FR3142507A1 - MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH AN ON-BOARD CO2 CAPTURE AND TREATMENT SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

The vehicle (VTH) is equipped with an on-board carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and treatment system. In accordance with the invention, the on-board system comprises at least one insert forming a storage tank (RE) integrated into a hollow body of the vehicle body. Fig.1

Description

MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH AN ON-BOARD CO2 CAPTURE AND TREATMENT SYSTEM

The present invention relates generally to the reduction in the atmosphere of carbon dioxide (CO2) linked to human activities. More particularly, the invention relates to a motor vehicle equipped with an on-board system for capturing and treating CO2.

Several car manufacturers have announced ambitious voluntary commitment targets, ranging from 2035 to 2050, for the carbon neutrality of their operations and their vehicle fleets. Car manufacturers are thus participating in the necessary efforts to limit global warming to a maximum of 2°C by 2100, in accordance with the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Carbon neutrality is a concept that seems simple at first glance, but in reality is very complex to implement, particularly in large industrial organizations with international activities, which is the case in the automotive industry. Carbon neutrality is achieved when the emissions balance is zero, that is, when the CO2 emissions into the atmosphere generated by the company's activities are offset by other activities of the company that remove CO2 from the atmosphere in equal quantities. This concept applies to the entire operation of the company, which covers the entire life cycle of its products, from their manufacture to their recycling, the supplier network, the supply chain, the home-work transport of its employees and many other aspects. Reducing the CO2 emissions of various polluting processes implemented in the company is a first avenue to explore, which is essential from the outset. However, some sectors of activity may face insurmountable obstacles, at least in the short and medium term, taking into account, for example, the state of scientific knowledge and available technology. Companies then have the possibility of resorting to compensatory measures such as participating in reforestation, recycling raw materials, purchasing carbon credits from organizations carrying out concrete actions contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases, and others.

For car manufacturers, reducing CO2 emissions from the exhaust gases of thermal engines is a priority objective, given the size of the global vehicle fleet, which is expected to peak in 2039 according to forecasts by the Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) institute. Improvements made to gasoline and diesel thermal engines to improve their efficiency and reduce emissions, as well as the electrification of vehicles, via hybridization and all-electric, are already leading to considerable reductions in CO2 emissions from new-generation vehicles. In addition, improvements made to the engines of new-generation vehicles allow manufacturers to comply, in the short and medium term, with restrictive and evolving regulations on pollutant emissions.

However, although the technical advances made over the last decade towards green, climate-friendly and environmentally friendly mobility are encouraging, the automotive industry still has a long way to go to achieve carbon neutrality.

In the state of the art, it has been proposed to install devices in motor vehicles to capture and store the CO2 gas emitted by a vehicle's heat engine or present in the ambient air.

Thus, document EP3783205A1 describes a CO2 capture device embedded in a thermal vehicle. The captured CO2 is stored in a tank. The vehicle comprises an electronic controller responsible for managing the transfer of the CO2 contained in the tank to an external recovery station, depending on a level of energy available in the vehicle. If the energy available in the vehicle is not sufficient, the controller orders a transfer of the CO2 using energy provided by the external recovery station.

Document EP2472077A1 discloses a system for capturing CO2 in the exhaust gases of a heat engine and storing it in liquid form in a storage tank integrated into a vehicle. The storage tank is designed to be emptied by means of a CO2 recovery installation which is located, for example, in a refueling service station. In addition to the storage tank, the on-board means comprise a purifier tank containing a fluid which absorbs the CO2 present in the exhaust gases. A compressor is also provided for liquefying the CO2 for storage. The capacity of the storage tank is dimensioned sufficient to obtain a CO2 emptying frequency which is of the same order as the frequency of refueling the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle can thus refuel and empty the CO2 storage tank during the same visit to the refueling service station.

Document US2020400058A1 describes a CO2 trapping device embedded in a hybrid vehicle of the thermal-electric type and capturing the CO2 present in the exhaust gases of the vehicle. The CO2 is cooled for its storage using energy provided by an electric battery of the vehicle. The operation of the device is managed according to the state of charge of the electric battery of the vehicle.

US20190118660A1 describes an electric vehicle equipped with a device for capturing CO2 present in the air. CO2-rich air is stored in an on-board tank of the vehicle. The concentrated CO2 is then released for use by cathodes of electrochemical cells of an electric battery, in order to produce electricity.

Generally, the various systems known for capturing CO2 in motor vehicles all require at least one storage tank to contain the captured CO2, for further in situ treatment of the CO2 or for discharge of the CO2, once the tank is full, into an external recovery station. When the captured CO2 is treated in the vehicle, for example, via a catalytic chemical reaction to produce a synthetic fuel, one or more additional on-board storage tanks are generally required, to contain the fuel produced and any other fluids required for the treatment process.

