Sorptionsmodul

Abstract

The invention relates to a sorption module (1) with a container (2) in which circular disk-shaped sorbent carriers (11-14) are stacked and surrounded by a container wall (3). In order to improve the sorption module (1) functionally and / or in terms of manufacturing technology, external axial flow channels (6,7) with a flow cross-section that tapers in the axial direction run in a radial direction between the circular disk-shaped sorbent carriers (11-14) and the container wall (3) surrounding the circular disk-shaped sorbent carriers (11-14).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a sorption module with a container in which circular disc-shaped sorbent carriers are stacked, which are surrounded by a container wall.

[0002] International Patent Application WO 2020 / 092272 A1 discloses a DAC module with disc-shaped stacked sorbent carriers and a central flow channel. International Patent Application WO 2018 / 083109 A1 discloses meandering heat exchanger tubes in a sorbent material of a DAC module. International Patent Application WO 2014 / 170184 A1 discloses disc-shaped sorbent carriers with heat exchanger tubes of a DAC module. The German translation DE 697 15 748 T2 of European Patent Application EP 0 820 798 B1 discloses an adsorption vessel having tapered flow cross-sections on outer flow channels.

[0003] The object of the invention is to improve a sorption module with a container in which circular disc-shaped sorbent carriers are stacked and surrounded by a container wall, functionally and / or in terms of manufacturing technology.

[0004] The object is achieved in a sorption module with a container in which circular disk-shaped sorbent carriers are stacked and surrounded by a container wall, in that outer axial flow channels with a flow cross-section that tapers in the axial direction run in the radial direction between the circular disk-shaped sorbent carriers and the container wall surrounding the circular disk-shaped sorbent carriers. The claimed sorption module is preferably a DAC module, where the capital letters DAC stand for Direct Air Capture. The term sorbent is an abbreviation for a sorbent. The container of the claimed sorption module is preferably a vacuum container. The container of the DAC module advantageously serves to remove carbon dioxide from the ambient air. The sorbent carriers are circular disk-shaped or plate-shaped and are stacked one above the other in the container.The individual sorbent carriers can be spaced apart from one another in the axial direction. The circular disc-shaped sorbent carriers are also referred to as sorbent baskets and serve to hold the sorbent or sorbent agent. The circular disc-shaped or plate-shaped sorbent carriers or sorbent baskets serve in the container to increase the surface area for air passing through the sorption module, which comes into contact with the sorbent agent. The axial flow channels arranged between the sorbent carriers and the container wall are also referred to as outer flow channels. The axial flow channels can be connected to one another in the circumferential direction by a common annular cross-section that tapers like a truncated cone in the axial direction. In this respect, the axial flow channels as a whole could also be referred to as an annular flow channel. The container is advantageously pressurized with negative pressure during operation.Therefore, the container can also be referred to as a vacuum container. The disc-shaped or plate-shaped sorbent carriers serve to hold the sorbent and are arranged one behind the other in the vacuum container with their flat sides facing one another.

[0005] A preferred embodiment of the sorbent module is characterized in that the container has the shape of a cylinder. The container wall, which radially surrounds the stacked sorbent carriers or sorbent baskets, has the shape of a right circular cylinder. This creates an annular space in the container between the stacked sorbent carriers and the container wall.

[0006] Another preferred embodiment of the sorbent module is characterized in that the axial flow channels are defined by guide vanes that are angled away from the vessel wall. Thus, the desired tapering of the outer flow channel(s) in the vessel can be achieved with relatively simple manufacturing techniques.

[0007] The guide vanes, also known as air vanes, are advantageously designed and arranged in the vessel in such a way that the air flowing through the axial flow channels is guided along the guide vanes into the axial spaces between the sorbent carriers. This effectively improves the desired sorption effect.

[0008] Another preferred embodiment of the sorbent module is characterized in that the guide vanes are set increasingly steeply against the vessel wall in the axial direction. The desired taper can be varied and adjusted with minimal manufacturing effort by adjusting the angle of attack and / or the length of the air guide vanes.

