Is this possible way to control vehicular emission?

Question

Friends, I have an idea, does it sounds worthy, can i procedd about it. I have an idea of dissolving the vehicular emission in water, later the same can be treated and disposed. I guess the smoke will dissolve in water (for eg. CO2 mixes with water to form carbonic acid...if I am right).

I am thinking of suggesting alteration in the tail pipe in the vehicles. Does it sounds weird or useless idea to continue about. I need suggestions.

I thought of writing a proposal for trying this out. Can anyone suggest the funding agencies for the same. Listen, I am in India and I am a post gradute in Environmental Sciences.

Please, give guidelines pal.

Regs

Answer 1

Two impracticalities, one performance issue:

The throughput of the exhaust would mean a large volume of water available for the exhaust to flow through that would not only require extra space on a car (probably the size of a second gas tank), but would also require something to give it that special surface area (like the catalytic converter, except filled with water, and then with air trying to flow through it).

Second, you would also require a reservoir to store fresh and used water. (If you've ever seen a bong in action, you'll note that a large amount of smoke still gets past the water, it mostly just cools the hot air, so you'd need much more water to handle the much higher flow rate and volume).

Third, backpressure of exhaust pushing against a tub full of water is not your friend performance wise.

Answer 2

The idea has some merit

"Scrubbers" which are basically just water treatments are used to remove CO2 from gas streams in industrial applications

unfortunately, because of the amount of water you need to absorb an amount of CO2, you would have to have lots of water even for a fairly short drive

if you wanted to be able to drive a couple of hundred miles before emptying your CO2 saturated water and take on fresh water, you would have to carry many gallons of water. More, in fact than your car could hold. I haven't done the calculations but I think you would need a big trailor full of water pulled behind your car.

this extra weight would hurt your gas mileage so much that you would burn a lot more gas to go the same distance (meaning you need more water)

there are lots of problems with using that much water (think of all the cars) and with the handling and treatment of it

there maybe some kind of opportunity here but I doubt a scrubber can be cost effective on a mobile source like a car

Answer 3

You need to build a working model and have it patented. Chances are someone has already done it. If not, it's stupid to explain your idea in a public place where it could be stolen.

Answer 4

Yes, but;
How much would it cost to treat and dispose of the water?