Systems and methods for direct air carbon dioxide capture

Abstract

Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 The method for capturing and sequestering hydroxide (CO) includes the steps of receiving an input liquid containing water and salt, conducting an electrochemical process to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream, and then isolating CO from the air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system. 2 , thereby trapping air-captured CO 2 Optional steps include discarding the liquid carbonate solution, 2 from the liquid carbonate solution as solid carbonate and / or a slurry of carbonate, and mixing the liquid carbonate solution with the hydrogen-rich stream produced by the electrochemical process to produce gaseous CO. 2 The method includes the step of generating CO 2 Various integrations and synergies between capture, renewable energy, water desalination, and metals and minerals extraction are provided.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 290,467, filed on December 16, 2021, and entitled "APPARATUS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION"; U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 341,883, filed on May 13, 2022, and entitled "APPARATUS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION, RARE MINERALS MINING, PARTICULATE MATTER REDUCTION, AND DIRECT AIR CO2 CATURE"; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 341,883, filed on June 24, 2022, and entitled "APPARATUS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION, RARE MINERALS MINING, PARTICULATE MATTER REDUCTION, AND DIRECT AIR CO2 CATURE." No. 63 / 355,368, filed on July 14, 2022, entitled “APPARATUS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION, RARE MINERALS MINING, PARTICULATE MATTER REDUCTION, AND DIRECT AIR CO2 CAPTURE”; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 389,095, filed on October 4, 2022, entitled “CARBON SEQUESTRATION, RARE MINERALS AND METALS EXTRACTION, PARTICULATE REDUCTION, HYDROGEN AND CHLORINE PRODUCTION, AND POST-PROCESSING IN DIRECT AIR CO2 CAPTURE”, all of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

[0002] The disclosed technology relates generally to direct air carbon dioxide (CO2) capture as well as the sequestration, storage, production, extraction, handling and / or use of elements, compounds and fluids. [Background technology]

[0003]

[0003] To avoid the worst-case scenarios of global warming, it is essential to reduce emissions of climate gases, including carbon dioxide. Although essential, reducing emissions is insufficient on its own because a stock of CO2 emissions has built up in the atmosphere since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, and countries around the world have not acted quickly enough to reduce emissions.

[0004]

[0004] Natural processes that capture this CO2 released by fossil fuels take a long time to function. As just one example, the absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere by the oceans takes about a year to equilibrate. Removing the remainder of the CO2 requires weathering and rock formation, processes that operate on geological time scales of tens to hundreds of thousands of years.

[0005]

[0005] Given the need to rapidly reduce future emissions, and the existing stock of CO2, approaches are needed to capture existing climate gases (mainly CO2) from the air or water. Removing CO2 directly from the air is sometimes referred to as direct air carbon capture and storage, or DACCS.

[0006]

[0006] Current methods for direct air capture of CO2 typically include three steps: 1) blowing air over a solvent or sorbent to extract CO2 from the ambient air, 2) heating the solvent or sorbent to release CO2 in gaseous form and recovering the solvent for reuse, and 3) capturing and sequestering the re-emitted CO2 gas. The implementation of these steps requires significant energy consumption, resulting in additional greenhouse gas emissions, especially from the use of thermal energy required to heat the solvent or sorbent. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In these examples, one or more computer systems may be configured to perform particular operations or actions by having installed thereon software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof that, when operated, causes the system to perform the action. One or more computer programs may be configured to perform particular operations or actions by including instructions that, when executed by a data processing device, cause the device to perform the action.

[0008]

[0008] In Example 1, a method for capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2), comprising the steps of receiving an input liquid comprising water and salt, subjecting the input liquid to an electrochemical process to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream, and capturing CO2 from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system, thereby producing a liquid carbonate solution comprising air-captured CO2.

[0009]

[0009] In Example 2, the method of Example 1 further includes a step of precipitating the air-captured CO2 from the liquid carbonate solution as solid carbonate and / or a slurry of carbonate.

[0010] The method of Example 1, further comprising disposing of the liquid carbonate solution from the air capture system directly to a body of water or land in Example 3.

[0010]

[0011] The method of Example 1, further comprising mixing the liquid carbonate solution with a hydrogen-rich stream produced by the electrochemical process to produce gaseous CO2 in Example 4.

[0012] 5. The method of Example 1, further comprising the steps of producing a hydrogen-rich stream at least in part by an electrochemical process, dissolving metals and / or minerals in the hydrogen-rich stream to produce a metal and / or mineral solution, mixing carbonates from the liquid carbonate solution with the metal and / or mineral solution to produce a metal and / or mineral carbonate mixture, precipitating metals and / or mineral carbonates from the metal and / or mineral carbonate mixture, and recycling salt solution from the metal and / or mineral carbonate mixture by mixing the salt solution with an input liquid upstream of the electrochemical process.

[0011]

[0013] The method of Example 5, further comprising pretreating the input liquid with carbonate from a liquid carbonate solution in Example 6.

[0014] The method of Example 1, further comprising the steps of mixing CO2 from the desalination facility with a liquid carbonate solution, precipitating carbonate from the liquid carbonate solution, pretreating the input liquid with the precipitated carbonate upstream of the electrochemical process, and processing the pretreated input liquid in a reverse osmosis system to recover water from the pretreated input liquid prior to the electrochemical process.

[0012]

[0015] The method of Example 7, further comprising treating the input liquid and / or the recovered water with a hydrogen-rich stream produced at least in part by an electrochemical process.

[0013]

[0016] The method of Example 1, further comprising the step of processing the input liquid in a pretreatment stage prior to performing the electrochemical process in Example 9, the pretreatment stage including one or more of a filtration system, a reverse osmosis concentration system, and an ion exchange system.

[0014]

[0017] In Example 10, the method of Example 1 further includes the step of capturing CO2 from an industrial CO2 source with a liquid carbonate solution from the passive air capture system to produce a bicarbonate solution.

[0015]

[0018] The method of Example 10, further comprising the step of mixing the liquid carbonate and bicarbonate solutions with hydrochloric acid in Example 11 to neutralize the liquid carbonate and bicarbonate solutions to form carbon dioxide gas and a salt solution before recycling the salt solution back to the electrochemical process.

[0016]

[0019] In Example 12, the method according to Example 1 further includes the steps of producing hydrogen in an electrochemical process, neutralizing carbonate from a liquid carbonate solution with hydrochloric acid to produce CO2, and combining the CO2 with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst at high temperature and pressure to produce methanol.