Integrating a storage tank for the CO2 capture system into a vehicle requires a specific volume allocation, which can pose significant challenges, especially if the required tank is of large capacity. Indeed, modern motor vehicles have an excessively constrained architecture and limited volume availability, with a very high number of equipment that must be integrated into them.

It is desirable to propose a new design of a vehicle equipped with an on-board CO2 capture and treatment system, which facilitates the integration of one or more storage tanks of the system into the vehicle architecture.

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a vehicle equipped with an on-board system for capturing and treating carbon dioxide (CO2). According to the invention, the on-board system comprises at least one insert forming a storage tank integrated into a hollow body of the vehicle body.

According to a particular characteristic of the invention, the insert forming a storage tank is made of plastic.

According to another particular characteristic of the invention, the insert forming the storage tank is produced by injection molding and/or by additive manufacturing.

According to yet another particular characteristic of the invention, the insert forming a storage tank is integrated into a hollow body of the body subjected to mechanical stresses and comprises mechanical reinforcement stiffeners arranged in its internal fluid storage volume.

According to yet another particular characteristic of the invention, the insert forming a storage tank is integrated into a hollow body of the body subjected to mechanical stiffness constraints, the hollow body being a body pillar called a “C pillar”, a body pillar called a “D pillar”, a quarter panel lining and/or a rear crossmember under the floor.

According to yet another particular characteristic of the invention, the insert forming a storage tank is integrated into a hollow body of the body subjected to crash constraints, the hollow body being a body pillar called an “A pillar”, a body pillar called a “B pillar” and/or a body stretcher.

According to yet another particular characteristic of the invention, the insert forming a storage tank is produced in the form of a flexible-walled bladder.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the on-board system for capturing and treating carbon dioxide (CO2) comprises a device for capturing gaseous CO2 and a condensation device, said condensation device including a heat exchanger and a compressor and ensuring a transition of the CO2 from the gaseous state to the supercritical fluid state, and the insert forming a storage tank being arranged so as to ensure the storage of the CO2 in the supercritical fluid state.

The invention also relates to an assembly formed by a vehicle equipped with an on-board system for capturing and treating carbon dioxide as briefly described above and a station for discharging the CO2 captured by the on-board system. When the vehicle is of the thermal type, the on-board system is arranged so as to capture the gaseous CO2 in the burnt gases of the thermal engine.

Other advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the detailed description below of several particular embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

There is a general block diagram illustrating a particular embodiment of a motor vehicle equipped with an on-board CO2 capture and treatment system according to the present invention.

There is a simplified diagram showing in section two examples of configurations of a reservoir insert integrated into a hollow body of the body of a motor vehicle equipped according to the present invention.

There is a partial perspective view of a motor vehicle body showing different possible locations of a tank insert in a hollow body of the body.

There is a partial view of a motor vehicle body in which a possible installation of a tank insert in a stretcher of the body is shown.

There is a perspective view of a prior art body structural element in the form of a so-called “D-pillar”.

There is a perspective view of a structural body element in the form of the "D pillar" of the modified in accordance with the present invention to incorporate a reservoir insert.

With reference to the attached drawings, there is now described below a particular VTH embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention of the thermal type, equipped with a SC system for capturing and treating CO2.

As visible in the , the VTH vehicle includes a MT thermal engine and an on-board SC system for capturing and treating the gaseous CO2 present in the burnt gases of the thermal engine.

The SC CO2 capture and treatment system mainly includes a DR flue gas bypass device, a CT CO2 capture device, a CD condensation device and a RE CO2 storage tank.

The captured CO2 is stored in the RE tank in a supercritical fluid state. Condensing CO2 in the supercritical fluid state results in an increase in its density, which allows a greater mass of CO2 to be stored in a given volume. The RE storage tank can thus be made in a more compact form.

The CO2 capture device CT is bidirectionally connected to the burnt gas bypass device DR which is installed in an exhaust line LE of the thermal engine MT. The burnt gases are directed by the bypass device DR to the device CT for capturing CO2 by filtration, and then return to the bypass device DR for evacuation via the exhaust line LE. The capture device CT captures the CO2 in the burnt gases coming from the combustion chamber of the thermal engine MT, burnt gases previously depolluted from HC, CO and NOx by a catalyst (not shown). The capture device CT is formed of a CO2 filter, or CO2 trap, and typically comprises a separation membrane ensuring separation of CO2 and inorganic oxides. This membrane is rigid and is covered with a porous ceramic layer as an external layer. The CT capture device is designed to withstand the high temperature of the exhaust gases, between 300°C and 950°C. Preferably, the shape of the CT capture device is tubular or rectangular, which facilitates its installation in the LE exhaust line.

