After five years of work, scientists from the Opole University of Technology have built a prototype quad bike powered by compressed nitrogen. According to the university, the solution developed by the Taiwanese scientist Dien Shaw can be used in many areas of the economy.
The university’s Professor Sebastian Brol said: “We wanted to test Dien Shaw's solution. He is also an inventor with many patents and extensive knowledge. One of his pneumatic-hydraulic solutions caught our attention.
“It is interesting because it converts pneumatic energy into hydraulic energy via energy converters. At first, we decided to test only them. Eventually, we developed this solution, built a drive system and launched a vehicle.”
The vehicle's energy storage is a cylinder that contains compressed nitrogen. The energy stored in the gas is used to drive a hydraulic motor. The system is modular, which enables easy modernisation and replacement of individual parts.
Brol said: “We learned to control the vehicle, select its structure depending on steering. During the work, we observed many phenomena that had not been described in science so far. These phenomena were related to energy conversion, such as suffocation and choking of the converter. There was also the serpentine effect, all of them are related to both the control and design of the system.”
According to the scientists, the pneumatic-hydraulic system can be used where it is necessary to expend a lot of energy in a short time.
Brol said: “This solution can be used in stationary systems, for example where it is necessary to start a large engine with huge initial loads. It is suitable for small-distance transport and hybrid systems, especially where there is waste heat.” (PAP)
author: Marek Szczepanik
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