Compressed air as alternative fuel

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A group of final-year mechanical engineering students of Mar Baselios College, Thiruvananthapuram, has developed a pneumatic engine that runs on just air, giving hopes of using compressed air as an alternative fuel.

It took almost a year-and-a-half for Ajesk Kumar K, Jackbert Vincent, Raj Krishnan B.R, Renjith R and Thomas C. Daniel to design and fabricate the engine as part of their project work.

The team is excited as they have received a provisional patent for the mechanical air control mechanism of the three-cylinder rotary pneumatic engine from the patent office in Chennai.

A pneumatic engine works with only breathable air as its working fluid. Conventional fuels such as petrol, diesel and gas are not used in the engines.