Enhanced air flow intake into carbon dioxide gas separator

Abstract

An electrochemically-based carbon-dioxide gas separation system includes an energy tower including an internal vertical duct that has an upper inlet open to outside air at an upper end of the energy tower and one or more air outlets at a lower portion of the energy tower. A spray system is mounted adjacent the upper inlet for spraying water droplets into air entering the internal vertical duct, causing the air, and water droplets mixed with the air, to become cooler and denser than the outside air to create a down draft of a humidified air stream within the duct. The humidified air stream flows from the one or more air outlets through one or more electrochemically-based carbon-dioxide gas separation units.

Description

ENHANCED AIR FLOW INTAKE INTO CARBON DIOXIDE GAS SEPARATOR FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to electrochemically based separation of carbon dioxide gas from gas mixtures, and particularly to a system that has enhanced air flow intake into a carbon dioxide gas separator.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] US Patent Application 2021 / 0036350 to Yushan Yan et al. describes an electrochemical pump (ECP) for separating carbon dioxide from a carbon dioxidecontaining gas, such as air. The ECP includes a cell, which has a membrane and two electrodes that are capable of acting as an anode or a cathode. Each of the electrodes independently comprises a charge-storage compound that reacts to form hydroxide when acting as cathode and reacts to consume hydroxide or produce protons when acting as anode. The membrane is adjacent to and separates the two electrodes. A carbon dioxide-containing gas contacts the electrode acting as cathode and the carbon dioxide reacts with the hydroxide ions to form bicarbonate ions, carbonate ions, or bicarbonate and carbonate ions; the bicarbonate ions, carbonate ions, or bicarbonate and carbonate ions are transported to the electrode serving as anode through the membrane; and the bicarbonate ions, carbonate ions, or bicarbonate and carbonate ions react at the electrode acting as anode to form carbon dioxide and water. The ECP also has means for reversing the direction of current flow and simultaneously alternating the electrode with which the carbon dioxide-containing gas is contacted, thereby allowing each electrode to act, in turn, as anode and as cathode.

[0003] US Patent 6510687 to Dan Zaslavsky et al., describes a system and method for the generation of power from flowing air, which since then has been called an “energy tower”. The Zaslavsky patent improves upon an earlier energy tower described in US Patent 3894393 to Carlson (from Lockheed), which describes an air duct leading between two points of substantial difference in elevation and an air turbine within the duct to remove power from the moving air in the duct. Movement of air within the duct is accomplished by an arrangement so that the density of air within the duct is substantially different from the density of air outside the duct. This difference in density causes a pressure gradient which results in air movement in the duct. The airinside the duct is cooled by the evaporation of water so as to increase the density of the inside air.

[0004] The Zaslavsky device utilizes a vertically extending duct having an inlet open to atmosphere at an elevation above an outlet. A spray system is mounted adjacent the inlet for spraying droplets of a predetermined amount of water into the air causing the air and droplet mixture to become cooler and denser than the outside air to create a down draft of fluid within the duct. A power system mounted adjacent the outlet recovers energy from the downdraft of fluid passing through it. The predetermined amount of water sprayed is greater than the amount of water that would theoretically and potentially evaporate in the air throughout the entire elevation over an unlimited time period using fresh water droplets.

[0005] Accordingly, in simple terms, the energy tower is a machine that produces wind. Hot and dry air is cooled within a very large vertical duct which looks like a high and very large diameter chimney. A fine spray of water is introduced across the top inlet to the duct. The water evaporates and cools the air. The cooled air descends because it is denser. It is the opposite of what happens in a regular chimney where hot air rises; instead cold air descends. The descending air can reach a speed of 80 kilometers per hour. In the prior art energy tower, before the air comes out of the bottom of the duct through special openings, it goes through air turbines that run generators for electricity productions.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention seeks to provide a device or a process that separates carbon dioxide from the air while minimizing energy and water consumption, and which has significantly enhanced airflow into the system, as is described more in detail hereinbelow. To reduce the overall energy consumption of the process, the electrochemically-based carbon-dioxide gas separation units are coupled to an energy tower which produces humidified airflow in a highly energy-efficient manner by spraying water at the top (inlet) of the tower. The humidified air at the top of the tower falls and accelerates when approaching the ground, passing laterally at the bottom through tunnels into the core separation units placed around the tower.

[0007] The accelerated air flow into the electrochemically-based carbon-dioxide gas separation units significantly increases the output and efficiency of the system.

