An improved cluster-supporting catalyst has heteroatom-removed zeolite particles, and catalyst metal clusters supported within the pores of the heteroatom-removed zeolite particles. A method for producing a cluster-supporting catalyst includes the following steps: providing a dispersion liquid containing a dispersion medium and the heteroatom-removed zeolite particles dispersed in the dispersion medium; and in the dispersion liquid, forming catalyst metal clusters having a positive charge, and supporting the catalyst metal clusters within the pores of the heteroatom-removed zeolite particles through an electrostatic interaction.

The separation efficiency of carbon dioxide is improved by making the temperature of exhaust gas further low. An exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a first heat exchanger arranged in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine and configured to carry out heat exchange between outside air and exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine, a second heat exchanger arranged in the exhaust passage and configured to carry out heat exchange between a circulating heating medium and the exhaust gas, and a carbon dioxide separator arranged in the exhaust passage at the downstream side of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger and configured to separate carbon dioxide from the exhaust gas.

An internal combustion engine inducts no air from outside atmosphere and it discharges no gas into outside environment. The engine receives hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen, and its combustion gas consists mostly of carbon dioxide and water vapor. Carbon dioxide is captured, stored and subsequently sequestered by using it with water to create a hydrocarbon fuel that can be supplied back to the engine. In that way, the engine fuel is repeatedly regenerated and reused, and the engine operates in a carbon neutral mode of operation. Some of the combustion gas is used as a diluent gas in the engine. High specific heat and high density of that gas permit operation in high-efficiency overexpanded cycle without an increase in the engine size. Various methods of the engine control and operation are described, including methods to reduce pumping loss. Various modes of in-cylinder diluent gas formation are considered.

A method for removing carbon dioxide directly from ambient air, using a sorbent under ambient conditions, to obtain relatively pure CO.sub.2. The CO.sub.2 is removed from the sorbent using process heat, preferably in the form of steam, at a temperature in the range of not greater than about 130° C., to capture the relatively pure CO.sub.2 and to regenerate the sorbent for repeated use. Increased efficiency can be achieved by admixing with the ambient air, prior to contacting the sorbent, a minor amount of a preferably pretreated effluent gas containing a higher concentration of carbon dioxide. The captured carbon dioxide can be stored for further use, or sequestered permanently. The above method provides purified carbon dioxide for further use in agriculture and chemical processes, or for permanent sequestration.

A muffler filter and method for utilizing the muffler filter is provided. The muffler filter includes a housing including an aperture, a cartridge holder, at least one activated filter, an attachable lock associated with the activated filter, and a plurality of clamps. The muffler filter is designed and configured to be securely affixed to a muffler of a vehicle allowing the activated filter to sieve noxious fumes from emissions from the muffler; thus, reducing and/or eliminating noxious fumes distributed in the environment from vehicles.

A vehicle includes a battery and a CO.sub.2 recovery device using electric power of the battery to recover CO.sub.2 contained in inflowing gas. A control device mounted in the vehicle controls the CO.sub.2 recovery device. The control device permits operation of the CO.sub.2 recovery device in the case where a high efficiency recovery condition, at which it is predicted that the efficiency of recovery of CO.sub.2, showing a ratio of the amount of recovery of CO.sub.2 in the CO.sub.2 recovery device with respect to the electric power consumed by the battery, will become equal to or greater than a preset predetermined efficiency, is satisfied, and prohibits operation of the CO.sub.2 recovery device in the case where the high efficiency recovery condition is not satisfied.

An information management system includes: a plurality of CO.sub.2 recovery devices configured to recover CO.sub.2; a CO.sub.2 collection station configured to collect CO.sub.2 recovered by the plurality of CO.sub.2 recovery devices; a CO.sub.2 using facility configured to use CO.sub.2 collected at the CO.sub.2 collection station; and an information management device including a communication unit configured to transmit linked information in which intended use information indicating intended use of CO.sub.2 in the CO.sub.2 using facility and an amount of use for the intended use is linked with identification information of a user of each of the plurality of CO.sub.2 recovery devices to an information communication terminal used by the user.

An illustrated view of an exemplary air filter for reducing emissions is presented. The air filter is useful for removing toxic gases from the air surrounding a combustion engine of a vehicle is presented. The air filter is useful for scrubbing the ambient air for removal of toxic contaminants such as carbon dioxide and thus reducing harmful emissions of a vehicle. The air filter though described for a vehicle can also be used in industry settings as well as at home. The air filter is recyclable. Although a vehicle is shown, it is an example only. Other applications are possible and have been contemplated for the air filter 100 including, but not limited to, commercial applications, home applications, industrial applications, etc.

A control system for a vehicle having a CO2 capturing device configured to capture CO2 certainly from gas streams. The CO2 captured by the CO2 capturing device is desorbed from the CO2 capturing device by an energy available in the vehicle. A controller is configured to discharge the CO2 captured by the CO2 capturing device into the recovery station by energy delivered from the recovery station to the CO2 capturing device when the energy available in the vehicle is less than a predetermined value.

A vehicle 100 comprises a fuel tank for storing fuel, a fueling port for supplying the fuel tank with fuel, a CO.sub.2 recovery device configured to recover CO.sub.2, a CO.sub.2 collection port for collecting CO.sub.2 from the CO.sub.2 recovery device, and a single openable lid configured to cover both the fueling port and the CO.sub.2 collection port.