Experimental investigation of pneumatic motor for transport application

Abstract Compressed-air-powered vehicles with advantages of environmentally simple and non-spark operation, good maintenance, and convenient operation have drawn the attention of scholars. However, a vehicle driven by compressed air alone cannot be a viable alternative. In this paper, an auxiliary power system based on a pneumatic motor used for compressed-power vehicle is proposed. First, the test rig of the auxiliary power system is established based on a pneumatic motor. The effects of key operating parameters on the performance of the pneumatic motor are investigated by experimental analysis and using the control variable method. The step response characteristics of the pneumatic motor and the relationship between rotation speed, torque, power output, and volume flow rate are studied. The uncertainties of the power output and energy efficiency of the pneumatic motor are analyzed. Experimental results show that the power output and energy efficiency of the pneumatic motor first increase and then decrease with the increase of torque. The energy efficiency of the pneumatic motor reaches the maximum value of approximately 62%. The power output of the pneumatic motor reaches the maximum value of approximately 410 W. The pneumatic motor is more feasible to be considered an auxiliary system of compressed-air-powered vehicle.