A West Bank mechanic has harnessed the power of air with his invention of a new, greener motor engine that operates by air compression, without the need for fuel.
Imad Saleh Hassouneh, 37, who maintained truck engines for 22 years, said: “My invention was purely accidental. A truck moved forward when I was repairing its engine using compressed air. I realised that compressed air has the power to propel the engine so I started experimenting with a truck engine.”
Imad, a refugee from Jalazone in the West Bank, added: “I succeeded in inventing an engine that operates on air compression rather than fuel, and obtained a patent from the Palestinian Ministry of Economics. I also received support from Palestinian Prime Minister Mr Salam Fayyad who honoured me and granted me a car to experiment on.”
To test his invention, Imad mounted the engine over a model of a four-tonne truck and added the air compressor. After allowing the air stream to flow through a pipe attached to the engine, he started the engine. The truck moved slowly in comparison to the fuel engine as the amount of compressed air was not enough.
Despite facing difficulties, including a lack of resources and equipment, and the absence of a sponsor for the project, Imad succeeded with his invention.
He said: “If this invention is applied, developed and manufactured on an international scale, it will become a great discovery because it is an environmentally friendly engine with minimal cost.
“Moreover, it has zero impact on health, unlike with fuel. Other benefits include the end of the car overheating problem during summer, as it will in fact operate as an engine coolant.”
Source: http://www.unrwa.org/etemplate.php?id=806