Improved carbon filter system

Abstract

A carbon capture system (10, fig. 1) comprising housing 11 with air inlet 13 and air outlet 14 to allow an airflow to flow through the housing. A carbon capture material 16 housed within the housing is configured to remove carbon dioxide from the airflow. One or more mass sensors 17 contained within the housing are configured to monitor the mass of the carbon capture material. The mass sensor may be coupled to a processor 18 configured to provide an alert when the mass of the carbon capture material matches or exceeds a predetermined threshold. The housing and carbon capture material may be hemicylindrical (fig. 3). The capture material may be contained in cartridge housing 12 which may be configured to rotate so it can be inserted into the housing in two or more different orientations.

Description

The present invention relates to a system and method for carbon capture that may be used in a range of domestic air conditioning appliances, such as HVAC systems, boiler flumes, air conditioners and dehumidifiers. Wherein the system utilises one or more mass sensors to provide reliable feedback regarding the system's saturation. Background Carbon capture is becoming increasingly important, to reduce the carbon dioxide load on the atmosphere. Whilst there are many projects for carbon capture in power plants, and separate carbon capture facilities dedicated to that role. However, around 26 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the United Kingdom, for example, come from households. By way of example, through the use of hydrocarbon fuel, domestic boilers may release around 2.2 tons of carbon dioxide annually. However, boilers are not the only source of carbon emissions within a domestic setting. Therefore, to help reduce the carbon footprint of such domestic settings we would require a carbon capture system that may be implemented within someone’s home. The difficulties that arise in addressing this problem is the need to provide a system that is relatively small compared to those used in factory settings as there will be less space within a domestic setting. There would also be less power available to operate the system meaning the use of a system that requires static charge to capture particles would be impractical as users would not be able to supply or afford the necessary electricity. There is also a question of where this device should be implemented within the domestic setting to help maximise the amount of carbon dioxide captured despite the system's relatively small size. There is therefore a need for a simple and practical solution to enable carbon capture from domestic premises, households and related situations. More preferably the solution would be configured to be retrofitted or otherwise installed into existing appliances that may be present in these domestic premises. Especially, appliances that condition an airflow within the setting meaning that air is drawn through the device as this will increase the volume of air that is processed. These situations provide several challenges; efficient carbon capture substrates and efficient management of the systems given that the average domestic premises does not have a high degree of technical competence or diligence in maintenance. One particular maintenance problem that would need addressing is the need to determine 5 the saturation of the carbon capture system, as the rate of carbon dioxide production can vary drastically between different appliances it can be difficult to determine an accurate rate at which the carbon capture system becomes saturated. Further, as the system becomes more saturated its absorption rate may decrease reducing the efficiency of the system as saturation increases, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the system. Therefore, there is a 10 need to provide a means to accurately monitor the saturation of the carbon capture system. Summary The present invention provides a carbon capture system that can be utilised in a domestic setting. In some cases, the system may be a stand-alone device positioned within the domestic setting such that the air within the setting can passively diffuse through the system to remove carbon dioxide from the surrounding air. In other cases, the system can be installed or retrofitted onto other devices, in particular to either the input or output of a device that is configured to condition the air within the domestic setting such as a HVAC system or dehumidifier. In these cases, the devices are configured to draw an airflow through the device therefore this driven airflow will be forced through the claimed system allowing carbon dioxide to be removed from the airflow. It is noted that as the device draws air in the system can process a larger volume of air for a given time period compared to the passive system. The system may also be coupled to the exhaust of a system or device that will produce large amounts of carbon dioxide in these domestic settings. These devices may include boilers or other heating systems. In these cases, the system will be coupled to the exhaust of the device such that the fumes made from the device pass through the claimed system before being ejected into the domestic setting or its surroundings. As the air is forced through the exhaust the claimed system would again receive more air over a given time frame compared to the passive method allowing more air to be processed. Additionally, this method allows the system to target air that would contain a large amount of carbon dioxide and help prevent this pollutant from being released into the surrounding environment thereby reducing the amount of air pollution generated by the domestic setting devices. The claimed system would comprise a housing containing a carbon capture material. The housing would comprise one or more air inlets and one or more air outlets allowing air to flow through the housing in a path that would pass over or through the carbon capture material such that the airflow will contact the carbon capture material. The carbon capture material would preferably comprise a suitable chemical configured to react with the carbon dioxide present in the airflow such that the carbon capture material will remove the carbon dioxide from the airflow using a chemical or physical process, without the need for heating, electricity or other chemical agents. This way as air passes through the housing the airflow contacts the carbon capture material creating chemical reactions that remove the carbon dioxide from the airflow before the air exits the housing through the outlet. It is noted that the carbon capture material can take on different forms based on the material chosen. However, it is preferable for the carbon capture material to be in the form of an air-permeable solid, either as a block of the carbon capture material or as a suspended matrix of the desired carbon capture material. In either case by using a porous solid for the carbon capture material so that the airflow can pass through the material the surface area over which the carbon capture reaction can occur is increased, thereby increasing the number of reactions that can occur over a given time frame. Some preferable options for the carbon capture material include zeolite, melamine, and their derivatives. Both of these materials provide selective carbon dioxide removal, that is to say, they do not react with the other gases that would be present within the airflow of these appliances. Both are also effective over a range of temperatures, though it is noted that melamine is effective over a wider range of temperatures especially when treated with nitrogen compounds, such as amines like DETA (diethylenetriamine). Both materials are also environmentally friendly and are both regeneratable carbon capture materials that can undergo further processing, be it physical or chemical, to re-release the captured carbon when desired thereby desaturating the carbon capture material. This not only allows the carbon to be used in other processes but also allows the cartridges containing the carbon capture material to be reusable after saturation by desaturating the carbon capture material. As such the user would require fewer cartridges to use the system as the cartridges can be recirculated for use after desaturation. When comparing these two options it is noted that melamine after being treated with amines can function over a wider range of temperatures and humidity levels compared to zeolite allowing melamine to be effective in a wider range of applications. However, it is noted that melamine is more expensive and requires more careful handling, especially during the regeneration process as byproducts of the process may be dangerous and the melamine is more susceptible to being damaged when handled. Based on this it is noted that melamine is the preferable option as the material is effective over a wider range of conditions, allowing the cartridge to be used at more temperatures and humidities compared to other materials. It is also noted that the cost and handling risks are reduced by using the melamine as a replaceable cartridge, as the used only needs to handle the cartridge casing or housing. Also, the cartridges may be recycled and made reusable by processing the used cartridge to remove the captured carbon dioxide thereby reducing the costs of production. The claimed system further comprises a control system configured to monitor the carbon capture material such that the system can determine the saturation of the carbon capture material. In particular, the control system would comprise one or more sensors configured to monitor the carbon capture material, the sensors would provide data to a processor that is configured to compare the values measured by the sensors to a predetermined threshold for the specific carbon capture material being used. When the value meets or exceeds the threshold value, the control system can trigger an alert that the carbon capture material is saturated. The alert may be in the form of an audio and / or visual emitted from the system housing using a suitable component such