SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING AND BROKERING FUEL EMISSION OFFSETS

• US 20090055304A1
• Filed: 08/22/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Lange
• Original Assignee: David Lange
• Inventors: LANGE, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,682,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A brokering system and method for providing an incentive for use of more efficient internal combustion engines and hydrogen retrofit kits is disclosed. End users of retrofitted vehicles are provided with discounted fuel costs at authorized fueling stations. The vehicle owner'"'"'s savings include: a) a reduction in fueling charges because of the vehicle'"'"'s new reliance on 30% less fossil fuel (which is displaced by hydrogen in the engine), and b) by the purchase of methanol which can be set at a lower cost per calorific equivalent than a barrel of oil while also earning emission offsets to be sold for cash to the end users/creators of carbon credits. In this manner, retrofitted existing internal combustion engines linked to a trust for trading emission offsets will create a consumer-driven hydrogen economy which governments as well as the automotive and petroleum sectors will endorse. Hydrogen, which is substituted for fossil fuel in a retrofitted IC engine result in emission offsets (i.e., the quantum of emissions that are no longer there) which are converted by a regulated emissions trust into cash. This income, which is deposited into the vehicle owner'"'"'s bank account via the telephone network by using a dedicated hydrogen fueling card and master engine sensor linked to a specific vehicle provided with an engine retrofit kit and an on board source of hydrogen gas. The present method provides a mapping and test kit that relies on OEM engine timing and control sensors to compare engine emissions produced by fossil fuel with emissions eliminated by substituting hydrogen. This method creates consumer demand for cleanly produced sources of hydrogen (beginning with green methanol) to fuel existing OEM engines, which will in turn, induce automobile manufacturers to build more efficient IC engines until, finally, they will all be fueled by 100% hydrogen.

Claims

1. A system for determining emissions offsets associated with the consumption of environmentally cleaner non-petroleum fuels, comprising:

a) a) a validation card for associating a refueling action with a user of an environmentally cleaner vehicle;

b) a first database for storing a list of said users; and

c) a second database for storing events associated with the creation emissions offsets when said user activates said validation card.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said second database forms part of an emissions trust system for crediting and debiting emissions offsets.

3. A system as defined in claim 2, wherein said emissions trust system includes a brokerage server, accessible to credit brokers for the trade of emissions offsets.

4. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said events associated with the creation of emission offsets triggers a discounted re-fueling charge for said user.

5. A system as defined in claim 3, wherein said brokerage server is debited of emissions offsets and traded against emission credits by said credit broker.

6. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the level of emissions offsets created is related to the fuel efficiency level of the user'"'"'s vehicle.

7. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said environmentally cleaner vehicle is provided with an internal combustion engine retrofitted to operate on hydrogen blended fuels.

8. A system as defined in claim 7, wherein said validation card activates a re-fueling pump providing a hydrogen carrier fuel.

9. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein said hydrogen carrier fuel is an alcohol based fuel.

10. A method for determining emissions offsets associated with the consumption of environmentally cleaner non-petroleum fuels, comprising the steps of:

a) during a re-fueling action, associating a validation card with a user of an environmentally cleaner vehicle;

b) storing a list of said users in a first database; and

c) storing in a second database events associated with the creation emissions offsets when said user activates said validation card.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, further comprising crediting and debiting emission offsets at said second database.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein said second database forms part of an emissions trust for crediting and debiting emissions offsets.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, further comprising trading said emissions offsets at said emissions trust via a brokerage server, accessible to credit brokers for the trade thereof.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising discounting re-fueling charges for said user when said events associated with the creation of emission offsets are triggered.

15. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising debiting, from said brokerage server, emissions offsets against emission credits.

16. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the level of emissions offsets created is related to the fuel efficiency level of the user'"'"'s vehicle.

17. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein said environmentally cleaner vehicle is provided with an internal combustion engine retrofitted to operate on hydrogen blended fuels.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, further comprising said validation card activating a re-fueling pump providing a hydrogen carrier fuel.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein said hydrogen carrier fuel is an alcohol based fuel.

20. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the value of the emissions offset is set by an emissions index.

21. A system for determining emissions offsets associated with the use of an environmentally cleaner vehicle, comprising:

a) an engine sensor for capturing utilization information of an environmentally cleaner vehicle;

b) a first database for storing a list of users of said environmentally cleaner vehicle; and

c) a second database storing events associated with the utilization information captured by said engine sensor, said second database determining from said events, emissions offsets associated with the use of said environmentally cleaner vehicle.

22. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein said emissions offsets are determined at said second database by calculating the operating parameters of said engine and associated fuel consumption, its total emissions and associated total fuel consumption, under identical operating conditions.

23. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein the value of said emissions offsets are calculated according to a reference associated with a regulated emissions offset index.

24. A system as defined in claim 23, wherein said second database forms part of an emissions trust system for crediting and debiting emissions offsets.

25. A system as defined in claim 24, wherein said emissions trust system includes a brokerage server, accessible to credit brokers for the trade of emissions offsets.

26. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein said events associated with the creation of emission offsets triggers a discounted re-fueling charge for said user.

27. A system as defined in claim 26, wherein said brokerage server is debited of emissions offsets and traded against emission credits by said credit broker.

28. A system as defined in claim 27, wherein the level of emissions offsets created is related to the fuel efficiency level of the user'"'"'s vehicle.

29. A system as defined in claim 28, wherein said environmentally cleaner vehicle is provided with an internal combustion engine retrofitted to operate on hydrogen blended fuels.