A technical and economic assessment is made of an automotive powerplant system using cryogenic liquid air or nitrogen as the working fluid. In an open Rankine cycle the cold fluid is stored at atmospheric pressure; as needed for use, small quantities are pressurized and heated to high temperature before expanding in a multistage engine that drives the vehicle. A range of gas pressures and temperatures and different expansion stages and reheat variations were evaluated to give a complete thermodynamic profile of the system. One possible design of each component in the power train is shown, and the sizes, weights and probable manufacturing cost estimated. Installation of these components in a passenger vehicle of conventional size is shown to be feasible. The assessment shows that a liquid nitrogen powered vehicle could be generally competitive with current gasoline automobiles in performance, weight, range and operating cost without using imported fuel and without harmful emissions. (ERA citation 07:054329)
Concept Evaluation of Automotive Propulsion Using Liquid Air/Nitrogen. Final Report
1982
156 pages
Report
No indication
English
AUTOMOTIVE PROPULSION USING LIQUID NITROGEN
AIAA | 1994
|Automotive Propulsion Using Liquid Nitrogen
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1994
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