Sorbent material composite article for adsorption

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a direct air capture (DAC) device and a control method thereof. The DAC device includes a plurality of contactor elements aligned relative to one another to facilitate uniform drying and having a plurality of intervals positioned between the contactor elements such that each contactor element defines a contactor volume and each interval defines an interval volume. The total volume of the DAC device is determined by the contactor volume and the spacing volume such that the DAC device can be modified to: (a) reduce the total volume of the contactor elements to facilitate desorption of one or more components of the feed stream; (b) increasing the total volume of the contactor elements to facilitate adsorption of one or more components of the feed stream.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 343,758, filed on May 19, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to adsorbent material composite articles, methods of forming the same, and methods of using the same for adsorption, including adsorption for direct air capture (DAC) of carbon dioxide (CO2). Background Art

[0003] Increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) associated with greenhouse gas emissions have been shown to be harmful to the environment. As reported by the Climate.gov article "Climate Change: Atomspheric Carbon Dioxide," the average level of CO2 in the atmosphere in 2019 was 409.8 ppm, the highest level in the past 800,000 years. The rate of increase in atmospheric CO2 is also reported to be much higher than the rate in previous decades.

[0004] In order to limit climate change to acceptable levels, it is necessary not only to reduce CO2 emissions to zero in the near future, but also to achieve negative CO2 emissions. To achieve negative emissions, there are several possibilities, such as burning biomass for power generation combined with CO2 capture from combustion flue gases followed by CO2 storage (BECCS), or with direct air capture (DAC) of CO2.

[0005] Direct capture of CO2 from the atmosphere, known as "DAC", is one of several means of reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and holds an attractive economic promise as a non-fossil, location-independent source of CO2 for commodity markets and synthetic fuel production. Specific advantages of capturing CO2 from the atmosphere include: a) DAC can address decentralized emission sources (e.g., vehicles... land, sea, and air), which account for a large portion of global greenhouse gas emissions and cannot currently be captured at the point of emission in an economically viable manner; b) DAC can address legacy emissions and can therefore create true negative emissions; c) DAC systems do not need to be attached to emission sources, but can be location-independent and can be located at the point where the CO2 is further processed or used.

[0006] There is a growing motivation to develop and improve these processes to make them more efficient, maximizing the amount of CO2 removed from the atmosphere while minimizing the energy required in the process. Summary of the invention

[0007] A direct air capture (DAC) device and a control method thereof are disclosed herein. In one example ("Example 1"), the DAC device includes a plurality of contactor elements aligned relative to each other to promote uniform drying, and having a plurality of intervals positioned between the contactor elements such that each contactor element defines a contactor volume and each interval defines an interval volume. The total volume of the DAC device is determined by the contactor volume and the interval volume, so that the DAC device can be modified to: (a) reduce the total volume of the contactor elements to promote desorption of one or more components of the feed stream; and (b) increase the total volume of the contactor elements to promote adsorption of one or more components of the feed stream. The uniform drying capability allows the DAC device to complete each adsorption or desorption cycle faster and more efficiently because the efficiency of the DAC device is reduced when portions of the contact elements are still wet when the next cycle begins.

[0008] In another example ("Example 2") further relative to Example 1, the DAC device includes a plurality of flexible connection members arranged in a plurality of intervals.

[0009] In another example (“Example 3”) further relative to Example 2, the flexible connection member is a spring member that applies a reaction force in response to the total volume being reduced in an opposite direction.

[0010] In another example (“Example 4”) further to Example 3, the spring component includes at least one leaf spring spacer.

[0011] In another example (“Example 5”) further to Example 3, the spring member includes at least one coil spring.

[0012] In another example (“Example 6”) further to Example 2, the flexible connection component is a hinge component.

[0013] In another example (“Example 7”) further relative to Example 1, each of the contactor elements includes a mating surface such that when the DAC device is modified, the mating surface of each contactor element forms a nested structure relative to the mating surface of an adjacent contactor element.

[0014] In another example (“Example 8”) further to Example 7, the mating surface is defined by a plurality of enlarged portions protruding from a surface of the contactor element such that each contactor element is phase-shifted relative to an adjacent contactor element.

[0015] In another example ("Example 9") further relative to Example 7, the mating surface is defined by multiple surface features formed on the surface of the contactor element, so that each of the multiple surface features of the contactor element is nested with a corresponding one of the multiple surface features of the adjacent contactor element.

[0016] In another example (“Example 10”) further to Example 9, the plurality of surface features include one or more of wrinkles, ripples, or depressions.

[0017] In another example further relative to Example 1 ("Example 11"), the device also includes a housing in which the contactor element is disposed. The housing is modifiable between a first configuration in which the total volume of the DAC device has a reduced total volume and a second configuration in which the total volume of the DAC device has an increased total volume greater than the reduced volume.

[0018] In another example (“Example 12”) further relative to Example 11, the housing includes at least one spacing adjustment component.

[0019] In another example ("Example 13") further relative to Example 12, at least one spacing adjustment component is an adjustable housing wall that is adjustable to change the total volume of the DAC device within the housing between a reduced volume and an increased volume.

[0020] In another example (“Example 14”) further relative to Example 12, at least one spacing adjustment component is a single adjustable partition that divides the internal volume of the housing into: (a) a first volume that defines the total volume of the first group of contactor elements; and (b) a second volume that defines the total volume of the second group of contactor elements. The first volume and the second volume interact with each other (reciprocal) so that the partition can be adjusted to facilitate either of the following: (1) increasing the first volume and reducing the second volume, or (2) reducing the first volume and increasing the second volume.

[0021] In another example (“Example 15”) further to Example 11, the housing includes a flexible frame that is compressible to change the overall volume of the DAC device.

[0022] In another example (“Example 16”) further relative to Example 11, the housing includes a first housing component and a second housing component, and the second housing component is slidably received in the first housing component to reduce the overall volume of the DAC device.

[0023] In another example ("Example 17") further to any one of Examples 1-16, each contactor element includes an adsorbent material composite article having: (a) an adsorption configuration, in which the adsorbent material composite article is configured to adsorb one or more components of a feed stream; and (b) a desorption (attachment) configuration, in which the adsorbent material composite article is configured to remove one or more components from the adsorbent material composite article. The adsorbent material composite article includes a composite of an adsorbent and a flexible porous material to facilitate transition between the adsorption configuration and the desorption configuration of the adsorbent material composite article.

[0024] In another example ("Example 18") further to Example 17, the adsorbent material composite article can be flexibly expanded to form a desorption structure, and can be flexibly compressed to form an adsorption structure.

