. INTAKE stroke
On the intake or induction stroke of the piston , the piston descends from the top of the cylinder to the bottom of
the cylinder, reducing the pressure inside the cylinder. A mixture of fuel and air is forced by atmospheric (or
greater) pressure into the cylinder through the intake port. The intake valve(s) then close.
B. COMPRESSION stroke
With both intake and exhaust valves closed, the piston returns to the top of the cylinder compressing the fuel-air
mixture. This is known as the compression stroke.
C. POWER stroke
While the piston is close to Top Dead Center, the compressed air–fuel mixture is ignited, usually by a
spark plug (for a gasoline or Otto cycle engine) or by the heat and pressure of compression (for a diesel cycle or
compression ignition engine). The resulting massive pressure from the combustion of the compressed fuel-air
mixture drives the piston back down toward bottom dead center with tremendous force. This is known as the
power stroke, which is the main source of the engine’s torque and power.

D. EXHAUST stroke
During the exhaust stroke, the piston once again returns to top dead center while the exhaust valve is
open. This action evacuates the products of combustion from the cylinder by pushing the spent fuel-air mixture
through the exhaust valve(s). In our project we have to modified these four strokes into totally two stoke with
the help of inner CAM alteration. In air engine we can design a new CAM which is operate only Inlet stroke and
exhaust stroke. Actually in four stroke engine the inlet and exhaust valve opens only one time to complete the
total full cycle. In that time the piston moving from top dead center to bottom dead center for two times. A
stroke refers to the full travel of the piston from Top Dead Center (TDC) to Bottom Dead Center (BDC).In our
air engine project, we have to open inlet and exhaust valve in each and every stroke of the engine so that it will
convert the four stroke engine to two stroke engine by modifying the CAM shaft of the engine.

VII. Design and Drawings

A. Design of Ball Bearing:
Bearing No. 6202
Outer Diameter of Bearing (D) = 35 mm
Thickness of Bearing (B) = 12 mm
Inner Diameter of the Bearing (d) = 15 mm

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 Compressed Air Engine

r1 = Corner radii on shaft and housing

r1 = 1 (From design data book)
Maximum Speed = 14,000 rpm (From design data book)
Mean Diameter (mm) = (D + d) / 2
= (35 + 15) / 2
= 25 mm
B. Engine Design Calculations:
Design and Analysis on Temperature Distribution for Two- Stroke Engine Component Using Finite
Element Method:
1. Specification of Four Stroke Petrol Engine:
Type : Four strokes
Cooling System : Air Cooled
Bore/Stroke : 50 x 50 mm
Piston Displacement : 98.2 cc
Compression Ratio : 6.6: 1
Maximum Torque : 0.98 kg-m at 5,500RPM
2. Calculation:
Compression ratio = (Swept Volume + Clearance
Volume)/ Clearance Volume
Here,
Compression ratio = 6.6:1
6.6 = (98.2 + Vc)/Vc
Vc = 19.64 cc
Assumptions:
1.The component gases and the mixture behave like ideal gases.
2. Mixture obeys the Gibbs-Dalton law
Pressure exerted on the walls of the cylinder by air is P1
P1 = (M1RT)/V
Here,
M1 = m/M = (Mass of the gas or air)/ (Molecular Weight)
R = Universal gas constant = 8.314 KJ/Kg mole K.
T1 = 303 ºK
V1 = V = 253.28 x10-6 m³
Molecular weight of air = Density of air x V mole
Here,
Density of air at 303ºK = 1.165 kg/m³
V mole = 22.4 m³/Kg-mole for all gases.
Molecular weight of air = 1.165 x 22.4
P1 = {[(m1/(1.165 x 22.4)] x 8.314 x303]}/253.28 x 10-6
P1 = 381134.1 m1
Let Pressure exerted by the fuel is P2
P2 = (N2 R T)/V
Density of petrol = 800 Kg/m³
P2 = {[(M2)/(800 x 22.4)] x8.314 x 303]}/(253.28 x 10-6)
P2 = 555.02 m2
Therefore Total pressure inside the cylinder
PT = P1 + P2
= 1.01325 x 100 KN/m²
381134.1 m1 + 555.02 m2 = 1.01325 x 100 --------- (1)
Calculation of air fuel ratio:
Carbon = 86%
Hydrogen = 14%
We know that, 1Kg of carbon requires 8/3 Kg of oxygen for the complete combustion.
1Kg of carbon sulphur requires 1 Kg of Oxygen for its complete combustion.
(From Heat Power Engineering-Balasundarum)
Therefore, The total oxygen requires for complete combustion of 1Kg of fuel
= [ (8/3c) + (3H2) + S] Kg
Little of oxygen may already present in the fuel, then

