Compressed air car The principal disadvantages are the steps of energy conversion and transmission, because each inherently has loss. For combustion engine cars, the energy is lost when chemical energy in fossil fuels is converted by the engine to mechanical energy. For electric cars, a power plant's electricity (from whatever source) is transmitted to the car's batteries, which then transmits the electricity to the car's motor, which converts it to mechanical energy. For compressed-air cars, the power plant's electricity is transmitted to a compressor, which mechanically compresses the air into the car's tank. The car's engine then converts the compressed air to mechanical
Minimum total potential energy principle Minimum total potential energy principle The minimum total potential energy principle is a fundamental concept used in physics and engineering. It dictates that at low temperatures a structure or body shall deform or displace to a position that (locally) minimizes the total potential energy, with the lost potential energy being converted into kinetic energy (specifically heat). The total potential energy, formula_1, is the sum of the elastic strain energy, U, stored in the deformed body and the potential energy, V, associated to the applied forces: This energy is at a stationary position when an infinitesimal variation from such position involves