[0025] In one example ("Example 19"), a system is disclosed that includes a further DAC device relative to any of Examples 1-17, and a sensor that detects environmental conditions, a force-applying device that applies force to change a total volume defined by a contactor volume and a spacer volume, and a controller that receives the detected environmental conditions from the sensor and determines an amount of force applied by the force-applying device based on the environmental conditions.

[0026] In another example ("Example 20") further relative to Example 19, the system also includes a spacing device that simultaneously and proportionally adjusts the multiple spacings in response to the force applied by the force applying device.

[0027] In another example ("Example 21") further to Example 19 or 20, the environmental condition includes at least one of wind speed, humidity, or a pressure drop between an inlet and an outlet of the DAC device.

[0028] In one example ("Example 22"), a DAC device includes a shell; a continuous sheet of an adsorbent material composite article, the continuous sheet being disposed within the shell, the length of the continuous sheet being modifiable to form at least one rolled portion and an unrolled portion adjacent to the rolled portion, the rolled portion promoting desorption (attachment) of one or more components in a feed stream, and the unrolled portion promoting adsorption (attachment) of one or more components in the feed stream; and a plurality of rollers disposed within the shell and contacting a plurality of different sections along the length of the continuous sheet to modify the continuous sheet, thereby changing the configuration of each of the rolled portion and the unrolled portion.

[0029] In another example ("Example 23") further relative to Example 22, the housing includes a desorption section that accommodates the rolled portion of the continuous sheet and an adsorption section that accommodates the unrolled portion of the continuous sheet.

[0030] In another example ("Example 24") further relative to Example 23, the DAC device also includes a heating device that applies heat and vacuum only to the desorption section of the housing.

[0031] In another example ("Example 25") further to any of Examples 22-24, the continuous sheet can be modified to form two rolled portions and an unrolled portion extending therebetween.

[0032] In another example ("Example 26") further relative to any one of Examples 22-25, a portion of the plurality of rollers modifies a segment of the unrolled portion of the continuous sheet so that it is straightened and forms a zigzag configuration, with a gap between two adjacent straightened segments of the continuous sheet.

[0033] In one example ("Example 27"), a method of controlling a DAC device includes: actuating the DAC device to form a space between any two of a plurality of contactor elements aligned relative to each other to promote uniform drying of the DAC device receiving an air flow. The DAC device promotes adsorption and desorption of one or more components in the air flow; adjusting the plurality of contactor elements to align with a first direction of the air flow; and re-adjusting the plurality of contactor elements to align with a second direction of the air flow different from the first direction while maintaining uniform drying of the plurality of contactor elements.

[0034] In another example (“Example 28”) further relative to Example 27, the method also includes providing a signal indicating a change in the air flow from the first direction to the second direction via a sensor.

[0035] In another example ("Example 29") further to Example 27 or 28, the readjustment is performed in real time or near real time.

[0036] In another example ("Example 30") further to Example 29, real-time adjustments are performed after adsorption of one or more components of the airflow is completed and before subsequent desorption of the one or more components of the airflow is initiated after adsorption.

[0037] In another example ("Example 31") further to any of Examples 27-30, adjusting and re-adjusting includes changing a spacing between a plurality of contactor elements.

[0038] In another example ("Example 32") further relative to Example 31, the total volume of the DAC device can be reduced by reducing the spacing to promote desorption, and can be expanded by increasing the spacing to promote adsorption.

[0039] The foregoing examples are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting or otherwise narrowing the scope of any inventive concept otherwise provided in this disclosure. Although a number of examples are disclosed, still other examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative examples. Therefore, the drawings and detailed description should be considered illustrative in nature and not restrictive in nature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0041] Figure 1A and 1B is a schematic diagram of a DAC device in an adsorption configuration and a desorption configuration, viewed from the side, according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0042] Figure 2A and 2B is a schematic diagram of a spring-implemented DAC device in an adsorption configuration and a desorption configuration according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0043] Figure 2C is used for Figure 2A and 2B An oblique view of the leaf spring spacer of the DAC device.

[0044] Figure 3A and 3B is a side view of a spring-implemented DAC device in an adsorption configuration and a desorption configuration according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0045] Figure 3C is used for Figure 3A and 3B An oblique view of the spring coil of the DAC device.

[0046] Figure 4A and 4B is a schematic diagram of a DAC device implemented as a hinge in an adsorption configuration and a desorption configuration according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0047] Figures 5A to 5C is a side view of a DAC device with a magnified portion in an adsorption configuration (in-phase and out-of-phase) and a desorption configuration according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0048] Fig. 6A and 6B is a side view of a DAC device having surface features in an adsorption configuration and a desorption configuration according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0049] Fig. 7A and 7B is a side view of a DAC device having a grid configuration in an adsorption configuration and a desorption configuration according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0050] Fig. 8A and 8B is a top view of a DAC device implementing a continuous sheet of adsorbent material composite article according to embodiments disclosed herein, showing an adsorption section and a desorption section.

[0051] Figure 8C According to the embodiments disclosed in this article, Fig. 8A and Figure 8B Top view of a sheet wrapped around a porous drum implemented in a DAC device.

[0052] Fig. 9A and 9B is a schematic diagram of an interacting DAC device according to an embodiment disclosed herein, showing an adsorption part and a desorption part.

[0053] Fig. 10A and 10B is a side view of an interacting DAC device showing an adsorption section and a desorption section according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0054] Fig.11A and 11B is a side view of a DAC device with a flexible housing in an adsorption configuration and a desorption configuration according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0055] Fig. 12A and 12B is a side view of a DAC device with a nestable housing in an adsorption configuration and a desorption configuration according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0056] Fig.13A and 13B is a block diagram of an example of a system implementing a DAC device according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0057] Fig.14A and 14B is a side view of an actuator for a DAC device in an adsorption configuration and a desorption configuration according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0058] Fig.15 and 16 According to the embodiments disclosed in this article, Fig.13A A flowchart of an example method of operating a controller implemented in the system of 13B or 13B. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Definitions and terminology

[0059] This disclosure is not intended to be read in a limiting manner.For example, the terms used in this application should be read broadly in the context of the meaning that one skilled in the art would attribute to such terms.

