Pneumatic motor several factors which include the amount of air pressure at the motor inlet and the diameter of the housing. One application for vane-type air motors is to start large industrial diesel or natural gas engines. Stored energy in the form of compressed air, nitrogen or natural gas enters the sealed motor chamber and exerts pressure against the vanes of a rotor. This causes the rotor to turn at high speed. Because the engine flywheel requires a great deal of torque to start the engine, reduction gears are used. Reduction gears create high torque levels with the lower amounts of energy
Pneumatic motor provide the same amount of power as a larger electric motor), do not require an auxiliary speed controller (adding to its compactness), generate less heat, and can be used in more volatile atmospheres as they do not require electric power and do not create sparks. They can be loaded to stop with full torque without damages. Historically, many individuals have tried to apply pneumatic motors to the transportation industry. Guy Negre, CEO and founder of Zero Pollution Motors, has pioneered this field since the late 1980s. Recently Engineair has also developed a rotary motor for use in automobiles. Engineair places