[0009] A further preferred embodiment of the sorbent module is characterized in that an additional inner axial flow channel, which tapers in the axial direction, runs through central through-holes in the circular disk-shaped sorbent carriers. This allows more air to be easily passed through the sorbent carriers.

[0010] A further preferred embodiment of the sorbent module is characterized in that, in addition to the sorbent carriers, at least one heat exchanger is arranged in the container. The heat exchanger, often also referred to as a heat exchanger, is preferably operated with a liquid temperature control medium. The liquid temperature control medium can be used to temperature-control the container interior with the sorbent carriers as needed. According to a further aspect of the invention, the heat exchanger is advantageously combined with at least one of the sorbent carriers. This allows the DAC module to be functionally improved.

[0011] Another preferred embodiment of the sorbent module is characterized in that the heat exchanger comprises at least one spirally wound temperature control tube for conducting a temperature control medium. This allows a surface or even an interior of a sorbent carrier to be temperature-controlled highly effectively with relatively little effort.

[0012] A further preferred embodiment of the sorbent module is characterized in that the spirally wound tempering tube in the container represents a basic framework for at least one circular disk-shaped sorbent carrier.

[0013] This allows the DAC module to be further functionally improved. If necessary, several or all sorbent carriers can, of course, be combined with a heat exchanger.

[0014] A further preferred embodiment of the sorbent module is characterized in that the spirally wound temperature control tube has a strongly oval to rectangular cross-section. This can, on the one hand, improve the desired temperature control function. The goal is to increase the surface area of ​​the sorbent module in relation to the flow cross-section. Furthermore, design advantages arise if the heat exchanger, as described above, is combined with at least one circular disk-shaped sorbent carrier. To hold the sorbent in the basic structure, the sorbent carrier, into which the heat exchanger is integrated according to a further preferred embodiment, can be provided with notches. The notches then serve particularly advantageously both to enlarge the heat-emitting or heat-absorbing surface that can be realized and to hold the sorbent in the sorbent carrier.

[0015] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in which various embodiments are described in detail with reference to the drawings. They show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a sorption module designed as a DAC in longitudinal section; Fig. 2 a perspective view of a sorbent carrier; Fig. 3 an enlarged detail III from Fig. 1 on average; Fig. 4 the sorbent carrier from Fig. 2 in cross-section with a heat exchanger integrated into the sorbent carrier; Fig. 5 a tempering tube of the heat exchanger made of Fig. 4 in cross section; Fig. 6 shows a further embodiment of how the heat exchanger can be integrated into the sorbent carrier; and the Fig. 7 to 15 further design variants on how the integration of the heat exchanger in the sorbent carrier can be further improved.

[0016] In Fig. Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of a sorption module 1 designed as a DAC module 10 with a container 2. The container 2 is designed as a vacuum vessel. The container 2, designed as a vacuum vessel, comprises a container wall 3, which has the shape of a straight circular cylinder.

[0017] In Fig. 1 On the left, the arrows indicate the medium 4 flowing into the container 2. The medium 4 flowing into the container 2 is air. In the sorption module 1, carbon dioxide is sorbed from the air passing through the container 2 with the aid of sorbent carriers 11 to 14.

[0018] In Fig. 1 On the right, arrows indicate a medium 5 flowing out of container 2. The flowing medium 5 is air from which carbon dioxide has been removed. To achieve the desired sorption effect, the air in container 2 is passed through a sorbent, referred to as sorbent for short, which is contained in sorbent carriers 11 to 14. The sorbent carriers 11 to 14 are also referred to as sorbent baskets because they surround the sorbent and / or hold or carry it in a basket-like manner.

[0019] The sorbent carriers or sorbent baskets 11 to 14 are plate-shaped or circular disc-shaped. Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a sorbent basket 20. The sorbent basket 20 is, for example, one of the sorbent carriers 11 to 14 in Fig. 1. The sorbent basket 20 essentially has the shape of a right circular cylinder with a bottom 22 and a lid 23. Between the bottom 22 and the lid 23 extends a peripheral wall 24 which has the shape of a right circular cylinder shell.