[0017]

[0020] In Example 13, a method for capturing and sequestrating carbon dioxide (CO2) comprising: receiving an input liquid comprising saltwater and at least one of minerals and metals; subjecting the input liquid to an electrochemical process to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream; capturing CO2 from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system, thereby producing a liquid carbonate solution comprising air-captured CO2; precipitating at least one of minerals and metals from the at least one hydroxide-rich stream; and precipitating the air-captured CO2 from the liquid carbonate solution.

[0018]

[0021] The method of example 13, wherein the at least one precipitated mineral or metal in example 14 is lithium.

[0022] In example 15, the method of example 13, wherein the electrochemical process comprises bipolar electrodialysis.

[0019]

[0023] In Example 16, the method of Example 13 further includes the steps of absorbing lithium (Li) ions from the input liquid in an absorber, producing a hydrogen-rich stream in an electrochemical process, extracting Li from the absorber using the hydrogen-rich stream, and precipitating the Li as lithium carbonate.

[0020]

[0024] 18. A method for capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2) in Example 17, comprising: receiving an input liquid comprising water and salt; conducting an electrochemical process comprising electrolysis by an electrolysis unit to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream; capturing CO2 from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system, thereby producing a liquid carbonate solution comprising air-captured CO2; and precipitating the air-captured CO2 from the liquid carbonate solution.

[0021]

[0025] In example 18, the method of example 17 further comprises producing at least one hydroxide-rich stream, hydrogen gas, and chlorine gas in the electrolysis unit.

[0026] The method of Example 18, further comprising the step of combining hydrogen and chlorine to produce hydrochloric acid in Example 19.

[0022]

[0027] The method of example 17, wherein the electrolysis unit in example 20 is powered by renewable energy.

[0028] Other embodiments of the above and following examples include corresponding computer systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform the operations of the methods. Implementations of the described techniques may include hardware, methods or processes, or computer software on a computer-accessible medium.

[0023]

[0029] These example devices, systems and methods are disclosed for the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide from air by the use of saline solutions, electrochemistry, passive air capture and precipitation. In various cases, the carbon dioxide is ultimately converted to calcium carbonate and stored in that form in a body of water or elsewhere, or the carbon dioxide is captured and stored in gaseous form. Some implementations include the extraction and collection of minerals and metals from air and water by the use of saline solutions, electrochemistry, passive air capture and precipitation. In various cases, green hydrogen gas and other by-product gases are produced simultaneously with the capture and sequestration of carbon. The gases may be stored in pressurized vessels or combined for the formation of other compounds such as hydrochloric acid, passive air capture and precipitation. Further implementations provide for the simultaneous capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide by the use of saline solutions and electrochemistry and precipitation, as well as the extraction of lithium from air and water. For example, the lithium may be converted to other forms of lithium compounds such as lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide and stored for further processing and subsequent sale. Various implementations can include direct disposal of carbonate solutions from the air capture unit, recycling of hydroxide-rich and hydrogen-rich solutions from the precipitator and olivine mixer, and / or post-processing and sequestration of carbon dioxide from the direct capture unit, including recycling solutions from direct neutralization of sodium carbonate with acid or indirect neutralization by reacting with a liquid solution of calcium chloride or calcium hydroxide. Some implementations provide electrochemical water splitting to simultaneously produce green hydrogen gas, concentrated sodium hydroxide solvent, and hydrochloric acid.

[0024]

[0030] The disclosed apparatus, systems and methods further relate to simultaneous capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide, desalination of saline waters such as seawater and brackish groundwater to obtain low TDS water for domestic and industrial use, and extraction of metals and minerals dissolved in the saline waters. The integrated carbon capture, desalination and mineral extraction processes are synergistically combined such that by-products from one process are used in another process, resulting in an efficient process with low carbon emissions and reduced waste. Various implementations relate to simultaneous capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide, and extraction of metals and minerals dissolved in the saline waters. The integrated carbon capture and mineral extraction processes are synergistically combined such that by-products from one process are used in another process, resulting in an efficient process with low carbon emissions and reduced waste.

[0025]

[0031] The disclosed apparatus, systems and methods further relate to simultaneous capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide, and hydrogenation of the captured carbon dioxide to form methanol, which can be stored as a fuel and for further processing of derived products. The integrated carbon capture and methanol synthesis process is synergistic as by-products from the process are used up, resulting in an efficient process with low carbon emissions and reduced waste. The use of renewable energy in the process produces green hydrogen gas and green methanol.

[0026]

[0032] Implementations of the disclosed technology generally relate to devices, methods and design principles that include the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide by the use of a liquid source (e.g., seawater), electrochemical processes such as electrolysis or electrodialysis (e.g., bipolar electrodialysis), and passive air capture, where the carbon dioxide is ultimately converted to one or more carbonates and stored in that form at sea or elsewhere, or where the carbon dioxide is captured as a gas and stored in that form. In accordance with some aspects of the technology, various implementations integrate direct air CO2 capture and sequestration with one or more additional processes, including the sequestration, storage, production, extraction and / or handling of various elements and compounds, such as carbon, hydrogen and chlorine, as well as other minerals and metals, such as lithium. Additionally, various implementations include processing of solids and liquids following the capture of carbon dioxide by the air capture system, including processing, use and reuse of hydroxide-rich and hydrogen-rich liquid solutions. Additionally, various implementations integrate various additional processes, in some cases utilizing certain process streams and fluids, prior to the direct air capture of carbon dioxide.

[0027]

[0033] One aspect of the disclosed technology generally relates to the direct extraction and precipitation of minerals and metals from environments such as air and water. In various implementations, these extraction techniques may be used in conjunction with processes for carbon dioxide sequestration or may be otherwise performed. Examples of minerals and metals that may be extracted in various implementations include, but are not limited to, lithium, chromium, and the like.

[0028]

[0034] Implementations involving the extraction of lithium may be particularly useful. As is known, lithium is an essential element used in many applications, particularly lithium-ion batteries. Current methods for extracting lithium are energy intensive and cause undesirable ecosystem degradation. Current lithium extraction methods include resin binding, evaporation ponds, or chemical leaching from rocks, all of which have various adverse effects on the environment. Related implementations of the disclosed technology address a need in the art for lithium extraction that is less energy intensive and without the environmental impacts associated with conventional approaches to lithium extraction.