[0060] Regarding imprecise terms, the terms "about" and "approximately" are used interchangeably to refer to measurements including the measured value and also any measurements that are reasonably (fairly) close to the measured value. As understood and easily determined by a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art, a measurement that is reasonably (fairly) close to the measured value deviates from the measured value by a reasonably small amount. Such deviations may be attributed to, for example, measurement errors, differences in calibration of the measured values ​​and / or manufacturing equipment, human errors in reading and / or setting the measured values, fine-tuning to optimize performance and / or structural parameters in view of differences in the measured values ​​associated with other components, specific implementation scenarios, imprecise adjustments and / or manipulations of objects by humans or machines, and / or the like. In the case where it is determined that a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will not easily determine a value for such a reasonably small difference, the terms "about" and "approximately" may be understood as the value plus or minus 10%.

[0061] As used herein, the term "fibril" refers to an elongated material such as a polymer, whose length and width are substantially different from each other. For example, a fibril may resemble a string or fiber, wherein the width (or thickness) is much shorter or smaller than the length.

[0062] The term "node" as used herein describes the point of connection of at least two fibrils, wherein a connection can be defined as a location where two fibrils permanently or temporarily contact each other. In some examples, a node can also be used to describe a volume of material that is larger than a fibril, as well as a location where a fibril originates or terminates without a clear continuation of the same fibril through the node. In some examples, a node is wider than a fibril but shorter than a fibril.

[0063] As used herein, "node" and "fiber" may be used to describe objects that are typically, but not necessarily, connected or interconnected and, for example, of microscopic size. A "microscopic" object may be defined as an object having at least one dimension (width, length, or height) that is so small that the object or details of the object cannot be seen by the naked eye, or are difficult or even impossible to observe without the aid of a microscope (e.g., including but not limited to a scanning electron microscope or SEM) or any suitable type of magnification device. Description of various embodiments

[0064] The present disclosure relates to devices for direct air capture (DAC) for adsorbing and separating one or more desired substances from a source stream, such as extracting carbon dioxide (CO2) from a dilute feed stream such as air. Such DAC devices can also be used in other adsorption methods and applications. These methods include, but are not limited to, adsorbing substances from various inputs, including other gas feed streams (e.g., combustion exhaust) and liquid feed streams (e.g., seawater). The adsorbed substance is not limited to CO2. Other adsorbed substances may include, but are not limited to, other gas molecules (e.g., N2, CH4, and CO), liquid molecules, and solutes. In some embodiments, the input may be dilute, containing an order of parts per million (ppm) of the adsorbed substance.

[0065] Examples of articles and techniques for DAC include the use of articles that include a substrate, such as a monomer that can support or be coated with an adsorbent material. By varying the type of substrate and the adsorbent used, various variations can be established. However, these previously established articles and methods have limitations in their ability to cycle efficiently between adsorption and desorption states. They also have limitations with respect to the energy required to perform the process.

[0066] In many cases, swing adsorption (pressure swing adsorption) is a very energy-intensive process. Whether it is pressure swing, temperature swing or humidity swing, energy is required during many operating stages.

[0067] As an example, in temperature-vacuum swing adsorption (TVSA) for direct air capture (DAC) of CO2, the adsorption step may require a fan to force a large amount of air through an air contactor, such as a ceramic monolith or a plate pack having a series of adjacent plates with spaces between the plates. When the operator deems it useful to start desorption (usually when the contactor has adsorbed a certain amount of CO2), the fan can be turned off or deactivated to terminate the adsorption stage.

[0068] Once the adsorption phase is terminated, the inlet and outlet of the module are closed, which provides a seal for negative pressure. Next, a vacuum can be applied to evacuate the air in the module, and steam is applied to raise the temperature to a point where the adsorbent releases CO2. Then, this CO2 is pumped out of the module space and further processed to remove humidity. In the above process, the desorption step requires a large amount of energy to heat and then cool the module. During desorption, the temperature in the entire module volume must be increased from ambient temperature (depending on the geographical location, the ambient temperature may be very low) to a temperature that is conducive to removing CO2 from the adsorbent. In many cases, since steam is efficient in transferring heat to a substance, steam is used to increase the temperature. The object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of the DAC system by providing a module that can have a variable volume. For example, during the adsorption step, an air contactor or module can have a volume that allows air to flow through at a very low pressure, thereby promoting the adsorption of CO2, and during the desorption step, an air contactor or module can have at least a second reduced volume, which saves energy by reducing the amount of volume that needs to increase the temperature. Reducing the volume will also reduce the energy required to apply the negative pressure, although in some cases the negative pressure may be the force causing the volume reduction.

[0069] Similarly, in both wet swing adsorption and pressure swing adsorption processes, the desorption step is typically the most energy intensive. In wet swing, energy is used to move moisture to the contactor, and energy is used to dry the contactor once the CO2 is desorbed from the contactor. In pressure swing, energy is used to apply pressure to the adsorbent to cause the CO2 to be released from the adsorbent. In both cases, it may also be beneficial to provide an air contactor or module that is capable of a variable volume configuration. Current air contactors and modules are deficient in this regard.

[0070] Figure 1A and 1B A DAC device 100 according to an example disclosed herein is shown. The DAC device 100 includes a plurality of contactor elements 102 (numbered 1, 2, 3, ..., and n), which are composite articles of adsorbent material capable of facilitating adsorption and desorption of one or more components in a feed stream (not shown). The feed stream may be air passing through the DAC device, and the one or more components may include, for example, CO2 or any other gas molecules described above. The contactor elements 102 are aligned with each other in any suitable configuration to facilitate uniform drying, i.e., the contactor elements 102 are capable of drying at substantially the same rate as each other. Advantageously, the uniform drying capability allows the DAC device 100 to complete each adsorption or desorption cycle faster and more efficiently, because the efficiency of the DAC device is reduced when portions of the contact elements are still wet when the next cycle begins.

[0071] The contactor elements 102 have a plurality of spaces 104 therebetween, such that each contactor element 102 defines a contactor volume, and each spacer defines a spacer volume. In some examples, the contactor volume (V) of a single contactor element is 接触器 ) can be defined as V 接触器 =SA*T, where SA is the surface area of ​​the contact element and T is the thickness of the contact element. In some examples, the compartment volume (V 间隔 ) can be defined as: V 间隔 =SA*W, where W is the width of the interval or the distance between two adjacent contactor elements that define the interval. These calculations assume that all contactor elements are identical and therefore have the same surface area and are arranged parallel to each other. The total volume of the DAC device 100 is defined as the sum of all contactor volumes and interval volumes. The DAC device 100 can also be modified to: (a) reduce the total volume so that the contactor elements promote desorption of one or more components of the feed stream, and (b) increase the total volume so that the contactor elements promote adsorption of one or more components of the feed stream. In some examples, the interval 104 decreases in response to a force (F) applied to the contactor element 102, such as a force from an external force applying device, as further explained herein.

