A patented onboard system that removes nitrogen from intake air, burns fuel cleanly, captures exhaust CO₂, and stores it as liquid for industrial reuse — all while the vehicle drives normally.
From combustion to capture, download to reuse — a complete closed-loop system.
Click each step to explore the technology in detail. Each module is independently engineered and powered by the vehicle's own energy.
Separating N₂ from intake air to deliver an oxygen-enriched stream to the engine.
Atmospheric air is approximately 78% nitrogen and 20% oxygen. When nitrogen enters combustion, it produces NOx — one of the most harmful pollutants. By removing nitrogen before it reaches the engine, we achieve near-pure oxygen combustion: dramatically cleaner burning, higher efficiency, and an exhaust stream that is primarily CO₂ and water — making capture straightforward.
Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) — pressurized air passes through two alternating tanks containing molecular sieve material that adsorbs nitrogen, releasing oxygen-enriched output at 93% (+/−3%) purity.
The upstream compressor is driven directly by the vehicle engine (4–8 bar operating pressure), adding no net energy cost. Oxygen is pre-stored in an onboard tank available from engine start.
The oxygen tank is pre-loaded before engine start, ensuring clean combustion from the very first ignition cycle — eliminating the cold-start pollution spike common to conventional engines.
Exhaust becomes a near-pure CO₂ and H₂O stream with negligible NOx. This is the foundational step that makes the rest of the capture process practical and efficient.
Removing water vapor from the exhaust stream before compression.
Hot exhaust gas exits the engine at up to 800°C and contains significant water vapor. Before CO₂ can be captured, water must be removed — but a simple one-step cooling would freeze the water into ice, blocking the system. A carefully designed two-stage cooling approach brings the exhaust to a dehydration window of 25–35°C, allowing liquid water to separate cleanly.
Exhaust from engine exit (up to 800°C) is cooled to 25–35°C — the optimal dehydration window. At this temperature, water vapor condenses to liquid without freezing.
A gas-water separator with an automatic drain valve removes condensed water. A demister pad ensures dry vapor passes to the next stage — no liquid water enters the CO₂ compression system.
One gallon of gasoline produces 3.6 kg of water upon combustion (H₂O weight: 6.3 × 0.14 × 18/2 = 7.938 lbs). A 16-gallon tank produces approximately 57.6 kg of water total.
Separated water can optionally be returned to the combustion charge for temperature control — reducing combustion temperature and preventing engine damage from the high-oxygen burn.
Chilling dry exhaust gas just above CO₂'s triple point for efficient capture.
After dehydration, the dry exhaust gas proceeds to second-stage cooling. The target temperature is −50°C — carefully chosen to be above CO₂'s triple point of −56.7°C. This ensures CO₂ remains in gaseous/liquid phase (not dry ice) throughout the process, enabling efficient compression and storage.
CO₂'s triple point is −56.7°C. At −50°C and above 5.18 bar, CO₂ becomes liquid. Staying above the triple point prevents dry ice formation, which would block the capture system.
Liquid Nitrogen (LIN) cooling or Gaseous Nitrogen (GAN) cooling can be applied. Intermediate heat-transfer fluids (HTF) provide additional temperature control flexibility.
A water jacket around the vehicle engine converts waste heat to steam, driving a steam engine that powers the compressor — the vehicle's waste energy fuels its own carbon capture system.
At −50°C, the exhaust is primarily CO₂ (95%+), with trace N₂, CO, and NOx. These residual gases have much lower boiling points and are easily separated at the processing facility.
Two-stage reciprocating compression converts gas to dense liquid CO₂.
The cooled exhaust gas is routed to a two-stage reciprocating compressor. Each stage compresses with a ratio of 2.915, bringing the gas from ~1.0 bar (atmospheric) to a final pressure of 8.5 bar — enough to liquify CO₂ at −50°C. Intercoolers between stages maintain temperature, and a non-return valve prevents backflow into the compression system.
First-stage compressor cylinder receives gas at −50°C, 1.0 bar (gaseous phase). Compressed to 2.915 bar, then cooled by intercooler 80 back to −50°C before stage 2.
Second compressor brings pressure to 8.34–8.5 bar. At this pressure and −50°C temperature, CO₂ transitions to liquid phase (density: 1.154 g/cm³). Final cooler 86 maintains temperature.
For a 2.0L engine: air flow ~9,000 L/min. CO₂ flow at −50°C position A: approximately 725 L/min (25.6 CFM). The compressor scales from 19.2 to 107.5 CFM for engines 1.5–8.4L.
One gallon of gasoline produces 9.16 kg of CO₂. As liquid at −50°C, 8.34 bar: 9.16 × 1000 / 1.154 = 7.94 L = 2.09 gallons of liquid CO₂ per gallon of fuel burned.
Thermally insulated cylindrical capture tank, sized to match one full tank of fuel.
Liquid CO₂ is stored in a thermally insulated cylindrical capture tank, positioned in parallel with the fuel tank under the vehicle. The tank is sized at ~2.3× the volume of the fuel tank — calculated to hold exactly the CO₂ produced by burning one full tank of fuel. Drivers download captured gas at service stations (simultaneously with refueling) and receive payment per ton of CO₂ delivered.
Capture-to-fuel volume ratio: 2.09 × safety factor 1.1 = 2.3. For a 16-gallon fuel tank: capture tank volume ≈ 37 gallons. Cylindrical format provides maximum structural strength.
Dashboard pressure + temperature gauges show tank status in real time. Outlet control valve operable from cabin for emergency release. Non-return valve prevents backflow. 3-foot safety buffer gap separates fuel and capture tanks.
At the service station, a connection hose attaches to the capture tank outlet. Pressure differential (underground tank kept at lower pressure) naturally drives CO₂ transfer. The process runs simultaneously with fuel refill — zero extra time for the driver.
Per the business model, vehicle owners receive payment when releasing captured CO₂ — functioning like a lifelong "cash back" program. Estimated value: ~4.5 tons CO₂/vehicle/year × $40/ton = $180/year per vehicle.
Post-capture purity, suitable for direct industrial use or geological sequestration.
Operating temperature of capture tank — above CO₂ triple point of −56.7°C.
Final compression pressure — sufficient to maintain CO₂ in liquid phase at −50°C.
CO₂ produced per gallon of gasoline burned; 2.09 gallons of liquid CO₂ captured.
Average annual CO₂ captured per vehicle, based on typical driving patterns.
Oxygen purity from the PSA system (±3%) — sufficient for clean oxy-combustion.
The PFVCC-RS system is protected under a USPTO patent application, filed January 2022. The invention covers the full system: oxygen generation, exhaust treatment, CO₂ capture, compression, storage, and download infrastructure.
The patent describes apparatus for constructing and operating a transportation vehicle using an internal combustion engine which combusts a fuel and oxygen mixture, with full vehicle pollution-free operation as the primary goal.
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