[0029]

[0035] In certain implementations, the disclosed systems, devices and methods allow for the extraction and precipitation of lithium and other minerals and metals in combination with the use of saline solutions, electrochemical production of hydroxides, and the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide through air capture. In these and other implementations, minerals or metals such as lithium are ultimately precipitated as elements, chemicals or compounds, such as lithium hydroxide, chromium, or other metals and minerals as any hydroxide, and / or carbon dioxide is ultimately converted to carbonate and stored in that form, or captured as CO2 gas and stored in that form. Further implementations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0030]

[0036] Additional implementations relate to various devices, systems and methods for the extraction of rare minerals from air and water integrated into a process that also results in the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide as carbonate or as a gas. In some cases, the combined process utilizes one or more of the following elements: extraction and concentration of rare minerals and metals, production of hydroxide-rich liquids for the joint function of particulate matter reduction, and capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) and / or precipitation of carbonates and storage of such carbonates in the ocean or elsewhere. The process also allows for the capture and storage of CO2 as a gas.

[0031]

[0037] Various examples and implementations related to this aspect of the disclosed technology include:

[0038] Example 1 includes a method for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration that includes the steps of inputting a liquid, subjecting the input liquid to electrolysis or electrodialysis to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream, capturing CO2 from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system, and precipitating the air-captured CO2.

[0032]

[0039] Example 2 includes the method of Example 1, where the precipitated air-captured CO2 is stored as a carbonate or a gas.

[0040] Example 3 includes the method of Example 1, where the electrodialysis (ED) is performed by an ED stack.

[0033]

[0041] Example 4 includes the method of Example 1, where the input liquid is saline.

[0042] Example 5 includes the method of Example 4, where the saline solution is filtered.

[0043] Example 6 includes the method of Example 1, further including a pretreatment step with at least one of nanofiltration, ion exchange, and reverse osmosis.

[0034]

[0044] Example 7 includes the process of Example 1, wherein at least one hydroxide-rich stream is dilute hydroxide-rich.

[0045] Example 8 includes the method of Example 3, wherein the ED stack includes repeating ED cells that include one or more of the bipolar membrane, anion and / or cation permeable membranes in a repeating arrangement.

[0035]

[0046] Example 9 includes the method of Example 8, further including an alkaline chamber adjacent to the bipolar membrane that contains a feed solution that concentrates cations.

[0047] Example 10 includes the method of Example 1, in which carbonic acid, bicarbonate, and CO2 are continuously precipitated as solid carbonates after electrodialysis.

[0036]

[0048] Example 11 includes a method according to Example 1 in which carbon-stripped high pH seawater is passed through a passive air capture system.

[0049] Example 12 includes the method of Example 1, where the CO2 captured by the passive air system is precipitated as solid carbonate.

[0037]

[0050] Example 13 includes the process of Example 1, where the input liquid is carbonate-stripped water.

[0051] Example 14 includes the method of Example 1, where neutral pH seawater and solid carbonate are returned to the ocean.

[0038]

[0052] Example 15 includes the method of Example 1, wherein the input liquid is seawater having a salinity increased by one or more of the reverse osmosis and / or nanofiltration units.

[0053] Example 16 includes the method of Example 1, where the capture of CO2 is increased through the use of more than one capture source.

[0039]

[0054] Example 17 includes the method of example 1, wherein the input liquid is an element, mineral, or metal-containing liquid.

[0055] Example 18 includes the method of Example 17, further including precipitating at least one element, mineral, or metal from a portion of the at least one hydroxide-rich stream.

[0040]

[0056] Example 19 includes the method of example 18, wherein the at least one precipitated element, mineral, or metal is lithium.

[0057] Example 20 is a method for extracting minerals with hydroxide-rich streams, the method including the steps of inputting a liquid, the liquid being mineral-rich, subjecting the input liquid to electrolysis or electrodialysis to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream, and precipitating hydroxide minerals for extraction from the at least one hydroxide-rich stream.

[0041]

[0058] Example 21 includes the method of Example 20, wherein the electrolysis or electrodialysis is performed by a bipolar electrodialysis membrane plant.

[0059] Example 22 includes the process of Example 21, where a portion of the hydroxide-rich stream is used for capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide as carbonate.

[0042]

[0060] Example 23 includes the method of Example 20 with the additional capture of CO2 from the air by at least one hydroxide-rich stream.

[0061] Example 24 includes the method of example 20, further including precipitating the air-captured CO2 as a carbonate salt.

[0043]

[0062] Example 25 includes the method of example 20, further including precipitating metals and minerals of the air-entrapped particulate matter.

[0063] Example 26 includes the method of Example 20, where the mixed hydroxides produced by electrochemistry minimizes costs and purification needs.

[0044]

[0064] Example 27 includes the method of Example 20, where the high pH solution from which metals, minerals and CO2 have been removed is passed through a passive air capture system.

[0065] Example 28 includes the method of Example 20, where CO2 is captured by exposing the high pH solution to air.

[0045]

[0066] Example 29 includes the method of Example 20, where solid carbonate and / or metal compounds are precipitated, collected, and deposited on land or in an ocean or other body of water.

[0067] Example 30 includes the method of Example 20, in which the costs for extraction of metals and minerals are significantly reduced by increasing the salinity of seawater prior to use of the input liquid in electrodialysis.

[0046]

[0068] Example 31 includes the process of example 20, wherein the at least one hydroxide-rich stream comprises lithium hydroxide.

[0069] Example 32 includes the method of Example 20, where the hydroxide minerals are precipitated and stored in solid form.

[0047]

[0070] Example 33 is a method for carbon dioxide (CO) capture and sequestration that includes inputting a liquid, subjecting the input liquid to electrolysis or electrodialysis to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream, capturing CO in gas form from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system, and precipitating the air-captured CO.

[0048]

[0071] Another example includes a method for capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide, the method including receiving a saltwater input liquid, performing an electrochemical process on the input liquid to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream, and capturing CO2 from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system, thereby producing a liquid carbonate solution containing air-captured CO2. In various cases, the example also includes performing an electrochemical process, including performing electrodialysis with an electrodialysis (ED) stack, the ED stack having ED cells, each ED cell having a bipolar membrane, an anion-permeable membrane, and a cation-permeable membrane. In some cases, the exemplary method includes precipitating one or more of carbonate, bicarbonate, and CO2 from the hydroxide-rich stream as solid carbonates to produce a carbon-stripped high pH hydroxide-rich stream for capturing CO2 in the passive air capture system. In various cases of the exemplary method, performing an electrochemical process includes performing electrolysis with an electrolysis unit, the method also includes producing at least one hydroxide-rich stream, hydrogen gas, and chlorine gas with the electrolysis unit. In various implementations of the exemplary method, the step of performing an electrochemical process includes performing electrodialysis with a bipolar membrane electrodialysis unit constructed and arranged to produce a hydroxide-rich stream, a hydrogen-rich stream, and hydrogen gas.