[0072] Figure 1A The configuration of the DAC device 100 is illustrated, wherein the width (W) of each interval is greater than Figure 1B With a wider width, the total volume increases to facilitate adsorption, so Figure 1A The structure in is called a volume-reduced adsorption structure 106, and Figure 1B The configuration in is referred to as an increased volume desorption configuration 108. In some examples, the desorption contactor element 102 may include immersing the contactor element 102 in a desorption source such as water (or alternatively using steam or heat as a desorption source in some examples) to desorb the CO2. Figure 1B In the example shown, the contactor element 102 is shown as partially black and partially white to represent uniform drying. The black segments represent the presence of moisture or water (H2O), and the white segments represent drying. Therefore, the DAC device 100 in the illustrated example promotes uniform drying by positioning each contactor element 102 substantially vertically relative to each other, or also referred to as horizontally aligned relative to each other, so that water is allowed to drip downward from each contactor element 102 via gravity without transferring moisture to adjacent contactor elements. Therefore, this construction not only promotes rapid drying, but also allows each contactor element 102 to dry at substantially the same rate as other contactor elements 102.

[0073] The contactor element 102 can be formed using any suitable material, such as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), expanded polyethylene (ePE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or any other suitable porous material. For example, the porous material can be rigid or flexible, such as ceramic, cellulose or carbon fiber, etc. In some examples, the porous material can be a porous polymer. It will be understood that nonwoven materials such as nanospun, meltblown (nonwoven fabric), spunbond (nonwoven fabric) and porous cast film can be various other suitable porous polymer forms. The contactor element 102 can be expanded by stretching the material at a controlled temperature and a controlled stretching rate, thereby causing the material to be fibrotic. After expansion, the contactor element 102 may include a microstructure composed of a plurality of nodes and a plurality of fibrils, which connect adjacent nodes to include pores bounded by fibrils and nodes. Exemplary node and fibril microstructures are described in U.S. Patent No. 3,953,566 to Gore, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The pores of the contactor element 102 can be considered as micropores. These micropores can have a single pore size or a distribution of multiple pore sizes. In some embodiments, the average pore size can be in the range of from 0.1 microns to 100 microns.

[0074] In various embodiments, the contactor element 102 also includes any suitable carbon dioxide adsorbent material, which may include, but is not limited to, ion exchange resins (e.g., Dowex available from Dow Chemical Company). TM Marathon TM A resin), zeolite, activated carbon, alumina, metal organic framework, polyethyleneimine (PEI), or other suitable carbon dioxide adsorbent materials, such as desiccants, carbon molecular sieves, carbon adsorbents, graphite, activated alumina, molecular sieves, aluminum phosphates, silicoaluminophosphates, zeolite adsorbents, ion exchange zeolites, hydrophilic zeolites, hydrophobic zeolites, modified zeolites, natural zeolites, faujasite, clinoptilolite, mordenite, metal exchanged silicoaluminophosphates, monopolar resins, bipolar resins, aromatic cross-linked polystyrene substrates, brominated aromatic substrates, methacrylate copolymers, graphite adsorbents, carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, nanomaterials, metal salt adsorbents, perchlorates, oxalates, alkaline earth metal particles, ETS, CTS, metal oxides, chemical adsorbents, amines, organometallic reactants, hydrotalcites, silicalite, zeolite imidazolate frameworks and metal organic framework (MOF) adsorbent compounds, and combinations thereof.

[0075] Figure 2A and 2BAn example of a DAC device 100 is shown in which each contactor element 102 is connected to at least one other contactor element 102 using a plurality of flexible connection components disposed in a plurality of spacings 104. The flexible connection elements in this example are leaf spring spacers 200, which according to some examples can be connected to a frame body 202 and extend from the frame body, similar to Figure 2C The leaf spring spacer 200 can expand to widen the gap 104 of the DAC device 100 to present an adsorption configuration 106, and can also be compressed to narrow the gap 104 to present a desorption configuration 108. In some examples, the flexible connecting member can be a coil spring 300, such as Figure 3A and 3B As shown, Figure 3C An example of a coil spring 300 is shown in . In either case, the flexible connection should be minimal (contributing minimally to the overall mass and thermal mass while providing minimal obstruction to air flow).

[0076] Figure 4A and 4B An example of a DAC device 100 is shown in which the flexible connection component can be a hinge component 402. The hinge component 402 allows the use of non-flexible materials (i.e., rigid materials that cannot be bent, for example) as the contactor element 102. In addition, the DAC device 100 can be at least partially enclosed in the housing 400. In this example, the hinge component 402 causes the gap 104 to have a different configuration because the contactor elements 102 are no longer parallel to each other. Instead, the contactor elements 102 form a zigzag shape, for example, the gap width closest to the hinge component 402 is narrower, and the gap width farthest from the hinge component 402 is wider.

[0077] The housing 400 may be configured such that the spacing between the outer edge of the contactor element 102 and the inner surface of the housing 400 is minimized, in which case the internal volume of the housing 400 may be used to define the total volume of the DAC device 100. In some examples, the housing 400 includes a spacing adjustment component, which is an adjustable housing wall 404 in the figure, and the housing wall 404 may be adjusted to change the total volume of the DAC device within the housing 400, such as Figure 4B That is, when the DAC device 100 is Figure 4A When in the attracted configuration 106 as shown, the entire interior volume of the housing 400 may be occupied by the contactor element 102, in which case the adjustable housing wall 404 is flush with one of the walls of the housing 400. However, when the force F is applied, the adjustable housing wall 404 moves toward the opposite wall, causing the DAC device 100 to be as Figure 4B It is shown in its desorbed configuration 108 .

[0078] Figures 5A to 5CAn example of a DAC device 100 is shown, wherein the contactor element 102 is any suitable porous polymer sheet as described above, having a plurality of enlarged portions 500 protruding from one surface (or both surfaces, as the case may be) of the contactor element. In some examples, each contactor element 102 may be phase-shifted relative to adjacent contactor elements 102, which is defined as having a different alignment relative to adjacent contactor elements 102. Figure 5A shows the contactor elements 102 aligned "in phase" with each other, while Figure 5B and 5C The contactor elements 102 are shown aligned "out of phase" with each other.

