According to research undertaken by the SMS Institute of Technology in Lucknow, India, motorcycles powered by a compressed air engine could cut emissions in developing countries by more than half.
Researcher Bharat Raj Singh discussed the prototype engine, which uses a compressed air tank to power a turbine. “If we can cut down total pollution in developing countries 50 to 60 percent, that may be a major quantity which can definitely reduce global warming”, adding “Compressed air tanks can be recharged with pumps running off solar or other renewable energy, making them a cheaper, eco-friendly alternative to hybrid electric vehicles”.
The prototype engine can run a bike at speed of up to 50mph for 30 minutes. It works by pushing compressed air into the turbine. As the air expands, it turns the turbine which powers the motorbike. The only waste product in the expanded air. The major challenge, according to Singh, is to develop a high-pressure tank to boost the running time of the bike to six hours – enough to travel for 150 miles before swopping tanks.
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