Carbon dioxide capturing device for wind generating set and direct air carbon capturing method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of new energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction, in particular to a carbon dioxide capturing device for a wind generating set and a direct air carbon capturing method, and the carbon dioxide capturing device comprises an air inlet mechanism which is installed in a cabin, is connected with the generating set in the cabin and is used for sucking external air; the air pretreatment mechanism is mounted in the tower, communicates with the air inlet mechanism through a cabin air pipe and is used for removing wastes from air sucked by the air inlet mechanism; the carbon dioxide treatment mechanism communicates with the air pretreatment mechanism through a tower air pipe and is used for adsorbing and desorbing carbon dioxide in the pretreated air; and the flow collecting pipeline is used for conveying the carbon dioxide treated by the carbon dioxide treatment mechanism to the position control mechanism, is electrically connected with the generator set and is used for controlling the air pretreatment mechanism and the carbon dioxide treatment mechanism to work. The technical scheme has the advantages of high energy utilization rate and space saving.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This technical solution relates to the fields of new energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction technology, specifically a carbon dioxide capture device for wind turbine generators and a direct air carbon capture method. Background Technology

[0002] Direct air capture (DAC) technology is a crucial technological approach to addressing rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. However, existing DAC systems generally rely on independent, high-volume wind turbines or wind turbine clusters to provide airflow, resulting in high energy consumption, large footprint, and poor adaptability to marine environments. Meanwhile, the widespread deployment of onshore and offshore wind turbines globally is essentially a highly efficient, large-scale physical process of processing airflow. Wind turbines not only generate clean electricity, but the residual mechanical kinetic energy contained in their rotating components and the vast, unutilized space within the tower allow for functional coupling between the wind turbine and the DAC device. By utilizing the turbine itself or its drive shaft as the driving force for air delivery, the energy consumption of the DAC system can be significantly reduced, along with the additional structural volume and maintenance costs.

[0003] How to utilize wind power for direct air capture is a problem that urgently needs to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this technical solution is to provide a carbon dioxide capture device and a direct air carbon capture method for wind turbine generators. By effectively coupling the wind turbine generator with the direct air capture device, the technical solution solves the problems of high energy consumption and large size in existing systems.

[0005] The purpose of this technical solution is achieved as follows: A carbon dioxide capture device for a wind turbine generator, installed inside the nacelle and tower of the wind turbine generator, includes: The air intake mechanism, which is installed in the engine compartment and connected to the generator set in the engine compartment, is used to draw in outside air. An air pretreatment unit, installed inside the tower and connected to the air intake unit via a nacelle duct, is used to remove waste from the air drawn in by the air intake unit. The carbon dioxide treatment unit is connected to the air pretreatment unit via a tower duct, and is used to adsorb and desorb carbon dioxide from the pretreated air. The manifold is used to position the carbon dioxide conveyor belt produced by the carbon dioxide processing unit. The control mechanism, which is electrically connected to the generator set, is used to control the operation of the air pretreatment and carbon dioxide treatment mechanisms.

[0006] Preferably, the air intake mechanism includes: An air-concentrating shroud is installed at the rear end of the generator set, and the exhaust port of the air-concentrating shroud is connected to the nacelle air duct. An air intake impeller is rotatably mounted on the air-gathering guide shroud and connected to the motor shaft of the generator set; The generator set drives the intake impeller to rotate, thereby drawing outside air into the air-gathering guide shroud.

[0007] Preferably, the air intake mechanism further includes a drive motor, the motor shaft of which is connected to the air intake impeller, and the generator set is electrically connected to the drive motor; The generator set supplies power to the drive motor, which in turn drives the intake impeller to rotate.

[0008] Preferably, the air pretreatment mechanism is connected to a waste discharge pipe, which is placed inside the generator tower and is used to discharge the waste separated by the air pretreatment mechanism to a designated location.