[0049]

[0072] Another aspect of the disclosed technology generally relates to the sequestration, storage, production and / or handling of elements and compounds such as carbon, hydrogen, chlorine, carbon dioxide, and other minerals and metals. In various implementations, the devices, methods and design principles allow for the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide through the use of liquid sources (e.g., seawater), electrolysis and passive air capture. In various implementations, the carbon dioxide is ultimately converted to calcium carbonate and stored in that form in the ocean or elsewhere. In various implementations, the carbon dioxide is captured as a gas and stored in that form. In various implementations, hydrogen and / or chlorine gas are also produced.

[0050]

[0073] Hydrogen is an important energy carrier used in electricity and heat generation. It is also used in fertilizer production and oil refining. Hydrogen is mainly produced by steam methane reforming and electrolysis of water molecules. Current hydrogen production processes use fossil fuels and emit significant carbon dioxide into the atmosphere ("gray hydrogen"). Even hydrogen production plants with carbon capture and storage ("blue hydrogen") are not considered clean alternatives as they are not carbon dioxide neutral.

[0051]

[0074] The disclosed integrated technology also relates to the production of hydrogen using renewable energy for electrolysis of alkaline media such as seawater or artificial brines ("green hydrogen"), as well as the simultaneous reduction of carbon dioxide from air or industrial gases, and the storage of carbon dioxide in carbonate form or gas form. In certain implementations, the disclosed systems, devices and methods enable the production of chlorine gas ("green chlorine") and aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. In certain implementations, the disclosed systems, devices and methods enable the production of hydrochloric acid by direct combination of hydrogen and chlorine gas. Further implementations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0052]

[0075] Additional implementations relate to various devices, systems and methods for the production of green hydrogen integrated into a process that also results in the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide as carbonate or as a gas. In some cases, this combined process utilizes one or more of the following elements: electrolysis of an alkaline medium, production of hydroxide-rich liquid for the joint functions of particulate matter reduction and carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, and / or precipitation of carbonates and storage of such carbonates in the ocean or elsewhere. In some cases, the process is also capable of capturing and storing CO2 as a gas. Various examples and implementations related to this aspect of the disclosed technology include:

[0076] Example 34 includes a method for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration. The method includes the steps of inputting a liquid, subjecting the input liquid to electrolysis to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream, capturing CO2 from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system, and precipitating the air-captured CO2.

[0053]

[0077] Example 35 includes the method of Example 34, where the precipitated air-captured CO2 is stored as a carbonate or a gas.

[0078] Example 36 includes the method of Example 34, wherein electrolysis of alkaline medium or artificial brine is performed using renewable energy to produce green hydrogen gas, green chlorine gas, and a hydroxide-rich aqueous solution.

[0054]

[0079] Example 37 includes the method of Example 34, wherein the input liquid is saline.

[0080] Example 38 includes the method of Example 37, wherein the saline solution is filtered.

[0081] Example 39 includes the method of Example 34, further including at least one of the steps of (a) providing a continuous high velocity feed of input water, or (b) a nanofiltration step.

[0055]

[0082] Example 40 includes the process of Example 34, where at least one hydroxide-rich stream is not purified.

[0083] Example 41 includes the method of Example 36, wherein the electrolysis cell includes one or more ion-permeable membranes, cathodes and anodes of electrodes, and hydrogen and chlorine gas are produced. Multiple electrolysis cells may be connected in either series or parallel depending on the salt concentration in the input water and the efficiency of the cells.

[0056]

[0084] Example 42 includes the method of Example 41, further including an alkaline chamber having several inlets and outlets for the salt and hydroxide rich solutions.

[0085] Example 43 includes the method of Example 34, in which carbonic acid, bicarbonate and CO2 are continuously precipitated as solid carbonates after electrolysis.

[0057]

[0086] Example 44, the method according to Example 34, wherein the hydroxide-rich high pH aqueous solution is passed through a passive air capture system.

[0087] Example 45 includes the method of Example 34, where the CO2 captured by the passive air system is continuously precipitated as solid carbonate.

[0058]

[0088] Example 46 includes the process of Example 34, where the input liquid is carbonate-stripped water.

[0089] Example 47 includes the method of Example 34, where the neutral pH seawater and solid carbonates are returned to the ocean or other location.

[0059]

[0090] Example 48 includes the method of Example 34, wherein the input liquid is seawater having a salinity increased by one or more of reverse osmosis and / or nanofiltration / ion exchange.

[0091] Example 49 includes the method of Example 34, where the capture of CO2 is increased through the use of more than one capture source.

[0060]

[0092] Example 50 includes the method of example 34, wherein the energy source is one or more forms of renewable energy, such as wind, solar, geothermal, green hydrogen, etc.

[0093] Example 51A includes the method of Example 50, further including producing a green by-product along with one hydroxide-rich stream.

[0061]

[0094] Example 51B includes the method of Example 51A, wherein at least one gas produced is green hydrogen gas.

[0095] Example 52 includes a method for producing green hydrogen and chlorine products along with a hydroxide-rich stream, comprising the steps of inputting an alkaline liquid, performing electrolysis on the input liquid, and producing green hydrogen gas and at least one hydroxide-rich stream using renewable energy.

[0062]

[0096] Example 53 includes the method of Example 52, wherein the electrolysis is carried out using renewable energy in a cell having an ion-permeable membrane and electrodes.

[0097] Example 54 includes the process of Example 52, where a portion of the hydroxide-rich stream is used for capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide as carbonate.

[0063]

[0098] Example 55 includes the method of example 52, further including capturing CO2 from the air with at least one hydroxide-rich stream.

[0099] Example 56 includes the method of example 52, further including precipitating the air-captured CO2 as a carbonate salt.

[0064]

[0100] Example 57 includes the method of example 52, further including precipitating metals and minerals of the air-entrapped particulate matter.

[0101] Example 58 includes the method of Example 52 in which the mixed hydroxides are produced by electrochemistry, minimizing costs and purification requirements.

[0065]

[0102] Example 59 includes the method of Example 52, where the high pH solution from which metals, minerals, and CO2 have been removed is passed through a passive air capture system.

[0103] Example 60 includes the method of Example 52, where CO2 is captured by exposing the high pH solution to air.

[0066]

[0104] Example 61 includes the method of Example 52, where solid carbonate and / or metal compounds are precipitated, collected, and deposited in the ocean.

[0105] Example 62 includes the method of Example 52, in which the cost of green hydrogen production and renewable electricity is significantly reduced by increasing the salinity of seawater prior to use of the input liquid in the electrolysis cell.

[0067]

[0106] Example 63 includes the process of example 52, wherein the at least one hydroxide-rich stream comprises sodium hydroxide.

[0107] Example 64 includes the method of example 52, wherein the hydrogen and chlorine gases are stored in pressurized vessels.