[0079] For example, in Figure 5B In the illustrated suction configuration 106, there are two center lines AA and BB, with which the centers of the enlarged portions 500 can be aligned. For example, the first enlarged portion 500A from the contact element 102 can be aligned with the center line AA, while the second enlarged portion 500B from the adjacent contact element 102 can be aligned with the center line BB. Due to this misalignment, when the DAC device 100 is compressed in a position such as Figure 5C When in the desorption configuration 108 shown, the enlarged portions 500A and 500B interfere with each other minimally, thereby allowing a more compact configuration, which is beneficial for further reducing the gap 104 to promote better desorption. The enlarged portion 500 can be in any suitable shape or configuration, including but not limited to a sphere, a polygonal structure, a cylinder, etc. The surface of the enlarged portion 500 and the surface of the contactor element 102 can be considered as "matching surfaces" because they form a matching fit or nesting configuration with the surface of the enlarged portion 505 nested within the adjacent contactor element 102 portion, thereby reducing the overall volume of the DAC device 100.

[0080] Fig. 6A and 6B An example of a DAC device 100 is shown, wherein the contactor element 102 is a sheet of any suitable porous material, as described above, having a plurality of surface features 600 formed on a surface of the contactor element 102, such that each of the plurality of surface features 600 of the contactor element 102 is receivably mated or nested relative to a corresponding one of the plurality of surface features 600 of an adjacent contactor element 102. That is, when the contactor element 102 is formed from a plurality of porous materials, the contactor element 102 is receivably mated or nested relative to a corresponding one of the plurality of surface features 600 of an adjacent contactor element 102. Fig. 6A The adsorption structure 106 transitions to Figure 6BWhen the desorption structure 108 is formed, the surface features 600 from adjacent contactor elements 102 can be connected to each other, so that, for example, a protruding portion of one contactor element 102 can fit into a recessed portion of another contactor element 102. The surface features 600 can include any number or type of features, including but not limited to protrusions, recesses, wrinkles, corrugations, dimples, etc. Surfaces including surface features 600 can be considered "mating surfaces" because they form a matching fit or nesting structure with portions of adjacent contactor elements 102, thereby reducing the overall volume of the DAC device 100.

[0081] Fig. 7A and 7B An example of a DAC device 100 is shown in which a connecting component 700 is used with a contactor element 102 that changes shape or form between an adsorption structure 106 and a desorption structure 108. The connecting component may be formed via an adhesive, sutures, rivets, etc., which attach adjacent contactor elements 102 together. For example, the contactor element 102 may be formed into a grid-like structure with a connecting component 700 to accommodate unfolding (entering the adsorption structure 106) and folding (entering the desorption structure 108). In this embodiment, the width of the DAC device 100 in the adsorption structure 106 is greater than the width of the DAC device 100 in the desorption structure 108. As shown, in the adsorption structure 106, the contactor element 102 may have two different structures and be connected to each other via the connecting component 700, and in the desorption structure 108, both of the contactor elements 102 may be substantially straightened (or folded) to reduce the overall volume.

[0082] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B An example of a DAC device 100 viewed from above is shown, wherein a continuous sheet 800 of an adsorbent material composite article is implemented in place of individual contactor elements 102, wherein the continuous sheet 800 is arranged in a "moving belt" configuration. The DAC device 100 includes a housing 400 in which the sheet 800 is arranged. The sheet 800 is made of a flexible material and has a modifiable length to form at least one rolled portion 804 and an unrolled portion 806 adjacent to the rolled portion, the rolled portion promoting desorption of one or more components in a feed stream 808, and the unrolled portion promoting adsorption of one or more components in the feed stream 808.

[0083] The DAC device 100 including the sheet 800 includes both the adsorption structure 106 and the desorption structure 108 in the sheet 800. That is, the sheet 800 undergoes adsorption and desorption simultaneously at different portions thereof. For example, the DAC device 100 includes a plurality of rollers 802 disposed in the housing 400, which contact a plurality of different sections along the length of the sheet 800 to modify the sheet 800 so as to change the structure of each of the rolled-up portion 804 and the unrolled portion 806. The housing 400 includes two sections: an adsorption section 400A, where adsorption of components from a feed stream 808 is performed; and a desorption section 400B, where desorption of components from the feed stream 808 is performed. The sheet 800 can be switched between these two sections 400A and 400B of the housing 400.

[0084] When a force F is applied to one of the rollers 802 coupled to the end portion of the sheet 800, the roller 802 begins to move along the Fig. 8A The sheet 800 is rotated in the first direction (e.g., clockwise) shown in the figure to gather more sheet 800, thereby forming a rolled portion 804B around roller 802. These specific rollers 802 that can apply force F can be called "rolling" rollers. As shown in the figure, doing so causes the unrolled portion 806 of the sheet 800 to shift in direction "D". The unrolled portion 806 forms a plurality of straightened portions 810 (similar to a zigzag configuration) between the next two rollers 802, and the interval 104 between two adjacent straightened portions 810 allows adsorption to occur. Figure 8B 8, as shown, a force F is applied to another reel roller 802 in a second direction (e.g., counterclockwise) opposite to the first direction. This causes the direction D of the sheet 800 to reverse, forming a rolled portion 804A around the reel roller 802, which is different from another rolled portion 804B of the reel roller 802.

[0085] In some examples, the space 812 inside the desorption portion 400B of the housing 400 may be heated or a vacuum may be applied to the space 812 to promote desorption. In some examples, heat or vacuum may be applied directly to the rolled-up portion(s) 804A and / or 804B, which may be accomplished by using a full roll (full roll) of the wound sheet 800 as a reel roller. For example, the roll of sheet 800 may be a porous roll that allows for the application of vacuum as well as appropriate steam and heat.

[0086] Figure 8CAn example of a sheet 800 being implemented together with a roller 802 to form the above-mentioned "complete drum" is shown. The roller 802 can be a porous drum around which a portion of the sheet 800 is wrapped. Specifically, the sheet 800 has a first porous portion 814 (shown by a dotted line) rolled onto the porous drum 802, and the sheet 800 also has a non-porous portion 816 (shown by a thick solid line) rolled onto the porous portion 814, so that the inner porous portion 814 is covered by the outer non-porous portion 816 to form a rolled-up portion 804. The non-porous portion allows a vacuum to be applied within the porous drum 802. Applying a vacuum or negative pressure is an example of how to absorb the desorbed CO2, but any other suitable method can also be implemented. The sheet 800 also has a second porous portion 818 (shown by a dotted line) that can extend into the adsorption section 400A of the shell 400. The rolled portion 804 can be exposed to a desorption source 820, such as water, water vapor (steam), and / or heat, for example, by injecting the desorption source 820 longitudinally through the center of the rolled portion 804 of the sheet 800. The sheet 800, when unrolled, includes a non-porous portion 816 positioned between the porous portions 814 and 818. In some examples, the portions 814, 816, and 818 are made by attaching two or more different sheets of material. In some examples, the portions 814, 816, and 818 are integral with each other to form a single continuous and unitary sheet of material. For example, the non-porous portion 816 can be made of a polymer such as PTFE, while the porous portions 814 and 818 can be made of the same but expanded polymer, such as ePTFE.

