Systems and methods for managing emissions from an engine of a vehicle

• US 8,948,890 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Weaver, Thomas A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): VANOY, TIMOTHY C
• Application Number:
  US13/961,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20140182268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 700/90, 700/274, 701/1, 701/29.1, 705/1.1, 705/14.1
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/20478 Alkanolamines
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/01 Engine exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1412 Controlling the absorption process
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1475 Removing carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1493 Selection of liquid materials for use as absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/18 Absorbing units; Liquid distributors therefor B01D3/16, B01D3/26, B01D3/30 take precedence; packing elements B01J19/30, B01J19/32
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/62 Carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/92 of engine exhaust gases exhaust or silencing apparatus for internal combustion engines, machines or engines in general, having means for purifying, rendering innocuous or otherwise treating exhaust gases F01N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/94 by catalytic processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/9495 Controlling the catalytic process
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 6/00 Restoring or reconditioning objects straightening or restoring form of sheet metal, metal rods, metal tubes, metal profiles, or specific articles made therefrom B21D1/00, B21D3/00; repairing defective or damaged objects by casting techniques B22D19/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60V 3/00 Land vehicles, waterborne vessels, or aircraft, adapted or modified to travel on air cushions
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2570/10 Carbon or carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/00 Exhaust or silencing apparatus having means for purifying, rendering innocuous, or otherwise treating exhaust electric control F01N9/00; monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00 ; collecting or removing exhaust gases of vehicle engines in workshops B08B15/00, on highways E01C1/005
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0857 Carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/10 by thermal or catalytic conversion of noxious components of exhaust by using other chemical processes, chemical aspects of catalytic conversion, e.g. using specified catalysts, B01D53/34
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/18 characterised by methods of operation; Control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 21/00 Systems involving sampling of the variable controlled G05B13/00 - G05B19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 : of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4973 : Replacing of defective part

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments include methods of removing carbon dioxide from combustion gas from an engine of a vehicle, systems for removing carbon dioxide from combustion gas from an engine of a vehicle, vehicles, methods of managing carbon dioxide emissions from an engine of a vehicle, and computer software program products for managing carbon dioxide emissions from an engine of a vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of managing carbon dioxide emissions from an engine of a vehicle, the method comprising:

predicting an amount of carbon dioxide removable from combustion gas from an engine of a vehicle upon occurrence of a predetermined event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

predicting a price payable for carbon dioxide removable from the combustion gas.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event includes a predetermined time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event includes arrival of the vehicle at a predetermined location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

predicting at least one parameter chosen from time and vehicle position upon filling a storage container substantially to capacity with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

predicting at least one amount of storage capacity on board the vehicle that will be filled with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas upon completion of at least one predetermined time period.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying on a display device the predicted amount of storage capacity on board the vehicle that will be filled with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas upon completion of at least one predetermined time period.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

predicting at least one amount of storage capacity on board the vehicle that will be filled with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas when the vehicle reaches at least one predetermined location.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying on a display device the predicted amount of storage capacity on board the vehicle that will be filled with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas when the vehicle reaches at least one predetermined location.

10. A system for managing carbon dioxide emissions from an engine of a vehicle, the system comprising:

first electrical circuitry configured to predict an amount of carbon dioxide removable from combustion gas from an engine of a vehicle upon occurrence of a predetermined event.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

second electrical circuitry configured to predict a price payable for carbon dioxide removable from the combustion gas.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined event includes a predetermined time.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined event includes arrival of the vehicle at a predetermined location.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

third electrical circuitry configured to predict at least one parameter chosen from time and vehicle position upon filling a storage container substantially to capacity with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

fourth electrical circuitry configured to predict at least one amount of storage capacity on board the vehicle that will be filled with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas upon completion of at least one predetermined time period.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a display device configured to display the predicted amount of storage capacity on board the vehicle that will be filled with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas upon completion of at least one predetermined time period.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

fifth electrical circuitry configured to predict at least one amount of storage capacity on board the vehicle that will be filled with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas when the vehicle reaches at least one predetermined location.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a display device configured to display the predicted amount of storage capacity on board the vehicle that will be filled with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas when the vehicle reaches at least one predetermined location.

19. A computer software program product for managing carbon dioxide emissions from an engine of a vehicle, the computer software program product comprising:

first computer software program code configured to predict an amount of carbon dioxide removable from combustion gas from an engine of a vehicle upon occurrence of a predetermined event.

20. The computer software program product of claim 19, further comprising:

second computer software program code configured to predict a price payable for carbon dioxide removable from the combustion gas.

21. The computer software program product of claim 19, wherein the predetermined event includes a predetermined time.

22. The computer software program product of claim 19, wherein the predetermined event includes arrival of the vehicle at a predetermined location.

23. The computer software program product of claim 19, further comprising:

third computer software program code configured to predict at least one parameter chosen from time and vehicle position upon filling a storage container substantially to capacity with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas.

24. The computer software program product of claim 19, further comprising:

fourth computer software program code configured to predict at least one amount of storage capacity on board the vehicle that will be filled with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas upon completion of at least one predetermined time period.

25. The computer software program product of claim 24, further comprising:

a display device driver configured to cause a display device to display the predicted amount of storage capacity on board the vehicle that will be filled with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas upon completion of at least one predetermined time period.

26. The computer software program product of claim 19, further comprising:

fifth computer software program code configured to predict at least one amount of storage capacity on board the vehicle that will be filled with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas when the vehicle reaches at least one predetermined location.

27. The computer software program product of claim 26, further comprising:

a display device driver configured to cause a display device to display the predicted amount of storage capacity on board the vehicle that will be filled with material that contains carbon associated with carbon dioxide removed from the combustion gas when the vehicle reaches at least one predetermined location.