as a speaker, buzzer, LED or other light source. The system may also be configured to send the alert as a message that can be presented by a display on the housing, a display of the device the system is mounted to or transmitted to the user’s remote devices, such as a computer, mobile phone or remote control, to be displayed on said remote device. It is noted that the system may use different types of sensors to monitor the saturation of the carbon capture material. For example, the system may use gas sensors located at the inlet and outlet of the system housing to monitor the levels of carbon dioxide in the airflow entering and leaving the housing. Using the difference between the two measurements the system can track the amount of carbon being absorbed by the carbon capture system. These measurements not only allow the system to determine the amount of carbon absorbed but can also determine the rate of absorption. From these details, the system may use a predetermined threshold for either the amount of carbon absorbed or a lower threshold for the rate of absorption to determine when the system is saturated. The problem with this method is that it requires multiple sensors to determine the data necessary to determine the saturation, thereby increasing the risk of error and the sensor error would be compounded when the inlet and outlet sensor results are combined and increases the amount of maintenance as both sensors would need to be maintained. Additionally, there will be a need to clear the sensor between measurements which will result in a downtime between measurements resulting in a feedback delay. But the greatest problem is that the results are not a direct measurement instead the saturation is estimated based on the rate or amount of absorption, therefore the measurements of the saturation may be inaccurate. A more preferable option would be to use a mass or weight sensor to determine the level of saturation. More specifically, there would be a known mass difference between the saturated and unsaturated carbon capture material, therefore as long as the volume of the carbon capture material is known the mass of said material as a function of its saturation can be determined. From this derivation, the system can set a threshold for the sensor’s mass readings based on the chosen carbon capture material and the volume of the material used. This method for measuring the saturation of the carbon capture material is preferable as the saturation rate can be determined directly from a single measurement, which can be monitored continuously thereby removing some of the inaccuracy of the gas sensor method described above. Therefore, in the preferable embodiment, the system would comprise a mass sensor within the housing configured to measure the mass of the carbon capture material and monitor the changes in the mass reading to determine the saturation of the carbon capture material. In some cases, the system may use a single mass sensor configured to calculate the mass of the entire volume of the carbon capture material. However, in some cases, the system may comprise a plurality of mass sensors. In these cases, the plurality of sensors may be configured to determine the total mass of the carbon capture material such that the mass can be averaged to provide a more accurate value more the mass of the carbon capture material, this can be especially useful in cases where the mass change between the reacted and unreacted carbon capture material is very small. In other cases, the plurality of mass sensors may be used to monitor different portions of the carbon capture material. It is noted that as the airflow travels through the system, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air decreases as more carbon is absorbed, because of this the carbon capture material closest to the system inlet would receive more carbon than the material closer to the system outlet, as such some sections of the carbon capture material would saturate faster. By using multiple mass sensors, the system can monitor the saturation levels at different sections of the carbon capture material. This not only provides a more precise measure of the system saturation but can also be used to determine the carbon absorption rate across the volume of the carbon capture material. In these cases, the system may be configured to determine that the carbon capture material is saturated once the absorption rate falls below a given threshold as some sections of the carbon capture material may not receive sufficient airflow to become saturated, therefore the rate of absorption may be used instead of the total mass. In some cases, the housing may be configured to allow the orientation of the carbon capture material to be changed relative to the system inlet and outlet. This may include having the carbon capture material within a cartridge or similar housing that will be inserted into the system housing, the user will be able to remove the cartridge and then rotate the cartridge to a new orientation before being reinserted into the housing. In some cases, the cartridge may be rotated within the system housing without the need to remove the carbon capture material from the outer system housing. In either case, the purpose of the reorientation is that the side of the carbon capture material that faces the inlet will receive a larger volume of carbon dioxide relative to the opposing surface, as such the inlet-facing surface will saturate at a faster rate than the opposing surface. This may lead to a situation wherein the side of the carbon capture material facing the system inlet becomes fully saturated resulting in a decrease in the carbon capture process as the volume of the material that is reacting is reduced. Therefore, to maintain a higher rate of carbon absorption the user can rotate the carbon capture material such that a lower saturated side faces the inlet this way the front of the system maintains a higher rate of absorption when the concentration of carbon dioxide in the airflow is at its highest and can ensure reactions occur throughout the volume of the carbon capture material. In regards to the mass sensors, when using a rotatable carbon capture material each sensor can be used to monitor the carbon saturation of different sections of the carbon capture material. In its simplest form, the system would comprise a removable cartridge containing the carbon capture material comprising a front face and rear face that is configured to allow air to flow through the cartridge, wherein the cartridge can be inserted into the housing in one of two orientations with either the front face or rear face facing the system inlet. The housing further comprises two mass sensors with one measuring the mass of the first half of the cartridge, closest to the system inlet and the other sensor measuring the mass of the second half of the cartridge, closest to the system outlet. Each mass sensor would be configured to monitor the mass of their respective section of the carbon capture material and would be configured to produce an alert when their section reaches a predetermined mass threshold. It is noted that the front face would be the first to reach this threshold, meaning the first alert will indicate when the housing with the carbon capture material needs to rotate as the front-facing side will be saturated or near saturated. Once rotated the second alert would indicate when the rear-facing side of the material is saturated. Note that in this case the terms “front-facing” and “rear-facing” refer to the sides that face toward the upstream air inlet and the side facing the downstream outlet in the original orientation respectively. In a two-sensor system, this second alert would indicate to the user that it was time to replace or empty the carbon capture material. However, in a system with more faces to the housing of the carbon capture material the system may be configured to allow further orientations for the carbo capture material with each orientation changing which face is facing towards the air inlet. In these systems, there would be additional sensors one for each of the faces of the carbon capture material. Each sensor would send an alert when its respective face is saturated to or above the predetermined threshold, this way the user will be alerted to when the orientation of the carbon capture material needs to be changed. In these cases, the carbon capture material housing may include a visual indicator such as an LED or marking that switches colour when the alert is triggered, which will indicate which faces are saturated based on the sensor readings. Using these indicators the user can ensure that they change the housing to a new orientation such that the side facing the inlet is not already saturated, this way the user can ensure a better rate of absorption. In these cases, it will only be when an alert is sent from the final sensor would the user be advised to replace the carbon capture material. It is noted that the system may be configured to send a different type of alert, using a different audio or visual alert or sending a different message, when all of the mass sensors are showing reading at or above the predetermined threshold to make it clearer to the user when the carbon capture material needs to be replaced rather than merely reorientated. In some cases, the carbon capture material may be configured to rotate, wherein the cartridge containing the carbon capture material spins within the system thereby constantly changing the material orientation to try and create a more even distribution of carbon throughout the carbon capture material. This system helps to ensure that the carbon capture material saturates more evenly, thereby reducing the effect when sections of the carbon capture material saturate more quickly. The problem with this method is that it would be more difficult to measure the mass of a spinning cartridge, therefore it is preferable to use the cartridge where the orientation is changed manually as described above. Regardless of the number of sensors used, one or more sensors would preferably be housed within the housing