[0087] Fig. 9A , 9B , 10A and 10B show an example of a DAC device 100 in which both adsorption and desorption are performed simultaneously within the housing 400. That is, the housing 400 includes a single adjustable partition 900 that divides the internal volume of the housing 400 into a first volume 902 defining the total volume of the first group of contactor elements 102A and a second volume 904 defining the total volume of the second group of contactor elements 102B. The volumes 902 and 904 of the two groups of contactor elements 102A and 102B, respectively, are mutually (influenced) with respect to each other. The partition 900 can be adjusted to facilitate (a) increasing the first volume 902 and decreasing the second volume 904, or (b) decreasing the first volume 902 and increasing the second volume 904.

[0088] Fig. 9A and 10A The force F is shown applied to move the separator 900 so that the first volume 902 increases and the second volume 904 decreases. This causes the first set of contactor elements 102A to assume the adsorption configuration 106 and the second set of contactor elements 102B to assume the desorption configuration 108. Alternatively, Fig. 9B and10B The force F is applied to make the separator 900 move along the Fig. 9A and Fig. 10A Moving in opposite directions, the first volume 902 decreases while the second volume 904 increases, so that the first set of contactor elements 102A assumes the desorption configuration 108 and the second set of contactor elements 102B assumes the adsorption configuration 106. Thus, the DAC device 100 can be operated in a continuous manner, for example, allowing one set of elements to dry while another set performs adsorption from the feed stream 808.

[0089] It should be understood that although Fig. 9A and 9B Specifically, it shows Fig. 7A and 7B The structure of the contactor element 102 is similar to that shown in FIG. Fig. 10A and 10B Specifically, it shows Figure 3A and 3B The contactor element 102 has similar constructions as shown, but the contactor element 102 is not limited to these two constructions; in fact, any other construction (or combination of constructions) of the contactor element 102 disclosed herein can be implemented in this mutually influential manner to promote adsorption and desorption simultaneously under appropriate circumstances.

[0090] Fig.11A and 11B An example of a DAC device 100 is shown that implements an at least partially flexible housing 400. For example, the housing 400 can have a flexible frame 1100 that can be compressed to change the overall volume of the DAC device 100. For example, the flexible frame 1100 can be in the form of an accordion (or bellows) such that the corrugated portions at the top and bottom (and along the sides, which cannot be seen in the figure) of the flexible frame 1100 can expand to allow more internal volume, thereby causing the contactor element 102 to assume an adsorption configuration 106, or compress to reduce the internal volume, thereby causing the contactor element 102 to assume a desorption configuration 108.

[0091] In some examples, the flexible frame 1100 can be made of one or more flexible materials (including but not limited to elastomeric polymers), one or more rigid materials (including but not limited to metals and plastic polymers), or a combination thereof. For example, the corrugated portion of the frame 1100 can be made of a flexible material, while the portion of the frame adjacent to the two contactor elements 102 at both ends of the DAC device 100 can be made of a rigid material. For example, the corrugated portion of the frame 1100 can be made of a rigid material that can be compressed or expanded using the hinge components disclosed herein. Any other variations or combinations of these materials can be used to form the flexible frame 1100.

[0092] Fig. 12A and 12B An example of a DAC device 100 implementing a housing 400 is shown, and the housing 400 is capable of changing the internal volume in a nested or telescopic manner. That is, the housing 400 includes two parts: a first housing part 1200 and a second housing part 1202. The second housing part 1202 is configured to be slightly smaller than the first housing part 1200, so that the second housing part 1202 can be slidably received in the first housing part 1200, thereby reducing the overall volume of the DAC device 100 (causing the contactor element 102 to present a desorption structure 108), and slidably away from the interior of the first housing part 1200, thereby enlarging the overall volume (causing the contactor element 102 to present an adsorption structure 106). The housing parts 1200 and 1202 can be made of one or more rigid materials so that the shape or structure of the individual parts can be maintained in both the adsorption structure 106 and the desorption structure 108.

[0093] It should be understood that although Fig.11A , 11B , 12A and 12B specifically show the Figure 2A and 2B Similar configurations of the contactor element 102 are shown, but the contactor element 102 is not limited to any one of these configurations; in fact, any other configuration (or combination of configurations) of the contactor element 102 disclosed herein may be implemented where appropriate.

[0094] As used herein, the DAC device 100 uses a contactor element 102 or continuous sheet 800 made of at least one adsorbent material composite article, wherein the material composite article can present (a) an adsorption configuration 106, wherein the adsorbent material composite article is configured to adsorb one or more components in a feed stream 808, and (b) a desorption configuration 108, wherein the adsorbent material composite article is configured to remove one or more components from the adsorbent material composite article. In some examples, the adsorbent material composite article may include a composite of an adsorbent and a flexible porous material to facilitate transition between the adsorption configuration 106 and the desorption configuration 108 of the adsorbent material composite article. In some examples, the adsorbent material composite article can be flexibly expanded to form the desorption configuration 108, and can be flexibly compressed to form the adsorption configuration 106.

[0095] Fig.13A and 13BAn example of a system 1300 for implementing the DAC device 100 disclosed herein is shown. In addition to the DAC device 100, the system 1300 also includes a sensor 1302 for detecting (one or more) environmental conditions, a force applying device 1304 for applying a force to change the total volume defined by the contactor volume and the spacing volume, and a controller 1306, which receives the detected (one or more) environmental conditions from the sensor 1302 and determines the amount of force (i.e., force F) applied by the force applying device 1304 based on the (one or more) environmental conditions. In some examples, the system 1300 may also include an electric fan 1310 to direct air in certain directions as determined and controlled by the controller 1306. In some applications, the applied force may be air pressure. In the case of positive pressure, the force applying device may be a fan (or wind). In the case of negative pressure, the force applying device may be a vacuum pump or piston capable of generating a vacuum.

