Hmmm, this is fun to think about... The Combined Gas Law says that when you compress air for storage, you will lose substantial energy in heat (unless you can insulate the pressure vessel to prevent that heat loss). So, the variables out of your control: * Energy loss at generation * Energy loss in transmission And the variables within your control: * Compressor motor heat loss * Storage tank loss The only one really under your control the the last one, and the only way to control that is to insulate it so that the heat doesn't dissipate. A tank capable of this will be big, heavy, and impractical for long term storage of energy; the heat from compression will dissipate with time no matter what you do, only the rate of loss can be managed. -steve c. Todd Tomason wrote: > Okay, I get it. Usually you're trading the loss for some other advantage. In > the case of compressed air, you're saying there's no real advantage so why > bother. > > Todd > > On Saturday 24 November 2007 23:56, Wrambler242@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote: >> The point is that at the current price of even nuclear electric it is not >> effective to compress air to power a car. The electric is put to more >> efficient use if it simply powers electric motors from battery banks in the >> car. Using the electric to compress air is more costly than charging >> batteries. >> >> -- >> Mark Price >> Morgantown, WV >> 1969 AMC Rambler, 4.0L, EFI, T-5 >> 2004 Grand Cherokee Laredo, 4.7L, Quadratrc II >> " Chronic Pain Hurts" >> >> -------------- Original message ---------------------- >> From: Todd Tomason <jayscore@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >> >>> I'm not sure of your point. Of course there is energy loss. There will >>> always be loss when you're converting energy from one form to another. >>> You have the same issue with hydrogen or electric cars. The point is to >>> get it into a form that is transportable. So with the air car you could >>> take something like nuclear power (which is a little hard to fit in a car >>> with the current technology) and use the electricity to pump up the air >>> tank. >>> >>> Todd >>> >>> On Saturday 24 November 2007 22:22, Wrambler242@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote: >>>> From what I have seen on other groups the air car is a energy loser. >>>> I.E. It takes more energy to compress the air to drive the car then to >>>> simply use the energy to drive the car without making the compressed >>>> air. >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Mark Price >>>> Morgantown, WV >>>> 1969 AMC Rambler, 4.0L, EFI, T-5 >>>> 2004 Grand Cherokee Laredo, 4.7L, Quadratrc II >>>> " Chronic Pain Hurts" >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Amc-list mailing list >>> Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx >>> http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list >> _______________________________________________ >> Amc-list mailing list >> Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx >> http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list > _______________________________________________ > Amc-list mailing list > Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx > http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list > _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list