[0008] There is provided in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention an electrochemically-based carbon-dioxide gas separation system including an energy tower including an internal vertical duct that has an upper inlet open to outside air at an upper end of the energy tower and one or more air outlets at a lower portion of the energy tower, a spray system mounted adjacent the upper inlet for spraying water droplets into air entering the internal vertical duct, causing the air, and water droplets mixed with the air, to become cooler and denser than the outside air to create a down draft of a humidified air stream within the duct, and one or more electrochemically-based carbon-dioxide gas separation units coupled to the one or more air outlets, wherein the humidified air stream is configured to flow from the one or more air outlets through the one or more electrochemically-based carbon-dioxide gas separation units.

[0009] In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present inventionBRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

[0011] Fig. 1 is a simplified perspective illustration of an electrochemically-based carbon-dioxide gas separation system including an energy tower which outputs air into inlets of electrochemically-based carbon-dioxide gas separation units, in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Fig. 2 is a simplified top view illustration of the electrochemically-based carbon- dioxide gas separation system.

[0013] Fig. 3 is a simplified side view illustration of the electrochemically-based carbon- dioxide gas separation system.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Reference is now made to Figs. 1-3, which illustrate an electrochemically-based carbon-dioxide gas separation system 10, in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] System 10 includes an energy tower 12 (also referred to as cooling tower 12), which may be built, without limitation, in accordance with the energy tower described in US Patent 6510687 or US Patent 3894393, except that in the present invention the energy tower has no turbine or other energy converter. Instead, in the present invention, energy tower 12 includes an internal vertical duct 14 that has an upper inlet 16 open to the atmosphere (outside air) at an elevation. A spray system 18 is mounted adjacent upper inlet 16 for spraying water droplets 20 into air 22 entering the duct 14, causing the air and droplet mixture to become cooler and denser than the outside air to create a down draft of fluid (humidified air stream) within duct 14.

[0016] The water may be fresh water, salt water, sea water or other kinds of water.

[0017] The energy tower 12 has one or more outlets 24 through which the accelerated air can flow. The one or more outlets 24 are coupled to one or more electrochemically- based carbon-dioxide gas separation units 26. Thus, a humidified air stream 25 flows through outlet 24 into unit 26.

[0018] Units 26 may be made, without limitation, in accordance with the electrochemical pump for separating carbon dioxide from a carbon dioxide-containing gas, described in US Patent Application 2021 / 0036350 to Yushan Yan et al. Accordingly, unit 26 may include a cell, which has a membrane and two electrodes that are capable of acting as an anode or a cathode. Each of the electrodes independently comprises a charge-storage compound that reacts to form hydroxide when acting as cathode and reacts to consume hydroxide or produce protons when acting as anode. The membrane is adjacent to and separates the two electrodes. The carbon dioxide- containing gas contacts the electrode acting as cathode and the carbon dioxide reacts with the hydroxide ions to form bicarbonate ions, carbonate ions, or bicarbonate and carbonate ions; the bicarbonate ions, carbonate ions, or bicarbonate and carbonate ions are transported to the electrode serving as anode through the membrane; and the bicarbonate ions, carbonate ions, or bicarbonate and carbonate ions react at the electrode acting as anode to form carbon dioxide and water. The unit 26 may have means for reversing the direction of current flow and simultaneously alternating the electrode with which the carbon dioxide-containing gas is contacted, thereby allowing each electrode to act, in turn, as anode and as cathode.

[0019] The accelerated air flow into the electrochemically-based carbon-dioxide gas separation units significantly increases the output and efficiency of the system.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. An electrochemically-based carbon-dioxide gas separation system comprising: an energy tower comprising an internal vertical duct that has an upper inlet open to outside air at an upper end of said energy tower and one or more air outlets at a lower portion of said energy tower; a spray system mounted adjacent said upper inlet for spraying water droplets into air entering said internal vertical duct, causing the air, and water droplets mixed with the air, to become cooler and denser than the outside air to create a down draft of a humidified air stream within said duct; and one or more electrochemically-based carbon-dioxide gas separation units coupled to said one or more air outlets, wherein said humidified air stream is configured to flow from said one or more air outlets through said one or more electrochemically-based carbon-dioxide gas separation units.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said water droplets comprise fresh water droplets.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said water droplets comprise salt water droplets.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said water droplets comprise sea water droplets.

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