Move Over Corncobs, These Guys Run on Air

By GEORGE P. BLUMBERG, The New York Times

Published: October 24, 2007

IN the push to free the auto industry from its dependence on oil, all kinds of alternatives are being tried. Consider now the refreshing concept of cars that run on air.

The idea sounds simple: compress air and release it to operate a piston engine. But the execution is difficult, and in one form or another it has occupied engineers since the 19th century …

… The Scuderi Group, in West Springfield, Mass., has a hybrid engine design that compresses air and burns petroleum fuel in separate cylinders and uses some compressed air to extend the petroleum engine.

Sal Scuderi, president of the company, said that this “split cycle” design “eliminates traditional combustion chambers, and splits pistons into those pulling air in and compressing it, and those burning fuel and exhausting it.” …

Read the rest of the New York Times article.