Method for extracting carbon dioxide for use as a refrigerant in a vapor compression system

A method of automatically adding a refrigerant to a vapor compression system comprising the steps of:

• producing a fluid stream from an internal combustion engine;
• extracting a refrigerant from the fluid stream;
• automatically adding the refrigerant to a vapor compression system;
• circulating the refrigerant through the vapor compression system;
• and
• storing the refrigerant prior to said step of automatically adding the refrigerant.

A method of automatically adding a refrigerant to a vapor compression system comprising the steps of:

• producing a fluid stream from an internal combustion engine;
• extracting a refrigerant from the fluid stream;
• automatically adding the refrigerant to a vapor compression system;
• sensing an amount of refrigerant in the vapor compression system;
• comparing the amount of refrigerant to a threshold value;
• and
• automatically adding the refrigerant extracted in said step of extracting to the vapor compression system when the amount of refrigerant is below the threshold value.

A method of automatically adding a refrigerant to a vapor compression system comprising the steps of:

• producing a fluid stream from an internal combustion engine;
• extracting a refrigerant from the fluid stream;
• automatically adding the refrigerant to a vapor compression system;
• sensing an amount of refrigerant in the vapor compression system;
• comparing the amount of refrigerant to a threshold value;
• and
• automatically purging a predetermined amount of refrigerant from the vapor compression system when the amount of refrigerant is above the threshold value.

A method of automatically adding a refrigerant to a vapor compression system comprising the steps of:

• producing a fluid stream from an internal combustion engine;
• extracting a refrigerant from the fluid stream, wherein said step of extracting includes adsorbing the refrigerant on an adsorbent and desorbing the refrigerant from the adsorbent;
• and
• automatically adding the refrigerant to a vapor compression system.

A method of automatically adding a refrigerant to a vapor compression system comprising the steps of:

• producing a fluid stream from an internal combustion engine;
• extracting a refrigerant from the fluid stream, wherein said step of extracting includes adsorbing the refrigerant on a metal salt of a metal salt solution and desorbing the refrigerant from the metal salt with heat;
• and
• automatically adding the refrigerant to a vapor compression system.

A method of automatically adding a refrigerant to a vapor compression system comprising the steps of:

• producing a fluid stream from an internal combustion engine;
• extracting a refrigerant from the fluid stream, wherein the refrigerant is carbon dioxide and said step of extracting includes directing the fluid stream through a carbon dioxide selective membrane;
• and
• automatically adding the refrigerant to a vapor compression system.

A method of automatically adding a refrigerant to a vapor compression system comprising the steps of:

• producing a fluid stream from an internal combustion engine;
• extracting a refrigerant from the fluid stream;
• automatically adding the refrigerant to a vapor compression system;
• compressing the refrigerant to a high pressure;
• cooling the refrigerant;
• expanding the refrigerant to a low pressure;
• and
• evaporating the refrigerant.

A method of automatically adding refrigerant to a vapor compression system comprising the steps of:

• providing a vapor compression system having an initial amount of a system refrigerant;
• generating a fluid stream including a supplemental supply of refrigerant;
• compressing the system refrigerant to a high pressure;
• cooling the system refrigerant;
• expanding the system refrigerant to a low pressure;
• evaporating the system refrigerant;
• extracting the supplemental supply of refrigerant from the fluid stream;
• and
• automatically adding the supplemental supply of refrigerant to the vapor compression system to maintain a predetermined minimum amount of refrigerant.

A vapor compression system comprising:

• a refrigerant source;
• an extraction system to extract a refrigerant from said refrigerant source, and wherein said refrigerant is carbon dioxide, and said extraction system includes a carbon dioxide selective membrane that allows said carbon dioxide to permeate through said carbon dioxide selective membrane to extract said carbon dioxide from said refrigerant source;
• and
• a replacement system to automatically add said refrigerant to the vapor compression system to maintain a predetermined minimum amount of refrigerant in the vapor compression system.