The function of the CD condensation device is to condense the gaseous CO2 recovered by the CT capture device in the form of a supercritical fluid. The CD condensation device essentially comprises an ET heat exchanger and a PT compressor. The ET heat exchanger and the PT compressor make it possible to bring the CO2 into the required temperature and pressure conditions to obtain the condensation of the CO2 in the supercritical fluid state. The ET heat exchanger is crossed by the gaseous CO2 and is connected to EC circuits for hot water heating and air conditioning of the VTH vehicle. In the ET exchanger, the temperature of the gaseous CO2 is controlled by means of heat exchanges of the gaseous CO2 with the hot water and the air conditioning heat transfer fluid of the EC circuits. The temperature of the gaseous CO2 is thus maintained at a temperature above 31°C which will allow a transition to the supercritical fluid state.

The PT compressor is supplied with electricity by an electrical supply network EL of the vehicle VTH. The PT compressor receives as input the gaseous CO2 conditioned by the ET exchanger at the appropriate temperature, greater than 31 °C, and compresses it to cause its condensation in the supercritical fluid state. At the outlet of the PT compressor, the CO2 in the supercritical fluid state is brought to the storage tank RE to fill it. It will be noted that the function of the PT compressor may in certain embodiments of the invention be provided by the air conditioning compressor of the vehicle VTH operating on a time-share basis.

The RE storage tank is equipped with a DE filling detector which controls the activation on the vehicle dashboard of a full tank indicator for the driver. The capacity of the RE tank, typically between approximately 10 and 20 liters, is sized to obtain a tank emptying frequency that is of the same order as the frequency of refueling the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle can thus fill up with fuel and empty the RE tank during the same visit to a refueling service station equipped with a SD CO2 discharge station.

According to the invention, in general, the RE storage tank is produced in the form of an insert which is integrated into a hollow structural element of the body of the VTH vehicle. The RE tank-forming insert is typically made of plastic and offers a closed volume forming a container for the CO2. At least one filling/emptying orifice is provided in the RE tank-forming insert. The body of a motor vehicle is produced using sheet metal techniques and comprises several hollow portions. By integrating the RE tank into a hollow portion of the vehicle body, the invention makes use of unused space in the vehicle and greatly facilitates the integration of the RE tank, with respect to the volume allocation constraint. In addition, the RE tank benefits from the mechanical rigidity of the sheet metal portion of the body which surrounds it, which increases its resistance to the pressure exerted by the CO2 in the supercritical fluid state which it contains.

It should be noted that the RE storage tank can also be made with several inserts connected by pipes, in series and/or parallel assembly, and distributed in several hollow structural elements of the vehicle body.

Two typical configurations, A and B, of the reservoir insert are shown schematically in .

In these two configurations A and B, the tank inserts REa and REb are inserted respectively into hollow bodies CPa and CPb of the vehicle body. The hollow bodies CPa and CPb are formed here from two welded sheet metal half-shells C1, C2.

In configuration A, the hollow body CPa does not require any mechanical reinforcement. The insert forming the reservoir REa then offers a completely empty interior volume to receive the CO2 in the supercritical fluid state.

In configuration B, the tank insert REb comprises a plurality of mechanical stiffeners RA housed in its interior volume. This configuration B is particularly suitable when the hollow body CPb of the vehicle body requires mechanical reinforcement. The tank insert REb is then housed in the hollow body CPb in place of a stiffening insert which was initially intended for it.

Generally speaking, in the invention, the storage tank will preferably be installed in large hollow bodies of the body (configuration A of the ), as well as in hollow bodies subjected mainly to stiffness constraints (configuration B of the ), but not exclusively.

In hollow bodies that must satisfy stiffness constraints, the compromise to be found between satisfying the stiffness constraints and satisfying those related to the storage requirement will generally be easier to identify than for hollow bodies subject to crash constraints. Hollow bodies subject to acoustic insulation constraints are a priori less interesting for the installation of a storage tank because their insert is generally formed of a two-dimensional plate with a limited thickness.

The rear part of the body comprises several hollow bodies subjected essentially to stiffness constraints which are well suited for the installation of a storage tank in accordance with the invention. Thus, the hollow structural elements of the body known to those skilled in the art under the designations "C-Pillar" and "D-Pillar", as well as the quarter panel lining, at the level of the rear wing, and the rear crossmember under the floor, respectively referenced C_P and D_P, and DC and TA, in the vehicle body CA shown in , are essentially subject to stiffness constraints and can integrate a storage tank.

Hollow bodies subjected to crash stresses such as the hollow structural elements of the body known to those skilled in the art under the designations “A-Pillar” and “B-Pillar”, as well as the stretcher, respectively referenced A_P and B_P and BR in the vehicle body CA shown in FIG. and to the , can also integrate a storage tank in accordance with the invention, generally with configuration B.