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 Compressed Air Engine

the total oxygen required for complete combustion of

Kg of fuel
= { [ (8/3c) + (8H2) + S ] – O2} Kg
As air contains 23% by weight of Oxygen for obtain
of oxygen amount of air required
= 100/23 Kg
Minimum air required for complete combustion of 1 Kg of fuel
= (100/23) { [ (8/3c) + H2+ S] – O2} Kg
So for petrol 1Kg of fuel requires
= (100/23) {[(8/3c) x 0.86 + (8 x 0.14) ] }
= 14.84 Kg of air
Air fuel ratio = m1/m2
= 14.84/1
= 14.84
m1 = 14.84 m2 ------------(2)
Substitute (2) in (1)
1.01325 x 100 = 3.81134 (14.84 m2) + 555.02 m2
m2 = 1.791 x 10-5 Kg/Cycle
Mass of fuel flow per cycle = 1.791 x 10-5 Kg cycle
Therefore,
Mass flow rate of the fuel for 2500 RPM
[(1.791 x 10-5)/3600] x (2500/2) x 60= 3.731 x 10-4 Kg/sec

VIII. Advantages
 Compressed air to store the energy instead of batteries.
 Pollution created during fuel transportation would be eliminated.
 Reducing pollution from one source, as opposed to the millions of vehicles on the road.
 There is no need to build a cooling system, fuel tank, Ignition Systems or silencers.
 The price of fueling air powered vehicles will be significantly cheaper than current fuels.

IX. Disadvantages
 The temperature difference between the incoming air and the working gas is smaller. In heating the stored
air, the device gets very cold and may ice up in cool, moist climates.
 Refueling the compressed air container using a home or low end conventional air compressor may take a
long time.
 Tanks get very hot when filled rapidly. It very dangerous if caution is not maintained.
 Only limited storage capacity of the tanks. So we cannot opt for a long drive.
X. Conclusion
The model designed by me is a small scale working model of the compressed air engine. When scaled
to higher level it can be used for driving automobiles independently or combined (hybrid) with other engines
like I.C. engines. The technology of compressed air vehicles is not new. Compressed air technology allows for
engine that are both non-polluting and economical. Unlike electric or hydro-gen powered vehicles, compressed
air vehicles are not expensive and do not have a limited driving range. Compressed air vehicles are affordable
and have a performance rate that stands up to current standards. To summit up, they are non-expensive which do
not pollute and are easy to get around in cities. The emission benefits of introducing this zero emission
technology are obvious At the same time the well to wheels efficiency of these vehicles need to be improved.
This is a revolutionary engine which is not only eco- friendly, pollution free, but also very economical. This
addresses both the problems of fuel crises and pollution. However excessive research is needed to completely
prove the technology for both its commercial and technical viability.

REFERENCES:

[1] V.Ganesan, “Computer Simulation of Compression Ignition Engine Processes”.

[2] HEYWOOD,J.B., “Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals”,Mc Graw-Hill Book Company.
[3] Internet website,www.wikipedia.com
[4] Internet website,www.engineering tool box.com
[5] Internet website,www.how stuff works.com
[6] Internet website,www.youtube.com/Mr.Teslonian

DOI: 10.9790/1684-1404070105 www.iosrjournals.org 5 | Page

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Compressed Air Engine

Mr.Baddela Saivardhan. “Compressed Air Engine.” IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE)
, vol. 14, no. 4, 2017, pp. 01–05.

DOI: 10.9790/1684-1404070105 www.iosrjournals.org 6 | Page