Systems and methods for treating automotive vehicle emissions on board an automotive vehicle include the use of waste heat recovery, electrochemical water splitting, phototcatalytic water splitting, and selective catalytic reduction. Waste heat recovery is used to power electrochemical water splitting, or photocatalytic water splitting. Photons collected from a solar panel are used in photocatalytic water splitting, or in photo-assisted selective catalytic reduction. Hydrogen gas generated by water splitting is used in conjunction with catalytic reduction units to catalytically reduce NOx in an engine exhaust gas.

This invention provides means and a method to eliminate emissions from an internal combustion engine during cold-starts and warm-starts. An oxidizer intake valve external to the engine head and an exhaust valve following the after-treatment system and condensing heat exchanger are closed, thus sealing all gasses inside the engine and the exhaust after-treatment system before starting the engine. Oxygen and hydrogen are used as the oxidizer and fuel to start this engine and operate this engine until the exhaust after-treatment systems have reached their required operating temperatures. This emissions-free startup system works equally well on two, four, six, or eight stroke engines, one or multiple cylinder engines, and spark or compression ignition engines. This invention also provides a means and method to clean the interior of an engine and the after-treatment systems of soot, particulate, and the catalytic surfaces without disassembling the engine or the after-treatment systems.

An integrated vehicle on-board system configured to generate hydrogen and to introduce the generated hydrogen into an exhaust gas stream of an internal combustion engine, the system including a water-splitting article configured to split water into hydrogen and oxygen and a hydrogen injection article configured to introduce the hydrogen into the exhaust gas stream, is effective for the abatement of carbon monoxide and/or hydrocarbons and/or nitrogen oxides. The introduction of hydrogen may be intermittent and/or during a cold-start period.

This invention provides a method to clean the inside surfaces of an engine and its exhaust after-treatment system each time the engine is shut down. This cleaning is accomplished without disassembly of the engine and without involvement of the engine's operator. This cleaning includes the combustion chamber, valves, intake and exhaust ports, particulate filters, catalytic after-treatment processes, and exhaust piping. This is accomplished by leaving the shut down engine and its exhaust after-treatment systems in an oxygen rich atmosphere where oxidation of the hydrocarbons on the inside surfaces continues.

This invention provides a method to clean the inside surfaces of an exhaust after-treatment system each time the engine is shut down. This cleaning is accomplished without disassembly of the engine and without involvement of the engine's operator. This cleaning includes the exhaust ports, particulate filters, catalytic after-treatment processes, and exhaust conduits. This is accomplished by leaving the exhaust after-treatment systems in an oxygen rich atmosphere, with the engine shut down, where oxidation of the hydrocarbons on the inside surfaces continues.

Exhaust gas is treated onboard a vehicle. Solar energy is converted into electricity, which is used to power an electrochemical cell mounted onboard the vehicle. Oxygen and hydrogen are produced by the electrochemical cell. Heat and the oxygen produced by the electrochemical cell are provided to a particulate matter filter onboard the vehicle, thereby oxidizing particulate matter disposed on the particulate matter filter.

An electrochemical reactor 70 is provided with a proton conductive solid electrolyte layer 75; an anode layer 76 arranged on the surface of the solid electrolyte layer and able to hold water molecules; a cathode layer 77 arranged on the surface of the solid electrolyte layer; and a current control device 73 controlling a current flowing through the anode layer and the cathode layer. The current control device reduces the current flowing through the anode layer and the cathode layer, when the water molecules held in the anode layer become smaller in amount.

A dual-chamber onboard electrolysis system is configured to produce HHO gas for heavy duty trucking applications.

An internal combustion engine 1 is provided, in an exhaust passage thereof with an electrochemical reactor including: an ion conductive solid electrolyte layer; an anode layer arranged on a surface of the solid electrolyte layer; and a cathode layer arranged on a surface of the solid electrolyte layer and able to hold NO.sub.X. The engine includes a current control device for controlling the current supplied to the electrochemical reactor so as to flow from the anode layer through the solid electrolyte layer to the cathode layer. The current control device is configured so as to supply current to the electrochemical reactor at least temporarily while that internal combustion engine is stopped.

The present invention relates to an electrolysis apparatus for collecting a nitrogen compound using ferric-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (Fe-EDTA), and more particularly, to an electrolysis apparatus for collecting a nitrogen compound in exhaust gas by supplying electric energy to cause a redox reaction of Fe-EDTA.