[0009] Preferably, the intake mechanism further includes a clutch mechanism, which is installed between the intake impeller and the motor shaft of the generator set, and is used to control the torque transmission between the motor shaft of the generator set and the intake impeller.

[0010] Preferably, the nacelle duct is made of a flexible material, which allows the nacelle duct to have a certain relative displacement margin to accommodate the deflection of the generator set.

[0011] A direct air carbon capture method based on a wind turbine generator set utilizes a wind turbine generator set with carbon dioxide capture function as described above to capture and store carbon dioxide in the air. The wind turbine generator set includes the following steps: S1. Air intake and guidance: When the generator set is working, the air intake mechanism connected to it rotates at high speed to generate dynamic pressure, which draws outside air into the air-gathering guide shroud. The air-gathering guide shroud concentrates the drawn-in air and sends it through the nacelle air duct into the air pretreatment mechanism inside the tower. S2. Air pretreatment: The air pretreatment unit receives the air delivered from the cabin duct and separates waste from it. S3. Carbon dioxide adsorption: The carbon dioxide treatment unit receives the air pretreated by the air pretreatment unit and adsorbs carbon dioxide onto it. S4. Carbon dioxide desorption and collection: The carbon dioxide treatment unit regenerates the adsorbent by means of heating, vacuuming or humid heat, and collects the desorbed concentrated carbon dioxide into the collection pipeline in the tower. S5. Carbon dioxide transportation and storage: The collection pipeline is connected to the oil pipeline, so that the carbon dioxide collected in the collection pipeline can be transported to the seabed rock layer for injection and long-term storage.

[0012] Preferably, it also includes: system control and circulation, wherein the control mechanism monitors parameters in real time to control the working status of the intake impeller, and can remotely monitor and automatically take protective measures in case of abnormalities. The key and beneficial technical effects of this technical solution compared to existing technologies are: In this technical solution, the air intake mechanism is directly connected to the generator set, and the generator set's own power is used to drive the air intake mechanism. This eliminates the need for an additional power source, and without affecting wind power generation, the remaining power can be utilized, resulting in high energy efficiency and space saving. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after the technical solution in Embodiment 1 is installed on the wind turbine generator set.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the air intake mechanism after it has been installed in the engine compartment according to Embodiment 1 of this technical solution.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of the air pretreatment mechanism after it has been installed on the tower, according to embodiment 1 of the technical solution.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of the carbon dioxide treatment mechanism after it has been installed on the tower, according to embodiment 1 of the technical solution.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the wind turbine generator set in operation according to embodiment 1 of the technical solution.

[0018] Figure 6 This is the control logic diagram for embodiment 1 of the technical solution.