[0068]

[0108] Example 65 includes the process of Example 52, where hydrogen and chlorine gas are combined and stored as hydrochloric acid.

[0109] Example 66 includes the method of Example 65, where the thermal energy generated during the process is captured and used for other upstream and downstream processes.

[0069]

[0110] Example 67 includes a method for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration. The method includes the steps of inputting an alkaline liquid, subjecting the input liquid to electrolysis to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream, capturing CO2 in gas form from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system, and precipitating the air-captured CO2.

[0070]

[0111] Another aspect of the disclosed technology generally relates to various devices, systems and methods for the simultaneous capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide as calcium carbonate and extraction of lithium as lithium carbonate or other compounds of lithium such as lithium hydroxide. The devices, systems and methods may in some cases utilize one or more of the following elements: pretreatment of alkaline water from geothermal brines or other sources that contain minerals such as lithium therein, including seawater, saline solutions, desalination concentrates, among others; production of hydroxide-rich alkaline streams and hydrogen-rich acidic streams by bipolar electrodialysis or electrolysis processes; collection of CO2 from air in an air contactor and extraction of Li in an absorber using the hydroxide-rich alkaline stream and hydrogen-rich acidic stream, and precipitation and post-processing of carbonates.

[0071]

[0112] Further implementations relate to various devices, systems and methods for the production of green hydrogen integrated into a process that also results in the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide as carbonate or as gas, and the extraction of lithium as lithium carbonate. This combined process utilizes, in some cases, one or more of the following elements: electrolysis of an alkaline medium, production of hydroxide-rich and hydrogen-rich liquids for the joint functions of particulate matter reduction and carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, and extraction of lithium, precipitation of carbonates, and further processing and storage of such carbonates. The process also allows for the capture and storage of CO2 as a gas, which can also be used to directly convert lithium to lithium carbonate. Various examples and implementations related to this aspect of the disclosed technology include:

[0113] Example 68 includes a method for simultaneous capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) with extraction of lithium as lithium carbonate. The method includes the steps of inputting a liquid, subjecting the input liquid to bipolar membrane electrodialysis or electrolysis to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream and one hydrogen-rich stream, capturing CO2 from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system, extracting lithium from alkaline water using an absorber and the hydrogen-rich stream, and precipitating the air-captured CO2 and lithium compounds.

[0072]

[0114] Example 69 includes the method of Example 68, where the precipitated air-trapped CO2 is stored as a carbonate or gas, and the precipitated lithium compounds are stored as lithium carbonate or other forms of lithium compounds, such as lithium hydroxide.

[0073]

[0115] Example 70 includes the method of example 68, wherein the energy source is one or more forms of renewable energy, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and green hydrogen.

[0116] Example 71 includes the method of Example 68, in which electrolysis of alkaline medium or artificial brine is performed using renewable energy to produce green hydrogen gas, green chlorine gas, and a hydroxide-rich aqueous solution. The green hydrogen and chlorine gas are stored in pressurized vessels for further processing or are partially or fully combined in a combustion burner, and the resulting gas is absorbed with deionized water to form hydrochloric acid of various concentrations.

[0074]

[0117] Example 72 includes the method of Example 71, where the thermal energy generated during the process is captured and used for other upstream and downstream processes.

[0118] Example 73 includes a method for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration. The method includes the steps of inputting an alkaline liquid, subjecting the input liquid to electrolysis to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream, capturing CO2 in gas form from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system, and using the CO2 to directly extract lithium from an absorber as lithium carbonate.

[0075]

[0119] Another aspect of the disclosed technology generally relates to post-processing and sequestration in direct air CO2 capture and / or storage or handling of elements and compounds such as sodium carbonate, carbon dioxide, sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, calcium chloride, calcium hydroxide, and other minerals and metals. In various implementations, the disclosed technology relates to devices, methods and design principles that enable the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide by using a liquid source, such as seawater, bipolar membrane electrodialysis or electrolysis, and passive air capture. In such implementations, carbon dioxide captured in the form of carbonate is released in that form to a body of water such as the ocean instead of storing on land, or is partially or completely converted to calcium carbonate and stored in that form to a body of water such as the ocean or elsewhere. In some cases, carbon dioxide is captured as a gas and stored in that form.

[0076]

[0120] In various cases, the disclosed technology uses liquid sources that are hydroxide-rich (e.g., sodium hydroxide) and hydrogen-rich (e.g., hydrochloric acid). For example, sodium hydroxide-rich liquid captures carbon dioxide in the form of sodium carbonate when passed through an air capture system, which can be a still pond or an energy-intensive convective system for air currents. Similarly, hydrogen-rich hydrochloric acid produces magnesium carbonate when used in combination with certain rocks rich in minerals, such as magnesium in the case of olivine. Carbonates such as sodium carbonate and magnesium carbonate may be released into large bodies of water such as the ocean to further increase the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, stored on land, or ultimately converted to other carbonates such as calcium carbonate and released into the ocean or stored on land.

[0077]

[0121] The disclosed technology also relates to post-processing of these hydroxide-rich and hydrogen-rich liquid solutions, particularly in a manner that optimizes the process, increases the amount of carbon dioxide captured, and reduces costs. In a particular implementation, the disclosed systems, devices, and methods allow for the recycling of the hydroxide-rich aqueous solution remaining after the conversion of sodium carbonate to calcium carbonate. The recycled solution is passed through a bipolar membrane electrodialysis process for recovery and reuse. In another implementation, the disclosed systems, devices, and methods allow for the recycling of the hydrogen-rich solution after reaction with mineral rocks such as olivine to a bipolar membrane electrodialysis process for recovery and reuse.

[0078]

[0122] In various implementations of the disclosed technology, the disclosed systems, devices and methods allow for direct post-processing of sodium carbonate with a hydrogen-rich liquid source such as hydrochloric acid. Various implementations allow for indirect post-processing of sodium carbonate with an intermediate aqueous solution of a compound such as calcium hydroxide or calcium chloride. Such implementations recycle the sodium hydroxide or sodium chloride solution to the bipolar membrane electrodialysis process for recovery and reuse. In a particular implementation of the disclosed technology, the disclosed systems, devices and methods allow for the production of an intermediate aqueous solution such as calcium chloride from a divalent ion reject stream of ion exchange and a hydrogen-rich liquid source as hydrochloric acid. Further implementations will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0079]

[0123] Additional implementations relate to various devices, systems and methods for post-processing of solids and liquids following capture of carbon dioxide by air capture systems. Post-processing utilizes one or more of the following elements, individually or in combination: storage of carbonates in large bodies of water or on land, partial or complete conversion of one form of carbonate to another form prior to storage, recovery and reuse of hydroxide-rich and hydrogen-rich liquid solutions, and recovery and reuse of salt solutions by treating carbonates directly with hydrochloric acid or indirectly with other compounds. The process also allows for the capture and storage of CO2 as a gas.