containing the carbon capture material such that the sensors can be configured to the specific type of material and the volume of the material used. This way the system would not need to be recalibrated each time the carbon capture material was replaced. Additionally, in cases wherein the carbon capture material can be processed after saturation to desaturate the material, the sensors would monitor the carbon capture material during the desaturation allowing the system to carry out further processing can determine the level of desaturation ensuring the saturation level is below a desired threshold before the cartridge is recirculated. Additionally, the system would not need to provide a mass sensor nor recalibrate the mass sensors when performing this further processing. It is noted that most mass sensors would be configured to be on the base of the housing with the carbon capture material, or a housing containing the material, placed atop the sensors to measure the mass based on the downward force exerted by the carbon capture material. The problem with such an arrangement is that over time the airflow passing through the system may carry other particulates which may build up within the system. This may include dust or other particulate that may build up on the sensor thereby increasing the measured value. In some cases, depending on the device supplying air to the system and the conditions of the environment surrounding the system the air may undergo temperature changes in the system which may lead to condensation forming within the housing, the liquid formed from the condensation may fall to the bottom of the housing wherein it may increase the mass read by the sensor or may get into the sensors and possibly damage the electronics within the sensor. To overcome the problems disclosed above the sensors within the system may be configured to be coupled to the top of the housing with the carbon capture material being suspended from the sensors using a suspending element such as springs or wires, such that the sensors can measure the mass of the carbon capture material based on the downwards force exerted onto the suspending element. This prevents condensation building on the sensor and prevents liquid from said condensation pooling around the sensors reducing the risk of water damage to the sensors. Additionally, in these cases, the carbon capture material housing may include one or more apertures in the base of the housing to allow water and other particulates, such as dust to exit the carbon capture material housing when they fall to the bottom of the system. This allows such particulates to be removed thereby preventing them from affecting the mass sensor reading thereby increasing the accuracy of the system. To further help with this issue the inlet to the system may comprise a filter configured to capture larger particulates before they reach the carbon capture material, it is noted that such filters would need to be air permeable to allow the airflow to enter the system therefore the filter may comprise a fine mesh or air permeable membrane. It is noted that some of the captured particulates may then fall from the filter as such the base of the filer may comprise a tank, trench or other space configured to capture the falling particulate from the filler and contain it in the housing in an area that will not affect the mass sensor readings. In some cases, the system may include a heater. Wherein the heater is configured to warm the air flowing through the system as this will increase the number of collisions between the air and the carbon capture material thereby increasing the chances of the carbon dioxide reacting successfully as it moves through the system. This may help increase the rate at which carbon dioxide is removed from the airflow thereby reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that will exit the system. It is noted that the air would need to be heated before it enters the carbon capture material, as such the front face of the carbon capture material would receive the air at a higher temperature compared to the rest of the material. This gives another reason to use a cartridge wherein the orientation of the carbon capture material can be changed, as the front of the carbon capture material would have a higher absorption rate and therefore would saturate more quickly. In some cases, the heater may be positioned to heat the carbon capture material itself in addition to the air passing through the system. This heater may be used as some carbon capture materials become more reactive at higher temperatures, as the heat excites the particles in the material increasing the probability of a successful reaction occurring when the carbon dioxide in the airflow contacts the heated material this would again increase the rate at which carbon dioxide can be removed from the airflow allowing more carbon to be absorbed for a given time frame. It is noted that the effectiveness of different carbon capture materials may change differently with respect to temperature therefore the heater would be configured to provide the optimal temperature for the specific carbon capture material that is being used. In these cases, the heater may be positioned to cover the base and / or top of the carbon capture material or be positioned near the centre of the material to provide more even heating across the volume of the carbon capture material to help optimise the rate of carbon absorption. It is noted that such a system may also include a cooler coupled to the housing to help cool the heated air before it is ejected from the housing to ensure that the system does not affect the temperature of its surroundings. The system with only a heater may result in heat being ejected into the surroundings which may make the domestic environment uncomfortable to the user. However, it is noted that such a cooler would increase the risk of condensation forming within the housing due to the rapid temperature change. Therefore, the cooling system would preferably be positioned downstream from the carbon capture material above a tank or similar system configured to collect the liquid that condenses in and around the cooler to prevent the liquid pooling in the housing, as such liquid may negatively affect the carbon capture system by blocking the airflow or increasing the mass of the system thereby making the mass reading inaccurate. Even without a cooler, the heated air would still increase the risk of condensation forming within the system as the air begins to cool. Therefore, when using a system with such heaters the housing would preferably comprise a draining system, to extract any water vapour that condenses within the housing. Such draining may simply comprise one or more apertures to allow the condensation to fall through the apertures into a condensation chamber or tank wherein the liquid can be safely stored and removed. In other cases, the draining system may comprise fans and or pumps configured to drive the condensed liquid into the draining system to help reduce the risk of the fluid affecting the carbon capture material and the reading or the sensor. It is noted that this driven draining system can help to keep the carbon capture material dry this is useful as the droplets that condensation on the surface of the carbon capture material can prevent the material from reacting with the airflow. Therefore, the inclusion of a draining system can help improve the effectiveness of the carbon capture system. It is noted that as dry air can improve the effectiveness of the carbon capture system the system may further include a dehumidifier system located before the carbon capture system configured to remove water vapour from the air before it enters the carbon capture system thereby increasing the likelihood of the carbon dioxide in the airflow and the capture material reacting. As previously noted, the carbon capture material is preferably porous to allow the airflow to pass through the cartridge and to increase the surface area over which carbon dioxide can be captured, however, in high humidity environment moisture can build up within these pours blocking sections of the cartridge reducing the effectiveness of the carbon capture material. It is also noted that in some cases, the carbon capture material may react with the moisture in the air again reducing the effectiveness of the material. Therefore, it is preferable to pass dried air through the cartridge to help increase the amount of carbon dioxide that is captured by the claimed device. The dehumidifying system may comprise a channel through which the airflow travels with cooling elements coupled to the channel to lower the temperature of the airflow causing the water vapour within the air to condense. It is also noted that the channel through the dehumidifier system would preferably comprise a channel with a narrower section downstream from the inlet, and may also include a fan to draw more air into the channel, both are configured to increase the pressure of the air within the channel. When the airflow has a higher pressure, it helps to increase the number of chemical collisions between the airflow and the carbon capture material thereby increasing the probability of the carbon dioxide reacting with the capture material. It is also noted that the increased pressure created by this narrower section can increase the volume of air passing through the dehumidifier over a given time. This narrow section of the channel may be located upstream from both the condenser system and the carbon capture system to increase the airflow through both systems to help increase the amount of water and carbon removed respectively. In some cases, the system may comprise a heat exchanger coupled to the channel, such as one or more Peltier units configured to simultaneously cool the air before the dehumidifier system while also heating the air entering the carbon capture system. This way the temperature of the airflow through the channel can be optimised for each of the capturing systems to optimise the amount of water and carbon dioxide removed from the air passing through the