[0019] Reference numerals: 1. Wind turbine; 2. Main shaft; 3. Nacelle; 4. Gearbox; 5. High-speed shaft; 6. Generator; 7. Wind concentrator shroud; 8. Inlet impeller; 9. Nacelle duct; 10. Yaw system; 11. Tower; 12. Tower duct; 13. Air pretreatment mechanism; 14. Waste discharge pipe; 15. Carbon dioxide treatment mechanism; 16. Elevator; 17. Control mechanism; 18. Oil pipeline. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The specific implementation of this technical solution will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] like Figures 1-6As shown, a wind turbine generator set with carbon dioxide capture function mainly includes a tower 11, a nacelle 3, a power generation unit, a wind turbine 1, and a carbon dioxide capture device. The tower 11 is hollow inside and vertically installed on the ground. The nacelle 3 is mainly rotatably installed on the top of the tower 11. The power generation unit is installed inside the nacelle 3. The wind turbine 1 is rotatably installed in the nacelle 3 and is connected to the high-speed shaft 5 of the generator set. The wind turbine 1 has at least two blades. External wind force drives the wind turbine 1 to rotate, and the wind turbine 1 drives the generator set to generate electricity. At the same time as generating electricity, the high-speed shaft of the generator drives the related components of the carbon dioxide capture device to work, and the generator set also supplies power to the carbon dioxide capture device so that it can work normally.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, the carbon dioxide capture device mainly includes an air intake mechanism, an air pretreatment mechanism 13, a carbon dioxide treatment mechanism 15, a collection pipeline, a nacelle duct 9, a tower duct 12, and a control mechanism 17. The air intake mechanism mainly includes a concentrator shroud 7 and an air intake impeller 8. The air intake impeller 8 is rotatably installed inside the concentrator shroud 7, which is installed on the rear outer shell of the nacelle 3. The rear outer shell of the nacelle 3 has an opening, and the concentrator shroud 7 is designed in a cone shape. The cone base of the concentrator shroud 7 can fit the opening at the rear of the wind turbine generator set. The concentrator shroud 7 is installed at the rear of the wind turbine generator set, and a space is left between the concentrator shroud 7 and the rear of the wind turbine generator set for outside air to enter the concentrator shroud 7. The cone tip of the concentrator shroud 7 can gather the incoming air. The nacelle duct 9 is located inside the nacelle 3. Outside air enters through the annular gap between the bottom of the air-concentrating shroud 7 and the outer shell of the nacelle, and flows towards the low-pressure area near the tip of the shroud under the converging effect of the shroud. The air inlet opening of the nacelle duct 9 is directly opposite this low-pressure area to efficiently collect the converged air into the nacelle duct 9, and then the nacelle duct 9 delivers it to the air pretreatment unit 13.

[0023] The air pretreatment unit 13 and the carbon dioxide treatment unit 15 are connected by a tower duct 12 installed in the tower 11. The air inlet of the collection pipe is connected to the air outlet of the carbon dioxide treatment unit 15. The air outlet of the collection pipe can be connected to an external oil pipeline, and then transported to the seabed rock layer for injection, long-term sealing or other storage equipment.

[0024] Combination Figure 6This technical solution directly connects the air intake mechanism to the generator set, using the generator set's power to drive the air intake mechanism. This eliminates the need for an additional power source, utilizing surplus power without affecting wind power generation, resulting in high energy efficiency. Furthermore, the air pretreatment mechanism 13, carbon dioxide treatment mechanism 15, manifold, nacelle duct 9, tower duct 12, and control mechanism 17 are all housed within the tower 11, utilizing the space within the tower 11 without requiring additional space, significantly reducing infrastructure costs. This is particularly suitable for land-scarce areas and offshore wind power scenarios. Simultaneously, the nacelle duct 9 and tower duct 12 form an internal closed flow channel, integrating and linearizing the capture process (air intake-pretreatment-adsorption-desorption). The control mechanism 17 is electrically connected to the generator set. The control mechanism 17 is powered by the generator set and receives the generator set's operating data signals. Based on the real-time operating data of the wind turbine (such as wind speed, power, and vibration), it can intelligently coordinate the operating status of the carbon dioxide capture device (such as adjusting the intake volume and desorption cycle) to achieve linkage optimization of the two systems and improve overall reliability and energy efficiency.

[0025] Combination Figure 1 The air pretreatment unit 13, carbon dioxide treatment unit 15, and manifold are vertically arranged in sequence inside the tower 11, making use of the extra space inside the tower 11. Meanwhile, the control unit 17 is located on the ground or at the bottom of the tower 11. The control unit 17 is mainly responsible for controlling the speed of the air intake impeller 8, measuring and controlling the air duct flow, controlling the timing and displacement of the pretreatment unit and the adsorption-desorption unit, monitoring carbon dioxide delivery parameters, and has remote monitoring and fault protection functions.

[0026] like Figure 3 As shown, the air pretreatment mechanism 13 is connected to a waste discharge pipe 14, which is placed inside the tower 11 of the generator set and is used to discharge the waste separated by the air pretreatment mechanism 13 to a designated location.