[0096] The force applying device 1304 can apply the force F directly to the contact element 102 (or the continuous sheet 800 in some examples), or to a spacing device or actuator 1308 coupled to the contact element 102 (or the continuous sheet 800), thereby causing the contact elements 102 to change their positions. For example, the spacing device or actuator 1308 can be Fig.14A and 14B The pantograph type actuator shown in , which is also similar to the main body of the scissor-type extension arm. The hinge component 402 is rotatably connected to each end of the X-shaped portion of the actuator 1308 (and the center of the X-shaped portion as shown in the figure), and the hinge component 402 is also attached to the contactor element 102.

[0097] When force F is applied to either the contactor element 102 or the actuator 1308, for example, by pinching or closing the X-shaped portion or diamond-shaped portion between two adjacent X-shaped portions. Therefore, even without using other flexible connecting components such as leaf spring spacers 200 or coil springs 300, the actuator 1308 can maintain equal spacing 104 between adjacent contactor elements 102, or simultaneously and proportionally adjust the spacing 104 in response to the force F applied by the force applying device 1304. In addition, when the actuator 1308 contracts longitudinally (i.e., when reducing the overall volume of the DAC device 100), it extends latitudinally, thereby expanding the contactor element 102 in the longitudinal direction. The actuator 1308 can be made of any suitable rigid material, including but not limited to metal or rigid plastic polymers.

[0098] Controller 1306 may include one or more computing devices having non-transitory computer-readable storage media, processors or processing circuits, and communication hardware. Controller 1306 may be a single device or a distributed device, and the functions of the controller may be performed by hardware and / or processing instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium. Example processors may include, but are not limited to, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or microprocessors including firmware. Exemplary non-transitory computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk storage, electronically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), electronically programmable ROM (EPROM), disk storage, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store processing instructions and data structures and can be accessed by a general or special-purpose computer or other processing device.

[0099] Fig.15 A method 1500 of operating a controller 1306 according to some examples is shown. In step 1502, the controller 1306 receives (one or more) environmental conditions from the sensor 1302, in response to which, in step 1504, the controller 1306 determines the width of the gap 104 of the DAC device 100 based on the sensor input. The (one or more) sensors 1302 may include, but are not limited to, any suitable one or more sensors capable of detecting one or more of: wind speed around or through the DAC device 100, humidity around or within the DAC device 100, and / or a pressure drop (ΔP) between an inlet and an outlet of the DAC device 100. For example, when the wind speed is above a threshold speed, the controller 1306 may determine to increase the width of the gap 104. In some examples, when the humidity is above an upper threshold humidity level or below a lower threshold humidity level, the controller 1306 may determine to change the width of the gap 104 to achieve an optimal gap width, which may be determined based on the adsorption and desorption characteristics of the contactor element 102 used in the DAC device 100. In some examples, when the pressure drop ΔP from the inlet to the outlet of the DAC device 100 is above a higher threshold pressure difference to achieve an optimal gap width or below a lower threshold pressure difference to achieve an optimal gap width, the controller 1306 may decide to change the width of the gap 104 within the DAC device 100 to improve the efficiency of the contactor element 102 in adsorbing and desorbing one or more components in the feed stream 808. In step 1506, the controller 1306 controls the force applying device 1304 based on the determined gap width to implement the desired gap width.

[0100] Fig.16Another method 1600 of operating the controller 1306 according to some examples is shown. In step 1602, the controller 1306 actuates the DAC device 100 to create a space 104 between any two of the plurality of contactor elements 102 aligned relative to each other to promote uniform drying of the DAC device 100 receiving the air flow (or feed flow 808). The DAC device 100 promotes adsorption and desorption of one or more components of the air flow or feed flow 808. In step 1604, the controller 1306 adjusts the plurality of contactor elements 102 to align them with a first direction of the air flow or feed flow 808. In step 1606, the controller 1306 readjusts the plurality of contactor elements 102 to align them with a second direction of the air flow or feed flow 808 while still maintaining uniform drying of the plurality of contactor elements 102, the second direction being different from the first direction.

[0101] In some examples, the air flow or feed flow 808 may change direction over time, such as due to changes in wind direction or other environmental conditions. Therefore, the re-adjustment performed in step 1606 is to accommodate such changes in the environment while still providing the contactor elements 102 with an opportunity to dry in a uniform manner, so that all contactor elements 102 can dry at a relatively equal rate relative to each other, thereby reducing the likelihood that some contactors remain wet and may negatively affect the performance of other contactors.

[0102] In some examples, there may be an additional step 1608 between steps 1604 and 1606, in which the sensor 1302 provides a signal indicating a change in the air flow or feed flow 808 from a first direction to a second direction, thereby allowing adjustment and readjustment based on the sensor measurement results. In some examples, the readjustment of step 1606 can be performed in real time or near real time. That is, the sensor 1302 continuously provides updated measurement data to the controller 1306, so that the position of the contactor element 102 is changed as long as the environmental change is detected (or within a reasonably short time after the environmental change is detected). In some examples, the readjustment can be performed within less than 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or any other suitable range or value therebetween after the environmental change. In some examples, the sensor 1302 can be read or measured within or less than the time interval of 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or any other suitable range or value therebetween.

[0103] In some examples, the real-time adjustment of step 1606 may be performed after the adsorption of one or more components in the air flow or feed stream 808 is completed and before the subsequent desorption of the one or more components in the air flow or feed stream 808 is initiated after the adsorption. Thus, the cycle of adsorption and desorption can be performed continuously and uninterrupted to improve the efficiency of the DAC device 100. As described herein, the adjustment of step 1604 and the readjustment of step 1606 may include changing the spacing 104 between the plurality of contactor elements 102. In addition, as disclosed herein, the DAC device 100 may have an overall volume that can be reduced by reducing the spacing to promote desorption (in the desorption configuration 108) and can also be expanded by increasing the spacing to promote adsorption (in the adsorption configuration 106).

[0104] Advantageously, gas separation by adsorption has many different applications in industry, such as removing specific components from a gas stream, where the desired product can be either the component removed from the stream, the remaining depleted stream, or both. Thus, both trace components and major components in the gas stream can be the target of the adsorption process. An important application of gas separation is the capture of CO2 from a gas stream, such as from flue gases, exhaust (from machinery or engine emissions), industrial waste gases, biogas, or atmospheric air. Atmospheric air is considered a dilute feed stream for CO2. The DAC device disclosed herein can promote more efficient adsorption and desorption processes by reducing energy requirements (by reducing volume), uniformly drying the contactor elements, and promoting continuous adsorption and desorption with minimal downtime.

