Conception of vehicle of individual personal transport with hybrid pneumatic propulsion

This paper describes the conception of an individual personal transport vehicle. The conception of the vehicle is based on a mechanical structure of a bike and on a pneumatic engine as equipment of power support. The research was done as an analysis of existing vehicles with main or supporting gas power systems. In the research the expectations of users, technical resources as well as known constructions were taken into account. At the beginning, the technical properties of known methods and modern vehicles available for individual personal transport of people were reviewed. Next, some vehicles which can meet economic, ecologic and environmental criteria were identified. Finally, the authors proposed usage of extremely small and light-weight vehicles. It appears that the smallest, lightest and most economic construction of vehicles should be modeled on the bike. For power convenience on uphill roads compressed air as a supporting power factor was proposed. It also implied the possibility to use supporting power system as main power engine. However, the economic storage and management of compressed gas required optimization system of gas usage. This optimization depends on pulse wide modulation of air valve flow and possibility of air compression. Air compression is possible by driving downhill or on fixed vehicle by human muscle power. Those circumstances warrant to name such power system a hybrid pneumatic propulsion.