Patent ID: 7926610

Claim:
A compressed air powered drive system for a vehicle, comprising: a plurality of wheels for engaging the earth's surface; a plurality of air motors each engaged with a wheel for driving the wheel; an air storage tank for storing compressed air; a fuel storage tank for storing a fuel; a heat exchanger connected to the air storage tank through an air supply valve and connected to the air motors, the heat exchanger heating the air from the air storage tank prior to supplying it to the air motors, the heat exchanger including a burner connected to the fuel storage tank through a fuel supply valve and an ignition device for burning the fuel, wherein the air motors are capable of being driven by high pressure air from the heat exchanger to cause the respective wheels to rotate in a forward direction; a plurality of air pumps each engaged with a wheel, the air pumps being connected to the air storage tank through a valve, the air pumps being driven by the respective wheels to pump air into the air storage tank when the wheels rotate in the forward direction, wherein the air pumps are structurally distinct from the air motors and pump air into the air storage tank while the air motors drive the wheels; and a control device for controlling the air valve, the fuel valve, and the ignition device.