[0105] Various modifications and additions may be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, although the embodiments described above relate to specific features, the scope of the present disclosure also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the claims, and all their equivalents.

Claims

1. A direct air capture (DAC) device comprising: a plurality of contactor elements aligned relative to one another to promote uniform drying and having a plurality of spaces positioned between the plurality of contactor elements such that each of the plurality of contactor elements defines a contactor volume and each of the spaces defines a spacer volume, The total volume of the DAC device is determined by the contactor volume and the spacer volume, such that the DAC device can be modified to: (a) reduce the total volume of the contactor element to facilitate desorption of one or more components of a feed stream; and (b) increasing the overall volume of the contactor element to facilitate adsorption of one or more components of the feed stream.

2. The DAC device according to claim 1, characterized in that Also included is a plurality of flexible connection members disposed in the plurality of intervals.

3. The DAC device according to claim 2, wherein: The flexible connection member comprises one or more of a hinge member and a spring member which applies a reaction force in response to the total volume being reduced in opposite directions, and optionally wherein the spring member comprises one or more of a leaf spring spacer and a coil spring.

4. The DAC device according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the contactor elements includes a mating surface such that the mating surface of each contactor element forms a nested configuration with respect to the mating surface of an adjacent contactor element when the DAC device is modified.

5. The DAC device according to claim 4, wherein: The mating surface is defined by a plurality of enlarged portions protruding from the surface of the contactor element, so that each of the contactor elements is phase-shifted relative to an adjacent contactor element, or the mating surface is defined by a plurality of surface features formed on the surface of the contactor element, so that each of the plurality of surface features of the contactor element is nested relative to a corresponding one of the plurality of surface features of an adjacent contactor element, and optionally wherein the plurality of surface features include one or more of: wrinkles, corrugations or depressions.

6. The DAC device according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: A housing in which the contactor element is disposed, wherein the housing is modifiable between a first configuration in which the overall volume of the DAC device has a reduced volume and a second configuration in which the overall volume of the DAC device has an increased volume greater than the reduced volume.

7. The DAC device according to claim 6, wherein: The housing includes at least one spacing adjustment component.

8. The DAC device according to claim 7, wherein: The at least one spacing adjustment component is an adjustable housing wall, the housing wall being adjustable to change the overall volume of the DAC device within the housing between the reduced volume and the increased volume.

9. The DAC device according to claim 7, wherein: The at least one spacing adjustment component is a single adjustable divider that divides the interior volume of the housing into: a first volume defining a total volume of the first set of contactor elements, and a second volume defining a total volume of a second set of contactor elements; wherein the first volume and the second volume interact with each other relative to each other such that the divider is adjustable to facilitate any of: increasing the first volume and decreasing the second volume, or The first volume is decreased and the second volume is increased.

10. The DAC device according to claim 7, wherein: The housing includes a flexible frame that can be compressed to change the overall volume of the DAC device, or a first housing component and a second housing component that can be slidably received within the first housing component to reduce the overall volume of the DAC device.

11. The DAC device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: Each of the contactor elements comprises a composite adsorbent material having: (a) an adsorption configuration in which the adsorbent material composite article is arranged to adsorb one or more components in a feed stream, and (b) a desorption configuration in which the adsorbent material composite article is configured to remove the one or more components from the adsorbent material composite article, Wherein, the adsorbent material composite product includes a composite of an adsorbent and a flexible porous material to facilitate the transformation of the adsorbent material composite product between an adsorption structure and a desorption structure, and optionally wherein the adsorbent material composite product can flexibly expand to form the desorption structure, and can flexibly compress to form the adsorption structure.

12. A system comprising: A DAC device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11; a sensor configured to detect an environmental condition; a force applying device configured to apply a force to change a total volume defined by the contactor volume and the spacing volume; and a controller configured to receive the detected environmental condition from the sensor and determine an amount of force applied by the force applying device based on the environmental condition.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein: Also includes: A spacing device is configured to simultaneously and proportionally adjust the plurality of spacings in response to the force applied by the force applying device.

14. The system according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that The environmental condition includes at least one of wind speed, humidity, or a pressure drop between an inlet and an outlet of the DAC device.

15. A direct air capture (DAC) device comprising: case; a continuous sheet of a composite article of adsorbent material disposed within the housing, the continuous sheet having a length modifiable to form at least one rolled portion and an unrolled portion adjacent the rolled portion, the rolled portion promoting desorption of one or more components in a feed stream and the unrolled portion promoting adsorption of one or more components in the feed stream; as well as A plurality of rollers are disposed within the housing and are configured to contact a plurality of different sections along the length of the continuous sheet to modify the continuous sheet to change the configuration of each of the rolled and unrolled portions.

16. The DAC device according to claim 15, wherein: The shell includes a desorption section in which the rolled portion of the continuous sheet is accommodated and an adsorption section in which the unrolled portion of the continuous sheet is accommodated, and optionally, the DAC device also includes a heating device configured to apply heat and vacuum only to the desorption section of the shell.

17. The DAC device according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that: The continuous sheet can be modified to form two rolled portions and an unrolled portion extending therebetween.

18. The DAC device according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that: A portion of the plurality of rollers is configured to modify a section of the unrolled portion of the continuous sheet, straightening and forming a zigzag configuration with a space between two adjacent straightened sections of the continuous sheet.

19. A method of controlling a direct air capture (DAC) device, comprising: actuating the DAC device to form a space between any two of a plurality of contactor elements aligned relative to each other to promote uniform drying of the DAC device receiving an air stream, wherein the DAC device is configured to promote adsorption and desorption of one or more components of the air stream; adjusting the plurality of contactor elements to align with a first direction of air flow; and The plurality of contactor elements are reconditioned to align with a second direction of the air flow different from the first direction while maintaining uniform drying of the plurality of contactor elements.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein Also includes: A signal is provided by a sensor indicative of a change in the air flow from the first direction to the second direction.

21. The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that The reconditioning is performed in real time or near real time, and optionally wherein the real time conditioning is performed after completing adsorption of one or more components of the air stream and before initiating subsequent desorption of the one or more components of the air stream after adsorption.

22. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that The adjusting and re-adjusting includes changing the spacing between the plurality of contactor elements, and optionally wherein the overall volume of the DAC device can be reduced by reducing the spacing to facilitate the desorption, and can be expanded by increasing the spacing to facilitate the adsorption.

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