Laminar scrubber apparatus for capturing carbon dioxide from air and methods of use

Abstract

The present invention is directed to methods for carbon dioxide from air, which comprises exposing solvent covered surfaces to air streams where the airflow is kept laminar, or close to the laminar regime. The invention also provides for an apparatus, which is a laminar scrubber, comprising solvent covered surfaces situated such that they can be exposed to air streams such that the airflow is kept laminar.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 603,121, filed Aug. 20, 2004 and is incorporated by reference in its entirety.[0002] This patent disclosure contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves any and all copyright rights. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0003] The present invention relates generally to the field of extractors, including those that work to extract carbon dioxide. The present invention relates to carbon dioxide (CO2) removal under ambient conditions from the open air without heating or cooling the air. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] Extracting carbon dioxide from ambient air would make it possible to use carbon based fuels and deal with the greenhouse gas emi...

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Benefits of technology

[0016] The invention also provides for an apparatus and method where the films are made from plastic foils. The invention provides for an apparatus and method where the plastic foil has been surface treated to increase the hydrophilicity of the surface. Such treatments can be state of the art or represent novel treatments. In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus or method is provided where surfaces have been coated or treated to increase hydrophilicity of the plates.

[0020] In another embodiment of the method or apparatus of the invention, the apparatus is equipped with airflow straighteners to minimize losses from misalignment between the surfaces and the instantaneous wind field.

[0023] In one embodiment of the method or apparatus, the surfaces are rotating disks where wetting is helped by the rotary motion of the disks, and the air is moving at right angle to the axis. In one embodiment of the method or apparatus, the axis is approximately horizontal and the disks dip into the solvent at their rim and the circular motion promotes distribution of the fluid on the disks.

[0026] In one embodiment of the invention, the solvent used in the apparatus and in the method is a hydroxide solution. In one aspect, the hydroxide concentration is from about 0.1 molar to about 20 molar. In another embodiment, the hydroxide concentration is from about 1 molar to about 3 molar. In one embodiment, the concentration of the solution exceeds 3 molar. In another aspect of the invention, the concentration of the solution has been adjusted to minimize water losses or water gains. In another embodiment of the invention, the concentration of the solution is allowed to adjust itself until its vapor pressure matches that of the ambient air.

Problems solved by technology

Capture of carbon dioxide on board of a vehicle while possible in principle is not practical because of the large amount of weight involved.

Efficient capture of carbon dioxide from air requires a sorbent that can absorb CO2, processes that heat or cool the air, or that change the pressure of the air by substantial amounts will be energetically disadvantaged.

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