“The automobile engine will come, and then I will consider my life’s work complete”.
Once said Rudolph Diesel, a German mechanical engineer and an inventor who brought the most efficient brother of the Otto* engine into the world. Said invention was developed by Rudolph Diesel when he worked at the M.A.N plant as he sought to develop an efficient alternative to the current steam piston engine, 110 years later we have seen how Rudolph’s invention has shaped the modern world as we know it.
Diesel engines are used in all kinds of machinery like electricity generators, vehicles like locomotives, ships, trucks, buses, cars… Diesel engines are known for their high efficiency and the high amounts of torque they can provide. But on today’s world which is currently heading towards electrification, Rudolph’s invention is threatened by environmental regulations and emissions laws which will soon phase it out. Just like the steam engine it replaced… or will it?
*Gasoline engine
A diesel breath of relief…
Until not long ago, diesel was the preferred option for most drivers when it came to getting a car. That’s how it was during the 90s, the 2000s and part of the 2010s… But since the Volkswagen emissions scandal came to the light, the Diesel engine has been constantly bombarded by bad press and disdain by environmental activists. Which in turn has caused many automotive manufacturers to accelerate the electrification of their models and phase out diesel engines in favor of traditional hybrid, electric and Hydrogen power unit.
However, not all seems to be lost for Rudolph’s ancient invention. A French businessman by the name of Laurent Geulin has designed a device that helps reduce diesel emissions to the low levels of emissions electric motors can achieve, the invention known as Compact Carbon Catcher or CCC, this device is surely to be a fresh breath of relief for diesel combustion engines in the future.
Derived from industrial equipment that helps reduce emissions in power plants and other industrial plants, the CCC was first tested In front of the France Bleu Gironde radio station. Journalists from the radio station confirmed that the device was effective and that no diesel smell emanated from the vehicle’s tailpipe as it idled connected to the compact carbon catcher.
HOW IT WORKS
The CCC device so far has two prototypes, the first is a portable version which can be fitted on the spare tire hole and the second is a 10x10cm large box. The CCC apparently filters the C02 & the other particles emitted by the diesel engine and turns them into a mixture of oxygen and water, said device is housed in the exhaust pipe outlet to clean the gases before they can mix with the air from the street.
The Compact Carbon Catcher cleans the air leaving the car’s exhaust before it reaches the outside, preventing the polluted air to escape into the atmosphere. Although the prototype isn’t lacking drawbacks, just like having to refill them periodically with active agents that help separate pollution from the air and require draining to remove carbon accumulated during it’s operative life.
So far, the tests done with an Audi A6 3.0 TDI have revealed that the usual 180 gr/km of CO2 emitted by the vehicle have been substantially lowered to an impressive 49 gr/km, which would make diesel-powered cars just as polluting as an electric car. Even then, this innovative device is highly unlikely to reverse the decisions of many car manufacturers around the world.
PS: The French invention already has received judicial approval to be implemented in the automotive industry, as well Geulin has already started talks with the tech giant Bosch to discuss the project… Maybe this isn’t the last we will hear about this invention
This is an incredible development. First I have heard of this and wow, what an advancement. In the US, we have semi-trucks. These “big rigs’ go from California to Virginia or other east coast states. This is a straight run. This will never be covered in an electric rig. Not even close. There are many uphill and downhill grades that would deplete and EV quickly shortening the available distance. These are not going to be replaced anytime soon with EV. Several other trucking circumstances as well, EV just can’t deliver. For the time being diesel it is. It’s still dirty. Pickups … people “roll coal” here blowing out thick black smoke. Let’s slap these on all trucks, mandatory, and take this ability away from stupid people. Make it too expensive to not comply. Those types aren’t rich. Spank in the money hole until they behave. This device would make things so much better here. City pollution would go down. Ever stand next to a city bus as it drives away? They need these too! I’m all in. Let’s roll these out quickly Bosch. You listening? HUGE market in US so lobby the congress to make it mandatory. I’m available to be a lobbyist.