[0027] The air pretreatment unit 13 mainly pre-treats the intake air and may include coarse filtration, fine filtration, oil mist / condensable matter separation, and absorption or chemical treatment units to remove components harmful to the adsorbent. The waste liquid and waste gas generated during pretreatment are discharged through the waste discharge pipe 14 and centrally treated. The air pretreatment unit 13 is prior art and will not be described in detail.

[0028] The carbon dioxide treatment mechanism 15 mainly includes an adsorption-desorption module. Designed as a modular, movable housing, it primarily comprises an adsorption chamber and a desorption (regeneration) chamber. The adsorption chamber contains an adsorbent, preferably a solid amine or other reversible adsorption material. Desorption can be achieved through heating, vacuum, or wet heat regeneration methods, recovering some heat energy for preheating or regeneration to reduce energy consumption. Heating is preferably achieved through electric heating, utilizing electricity generated by a wind turbine generator to achieve electro-thermal conversion. The carbon dioxide treatment mechanism 15 mainly uses commercially available products and is considered existing technology, therefore it will not be described in detail.

[0029] The intake mechanism also includes a clutch mechanism, which is installed between the intake impeller 8 and the generator set's motor shaft. This clutch mechanism controls the torque transmission between the generator set's motor shaft and the intake impeller 8, so that the shaft drive can be disconnected when the generator set malfunctions or needs maintenance.

[0030] The nacelle duct 9 is made of flexible material, which gives the nacelle duct 9 a certain relative displacement margin to adapt to the deflection of the generator set.

[0031] Alternatively, the pipeline between the air intake mechanism and the air pretreatment mechanism 13 may consist of two sections: one is the nacelle duct 9 located in the nacelle 3, and the other is the tower duct 12 located in the tower 11. The connection between the two sections is made of flexible components, such as corrugated hoses or rotary joints, to accommodate the angle changes of the yaw system 10 of the wind turbine generator set and to ensure airtightness and weather resistance.

[0032] The adsorption-desorption module is designed as a standardized, quick-assembly and disassembly enclosure. When maintenance or adsorbent replacement is required, it can be moved to the inspection port at the bottom of the tower or to elevator 16 via a relocation mechanism within the tower for removal outside the tower for maintenance. The fluid and electrical interfaces on the module use quick-connect self-sealing connectors for rapid disconnection and connection.

[0033] The optimal shape and materials of the wind-gathering fairing 7 can differ between offshore and onshore wind power. For offshore wind power, composite materials or corrosion-resistant metal materials can be used first and the structure can be reinforced. The tail of the fairing is equipped with an adjustable opening or baffle to optimize the air intake under different wind speeds and yaw angles.

[0034] If no existing oil pipeline 18 is available on site, a newly built tower 11 with a downstream pipeline and near-shore transmission pipeline can be used as a substitute; for onshore wind farms, desorbed carbon dioxide can be collected at a centralized treatment station instead of being injected into the seabed.

[0035] The aforementioned tower 11, nacelle 3, pipelines, etc. are all made of materials that are corrosion-resistant, fatigue-resistant, and weather-resistant to long-term marine / land environments, and are treated with anti-corrosion and heat insulation where necessary.

[0036] like Figure 1As shown, the generator set includes a main shaft 2, a gearbox 4, a high-speed shaft 5, and a generator 6. The impeller 1 is connected to the gearbox 4 via the main shaft 2, and the gearbox 4 is connected to the generator 6 via the high-speed shaft 5. The rear end of the high-speed shaft 5 extends beyond the rear end of the generator 6 and is connected to the intake impeller 8. The connection method can be a coupling. Necessary isolation and safety devices are provided between the intake impeller 8 and the generator 6, including but not limited to a protective cover, an axial positioning mechanism, a clutch or slip device, and a damping or flexible coupling structure to prevent impeller vibration from being transmitted to the generator 6.

