Japanese automotive giant Toyota has been experimenting with a cutting-edge filter system that can suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, highlighting its efforts to continue its internal combustion engine legacy.
What’s special about Toyota’s engine innovation?
Toyota officially showed off a carbon capture system on a hydrogen-powered GR Corolla concept at the 2023 Super Taikyu endurance racing series at the Fuji Speedway in Japan, Automotive News reported.
Interestingly, Toyota integrated two special filters and a recovery fluid under the hunkered-down hatchback’s hood. These components enable the system to capture the carbon dioxide and then release it as a fluid using the engine’s own heat. More impressively, the process does not require any extra energy as it only needs the waste heat from the engine.
“Typically, facilities for capturing CO2 from the atmosphere use fans to suck in air and heat to detach the CO2, all of which requires energy. The key aspect of the H2 Corolla’s system is that it uses the existing air intake and heat within the engine.”
Naoaki Ito, the GR vehicle development division project general manager
However, this innovative technology still has a long way to go before it hits mainstream production.
How does it work?
The filters Toyota fitted in the GR Corolla concept feature a ceramic catalyst, a usual component in traditional exhaust systems that filters dangerous pollutants from exiting the exhaust.
Toyota coated the ceramic catalyst using Kawasaki’s CO2-absorbing material. The filters trap CO2 emissions from incoming air every second.
Toyota placed one of the filters at the front of the engine compartment, near the course the engine oil takes to lubricate. Kawasaki’s absorbent material releases carbon when heated up, prompting Toyota to leverage the heat from the circulating engine oil to release the carbon into the installed recovery fluid.
The captured CO2 liquefies into the recovery fluid, enabling the absorber to capture more carbon from the air to repeat the process.
More work to do
Despite this significant innovation, the technology still has severe limitations. As of now, the carbon capture system can only suck 20 grams of carbon dioxide from driving 20 laps of the Fuji Speedway, while the filters can handle 60 liters of air per second.
As per the EPA, one gallon of gas emits about 8,887 grams of carbon dioxide. In contrast, hydrogen burns clean. However, the special filters need replacement at every pitstop.
Therefore, the development team is striving to raise carbon capture capacity and automate the filter replacement process. The automaker is also leveraging motorsports to accelerate development.
Toyota presumes that the technology may be ideal for heavy-duty trucks as bigger filters can suck more C02 from the atmosphere. However, the cost will undoubtedly be higher compared to light vehicles.
Toyota’s efforts to continuously innovate internal combustion engines highlight its dedication to achieving vehicle carbon neutrality while keeping its legacy. Equipping such filters to hydrogen-powered engines would make it carbon-negative, but Toyota contends that the system can also work on gas-powered engines as well.