dehumidifier. It is noted that some dehumidifiers have built-in heating and cooling systems, as described above these systems are configured to cool the airflow before entering the dehumidifying system and then reheat the air before it exits the outlet of the dehumidifier, so as to not alter the ambient temperature within the surroundings. In such a system the carbon capture material can simply be positioned between the heating system and the air outlet without the need for any further modifications. Some dehumidifiers are configured to have a temperature control system, wherein the system is configured to alter the temperature of the air that is ejected from the outlet of the dehumidifier to a desired temperature. In these systems, the airflow may follow different paths through the dehumidifier housing to create the desired temperature such as circulating the heating or cooling elements multiple times until the desired temperature is reached. In these systems, the airflow may follow an initial path passing through the cooling system before dehumidifying, and then through the heating system before undergoing carbon capture, after this, the airflow can be recirculated to either the heating or cooling system, this may be the same heating or cooling system used earlier or a separate larger system that can achieve a wider range of temperature. In either case, the processed airflow may be cycled through the heating or cooling system multiple times before being released to the outlet. As previously noted, it is preferable for the air to be heated at least once before passing through the carbon capture cartridge to maximise the amount of carbon dioxide being removed. If the air is being heated to a temperature above the ambient temperature the heater air may be passed through the carbon capture material multiple times as it circulates the heating system, and / or when the heated air is redirected towards the outlet. As previously noted, the claimed system can be used as a stand-alone device wherein the housing is placed within the domestic setting wherein the air from the surroundings can passively diffuse into the housing to reach the carbon capture material. In some cases, the housing may include a fan position proximate to the inlet and / or outlet of the housing. Wherein the fans are configured to drive the airflow through the housing in a specific direction thereby ensuring the airflow through the housing travels from the inlet to the outlet. It is noted that such fans are more necessary when the system is coupled to another device as the other devices will be configured to have the airflow through the device in a specific direction, and therefore the system fan can help to drive the airflow in the desired direction and can prevent the system from blocking the inlet or exhaust of the coupled device. Such devices in a domestic setting may include a dehumidifier or other air conditioning device. The system may also be coupled to the exhaust of a boiler or other heating system that burns fuel to reduce the amount of air pollution released by such systems. It is also noted that the carbon capture system described above is size scalable, allowing the user to use different-sized systems for different purposes. As such the housing of the system can be rescaled to meet the requirements to couple to any other system. In some cases, the system may comprise different housings with different sizes and attachment features to allow the housing to be coupled to any desired device. It is noted that these different-sized housings may be supplied with different carbon capture cartridges that match the shape of the housing. In some cases, a single housing may be configured to receive multiple cartridges to ensure the full volume of the housing is used even when the carbon capture cartridge size is standardised. In these cases, the system would comprise separate mass sensor systems for each cartridge in the housing to allow the saturation of each cartridge to be monitored separately. By using the above system, the user can easily remove carbon dioxide pollutants from the air within a domestic setting with the claimed system providing improved monitoring of the system saturation to ensure that the carbon capture process retains a higher effectiveness over time. Detailed Description The present invention is depicted in the following figures: Figure 1 - depicts an example of the carbon capture cartridge used in the claimed invention Figure 2 - depicts a cross-section of the cartridge in Figure 1. Figure 3 - depicts a blown-up view of a hemicylindrical carbon capture cartridge. Figure 4 - depicts a cross-section through the cartridge shown in Figure 3 illustrating airflow. The Figures comprise the following features, please note that like features are indicated with like reference numerals: 10- carbon capture system 11- housing, preferably with perforated outer surface 12 - carbon capture cartridge 13 - housing air inlet 14 - housing air outlet 15 - housing handle 16 - carbon capture material 17 - weight sensor 18 - processor 19 - inlet aperture 20 - arrows indicating airflow The claimed invention relates to an improved system for air purification by providing a means to remove carbon dioxide from the air within a domestic setting. In particular, the claimed system provides a cartridge containing carbon capture material that can be installed into a housing to form a passive air purifier or housing configured to be coupled to an appliance within the setting, removing carbon dioxide from the air that flows through the appliance. It is noted that the cartridge is configured to be replaceable, allowing the user to remove a saturated or damaged cartridge and replace it with a new cartridge as necessary. It is noted that depending on the material the used cartridges may undergo a separate process, which may be physical and / or chemical, to remove the captured carbon thereby desaturating the cartridge to allow the same cartridge to be reused. The claimed invention further provides a means to monitor the saturation of the carbon capture cartridge allowing the user to accurately determine when the cartridge needs to be replaced, this will allow the user to better maintain the system and help to ensure that the system is always working effectively allowing more carbon dioxide to be removed. Figure 1 depicts a preferred embodiment of the claimed carbon capture cartridge 10. In this example, the system comprises an outer housing 11, which will container the carbon capture cartridge 12. The housing comprises an air inlet 13 and air outlet 14, the inlet 13 and outlet 14 may comprise one or more apertures, or perforations, on opposite sides of the housing 11 thereby creating a pathway through which air may enter and leave the housing 11. In some cases, the housing may also comprise one or more fans located proximate to the inlet 13 or outlet 14 to drive the air through the housing 11 in a desired direction to increase the volume of air passing through the housing over a given time frame, thereby allowing more air to be purified in a given time. The inside of the housing 11 would be configured to receive one or more cartridges 12 containing carbon capture material. The cartridge 12 will be positioned between the inlet 13 and outlet 14 such that the cartridge is located in the path of the air passing through the housing 11. This way the air must pass through the cartridge 12. When the air passes through the cartridge 12 it will contact the carbon capture material allowing the material to react with the carbon dioxide present in the airflow. The carbon capture material may take different forms such as a solid block or suspended fluid, preferably with perforations to allow air to travel through the material to increase the reacting surface area, the carbon capture material may also be in the form of a form or a liquid contained with a suitable air permeable material. It is noted that in some cases, the carbon capture material may be housed in a secondary housing to contain the carbon capture material, especially if it is in a liquid form. This secondary housing would also comprise apertures or perforations to allow air to travel through the housing such that the air will pass through the carbon capture material. The cartridge 12 may also comprise an air-permeable membrane to contain the carbon capture material while still permitting air to pass through the cartridge 12, this membrane may be in place of or in addition to the secondary housing. The cartridge may also comprise a particulate filter that covers the outside of the cartridge 12 to prevent particulates such as dust from building inside or near the carbon capture material thereby preventing the particulate from affecting the readings of the mass sensors. Some preferable examples of carbon capture materials that may be used in the cartridge 12 include zeolite, melamine, and their derivatives. Both of these materials provide selective carbon dioxide removal, that is to say, they do not react with the other gases that would be present within the airflow of these appliances. Both are also effective over a range of temperatures, though it is noted that melamine is effective over a wider range of temperatures especially when treated with nitrogen compounds, such as amines like DETA (diethylenetriamine). Both materials are also environmentally friendly and are both regeneratable carbon capture materials that can re-release the captured carbon when desired this not only allows the carbon to be used in other processes but can also allow the cartridges to be reusable after saturation. It is noted that the housing 11 as described above may be used as a stand-alone air purifying device. In these cases, the user will simply position the system 10 somewhere within a domestic setting allowing the surrounding air to passively move through the housing 11. In other cases, the housing 11 may be configured to be coupled to another appliance, specifically devices that would condition the air, such as a dehumidifier or air conditioner unit, or appliances that release gaseous pollutants, such as a boiler or heater. In