[0037] The modular adsorption unit can be designed to be transported out of the tower 11 by elevator 16 and replaced or maintained on the ground or platform, thereby reducing on-site downtime and reducing personnel risks.

[0038] Combination Figure 6 The method for capturing and storing carbon dioxide in wind turbine generators equipped with carbon dioxide capture devices mainly includes the following steps: Step S1: Air intake and guidance - When the wind turbine 1 is working, it generates a wind field. The wind-gathering guide shroud 7 is arranged at the tail of the nacelle 3. The air intake impeller 8 rotates with the high-speed shaft 5 of the generator set. The dynamic pressure generated by the shaft-driven air intake impeller 8 draws outside air into the wind-gathering guide shroud 7 and sends it downward into the tower air duct 12 through the nacelle air duct 9.

[0039] Step S2: Air Pretreatment – ​​Air delivered down through the nacelle duct 9 reaches the air pretreatment unit 13 in the upper part of the tower 11, where particles, oil mist, condensable matter, and components harmful to the adsorbent are removed. Waste liquid / exhaust gas from the pretreatment is then discharged and treated through the waste liquid pipe.

[0040] Step S3: Carbon Dioxide Adsorption – The pretreated air continues to be sent to the carbon dioxide treatment unit 15 in the lower layer of the tower 11. The carbon dioxide in the air is separated by the adsorption-desorption module in the carbon dioxide treatment unit 15. The carbon dioxide in the air is adsorbed using a solid adsorbent (such as amine solids, functionalized porous materials, etc.) filled in the adsorption box. After adsorption reaches a certain load, the module is transferred to the desorption position via a modular shifting mechanism.

[0041] Step S4: Carbon dioxide desorption and collection - The module in the desorption position regenerates the adsorbent by means of heating, vacuuming or wet heat, and collects the concentrated carbon dioxide desorbed into the collection pipeline in tower 11; if necessary, some of the heat energy released by desorption is recovered and exchanged through a heat exchanger to preheat the intake air or regenerate the adsorbent in order to reduce system energy consumption.

[0042] Step S5: Carbon Dioxide Transportation and Storage – The collected carbon dioxide is connected to the oil pipeline 18 via the collection pipeline route and transported to the seabed rock formation for injection and long-term storage. During the transportation process, the control mechanism 17 monitors the pressure, flow rate, and carbon dioxide purity, and uses necessary safety valves and interlocking measures.

[0043] Step S6: System Control and Circulation – The control mechanism 17 uses a basic control cabinet to control the working state of the intake impeller 8, the performance of the pretreatment unit, the shifting and regeneration sequence of the adsorption-desorption module, and the carbon dioxide delivery according to preset strategies and real-time monitoring parameters. Furthermore, the control system supports remote monitoring and automatically takes protective measures in case of abnormalities.

[0044] Example 2 The described solution is a preferred embodiment, in which the air intake mechanism is directly driven by the generator set shaft. As another feasible solution, an independently electrically driven air intake mechanism can also be used, that is, a separate motor is set up to drive it, and the motor is electrically connected to the generator set.

[0045] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of this technical solution. Those skilled in the art should understand that this technical solution is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of this technical solution. Various changes and modifications can be made to this technical solution without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed technical solution. The scope of protection of this technical solution is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0046] It should be noted that the structures, proportions, and sizes depicted in the accompanying drawings are solely for illustrative purposes and to aid those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed herein. They are not intended to limit the implementation of this technical solution and therefore have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to size, provided they do not affect the effectiveness or purpose of this technical solution, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed herein. Furthermore, the terms used in this specification, such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "middle," and "one," are merely for clarity and not intended to limit the scope of implementation of this technical solution. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of the technical solution's implementation.

[0047] It should also be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or may be connected to an intermediary component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or indirectly connected to the other component through an intermediary component.