[0080]

[0124] Various examples disclosed herein relate to specific post-processing steps from various implementations described herein after air capture. These may include aspects such as direct disposal of sodium carbonate into the ocean, recycling of sodium hydroxide solution from the precipitator, recycling of hydrochloric acid after neutralization with olivine, recycling of sodium chloride solution after direct neutralization of sodium carbonate with hydrochloric acid, recycling of sodium chloride solution after indirect neutralization (through intermediate calcium chloride formation), etc. In various implementations, the air contactor may include a stilling pond or a cooling tower, or a fan utilized for air convection. Various examples and implementations related to this aspect of the disclosed technology include the following:

[0125] Example 74 includes a method for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration that includes inputting a liquid, subjecting the input liquid to bipolar membrane electrodialysis or electrolysis to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream, capturing CO2 from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system, and precipitating the air-captured CO2.

[0081]

[0126] Example 75 includes the method of example 74, wherein the air capture unit includes a stilling pond that exposes the hydroxide-rich liquid to air.

[0127] Example 76 includes the method of example 74, wherein the air capture unit includes a cooling tower for contacting the hydroxide-rich liquid with the air.

[0082]

[0128] Example 77 includes the method of Example 74, utilizing a fan or other form of energy to convect air through the air capture unit while the air capture unit is exposed to the hydroxide-rich liquid.

[0083]

[0129] Example 78 includes the method of Example 74, where the precipitated air-captured CO2 is stored as a carbonate or gas.

[0130] Example 79 includes the method of Example 74, where the air-captured CO2 is deposited directly onto a body of water or onto land.

[0084]

[0131] Example 80 includes the method of example 74, wherein the hydroxide-rich liquid in the precipitator is recycled back to the electrochemical process step.

[0132] Example 81 includes the method of example 74, wherein the hydrogen-rich stream is neutralized with rocks such as olivine and the mixture is sent for deposition onto a body of water or onto land. Excess hydrogen-rich stream is recovered prior to deposition and recycled back into the electrochemical process.

[0085]

[0133] Example 82 includes the method of Example 74, in which the air-captured CO2 is captured by acid neutralization of sodium carbonate and stored as a gas.

[0134] Example 83 includes the method of Example 82, where the salt solution resulting from neutralization is recycled back to the electrochemical process.

[0086]

[0135] Example 84 includes the method of Example 74, in which the air-captured CO2 is converted to carbonate by reacting liquid sodium carbonate with other compounds, such as calcium chloride or calcium hydroxide.

[0087]

[0136] Example 85 includes the method of Example 84, where the additional compound, such as a divalent ion, is derived from the ion exchange process step, or is provided from an external source, or both.

[0088]

[0137] Another aspect of the disclosed technology generally relates to further processing of these hydroxide-rich and hydrogen-rich liquid solutions in a manner that includes, among other things, process optimization, increasing the amount of carbon dioxide captured, and reducing costs. In a particular implementation, the disclosed systems, devices, and methods allow for further carbon dioxide absorption after the hydroxide-rich aqueous solution is converted to sodium carbonate in an air contactor. The sodium carbonate solution is passed through a single or series of reactors that absorbs additional carbon dioxide to form sodium bicarbonate. The disclosed systems, devices, and methods allow for the use of carbon dioxide gas at various concentrations.

[0089]

[0138] In various implementations, the disclosed systems, devices and methods allow for post-processing of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate solutions directly with a hydrogen-rich liquid source such as hydrochloric acid, or indirectly with an intermediate aqueous solution of a compound such as calcium hydroxide or calcium chloride. Various implementations recycle the sodium hydroxide or sodium chloride solution to a bipolar membrane electrodialysis process for recovery and reuse. Further implementations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Additional implementations relate to various devices, systems and methods for post-processing of solids and liquids following capture of carbon dioxide by an air capture system. Various examples and implementations related to this aspect of the disclosed technology include the following:

[0139] Example 86 includes a method for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration that includes the steps of inputting a liquid, subjecting the input liquid to bipolar membrane electrodialysis or electrolysis to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream, capturing CO2 from the air in the form of carbonate using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system, capturing additional CO2 from an industrial gas source and converting the carbonate to bicarbonate, and precipitating the carbonate and bicarbonate for storage and disposal.

[0090]

[0140] Example 87 includes the method of Example 86 in which CO2 captured from air and industrial sources is converted to calcium carbonate or other such mineral carbonates that are precipitated for storage and disposal on land or in water.

[0091]

[0141] Example 88 includes the method of Example 86, where sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate solutions are injected directly into subsurface rock for further mineralization and sequestration of the captured carbon dioxide.

[0092]

[0142] Example 89 includes the method of Example 86, in which sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate solutions react with industrial waste materials, such as fly ash, to form complex compounds that allow for further mineralization and sequestration of the captured carbon dioxide.

[0093]

[0143] Example 90 includes the process of Example 86, in which the air-captured carbonates and bicarbonates are reacted with acid to form salts or hydroxides that are recycled, and pure concentrated gaseous CO2 that is compressed and stored for disposal.

[0094]

[0144] Another aspect of the disclosed technology generally relates to the sequestration, sorting and / or handling of elements and compounds such as carbon, hydrogen, chlorine, carbon dioxide and other minerals and metals, along with devices, methods and design principles that enable simultaneous capture / sequestration of carbon dioxide. Various implementations provide for the use of saline sources (e.g., seawater) and the production of hydrogen through bipolar electrodialysis and passive air capture. Carbon dioxide is converted to solid calcium carbonate and ultimately stored in the ocean or elsewhere, or the carbon dioxide is captured and stored as a gas.

[0095]

[0145] Bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPED) is commonly used in various implementations to split seawater into a dilute hydroxide stream and an acid stream. The disclosed technology relates to the production of multiple streams of products using BPED, including hydroxide and acid streams as well as hydrogen gas. Methods, devices and systems in various implementations provide for the production of green hydrogen gas using BPED and renewable energy while simultaneously removing carbon dioxide from air or industrial gases and allowing the carbon dioxide to be stored in the form of solid carbonate or in gaseous form.