these cases, the housing 11, may be configured to fit within the housing of the appliance somewhere within the airflow pathway that travels through the appliance. Alternatively, the housing 11 may be configured to couple to the inlet or outlet of the other device thereby purifying the air entering or leaving the other appliance. The latter is preferable as it would allow the housing to have a larger volume allowing it to contain more carbon capture material. This not only allows more carbon dioxide to be removed in general but also increases the amount of time the system would be active before the cartridge 12 becomes saturated thereby reducing the number of times the cartridge 12 would need to be replaced over the appliance's operational lifespan. Further to the parts depicted the claimed system will also comprise one or more sensors. These sensors are configured to provide feedback indicating the saturation of the carbon capture material. It is noted that there are different sensors that may achieve this effect, for example, the housing inlet 13 and outlet 14 may comprise a gas sensor which samples the airflow determining the amount of carbon present. Then by comparing the values from the two sensors the system can estimate the amount of carbon being removed by the cartridge or may use the difference in the reading to determine the rate of absorption. The system may then use these values to determine the total amount of carbon absorbed, and the effective absorption rate for the cartridge 12, when this value reaches a predetermined threshold, the system will send an audio and / or visual alert to indicate that the cartridge 12 needs replacing. The problem with this approach is that it relies on estimations, through the use of extrapolation to determine the saturation levels which may provide inaccurate results. Therefore, it would be preferable to use a sensor that could measure the saturation level of the carbon capture material directly. To this end the claimed system preferably comprises one or more mass sensors, these sensors may be coupled to the housing 11 or cartridge 12 and will be configured to measure the mass of the carbon capture material, or the cartridge 12 containing the material. For there will be a known mass difference between the reacted and unreacted carbon capture material, therefore for a given volume of the chosen carbon capture material the mass difference between a completely unsaturated volume and a completely saturated volume would be known. Therefore, by comparing the measured mass from the sensors to the initial mass the percentage of material that has reacted can be determined thereby allowing the saturation of the cartridge to be determined more accurately. The system may comprise multiple mass sensors such that the system may use the average value when determining the saturation of the carbon capture material to provide a more accurate reading. In addition to the above-mentioned sensors, the housing 11 may comprise a processor configured to analyse the readings from the sensors to determine the current saturation and to compare the determined value to the predetermined threshold for the specific carbon capture material and material volume. It is noted that such processing units may form part of the sensors rather than separate units. Housing 11 would also comprise an alerting means which is coupled to the processor, such that the alerting means can provide an alert to the user indicating when the saturation level is at or above the predetermined threshold, the alert is therefore indicative to the user that the cartridge 12 is ready to be replaced. In some cases, the cartridge may be configured to change orientation within the housing 11, for example, the user may be able to rotate the cartridge 12 or remove the cartridge 12 and replace it in the housing with a different facing, such as rotating the cartridge 12 by 180 degrees such that the side of the cartridge 12 that was facing the outlet 14 at the rear of the housing 11 is now facing the inlet 13 at the front of the housing 11. This feature may be used because as the airflow moves through the cartridge 12 the amount of carbon present in the air decreases. As such, the front-facing side of the carbon capture material is likely to saturate at a faster rate than the rest of the material, once it is saturated or near-saturated the efficiency of the system will decrease as the length or area of material that is absorbing carbon decreases, which may result in more carbon dioxide escaping through the system. Therefore, by rotating the carbon capture material the user can more evenly distribute the carbon being absorbed allowing each section of the carbon capture material to saturate at a similar rate. This will ensure that the saturation rate for each section of the material rises slowly compared to the single side that always faces the inlet 13, thereby allowing each section to remain active for a longer period of time. This way the rate at which carbon is removed from the airflow is more consistent over time allowing more carbon to be removed from the airflow and reducing the risk of carbon dioxide escaping into the surroundings. In cases wherein the cartridge 12 can be inserted in different orientations, the system may comprise multiple mass sensors, wherein each sensor monitors the mass for a given section of the material. Wherein the processor would be configured to use the individual sensor reading to determine the saturation of a specific section or face of the carbon capture material and would be configured to combine the readings to determine the overall saturation of the material. In some cases, each face or section may comprise a plurality of mass sensors such that the system can average each group of sensors to provide a more accurate reading for each section. In these cases, the processor may be configured to provide multiple alerts, a first alert would indicate that a specific side of the cartridge is saturated past a first threshold, indicating that the user should rotate the cartridge 12, the cartridge may comprise a light or other visual indicator to highlight which sides of the cartridge 12 are saturated to ensure the user rotates the cartridge to position an unsaturated side downstream, towards the inlet 13 where the carbon levels will be higher. The processor may then be configured to provide a secondary alert that is indicative that the total saturation level meets or exceeds a second threshold, this second alert is an indicator to the user that the entire carbon capture material is ready to be replaced. It is noted that in cases where the cartridge 12 indicates the saturated side there may be no need for a second distinct alert for total saturation as the indicators would show the user that all the sides are saturated. It is also noted that for cartridges with multiple orientations, beyond two, the system would be configured to send an alert each time the downstream side of the cartridge 12 is saturated beyond the first threshold, it would then repeat this process sending an alert for each orientation before sending the secondary alert for the total cartridge saturation. As previously noted, that system would be configured to provide alerts when the saturation levels meet or exceed a predetermined threshold. Therefore, the housing 11 would also comprise a means of sending such alerts. This alert means may comprise any suitable elements configured to send an audio and / or visual alert. For example, the alert element may comprise an LED or similar light source which may turn on or change colour to indicate the alert, the alert element may also comprise a marking or indicator configured to change appearance, such as changing colour or design when the alert is triggered. The alert element may comprise a buzzer, speaker or similar device configured to make an audible sound when the alert is triggered. In cases wherein the processor is configured to send a first and second alert the alert elements for each alert may be different so that the audio or visual alert for the whole cartridge being saturated differs from the alert indicating that one side is saturated. The alert element may also comprise a transmitter configured to send the alert to a remote device, the remote device may include a remote-control unit, wireless monitoring device or a mobile device of the user such as a mobile phone, laptop, tablet, or the user’s computer. In these cases, the transmitter would send a signal to the remote device via wireless communication channels, wherein the signal would cause the device to display an alert message, which may be in the form of a text message or an icon indicating that the cartridge is saturated or needs to be reorientated. In some cases, the alert may cause the remote device to send an audible alert, either in place of or in addition to, the visual alert. As with the previous example, the alert may be different for the first alert indicating that one section of the carbon capture material is saturated, and the second alert indicating the entire carbon capture material is saturated. Figure 2 depicts a cross-section of the carbon capture system 10 depicted in Figure 1. This cross-section depicts the carbon capture material 16 housed within the cartridge housing 12 that is inserted into the outer housing 11. The outer housing 11 and cartridge housing 12 comprise apertures, or perforations, that allow air to flow through the housings such that the airflow contacts the carbon capture material 16. It is noted that the system may comprise a filter or membrane positioned between the cartridge housing 12 and the outer housing 11 such that the filter will prevent particulates in the airflow, such as dust and water droplets from reaching the carbon capture material 16. As such particulates may increase the readings of the mass sensor or coat the surface of the carbon capture material preventing it from reacting. Therefore, the filter may comprise a sufficiently fine mesh or air-permeable membrane would be positioned to capture such particulates. It is noted that the particulate would eventually build to a point