[Graeme]

Scuderi Air Hybrid Engine

We have seen the future and it’s the Scuderi Air Hybrid Engine. Cars equipped with this innovative split-cycle engine will be able to get “twice the gas mileage of your current vehicle, and belch out only a fraction of the pollution.” Video after the jump.

The Scuderi engine could even boost mileage by recapturing energy normally lost during braking, as do hybrid cars. “Unlike current electric hybrids which store the energy in a battery, we are able to store energy in the form of compressed air,” says Sal Scuderi. That can be done by simply adding a small air-storage tank, which costs far less than the generators and banks of batteries gas-electric hybrids need.

techeblog

There's a 4 1/2 minute video which explains in more detail how the Scuderi works.

[MD]

Excellent and informative video.

The basic physics of the design are sound. I doubt it will get pushed in in front of electric hybrids though.

Compressed air makes a fine short term battery, without the negative chemical footprint and short life found with most batteries.

Capacity is limited though, without getting into very large or very high pressure accummulators.

[Frank]

The proof is in the pudding. Let 'em build one, then we'll see. I don't believe that compressing air is very efficient but I'm no expert.

I googled it and they're claiming potential doubling of fuel economy - hard to achieve in my book given the current state-of-the-art... it should have been unveiled in auto shows in Germany and something on the west coat too by now. I hope it works!

[TheAntiDoomer]

Automakers Show Interest in an Unusual Engine Design
http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/27124/?nlid=4036

An engine development company called the Scuderi Group recently announced progress in its effort to build an engine that can reduce fuel consumption by 25 to 36 percent compared to a conventional design. Such an improvement would be roughly equal to a 50 percent increase in fuel economy.

[DoomersUnite]

Add another hashmark to the count.

[Revi]

What about the Bourke engine? Why do we all have to use the Otto cycle if we could be using the Atkinson? It works in the Prius. That's one of the reasons it gets over 50 mpg.

There's more than one way to skin a cat.

http://www.bourke-engine.com/

[vision-master]

New 2011 4 seater autos are boasting 40 mpg now..... Not Metro's either.

[DoomersUnite]

New 2011 4 seater autos are boasting 40 mpg now..... Not Metro's either.

The future's so bright...I gotta wear shades!

You are right, 40 mpg is so...now. I want a Camry/Accord sized car, 1.4L turbo diesel hybrid, maybe a battery pack twice as large as current hybrids? I want a solid 50-70 mpg in town, and a good 50+ on the highway, maybe 60 mpg if I slow down from current interstate speeds of 80 mph.

[Revi]

Our Echo gets 43 mpg, and the manual transmission gets over 50 mpg.

[MichaelWallace]

I'm skeptical that after 100+ years of the ICE someone could squeeze out this kind of efficiency. I would think 1-2% would be a huge breakthrough.

[Revi]

I was looking at why the Prius gets such good gas mileage. It's a pretty heavy car, so it doesn't make sense that it's the electric engine alone that's giving it better mileage. It may be because of the Atkinson cycle engine. I thought that it was an amazing piece of new technology until I found out that it was invented in the 1800's. Here's a working model of the Atkinson Cycle engine at work:

http://www.animatedengines.com/atkinson.shtml

Here's Toyota's explanation of why it works:

http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/atki ... cient.aspx