Compressed air vehicles to be produced in Switzerland from March 2011

Catecar installs its assembly line in Reconvilier

Reconvilier (BE), 5 October 2010 – Catecar SA is going to produce compressed air vehicles in Reconvilier (Bernese Jura), on the premises of the former Boillat no 2 plant of the Swissmetal group. The work to install the first assembly line starts this month and the first vehicle entirely built in Switzerland will leave the plant in March 2011.

"For approximately one year, this pre-industrial assembly line will enable us to produce 150 vehicles per month at the plant", Henri-Philippe Sambuc, promoter of the Catecar project, is pleased to announce. Later on, the industrial assembly line will increase capacity to 700 vehicles per month.

The Airpod will be the first "made in Reconvilier" or "Swiss made" model. This quintessential urban vehicle can transport people or goods. It is very compact and is ideal both for personal use and for commercial fleets. For this reason, Geneva Airport and some towns in French-speaking Switzerland have already shown a keen interest.

West Bank refugee invents engine that runs on air

A West Bank mechanic has harnessed the power of air with his invention of a new, greener motor engine that operates by air compression, without the need for fuel.

Imad Saleh Hassouneh, 37, who maintained truck engines for 22 years, said: “My invention was purely accidental. A truck moved forward when I was repairing its engine using compressed air. I realised that compressed air has the power to propel the engine so I started experimenting with a truck engine.”

Imad, a refugee from Jalazone in the West Bank, added: “I succeeded in inventing an engine that operates on air compression rather than fuel, and obtained a patent from the Palestinian Ministry of Economics. I also received support from Palestinian Prime Minister Mr Salam Fayyad who honoured me and granted me a car to experiment on.”

UNRWA education
After he completed his 9th grade at UNRWA’s Jalazone boys’ school, the first Intifada started and he was obliged to assist his father in his mechanic shop in order to help support his younger brothers and sisters.

Smiling, Imad said: “I have 13 brothers and three sisters. In other words we are 17 people and my father wants to have more. I am the eldest, and apparently the cleverest in the family. We received our education at an UNRWA school, and we still get assistance and rations from UNRWA.

“My mother, father and uncles still live inside the camp. I moved with my wife and children to a house near the camp and near the mechanic shop my father established.”

Environmentally friendly engine
To test his invention, Imad mounted the engine over a model of a four-tonne truck and added the air compressor. After allowing the air stream to flow through a pipe attached to the engine, he started the engine. The truck moved slowly in comparison to the fuel engine as the amount of compressed air was not enough.

Despite facing difficulties, including a lack of resources and equipment, and the absence of a sponsor for the project, Imad succeeded with his invention.

He said: “If this invention is applied, developed and manufactured on an international scale, it will become a great discovery because it is an environmentally friendly engine with minimal cost.

“Moreover, it has zero impact on health, unlike with fuel. Other benefits include the end of the car overheating problem during summer, as it will in fact operate as an engine coolant.”

Source: www.unrwa.org

Aera Cadillac: Compressed Air Powered Car Prototype Introduced in Los Angeles

The Cadillac Aera (Aero + Era) launches Cadillac’s philosophy of “Art and Science” into new territory by taking an innovative and stylistic approach to ultra-light weight vehicle design.

It was designed by California-based General Motors Advanced Design Studio for the Design Challenge hosted at the 2010 LA Auto Show.

Aera is a 1,000 lb, 2+2 touring coupe, with a range of 1,000 miles and an advanced body structure based on a 3D lattice, mono-formed frame.

This polyhedral structure is inspired by similar configurations found in nature, for example inside the grouping of bubbles.
 
The structure is formed from unique, alloy semi-solid freeform manufacturing, which creates a naturally strong, extremely lightweight frame.

 All major body parts, including interior components, are “grown” into a single part lattice structure.

Honda Air Concept

Presented by Honda at the 2010 LA Design Challenge, the Honda Air Concept is a lightweight open four-seater with a compressed-air powertrain and an essential design inspired by modern roller coasters.
Created for the 2010 LA Design Challenge by the Honda Advanced Design Studio in Pasadena, CA, the Air concept is defined as “a vision of the future of lightweight and alternative fuel performance vehicles”.

Inspired by modern roller coasters and skydiving wing-suits, the Air is powered by a compressed air and pneumatic regulator system and has a total weight of 800 lb.

It utilizes turbo vacuums and external air-flow to regenerate tank pressure for extended range and increased boost for an estimated 100 miles.

The chassis doubles as the master tank and all components, including the seats, are mounted to the central chassis/tank to eliminate redundant structure and reduce overall weight.

The body features vegetable-based polymer panels and fairings.

The Air’s cockpit and package is aimed at maximizing the open air experience.

In order to save weight and increase performance, a hub-less wheel and drive system eliminates the use of heavy drive train components.

Additional weight savings are achieved thanks to the glass reinforced seating panels, urethane tire composition and skeletal sub-frame components.

The main tanks and reserves can be filled quickly and safely using a simple generator / air compressor at home or a tire filler at the local filling station.