Onboard CO2 Capture and Conversion for Light-Duty Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Light-duty gasoline vehicles continue to emit significant greenhouse gases, and existing solutions for onboard carbon capture and conversion are environmentally uneconomical, making it difficult to reduce emissions from these vehicles effectively.
Innovation Solution
A process for capturing carbon dioxide emissions from light-duty vehicles and converting them into usable carbon-based products using catalysis, such as electrochemical or photocatalytic processes, involving a CO2 capture device and a CO2 conversion device that can produce fuels like ethanol, methanol, and hydrogen, which can be stored for later use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If onboard carbon capture and conversion technology is implemented in light-duty vehicles, then CO2 emissions can be captured and converted, but the process becomes environmentally uneconomical
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate functional modules: a CO2 capture device that extracts carbon dioxide from exhaust, a CO2 conversion device that transforms it into usable products, and a fuel storage tank. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and makes the overall system more economically viable by separating the capture function from the conversion function.
Solution Approach 2:
A CO2 conversion device acts as an intermediary between the exhaust system and the fuel storage tank. This intermediary component receives captured CO2 and converts it into storable fuel products, enabling the transition from harmful emissions to usable energy products without requiring direct integration with the vehicle's engine system.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If existing catalytic converters or engine systems are improved, then emissions can be reduced, but the cost becomes unaffordable for most vehicle owners
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables vehicles to capture and convert their own emissions into storable fuel products using onboard equipment. This self-service approach allows vehicle owners to reduce their emissions and create usable energy products without requiring expensive external intervention or complex engine modifications, making the solution more affordable and scalable.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If electrification is pursued to reduce emissions, then greenhouse gas emissions can be eliminated, but adoption rates remain concerningly low
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of waiting for electrification to reduce emissions, the system converts the harmful CO2 emissions from existing gasoline vehicles into useful fuel products. This approach turns the waste product of current vehicle operation into a valuable resource, providing a bridge solution that reduces emissions while maintaining compatibility with existing vehicle fleets.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the chemical parameter of CO2 from a harmful emission to a usable fuel product through catalytic conversion. By transforming the chemical state of carbon dioxide into storable fuel forms, the system creates a new parameter space where emissions become resources, offering a viable alternative to electrification for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for the feasible capture and conversion of CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles, reducing environmental impact and providing a sustainable method to utilize captured carbon, making it economically viable to reduce emissions from a previously overlooked sector.
Implementation Method 1
converting the CO2 emissions into a carbon-based product using catalysis
Implementation Method 2
converting the CO2 emissions into a carbon-based product using catalysis, such as an electrochemical process
Implementation Method 3
converting the CO2 emissions into a carbon-based product using catalysis, such as an electrochemical process or a photocatalytic process
Data Source
AI summary
A process for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and converting the CO2 into other products is disclosed herein. The process includes capturing CO2 emissions from an exhaust mechanism at a CO2 capture device. The process also includes converting the CO2 emissions into a carbon-based product using catalysis, such as an electrochemical process or a photocatalytic process.