[0020] In Fig. 2, flow channels 6, 7, 8 are indicated, along which the air flows through the container 2. It is important that the flow channels 6 to 8 are in the axial direction, i.e. in Fig. 1 taper from left to right. The flow channels 6 to 8 run axially through the container 2. Therefore, the flow channels 6 to 8 are also referred to as axial flow channels.

[0021] The flow channels 6 and 7 extend through an annular space formed radially between the sorbent carriers 11 to 14 and the container wall 3. Therefore, the flow channels 6 and 7 are also referred to as outer axial flow channels. In contrast, the additional flow channel 8, which extends through central through-holes 16 in the sorbent carriers 11 to 14, is also referred to as the inner axial flow channel 8.

[0022] The flow channels 6 to 8 are in Fig. 1 shown only as an example. In Fig. 1 does not show how the air also passes through the individual sorbent carriers 11 to 14 to enable the desired sorption effect between the air and the sorbent contained in the sorbent carriers 11 to 14. For this purpose, the sorbent carriers 11 to 14 can be provided with a perforation, for example. Such a perforation is shown in Fig. 2 in the lid 23 of the sorbent basket 20 by a hole pattern 26 with a plurality of holes 27, 28.

[0023] The outer axial flow channels 6, 7 are, as can be seen in Fig. 1, is delimited by guide vanes 15, which are angled from the vessel wall 3 of the vessel 2. The length and the angle of attack of the guide vanes 15 result in the desired tapering of the flow channels 6, 7 in the axial direction.

[0024] In Fig. 1 further shows that the outer axial flow channels 6 and 7 form a common annular channel 9, which is radially delimited on the inside by the sorbent carriers 11 to 14. The annular channel 9 is radially delimited on the outside by the guide vanes 15. The axial spacing provided between the individual sorbent carriers 11 to 14 ensures that the air reaches all surfaces of the sorbent carriers 11 to 14.

[0025] According to a further aspect of the invention, the guide vanes 15 are arranged and, as can be seen in Fig. 1, is designed to be partially curved, so that the air passing through the outer axial flow channels 6, 7 is directed into the spaces between the sorbent carriers 11 to 14. This further improves the desired sorption effect.

[0026] The additional inner flow channel 8 runs through the central through-holes 16, which are provided for this purpose in the sorbent carriers 11 to 14. The combination of the inner flow channel 8 with the outer flow channels 6, 7 effectively improves the flow around the surfaces of the sorbent carriers 11 to 14. Thus, the air passing through the container 2 comes into highly effective contact with the sorbent contained in the sorbent carriers 11 to 14.

[0027] The Fig. 2, in a similar manner as the sorbent carriers 11 to 14 in Fig. 1 a central through-hole 25. In addition to the central through-hole 25, the sorbent basket or sorbent carrier 20 is in Fig. 2 is provided with holes 27, 28 arranged in hole pattern 26.

[0028] In Fig. 3 illustrates that the Fig. 2 can be formed from a sheet metal material. In this sheet metal material, which surrounds the sorbent in the sorbent carrier or sorbent basket 20, the holes 27, 28 are advantageously formed by bending tabs 31, which are notched out of the cover 23 designed as a stamped part 30. A corresponding tilt angle is shown in Fig. 3 is designated 32. The tilt angle 32 can be used to adjust the desired air flow into the interior of the sorbent basket 20. In Fig. 4 is shown schematically how a heat exchanger 40 is inserted into the sorbent basket 20 of Fig. 2 can be integrated. The heat exchanger 40 comprises a Fig. 4 tempering medium inlet 41 indicated by an arrow and a Fig. 4 Tempering medium outlet 42 indicated by another arrow.

[0029] The tempering medium enters from the outside through the peripheral wall 24. The heat exchanger 40 comprises a spirally wound tempering tube 43. The heat exchanger 40 allows the sorbent in the sorbent basket 20 to be tempered very effectively.

