# US 9,038,598 B2 · Vehicle with mixed gas generating system and vehicle with fuel producing system

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- Number: US 9,038,598 B2
- Document ID: US9038598B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/996,368
- Filed: 2011-03-08
- Published: 2013-12-19
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2011-03-08
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Hideyuki Nishida; Masaki Shitara; Yasushi Ito
- Inventors: Hideyuki Nishida; Masaki Shitara; Yasushi Ito
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9038598B2

## CPC

- F02B 43/00: Engines characterised by operating on gaseous fuels; Plants including such engines (engines characterised by the gas-air charge being ignited by compression ignition of an additional fuel F02B7/06; engines convertible from gas to other fuel consumption F02B69/04)
- C10G 2/32: {with the use of catalysts}
- C25B 1/02: Hydrogen or oxygen
- C25B 9/19: with diaphragms
- C25B 15/08: Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes
- C25B 15/081: {Supplying products to non-electrochemical reactors that are combined with the electrochemical cell, e.g. Sabatier reactor}
- F02D 19/021: {Control of components of the fuel supply system}
- F02M 21/0206: {Non-hydrocarbon fuels, e.g. hydrogen, ammonia or carbon monoxide}
- F02M 21/0227: {Means to treat or clean gaseous fuels or fuel systems, e.g. removal of tar, cracking, reforming or enriching}
- F02M 23/00: Apparatus for adding secondary air to fuel-air mixture
- F02M 25/10: adding acetylene, non-waterborne hydrogen, non-airborne oxygen, or ozone
- F02M 25/12: the apparatus having means for generating such gases (using rays and simultaneously generating ozone F02M27/06)
- F02M 27/02: by catalysts
- F02M 31/00: Apparatus for thermally treating combustion-air, fuel, or fuel-air mixture (carburettors with heating, cooling or thermal insulating means for combustion-air, fuel or fuel-air mixture F02M15/00; apparatus for de-liquefying non-liquid fuels by heating F02M21/06; apparatus having heating means for non-gaseous fuels with low melting point F02M21/10; apparatus characterised by adding hot secondary air to fuel-air mixture F02M23/14; fuel-injection apparatus characterised by having heating, cooling or thermally insulating means F02M53/00)
- Y02P 20/133: Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight
- Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies
- Y02T 10/30: Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels
- F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G)
- C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- C25B: ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR (anodic or cathodic protection C23F13/00; single-crystal growth C30B)
- F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A vehicle is provided with an engine, an H2 and CO tank, a CO2 reclaimer, an electrolytic solution tank, an electrolyzer, a water tank and the like. During operation of the engine, an exhaust gas is introduced into an absorbing liquid in the CO2 reclaimer so as to recover CO2 in the exhaust gas and to store the same in the electrolytic solution tank. While supplying the absorbing liquid having absorbed CO2 and water to the electrolyzer from the electrolytic solution tank and the water tank, respectively, electric power is supplied to the electrolyzer. As a result, a mixed gas composed of CO and H2 from CO2 and water. The generated mixed gas is temporarily stored in the H2 and CO tank and is supplied to the engine.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle with a fuel producing system comprising:
an internal combustion engine capable of using a hydrocarbon synthetic fuel synthesized from a mixed gas composed of carbon monoxide and hydrogen as an engine fuel;
a mixed gas generating unit for generating said mixed gas by electrolyzing carbon dioxide contained in an exhaust from said internal combustion engine and/or atmospheric air and water, respectively;
a fuel synthesizing unit provided in a bypass passage bypassing a part of an exhaust passage of said internal combustion engine and containing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst capable of converting said mixed gas generated by said mixed gas generating unit to said synthetic fuel;
a synthetic fuel supply unit connected to said fuel synthesizing unit and supplying said synthetic fuel generated by said fuel synthesizing unit to said internal combustion engine;
a bypass passage switching valve for switching opening/closing of said bypass passage;
a mixed gas valve for connecting or shutting off said mixed gas generating unit and said fuel synthesizing unit;
a catalyst state determining unit for determining whether or not said Fischer-Tropsch catalyst is in a predetermined active state; and
a valve control unit for controlling said bypass passage switching valve so as to open said bypass passage and for controlling said mixed gas valve so as to connect said mixed gas generating unit and said fuel synthesizing unit when it is determined that said Fischer-Tropsch catalyst is in said predetermined active state.

### Claim 2

A vehicle with a fuel producing system comprising:
an internal combustion engine capable of using a hydrocarbon synthetic fuel synthesized from a mixed gas composed of carbon monoxide and hydrogen as an engine fuel;
a mixed gas generating unit for generating said mixed gas by electrolyzing carbon dioxide contained in an exhaust from said internal combustion engine and/or atmospheric air and water, respectively;
a fuel synthesizing unit provided in a bypass passage bypassing a part of an exhaust passage of said internal combustion engine and containing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst capable of converting said mixed gas generated by said mixed gas generating unit to said synthetic fuel;
a synthetic fuel supply unit connected to said fuel synthesizing unit and supplying said synthetic fuel generated by said fuel synthesizing unit to said internal combustion engine;
a bypass passage switching valve for switching opening/closing of said bypass passage;
a mixed gas valve for connecting or shutting off said mixed gas generating unit and said fuel synthesizing unit;
a catalyst state determining unit for determining whether or not said Fischer-Tropsch catalyst is in a predetermined active state while said internal combustion engine is stopped; and
a valve control unit for controlling said mixed gas valve so as to connect said mixed gas generating unit and said fuel synthesizing unit when it is determined that said Fischer-Tropsch catalyst is in said predetermined active state.

