Pumping up the silent engine
For a quarter of his life, Angelo has been fascinated with the potential to redesign the automotive engine and create something infinitely more efficient, green and essentially silent.
The result is an incredible feat of engineering.
An invention that would have earned a nod from Da Vinci himself, Angelo’s engine uses a single rotary unit, running on compressed air that virtually eliminates vibration, internal wear and friction.
Motor speed and torque are simply controlled by throttling the volume or pressure of air into the motor.
As an air powered engine, it’s virtually silent and therefore doesn’t need the added weight of a muffler.
Angelo says the engine is seven times smaller than comparable motors and up to five times more efficient due in part to its lighter weight.
Efficiency is also improved by the fact that non-combustion engines don’t idle when the vehicle is stationary.
Shifting gears
The Di Pietro engine, built by Melbourne-based Engineair Ltd, has already powered cars and forklifts. Angelo said the company is also engaged in discussions with some very excited Asian motorcycle manufacturers.
GE also recognised the importance of Angelo’s work when Chairman and CEO, Jeff Immelt, awarded Engineair $100,000 in March 2013 as part of GE’s ecomagination Challenge, an open innovation challenge where businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators and students share their best ideas on how to reduce carbon emissions.
The support is helping Engineair continue to innovate, with a vision to use the engine in other settings such as powering air fans in industrial situations.
Of course, if air power is to become a viable option for mainstream transport motorists will need easy access to compression depots where they can fill up with compressed air.
Angelo acknowledged this is a challenge today, but he expects to see pumps all over Australia some day.