where it will fall from the surface of the filter, therefore it is preferable for the filter or the housing 11 to comprise a tray, tank or other area configured to collect and contain the falling particulate in a portion of the housing where it may be collected away from the carbon capture material 16 and mass sensor 17, this area may be configured to open or be removable such that the user may removeO. The collected particulate from the housing 11. The figure also depicts an example of the mass sensing system, in this case, there is a mass sensor 17 positioned below the cartridge to measure the mass of the cartridge 12, and at the top of the housing, 11 is a processor 18 that would be in communication with the sensor 17. In some cases, the mass senor 17 and processor 18 may be contained in a single unit rather than being two separate elements. The processor 18 is configured to analyse the data from the mass sensor 17 to determine the saturation of the carbon capture material 16 and to send alerts to the user when the saturation reaches the pre-determined threshold. In some cases, the cartridge 12 would be standardised using a specific volume of a chosen carbon capture material for the specific housing 11, wherein the mass sensing system will be calibrated for the standardised cartridges. In other cases, there may be different types of cartridges that can be inserted into the housing, such as scented cartridges or cartridges that use different carbon capture materials that are optimised for different climate conditions, such as different temperatures and humidities. In such cases, the cartridge 12 may include an indicium such as a bar code, which can be scanned or otherwise detected by the processor to determine the metrics of the inserted cartridge 12, the metrics including data such as the type of carbon capture material 16, the volume and starting mass of the material 16 and the expected mass when the material 16 is saturated, using the metrics the processor can recalibrate the stored thresholds. The cartridge 12 may comprise a communication element, such as a chip or microprocessor, which can communicate with the processor 18 to communicate the cartridge metrics and allow the processor 18 to recalibrate the threshold to the specific material and volume used in the inserted cartridge 12. In the depicted example the sensor 17 and processor 18 are part of the outer housing 11, however, in some cases, the elements may be part of the cartridge housing 12. By making the sensor system part of the cartridge the sensor can be configured for the specific type and volume of carbon capture material 16 used in the cartridge to ensure the sensor 17 provides an accurate reading of the cartridge’s saturation. This may also be useful in cases wherein the cartridge can be recycled by using a further process to desaturate the carbon capture material 16 in a safe location away from the domestic setting. When such processes are performed the mass sensor can be used to determine the desaturation rate without the need to recalibrate the sensor to the specific cartridge. It is noted that when using a mass sensor as depicted in the example there is a risk that moisture or another particulate within the cartridge may fall onto the sensor 17. This particulate may build up on the sensor affecting the sensor’s reading. As previously noted, the system may use filters to try and remove such particulate but when the sensor 17 is part of the housing 11, there may still be a risk of the particulate in the filter falling onto the sensor additionally such particulates may enter the housing when the cartridge 12 is being replaced. To prevent this in the preferred embodiment of the claimed system the mass sensor 17 would be located above the cartridge 12. In these cases, the cartridge housing 12 or carbon capture material 16 may be coupled to the mass sensor via a suspending element, such as a spring or wire, wherein the mass sensor is configured to determine the mass of the carbon capture material 16 based on the downward force exerted onto the suspension element. This would allow any particulate that enters the cartridge to fall to the bottom of the housing 11 without affecting the mass readings thereby providing a more accurate reading for the cartridge saturation. Figure 3 depicts a blown-up view of an example carbon capture system 10. In this example, the carbon capture material 16 is a solid block thereby removing the need for a separate cartridge housing 12 to contain the material. It is noted that when the carbon capture material is solid, the block of material is preferably air permeable or would comprise channels or perforations through the block to increase the surface area in contact with the airflow passing through the system 10. This may make it easier for the user to remove the carbon capture material as they would not need to align and decouple the cartridge 12 there would also be little to no risk of the carbon capture material 16 leaking from the housing 11. The depicted example also shows how the housing 11 may be opened when changing the carbon capture material 16 or cartridge 12 by opening one side of the housing 11 to allow access to the interior of the system. In this case, an entire side of the housing 11 opens in some cases a side of the housing 11 may partially open rather than be complexly removed to create an opening for inserting and extracting the carbon capture material. Additionally, the opening side of the housing 11 may comprise hinges or similar rotatable joints to allow the side of the housing to open while still being coupled to the rest of the housing to reduce the risk of the removable side of the housing 11 from being separated from the rest of the housing reducing the risk of the user losing the removable side. The depicted example also shows the housing 11 containing a pair of mass sensors 17. It is noted that the system may comprise a plurality of mass sensors. In some cases, when there are multiple sensors 17, the processor 18 is configured to average the readings from each sensor to provide a more accurate reading for the carbon capture material mass, as the averaged value would help to remove noise from the measured value, this may also reduce any errors in the measured value such as zero set error and other equipment errors in the sensor devices. In other cases, each sensor would be configured to monitor the mass of different sections of the carbon capture material 16. For example, in the depicted embodiment the block of carbon capture material is relatively large, therefore multiple sensors may be required to determine the mass due to the relatively small size of the sensors, in this case, the processor may combine the sensor reading to provide a value for the total mass of the carbon capture material 16. In cases wherein the housing 11 contains multiple cartridges 12, the housing 11 may comprise a separate mass sensor 17 for each of the cartridges 12. In some cases, the cartridges 12 may be configured to be inserted into the housing 11 in different orientations. For example, the cartridge 12 may be inserted in a first orientation with a first face directed towards the inlet 13 and a second face directed towards the outlet 14, then the user may remove the cartridge 12 flip it over and reinsert the cartridge 12 such that the location of the first and second faces are inverted such that the second face is now directed towards the inlet 13, in some cases the cartridge 12 may be configured to be rotatable within the housing 11 again to change the side of the carbon capture material facing the inlet 13. It is noted that the cartridge 12 may comprise additional faces and be configured to have further orientations in which different faces are directed towards the inlet 13. This feature is useful as the concentration of carbon dioxide in the airflow should be higher at the system inlet 13 than at the system outlet 14. As such the side of the carbon capture material 16 facing the inlet may saturate at a faster rate than the rest of the material 16, and when one side has become saturated the efficiency of the carbon capture system is reduced as there would now be a smaller volume over which the carbon dioxide is being absorbed. Therefore, by regularly rotating the cartridge 12 or material 16 the user can more evenly distribute the carbon within the material 16 thereby allowing all sections of the material 16 to saturate at a similar rate to improve the consistency of the carbon removal rate. In cases where the cartridge 12 or material 16 can be reorientated, the system may comprise separate mass sensors 17 configured to monitor the mass and saturation of specific sections of the material 16 such as the area around each face that would be directed towards the inlet for each orientation. In this system, the processor would be configured to monitor each sensor reading to determine the saturation of each section of the material 16. This way the processor can determine when the user should rotate or reorientate the carbon capture material 16 by sending an alert to the user whenever one of the sides becomes saturated above a predetermined threshold. It is noted that the alert indicating that a section has become saturated may be different to the alert indicating that the whole material 16 is saturated above a second predetermined threshold. It is also noted that the cartridge 12 containing the carbon capture material may include a visual indicator such as a light or indicium that will change to indicate which sections are now considered saturated so that the user can ensure they reorientate the material 16 correctly to place an unsaturated section closest to the housing inlet 13. Figure 4 depicts a cross-section of the hemicylindrical housing 11 shown in Figure 3, the image comprises arrow 20 indicating the direction of the airflow through the system. It is noted that the example system shown is preferable to use in combination with other appliances, such as dehumidifiers, HVACs or boilers, wherein the inlet 13 comprises an aperture that would be coupled to the exhaust of the appliance receiving warmed processed