Systems, methods, and apparatuses related to vehicles with reduced emissions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9574476-B2
Application number	US-201313957114-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2013
Priority date	Aug 1, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

This disclosure relates generally to vehicles with reduced emissions. More particularly, this disclosure relates to systems, methods, and apparatuses related to vehicles with reduced carbon dioxide emissions. The carbon dioxide emissions may be stored in a carbon dioxide clathrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle with reduced emissions, the vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a supply of host material;
a clathrate formation system operably connected to the engine, operably connected to the supply of host material, and configured to combine carbon dioxide from an exhaust stream from the engine with the host material to form carbon dioxide clathrates, wherein the clathrate formation system is configured to control the pressure and temperature of the exhaust stream and the host material sufficient to form carbon dioxide clathrates with carbon dioxide and the host material, wherein the clathrate formation system comprises a formation vessel operably connected to an exhaust storage vessel, and wherein the clathrate formation system is configured to generate an internal pressure in the formation vessel of about ambient pressure to about 30 bar; and
the exhaust storage vessel configured to store carbon dioxide clathrates.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the engine is a gasoline engine, a diesel engine, or a natural gas engine.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a host material storage vessel configured to supply host material to the clathrate formation system, wherein the host material storage vessel is operably connected to the clathrate formation system.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the clathrate formation system comprises a pressurization system.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the clathrate formation system is configured to control the rate of formation of the carbon dioxide clathrates by regulating at least one of the temperature and the pressure of exhaust gases within the formation vessel.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle further comprises a refrigeration system configured to maintain an internal temperature of the formation vessel within a set range, wherein the set range comprises about 0 C to about 25 C.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle further comprises a transport device operably connected to the formation vessel and the exhaust storage vessel and configured to transfer carbon dioxide clathrates from the formation vessel to the exhaust storage vessel.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the clathrate formation system is integrated with the exhaust storage vessel and the clathrate formation system is configured to form carbon dioxide clathrates by regulating at least one of the temperature and the pressure of carbon dioxide and host material within the exhaust storage vessel to be compatible with forming carbon dioxide clathrates.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust storage vessel is configured for removal of stored carbon dioxide from the vehicle when the vehicle is otherwise not in use.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic control system configured to monitor both pressure and temperature of the exhaust storage vessel and configured to regulate at least one of pressure and temperature in order to maintain the carbon dioxide clathrate within a clathrate stability range.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the clathrate formation system comprises a cooling system configured to cool the exhaust stream.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a carbon dioxide removal system configured to separate carbon dioxide from the exhaust stream and deliver the removed carbon dioxide to the formation vessel.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the carbon dioxide removal system comprises a removal vessel operably connected to the exhaust stream and the formation vessel.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the removal vessel is configured to contact the exhaust stream with at least one separation fluid.

15. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the removal vessel is configured to contact the exhaust stream with an alkali carbonate.

16. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the removal vessel comprises a membrane configured to separate carbon dioxide from the exhaust stream.

17. A kit for reducing emissions of an existing vehicle, the kit comprising:
a host material storage vessel;
a carbon dioxide removal system configured to separate carbon dioxide from the exhaust stream and deliver the removed carbon dioxide to a clathrate formation system;
the clathrate formation system configured for operable connection to an engine of a vehicle, configured to be operably connected to the host material storage vessel and the carbon dioxide removal system, and configured to combine carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide removal system with a host material to form carbon dioxide clathrates, wherein the clathrate formation system is configured to control the pressure and temperature of the carbon dioxide and the host material sufficient to form carbon dioxide clathrates with carbon dioxide and the host material; and
an exhaust storage vessel configured to store carbon dioxide clathrates.

18. The kit of claim 17 , wherein the engine is a gasoline engine, a diesel engine, or a natural gas engine.

19. The kit of claim 17 , wherein the clathrate formation system comprises a cooling system configured to cool the exhaust stream.

20. The kit of claim 17 , wherein the clathrate formation system comprises a pressurization system.

21. The kit of claim 17 , wherein the clathrate formation system comprises a formation vessel operably connected to the exhaust storage vessel.

22. The kit of claim 17 , wherein the carbon dioxide removal system comprises a removal vessel operably connected to the exhaust stream and the formation vessel.

23. The kit of claim 22 , wherein the removal vessel is configured to contact the exhaust stream with at least one separation fluid.

24. The kit of claim 22 , wherein the removal vessel is configured to contact the exhaust stream with an alkali carbonate.

25. The kit of claim 22 , wherein the removal vessel comprises a membrane configured to separate carbon dioxide from the exhaust stream.

26. The kit of claim 17 , wherein the vehicle further comprises a transport device operably connected to the formation vessel and the exhaust storage vessel and configured to transfer carbon dioxide clathrates from the formation vessel to the exhaust storage vessel.

27. The kit of claim 17 , wherein the clathrate formation system is configured for integration with the exhaust storage vessel and the clathrate formation system is configured to form carbon dioxide clathrates by regulating at least one of the temperature and the pressure of carbon dioxide and host material within the exhaust storage vessel to be compatible with forming carbon dioxide clathrates.

28. The kit of claim 17 , wherein the exhaust storage vessel is configured for removal of stored carbon dioxide from the vehicle when the vehicle is otherwise not in use.

29. The kit of claim 17 , wherein the exhaust storage vessel is configured to be detachable and reattachable from the remainder of the vehicle.

30. The kit of claim 17 , further comprising an electronic control system configured to monitor both pressure and temperature of the exhaust storage vessel and configured to regulate at least one of pressure and temperature in order to maintain the carbon dioxide clathrate within a clathrate stability range.

31. A method of sequestering emissions, the method comprising:
storing fuel as a liquid or gas;
operating an engine of a vehicle us

Assignees

• Elwha Llc
• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Hyde Roderick A
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• Y02T10/20

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F01N3/0857 Primary

  Carbon oxides · CPC title

• F02M21/0227

  Means to treat or clean gaseous fuels or fuel systems, e.g. removal of tar, cracking, reforming or enriching · CPC title

• F01N2240/26

  an exhaust gas reservoir, e.g. emission buffer · CPC title

• F01N3/0205

  using heat exchangers · CPC title