An example of embodiment is described below with reference to the and to the showing respectively a structural body element D_P1 in the form of a "D-pillar" of the prior art and a structural body element D_P2 in the form of a "D-pillar" modified in accordance with the present invention to integrate a tank insert.

As visible in the , the structural body element D_P1 comprises a CPc sheet metal body and a plastic IR stiffening insert inserted therein. The IR stiffening insert comprises a plurality of mechanical reinforcement walls PR arranged in an open interior volume. The IR stiffening insert comprises open faces F1, F2, and can therefore in no way serve as a container for any fluid.

As visible in the , the structural element of the D_P2 body comprises a CPd sheet metal body, equivalent to the CPc sheet metal body of the , and a plastic REc reservoir insert inserted into the CPd body. Like the IR stiffening insert, the REc reservoir insert comprises a plurality of mechanical reinforcement walls (not visible in the ) arranged in a closed interior volume. Unlike the stiffening insert IR, the reservoir insert REc does not have any open faces, such as faces F1, F2, and therefore has a closed interior volume capable of containing a fluid in a sealed manner. A filling/emptying orifice OR is arranged in the reservoir insert REc.

In general, a tank insert according to the invention may be manufactured in particular by injection molding or by additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing has the advantage of producing the insert in a single piece, unlike injection molding which requires the manufacture of two pieces which must subsequently be welded to produce the insert.

The tank insert is integrated into the appropriate structural portion of the vehicle body before its assembly in the body shop. Prior to the surface treatment and cataphoresis operations, the filling/emptying hole of the tank insert is closed with a cap to prevent it from filling with liquids from the various treatment baths (degreasing, phosphating, rinsing, cataphoresis painting or other).

In the case of configuration A of the , the reservoir insert may alternatively be of the bladder type, with a flexible wall, and will in this case have no mechanical reinforcement function. With the filling of CO2, the flexible wall of the reservoir insert deforms until it is pressed against the walls of the hollow body, which allows optimal use of the available internal volume of the hollow body. The walls of the hollow body provide the mechanical rigidity necessary to allow the insert to withstand the pressurized CO2 it contains.

The invention is not limited to the particular embodiments which have been described here by way of example. Those skilled in the art, depending on the applications of the invention, will be able to make various modifications and variations falling within the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims (10)

Vehicle (VTH) equipped with an on-board system (SC) for capturing and treating carbon dioxide (CO2), characterized in that said on-board system (SC) comprises at least one insert forming a storage tank (RE, REa, REb, REc) integrated into a hollow body (CPa, CPb, CPd) of the body (CA) of said vehicle (VTH). Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that said insert forming a storage tank (RE, REa, REb, REc) is made of plastic. Vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said insert forming a storage tank (RE, REa, REb, REc) is produced by injection molding and/or by additive manufacturing. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said insert forming a storage tank (REb, REc) is integrated into a hollow body (CPb, CPd) of said body (CA) subjected to mechanical constraints and comprises mechanical reinforcement stiffeners (RA) arranged in its internal fluid storage volume. Vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that said insert forming a storage tank (REb, REc) is integrated into a hollow body (CPb, CPd) of said body (CA) subjected to mechanical stiffness constraints, said hollow body being a body pillar called a “C pillar” (C_P), a body pillar called a “D pillar” (D_P), a quarter panel lining (DC) and/or a rear underfloor crossmember (TA). Vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that said insert forming a storage tank (REb, REc) is integrated into a hollow body (CPb, CPd) of said body (CA) subjected to crash constraints, said hollow body being a body pillar called “pillar A” (A_P), a body pillar called “pillar B” (B_P) and/or a body stretcher (BR). Vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said insert forming a storage tank (REa) is produced in the form of a flexible-walled bladder. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said on-board system (SC) for capturing and treating carbon dioxide (CO2) comprises a device (DR, CT) for capturing gaseous CO2 and a condensation device (CD), said condensation device (CD) including a heat exchanger (ET) and a compressor (PT) and ensuring a transition of the CO2 from the gaseous state to the supercritical fluid state, and in that said insert forming a storage tank (RE, REa, REb, REc) is arranged so as to ensure the storage of the CO2 in the supercritical fluid state. Vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises a heat engine (MT) and said on-board system (SC) is arranged so as to capture the gaseous CO2 in the burnt gases of said heat engine (MT). Assembly formed of a vehicle equipped with an on-board system (SC) for capturing and treating carbon dioxide (CO2) and a station (SD) for discharging CO2 captured by said on-board system (SC), characterized in that said vehicle is a vehicle (VTH) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.