[0096]

[0146] In various cases, BPEDs are designed such that a negatively charged electrode (cathode) is placed adjacent to the cation exchange layer of the bipolar membrane. Hydrogen ions generated from the dissociation of water in the bipolar membrane are (partially) consumed at the cathode by the hydrogen evolution reaction, thus producing hydrogen gas and a relatively dilute acid stream. Meanwhile, hydroxyl ions generated on the other side of the bipolar membrane are protected by an adjacent cation exchange membrane (CEM). With this configuration, multiple streams of dilute hydrochloric acid, hydrogen gas, and concentrated sodium hydroxide are produced.

[0097]

[0147] Various examples disclosed herein relate to various devices, systems and methods relating to the production of green hydrogen gas, concentrated hydroxide rich streams, and dilute hydrogen rich streams that use BPED as part of a process that also results in the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide as carbonate or as gas. Various examples and implementations related to this aspect of the disclosed technology include:

[0148] Example 91 includes a method for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration. The method includes the steps of inputting a liquid, subjecting the input liquid to electrodialysis to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream, capturing CO2 from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system, and precipitating the air-captured CO2.

[0098]

[0149] Example 92 includes the method of Example 91, in which electrodialysis of alkaline medium or artificial brine is performed using renewable energy to produce green hydrogen gas, a hydrogen-rich aqueous solution, and a hydroxide-rich aqueous solution.

[0099]

[0150] Example 93 includes the method of Example 91, in which the electrodialysis is performed in a cell having an ion-permeable membrane and electrodes using renewable energy, such as wind, solar, geothermal, green hydrogen, or other renewable energy.

[0100]

[0151] Another aspect of the disclosed technology generally relates to the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide from ambient air and industrial sources along with desalination of input liquids and / or extraction of metals and minerals from the input liquids. Traditionally, desalination plants extract low TDS (total dissolved solids) water for domestic and industrial use from saline waters such as seawater or brackish groundwater. In doing so, they use energy, emit carbon dioxide, and often create high salinity brine rejects that are returned to the ocean and increase the ocean's salinity. Implementations of the disclosed technology generally relate to combined processes that tightly integrate desalination plants and carbon dioxide capture such that waste streams (e.g., carbon dioxide emissions and high salinity water) are reduced and in some cases eliminated, thus resulting in low or zero emission and waste systems. In various implementations, the system can simultaneously extract value-added metals and / or minerals from high salinity water depending on the elements present therein.

[0101]

[0152] Various implementations of the disclosed technology incorporate the synergistic interdependencies that exist between desalination, mineral extraction, and carbon dioxide removal. For example, in the case of desalination, saline water such as seawater or brackish groundwater must be disinfected with chlorine-based compounds, filtered to remove elements such as calcium that affect further processing of the water, and energy must be used to pressurize the water for reverse osmosis. Carbon sequestration processes use salt from the reverse osmosis reject stream to create chlorine-based by-products for disinfection, form sodium carbonate used in calcium removal, and absorb carbon dioxide produced in generating energy from fossil fuels. Further implementations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0102]

[0153] In various cases, the integrated carbon sequestration and desalination process may also be combined with a mineral extraction process in which various minerals are dissolved in a chlorine-based product, such as hydrochloric acid, and precipitated using a carbonate-based product, such as sodium carbonate. Such products and processes are part of the carbon sequestration process. Further implementations will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0103]

[0154] Various examples and implementations related to this aspect of the disclosed technology include:

[0155] Example 94 includes a method for desalination of saline waters, such as seawater and brackish water, and extraction of metals and minerals with simultaneous capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2). The method includes the steps of inputting an input liquid, dissolving and extracting metals and minerals from the input liquid using a solvent and carbonate from a carbon capture process, and recovering low total dissolved solids (TDS) water for domestic and industrial use using reverse osmosis and other desalination related processes. The method also includes electrolysis of the high salinity brine reject liquid to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream and one hydrogen-rich stream, and capturing CO2 from the air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system.

[0104]

[0156] Example 95 includes the process of Example 94 in which seawater is pretreated with carbonate to remove calcium and other ions and filtered prior to use in metal and mineral extraction processes, reverse osmosis processes to obtain low TDS water, and electrochemical processes for solvent production to minimize fouling.

[0105]

[0157] Example 96 includes the method of Example 94, where mineral extraction is performed with a suitable adsorbent used to preferentially absorb specific metal and mineral ions.

[0158] Example 97 includes a method according to Example 94 in which minerals are extracted by precipitation with carbonates produced in a carbon capture process and then refined for subsequent sale.

[0106]

[0159] Example 98 includes a method according to Example 94 in which saline water, such as seawater and brackish groundwater, is passed through a desalination process, such as reverse osmosis, to obtain low TDS water for domestic and industrial use. The energy required for the desalination process is obtained from fossil fuel energy sources, and the carbon dioxide produced in the process is absorbed in a carbon capture process.

[0107]

[0160] Example 99 includes the method of example 94, wherein the electrolysis is performed by a bipolar membrane electrodialysis stack or by multiple electrolysis units connected in series or parallel to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream and one hydrogen-rich stream. Some or all of the by-product gases from the electrolysis units are combined to form a hydrogen-rich stream of hydrochloric acid.

[0108]

[0161] Example 100 includes a method according to Example 94, in which carbonic acid, bicarbonate and CO2 are continuously precipitated as solid carbonates after electrodialysis.

[0162] Example 101 includes the method of Example 94, where the hydrogen-rich stream comprises hydrochloric acid, and the method further includes concentrating the hydrochloric acid to recover additional water for domestic and industrial use. In various implementations, such water recovery increases the efficiency of the desalination facility.

[0109]

[0163] Example 102 includes the method of Example 94, further including passing the input liquid through a nanofiltration and ion exchange process. In various cases, the concentrate produced by nanofiltration and ion exchange contains significant amounts of divalent ions, such as calcium and magnesium. In such cases, the method may also include treating the concentrate with an alkali product and a carbonate product to remove hardness. The water is then recycled back to the desalination facility for use in industrial and agricultural facilities.

[0110]

[0164] According to another aspect of the disclosed technology, various devices, systems and methods are provided for simultaneously capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide from ambient air and mineral extraction to form carbonates. The devices, systems and methods utilize one or more of the following elements: saline water, electrodialysis or electrolysis of saline water, production of hydroxide-rich alkaline streams for absorbing CO2 from air using air contactors and from industrial gases using bubble column reactors, and production of hydrogen and chlorine-rich acidic streams for extracting minerals by dissolving the minerals and separating impurities, and precipitating the extracted minerals in the form of hydroxides and carbonates.