[0030] In Fig. 5 shows that the temperature control tube 43 of the heat exchanger 40 can advantageously be equipped with flat bodies 44 in order to increase the heat-transferring surface of the heat exchanger 40. The flat bodies 44 are in the Fig. 5 illustrated embodiment is angled in a star shape from the tempering tube 43.

[0031] In Fig. Figure 6 shows how the temperature control tube 43 of the heat exchanger 40 can also be integrated into the peripheral wall 24 of the sorbent basket 20 to form a base frame 45 of the sorbent basket 20. The base frame 45 can be formed, for example, by bending or joining from a suitable sheet metal material. With the help of a few additional stamped parts, the sorbent basket with the integrated heat exchanger can then be completed by joining or spot welding.

[0032] In the Fig. 7 to 15 show various design variants in partially sectioned representations of how the heat exchanger 40 can be integrated into the sorbent basket 20. In Fig. 7, two flat bodies 44 arranged in a plane are angled from the tempering tube 43.

[0033] In Fig. 9 shows how the tempering tube 43 from Fig. 7 can be deformed, in particular flattened, in order to better adapt the heat exchanger 40 to the shape of the sorbent basket 20. In addition, one can see in Fig. 9, how a hole pattern 26 can be realized in the base 22 by means of the bending tab 31, which in Fig. 9 is released from the lid 23 of the sorbent basket 20.

[0034] In Fig. 8 shows a variant in which several temperature control tubes 43 can be used to represent the basic structure 45 for the sorbent basket 20 with the integrated heat exchanger 40.

[0035] In Fig. 10 is a similar heat exchanger 40 as in Fig. 4 alone, i.e. without the sorbent basket 20, shown in plan view.

[0036] In Fig. 11 is a perspective sectional view showing how a sorbent filling 50 is accommodated in the sorbent basket 20 with integrated heat exchanger 40.

[0037] In the Fig. 12 to 15 illustrate how differently and highly functionally notches 52 can be designed to improve an air inlet 53 on the heat exchanger 40 with the temperature control tube 43. Fig. 12 illustrated notches 52 simplify rolling up during the manufacture of the heat exchanger 40, as can be seen in Fig. 13. The air inlet 53 to the sorbent can thus be variably adjusted.

[0038] In Fig. Figure 4 shows a plan view of the rolled-up heat exchanger 40 to illustrate the basic structure 45. The notches 52 can be created by cuts 54.

[0039] In Fig. 15 indicates that the notches 52 can advantageously be designed with a perforation 55 for the desired air inlet. The shape and width 56 of the notches 52 depend on their position in the Fig. 14 shown screw of the heat exchanger 40.

Claims

[1] Sorption module (1) with a container (2) in which circular disc-shaped sorbent carriers (11-14) are stacked, which are surrounded by a container wall (3), characterized by that in the radial direction between the circular disc-shaped sorbent carriers (11-14) and the container wall (3) surrounding the circular disc-shaped sorbent carriers (11-14) run outer axial flow channels (6,7) with a flow cross-section which tapers in the axial direction. [2] Sorption module (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the container (2) has the shape of a cylinder. [3] Sorption module (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the axial flow channels (6,7) are delimited by guide vanes (15) which are angled away from the container wall (3). [4] Sorption module (1) according to claim 3, characterized by that the guide vanes (15) are set increasingly steeper in the axial direction on the container wall (3). [5] Sorption module (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that an additional axial flow channel (8), which tapers in the axial direction, runs through central through holes (16) in the circular disc-shaped sorbent carriers (11-14). [6] Sorption module (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that in addition to the sorbent carriers (11-14) at least one heat exchanger (40) is arranged in the container (2). [7] Sorption module (1) according to claim 6, characterized by that the heat exchanger (40) comprises at least one spirally wound tempering tube (43) for passing a tempering medium. [8] Sorption module (1) according to claim 7, characterized by that the spirally wound tempering tube (43) in the container (2) represents a basic framework (45) for at least one circular disc-shaped sorbent carrier (11-14). [9] Sorption module (1) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized by that the spirally wound tempering tube (43) has a strongly oval to rectangular cross-section.

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