Liquid nitrogen powered cars - the future?

[YankeePorker]

There I was still thinking that the hydrogen cycle and fuel cells might be the ultimate solution to humanity's transportable energy problems, then I read this article and learnt that a new approach using the expansion of nitrogen as it flashes from liquid to gas is cheaper and more efficient!

http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/10/nit...

They don't mention the risks inherent in dealing with cryogenic fluids at -165 degrees, but then it does have the benefit of not being flammable. I wonder if they can make a nitrogen engine sound good.....

[YankeePorker]

Disco You said:

It all depends on how you plan on cooling the nitrogen.

They mention it being a cheap by-product of liquid oxygen production. Obviously if you start running lots of cars on it there won't be enough by-product and it'll have to be produced as a primary product.

[YankeePorker]

Ozzie Osmond said:

"Weight for weight, liquid nitrogen packs much the same energy as the lithium-ion batteries used in ... electric cars. In terms of performance and range, then, a nitrogen vehicle is similar to an electric vehicle rather than a conventional one."

Great, another way to build overweight cars with very little range.

Forget it.

Maybe, but the engine using the nitrogen is much cheaper! I was pleased to see that the scientist who came up with the means of vaporising the nitrogen directly in the engine cylinder is a Brit.

[YankeePorker]

CDP said:

I don't think the pressure is that much of a problem as they can just take the lid off a nitrogen to lower samples into. Very weird but it doesn't suddenly boil off.

Exactly - storage is at atmospheric but container has to be heavily insulated.

Good point about the boil off gas filling the garage. Effectively all parking places would need good forced ventilation to avoid dangerously low oxygen levels.

Note from the article that each car will have to carry water and methanol too. Problem will be stopping the Norwegians from trying to drink the methanol.....

[YankeePorker]

thinfourth2 said:

How you store energy in something exceedingly cold is somewhat puzzling to me.

I'd love to hear how this stores the energy



Also it looses the big plus side of electric cars

You can't recharge at home

Edited by thinfourth2 on Thursday 18th October 07:04

It's extremely cold because it's in liquid form - the energy comes from it's dramatic expansion as it vaporises and expands in a cylinder, drivng a piston and so on. The advantage of it being liquid is obviously the energy density - shame that it's at cryogenic temperatures and slowly boiling off! How long could you leave your N2 powered car parked without returning to find it empty?