[0048] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this application is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

Claims

1. A carbon dioxide capture device for a wind turbine generator set, installed inside the nacelle (3) and tower (11) of the wind turbine generator set, characterized in that, include: An air intake mechanism is installed in the engine compartment (3) and connected to the generator set in the engine compartment (3) for drawing in outside air; An air pretreatment unit (13) is installed inside the tower (11) and connected to the air intake unit through the nacelle duct (9) for removing waste from the air drawn in by the air intake unit; The carbon dioxide treatment unit (15) is connected to the air pretreatment unit (13) through the tower (11) duct, and is used to adsorb and desorb carbon dioxide from the pretreated air. The manifold is used to position the conveyor belt carrying the carbon dioxide processed by the carbon dioxide processing unit (15). The control mechanism (17), which is electrically connected to the generator set, is used to control the operation of the air pretreatment mechanism (13) and the carbon dioxide treatment mechanism (15).

2. The wind turbine generator set with carbon dioxide capture function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air intake mechanism includes: A wind-gathering shroud (7) is installed at the rear end of the generator set, and the exhaust port of the wind-gathering shroud (7) is connected to the nacelle air duct (9); An air intake impeller (8) is rotatably mounted on the air-gathering guide shroud (7) and connected to the motor shaft of the generator set; The generator set drives the intake impeller (8) to rotate, thereby drawing outside air into the air-gathering guide shroud (7).

3. The wind turbine generator set with carbon dioxide capture function according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air intake mechanism also includes a drive motor, the motor shaft of which is connected to the air intake impeller (8), and the generator set is electrically connected to the drive motor; The generator set supplies power to the drive motor, which drives the intake impeller (8) to rotate.

4. The wind turbine generator set with carbon dioxide capture function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air pretreatment mechanism (13) is connected to a waste discharge pipe (14), which is placed inside the tower (11) of the generator set and is used to discharge the waste separated by the air pretreatment mechanism (13) to a designated location.

5. The wind turbine generator set with carbon dioxide capture function according to claim 2, characterized in that: The intake mechanism also includes a clutch mechanism, which is installed between the intake impeller (8) and the motor shaft of the generator set to control the torque transmission between the motor shaft of the generator set and the intake impeller (8).

6. The wind turbine generator set with carbon dioxide capture function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The nacelle duct (9) is made of flexible material, which gives the nacelle duct (9) a certain relative displacement margin to adapt to the deflection of the generator set.

7. A direct air carbon capture method based on a wind turbine generator set, utilizing a carbon dioxide capture device for a wind turbine generator set as described in any one of claims 1-6 to capture and store carbon dioxide in the air, wherein the wind turbine generator set comprises: Includes the following steps: S1. Air intake and guidance: When the generator set is working, the air intake mechanism connected to it rotates at high speed to generate dynamic pressure, which draws outside air into the air-gathering guide shroud (7). The air-gathering guide shroud (7) concentrates the air drawn in and sends it through the nacelle air duct (9) into the air pretreatment mechanism (13) in the tower (11). S2, Air pretreatment, the air pretreatment unit (13) receives the air sent from the cabin air duct (9) and separates the waste from it; S3, Carbon dioxide adsorption, the carbon dioxide treatment unit (15) receives the air pretreated by the air pretreatment unit (13) and adsorbs carbon dioxide onto it; S4. Carbon dioxide desorption and collection: The carbon dioxide treatment unit (15) after adsorbing carbon dioxide regenerates the adsorbent by means of heating, vacuuming or humid heat, and collects the desorbed concentrated carbon dioxide into the collection pipeline in the tower (11). S5. Carbon dioxide transportation and storage: The collection pipeline is connected to the oil pipeline (18), so that the carbon dioxide collected in the collection pipeline can be transported to the seabed rock layer for injection and long-term storage.

8. The direct air carbon capture method based on wind turbine generators according to claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: The system controls and cycles, and the control mechanism (17) monitors parameters in real time to control the working status of the intake impeller (8), and can remotely monitor and automatically take protective measures in case of abnormality.

Images