### Claim 3

A vehicle with a fuel producing system comprising:
an internal combustion engine capable of using a hydrocarbon synthetic fuel synthesized from a mixed gas composed of carbon monoxide and hydrogen as an engine fuel;
a mixed gas generating unit for generating said mixed gas by electrolyzing carbon dioxide contained in an exhaust from said internal combustion engine and/or atmospheric air and water, respectively;
a fuel synthesizing unit provided in an EGR passage connecting an intake passage and an exhaust passage of said internal combustion engine and containing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst capable of converting said mixed gas generated by said mixed gas generating unit to said synthetic fuel;
a synthetic fuel supply unit connected to said fuel synthesizing unit and supplying said synthetic fuel generated by said fuel synthesizing unit to said internal combustion engine;
an EGR passage switching valve for switching opening/closing of said EGR passage;
a mixed gas valve for connecting or shutting off said mixed gas generating unit and said fuel synthesizing unit;
an operation condition determining unit for determining whether or not an operation condition of said internal combustion engine is in a predetermined exhaust reflux area and a predetermined high-exhaust temperature area; and
a valve control unit for controlling said EGR passage switching valve so as to open said EGR passage and for controlling said mixed gas valve so as to connect said mixed gas generating unit and said fuel synthesizing unit when it is determined that said operation condition is in said predetermined exhaust reflux area and said predetermined high-exhaust temperature area.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle with a fuel producing system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a fuel tank provided between said fuel synthesizing unit and said synthetic fuel supply unit and storing said synthetic fuel generated by said fuel synthesizing unit; and
a heat exchanger provided between said fuel synthesizing unit and said fuel tank and performing heat-exchange between said synthetic fuel generated by said fuel synthesizing unit and cooling water for cooling said internal combustion engine.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle with a fuel producing system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a gasoline tank for storing gasoline; and
a canister provided between said fuel synthesizing unit and said synthetic fuel supply unit and also connected to said gasoline tank, the canister storing said synthetic fuel generated by said fuel synthesizing unit and vaporized gasoline vaporized from the gasoline in said gasoline tank.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle with a fuel producing system according to claim 1, further comprising:
an exhaust purification catalyst provided in an exhaust passage of said internal combustion engine and purifying exhaust from said internal combustion engine, wherein
said synthetic fuel supply unit is configured to be capable of adding said synthetic fuel generated by said fuel synthesizing unit to said exhaust passage on the upstream side of said exhaust purification catalyst.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle with a fuel producing system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a generator for generating power using an output of said internal combustion engine; and
a battery capable of storing electric power of said generator, wherein
by power fed from said battery, said mixed gas generating unit generates said mixed gas and said fuel synthesizing unit converts said mixed gas to said synthetic fuel.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The vehicle with a fuel producing system according to claim 7, further comprising:
an on-board generating device for converting at least one of solar light, solar heat, exhaust heat, and wind power to electric power, wherein
said battery is configured to be capable of storing electric power of said on-board generating device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The vehicle with a fuel producing system according to claim 7, further comprising:
a power receiving unit capable of receiving electric power from a power supply outside the vehicle, wherein
said battery is configured to be capable of storing electric power received by said power receiving unit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The vehicle with a fuel producing system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a power receiving unit capable of receiving electric power from a power supply outside the vehicle, wherein
by electric power fed from said power receiving unit while the vehicle is stopped, said mixed gas generating unit generates said mixed gas and said fuel synthesizing unit converts said mixed gas to said synthetic fuel.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The vehicle with a fuel producing system according to claim 7, further comprising:
an elapsed time determining unit for determining whether or not elapsed time after production of said synthetic fuel exceeds a predetermined allowable time, wherein
if said elapsed time exceeds said predetermined allowable time, power fed to said mixed gas generating unit and said fuel synthesizing unit is prohibited.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The vehicle with a fuel producing system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a generator for generating electric power by using an output of said internal combustion engine;
a power receiving unit capable of receiving electric power from a power supply outside the vehicle;
a battery capable of storing electric power of said generator and electric power received by said power receiving unit;
a mode switching unit for switching a mode between a battery storing mode for storing electric power received by said power receiving unit in said battery and a fuel production mode for feeding electric power received by said power receiving unit to said mixed gas generating unit and said fuel synthesizing unit; and
a mode switching control unit for controlling said mode switching unit so as to switch to said battery storing mode if a stored power amount of said battery is smaller than a predetermined amount, and to said fuel production mode if said stored power amount is larger than the predetermined amount.