air from the appliance. It is noted that the depicted example would be scaled down to more easily couple to such appliances in a domestic setting, for example, the depicted system may comprise a housing 11 with a radius typically no more than 45 cm, preferably between 15 and 30 cm. provides carbon capture scavenging with optimal efficiency. The importance of these general dimensions and the warming of the air is that as the air inlets the cartridge through the inlet 13 by means of aperture 19 the air is high in carbon dioxide and is warm. Therefore, in portion A of carbon capture material 16 there is a relatively high airflow and warm temperature. Carbon dioxide absorption is therefore relatively high. As this initial region becomes saturated then absorption takes place more significantly in portion B of the carbon capture material 16. Here the air is cooler and is travelling less quickly and this combination together with a larger volume of carbon capture material means that carbon capture remains effective even though the air is cooler as the flow is lower and a larger volume is present. Similarly, when portion B is becoming used portion C becomes active and here, yet again, airflow is lower, yet more carbon capture material is present and temperature is again lower. The reduction temperature is relevant because domestic appliances exiting warm air are doing just that, exiting warm are not particularly hot air and do so with a relatively high surface area, because of the size of the cartridge therefore there is a significant potential for cooling of the air as it goes through the cartridge, which affects absorption efficiency, without the need to reorientate the carbon capture material. This feature of the invention is combinable with weight sensor 17 with optional feedback such that the airflow is moderated through the Hemi cylindrical cartridge in proportion to its usage. I.e. airflow is reduced as the cartridge becomes saturated. However, the hemi cylindrical cartridge reduces the need for this even though it can further improve efficiency. It is also noted that the hemi cylindrical cartridge is more space effective than a hemispherical cartridge, which in principle would make the effect even greater but in that instance the surface area for heat loss is lower and, in domestic environments the service area is typically not available to be placing large hemispherical objects. For example, with HVAC this would lead to a reduction in ceiling height, with the boiler this would require a large external surface wall area and with the dehumidifier, it would lead to a device which would be difficult to accommodate, as a shape, in the norm of conventional domestic equipment (absent a large external box which would defeat the space efficiency). This feature of the present invention / invention in its own right is therefore of improved efficiency and optimal use in presenting, in particular, a cartridge for carbon capture. As mentioned, the temperature of the airflow through the carbon capture material 16 can affect the rate of carbon capture, similarly, the temperature of the carbon capture material itself can also change the reaction rate of the material. Typically, the optimum temperature to provide the highest rate of reaction for the carbon capture process is above room temperature but may be different for different materials as sufficiently high temperatures may break down the chemical structure of the chosen material. Therefore, the system 10 may be configured to control the temperature of the airflow and or material 16 to optimise the carbon capture rate. In particular, the system may comprise a heating element such as a simple heater within the housing configured to heat the carbon capture material 16 or the air entering the material 16 to a desired temperature to increase the rate of reaction in the carbon capture process. It is noted to optimise the effects of the heating the air is preferably heated before entering the material 16 therefore the heating element may be placed between the inlet 13 and the material 16. It is also noted that as the air travels through the material it may lose heat reducing the temperature of both the air and the surrounding material 16 therefore the system may comprise a heater positioned proximate to the centre of the material 16 or cartridge 12 to even heat the material 16 and ensure the airflow maintains a desired temperature as it travels through the system. In the preferred embodiment, the system may comprise a large heating element or multiple smaller heating elements such that the system can heat both the air entering the material 16 and the material 16 itself. In these embodiments, the processor 18 would be configured to control the one or more heating elements, ensuring that the heating elements are at a sufficient temperature to heat the air to the desired temperature. In these cases, the processor may comprise one or more temperature sensors to ensure that the airflow and / or the carbon capture material 16 is at the desired temperature. The temperature sensors can also provide feedback allowing the processor 18 to monitor the temperature such that the heating elements may be adjusted to provide more or less heat to reach the desired temperature inside the housing 11. It is noted that in cases where the metrics of the material are known the processor may be configured to recalibrate the heating elements to provide the optimal temperature for the specific type and volume of material 16 inserted into the cartridge 12. However, it is noted that the user would want to cool the air before it leaves the housing 11. As the warm air may make the surroundings less comfortable for the user, therefore the system may further utilise a cooling element located between the material 16 and the outlet 14 configured to cool the airflow exiting the material to match the ambient temperature surrounding the system 10 or to a temperature set by the user via the processor 18. In these cases, the housing may comprise controls or the processor may be in communication with a remote device through which the user may input their desired temperature for the airflow exiting the system 10. In some cases, the heating and cooling elements may be replaced with one or more heat exchange devices which can perform both processes, heating the upstream airflow and cooling the downstream airflow, with a single element. The problem with including such heating and cooling elements is that as the air begins to cool the water vapour within will begin to condense, resulting in fluid building within the housing 11. It is noted that the fluid within the housing may damage the electronic elements within the system, the fluid may also enter the carbon capture material 16 where it will increase the mass detected by the mass sensors 17, and it may also react with the material 16 or coat the material preventing it from reacting with the carbon dioxide in the airflow. As such it is preferable for the system 10 to comprise a means for draining any fluid that condenses within the housing 11. As such the housing preferably comprises a tank or similar storage unit located below the cooling element to capture and contain any fluid that condenses from the airflow. A cooling element may also be positioned upstream from the material 16. This is because dry air is more likely to react with the carbon capture material 16. In these systems, the cooling element is used to extract water from the airflow before it enters the material 16. As noted above the housing would comprise a storage unit configured to gather and contain the moisture extracted by the cooling element. The storage unit may be configured to be removable so that the user may empty the storage unit when necessary without risking moisture leaking into the housing 11. The system that utilises such storage units may include a sensor configured to detect the amount of fluid in the storage unit, such as a further mass sensor or a moisture sensor located near the top of the unit. The processor 18 would be configured to use the feedback from these sensors to determine when the storage unit is near capacity such that the processor may send an alert to the user to indicate that the storage unit needs to be emptied. Though the cooler air may be less reactive in the material 16 compared to warm air the removed moisture would help increase reactivity. Therefore, the preferable embodiment would comprise a combination of the heating elements and water-extracting cooling elements described above, wherein there is a cooling element upstream from the material 16 configured to extract moisture from the air entering the inlet, followed by one or more heating elements configured to heat the air and / or material 16 to further increase reactivity. The air exiting the material 16 may pass over a second cooling element to be conditioned to the desired temperature before leaving the housing 11. In some cases, the housing 11 may comprise channels to recirculate the airflow to the upstream heating or cooling elements to reach the desired temperature before being directed towards the outlet 14. In these cases, the system may comprise one or more valves to control which channels are open, these valves would be controlled by the processor wherein the processor determines which elements are needed to reach the desired air temperature based on temperature sensor readings downstream from the material 16, from the determination the processor will open and close the valves to direct the airflow to the required element or the outlet if not heating or cooling is required. Again, it is noted that separate heating and cooling elements may be replaced with heat exchange elements to perform both heating and cooling with a single element. By using the system as described above a user is provided with an effective means of extracting carbon dioxide pollution from a domestic setting, with the added benefit that the system is configured to provide accurate real-time feedback indicating when the carbon capture material needs to be replaced to allow the system to consistently remove such pollutants.

Claims

aims1. A carbon capture system, comprising:a housing with an air inlet and air outlet to allow an airflow to flow through the housing;a carbon capture material housed within the housing configured to remove carbon dioxide from the airflow in contact with the material;a mass sensor housed within the housing configured to monitor the mass of the carbon capture material;wherein the mass sensor is coupled to a processor configured to provide an alert when the mass of the carbon capture material matches or exceeds a predetermined threshold using a suitable alert element, wherein the system comprises a plurality of mass sensors.

2. The carbon capture system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to send an alert when each of the mass sensors measures a mass at or above a predetermined threshold.

3. The carbon capture system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to average the values measured by the plurality of sensors; and is configured to send the alert when the averaged value meets or exceeds the predetermine threshold.

4. The carbon capture system of any preceding claim wherein the mass sensors are positioned above the carbon capture material, and wherein the mass sensors comprise a suspension element coupled to the carbon capture material, configured to determine the mass of the material based on the force exerted onto the suspension element.

5. The carbon capture system of any preceding claim wherein the housing and carbon capture material is hemicylindrical.

6. The carbon capture system of any preceding claim wherein the carbon capture material is contained within a cartridge housing which is configured to be inserted into the housing;wherein the cartridge comprises perforations to allow air to flow through the cartridge.

7. The carbon capture system of claim 6 wherein the cartridge is configured to rotate within the housing.

8. The carbon capture system of claim 6 wherein the cartridge is configured to be inserted into the housing in two or more different orientations.

9. The carbon capturing system of claim 8, wherein the system comprises a mass sensor for each inlet-facing section of the cartridge for each orientation of the cartridge within the housing;Wherein the processor is configured to send an alert when any section of the cartridge is saturated at or above a predetermined threshold.

10. The carbon capture system of claims 6 to 9 wherein the cartridge comprises an air-permeable membrane to contain the carbon capture material.

11. The carbon capture system of claims 6 to 10 wherein the housing contains multiple cartridges.

12. The carbon capture system of any preceding claim wherein the alert element comprises one or more of a visual alert element, including LEDs or indicum that change appears to indicate an alert, audio alert element configured to produce a predetermined sound to indicate an alert, or a transmitter configured to communicate to a remote device to indicate an alert.

13. The carbon capture material of any preceding claim, wherein the system further comprises a filter located between the housing inlet and the carbon capture material, configured to remove particulate from the airflow.

14. The carbon capture system of claim 13, wherein the housing comprises a tray or container below the filter configured to capture any particulate that falls from the filter.

15. The carbon capture system of any preceding claim wherein the system comprises a heating element located between the inlet and the carbon capture material configured to heat the airflow to a desired temperature before entering the carbon capture material, wherein the processor comprises a heat sensor and is configured to control the heating element to heat the airflow to a desired temperature.

16. The carbon capture system of any preceding claim wherein the system comprises a heating element located proximate to the carbon capture material configured to heat the carbon capture material to a desired temperature, wherein the processor comprises a heat sensor and is configured to control the heating element to heat the carbon capture material to a desired temperature.

17. The carbon capture system of claims 13 and 16, wherein the system comprises a cooling element after the carbon capture material is configured to cool the air to a desired temperature before leaving the housing.

18. The carbon capture system of any preceding claim wherein the system further comprises a cooling element located between the inlet and the carbon capture material, and is configured to condense moisture from the air before it enters the carbon capture material;wherein the housing further comprises a tank or container located below the cooling element configured to capture the extracted moisture.

19. The carbon capture system of claims 17 and 18 wherein the system comprises heat exchange elements that replace the separate heating and cooling elements.

20. The carbon capture system of claims 17 to 19, wherein the housing comprises channels configured to recirculate the airflow downstream from the carbon capture material to the heating or cooling element to bring the airflow to a desired temperature before reaching the outlet; and wherein the channels comprise valves controlled by the processor to direct the airflow to the outlet or the required element.

21. The carbon capture system of any preceding claim wherein the housing is configured to be coupled to the air inlet or exhaust of an air conditioning or heating appliance.

Images