[0111]

[0165] In Example 103, a method for simultaneous capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) with mineral extraction, comprising the steps of inputting a brine solution, processing the brine stream with bipolar membrane electrodialysis or electrolysis to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream and one hydrogen-rich stream, capturing CO2 from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system, further absorbing CO2 from industrial gases such as from a fossil fuel energy generation unit, extracting metals and minerals by dissolving mined rocks and rock waste in the hydrogen-rich stream, and finally precipitating in various forms, including as carbonates, using an absorber and the hydroxide-rich stream or carbonate stream.

[0112]

[0166] In Example 104, in the method of Example 103, various process units used from carbon sequestration, including electrodialysis or electrolysis, air contactors for CO2 capture from ambient air, nanofiltration and ion exchange to remove divalent ions, bubble column reactors or spargers for CO2 capture from industrial gases, are performed using one or more forms of renewable energy, such as wind, solar, geothermal and green hydrogen.

[0113]

[0167] In Example 105, the method of Example 103, wherein carbon dioxide produced from a fossil fuel energy source is absorbed to form a carbonate, such as sodium bicarbonate.

[0168] In Example 106, the method of Example 103, the hydroxide-rich stream is sodium hydroxide and the hydrogen-rich stream is hydrochloric acid or hydrogen and chlorine gas. The sodium hydroxide captures CO2 from the ambient air and forms sodium carbonate in an air contactor. The sodium carbonate absorbs another unit of CO2 from the industrial gas in a bubble column reactor or sparger and forms sodium bicarbonate.

[0114]

[0169] In Example 107, the process of Example 103, wherein the mined rock and rock waste are first ground into a powder, dissolved in a hydrogen-rich stream, and filtered to remove impurities.

[0170] In Example 108, the method of Example 103, wherein the dissolved metals and minerals are precipitated using a solvent such as sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate / bicarbonate solution produced as part of a carbon capture and sequestration process.

[0115]

[0171] In Example 109, the method of Example 103, the salt solution after precipitation of metals and minerals is recycled back to electrodialysis (or electrolysis) after the necessary filtration processes to produce hydrogen-rich and hydroxide-rich streams.

[0116]

[0172] In Example 110, the method of Example 107, the hydrogen-rich acid stream is concentrated to recover additional water for process or discharge for domestic and industrial use.

[0173] Another aspect of the disclosed technology generally relates to the sequestration of carbon dioxide from ambient air and industrial sources by hydrogenation to methanol. According to various implementations, the hydrogen by-product produced during electrolysis along with the solvent required for carbon dioxide capture is used to hydrogenate the captured carbon dioxide to produce methanol. In various implementations, renewable energy is used for the production of the solvent and hydrogen, which further results in the production of green methanol.

[0117]

[0174] Traditionally, methanol is produced from the steam methane reforming (SMR) process, where natural gas is used to form carbon dioxide, and the carbon monoxide is combined with hydrogen from water at high temperature and pressure in the presence of a catalyst to form methanol. Methanol is used as a fuel storage and is also the main feedstock for other chemical products, including formaldehyde and various other olefins such as ethylene and propylene (methanol to olefins, MTO) processes. The SMR process and other similar conventional methanol production processes release significant amounts of carbon dioxide gas. Implementations according to this aspect of the disclosed technology generally relate to an efficient process in which carbon dioxide captured from ambient air and industrial gases is hydrogenated using green hydrogen by-products produced along with the solvent required for carbon capture. Thus, by-product waste is reduced and the captured carbon dioxide can be stored in the form of green methanol.

[0118]

[0175] Various implementations of the disclosed technology provide devices, methods, and design principles that enable the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide (e.g., from ambient air and / or industrial gases) through the use of liquid sources such as seawater and electrolysis. In various cases, the carbon dioxide is ultimately converted to mineral carbonates and stored in the ocean or elsewhere. In some cases, the carbon dioxide is captured as a gas and stored in that form. Various implementations of the disclosed technology also incorporate hydrogenation of the captured carbon dioxide gas or mineral carbonates using hydrogen produced as part of the electrolysis process step. In some cases, the production of green methanol results from using renewable energy to fuel the process. The methanol produced from this process has low or zero carbon emissions and can be further processed into other green chemical derivatives if desired. Producing value-added products through products and by-products from the carbon capture process creates a circular economy that can help reduce emissions and greenhouse gases. Further implementations will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Various examples and implementations related to this aspect of the disclosed technology include:

[0176] Example 111 includes a method for simultaneous capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) combined with hydrogenation of captured CO2 to form methanol. The method includes inputting a saline liquid, pretreating the liquid to remove hardness, and performing electrolysis on a high salinity brine reject liquid to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream and one hydrogen-rich stream. The method also includes capturing CO2 from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system.

[0119]

[0177] Example 112 includes the method of Example 111, where carbon dioxide is captured from industrial gases using a hydroxide-rich solvent stream or a carbonate stream from an air capture system.

[0178] Example 113 includes the method of example 111, wherein the electrolysis is performed by a bipolar membrane electrodialysis stack or by multiple electrolysis units connected in series or parallel to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream and one hydrogen-rich stream. A portion of the by-product gases from the electrolysis units are combined to form a hydrogen-rich stream of hydrochloric acid.

[0120]

[0179] Example 114 includes the method of Example 111, where carbonic acid, bicarbonate, and CO2 are precipitated successively as solid carbonates.

[0180] Example 115 includes the process of Example 111, in which the carbonate is neutralized with hydrochloric acid to re-release pure CO2, and the CO2 is combined with hydrogen gas produced from electrolysis in the presence of a catalyst at high temperature and pressure to form methanol.

[0121]

[0181] Example 116 includes the process of Example 111, where the carbonate is treated directly with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst, such as ruthenium, and other chemicals, such as alcohol, to form methanol.

[0182] Example 117 includes the method of example 111, further including using renewable energy.

[0122]

[0183] While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes exemplary embodiments of the disclosed apparatus, systems and methods. As will be recognized, the disclosed apparatus, systems and methods are capable of modification in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0123] [Figure 1]

[0184] 1 shows a flowchart of a carbon capture process according to one implementation. [Diagram 2]

[0185] 1 shows a flowchart of a capture process according to one implementation. [Diagram 3]

[0186] 1 shows potential pretreatment steps before electrodialysis, including nanofiltration and microfiltration, according to one implementation. [Figure 4]

[0187] 1 illustrates an alternative process for pre-concentrating a feed stream, according to one implementation. [Diagram 5]

[0188] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a carbon capture process according to one implementation. [Figure 6]

[0189] 1 illustrates a further implementation of a system configured to capture carbon dioxide in gas form. [Figure 7]

[0190] 1 shows a flow chart illustrating a carbon capture process according to an implementation featuring lithium or another metal precipitation. [Figure 8]

[0191] 1 shows a schematic flow chart of one implementation of the disclosed system. [Figure 9]

[0192] 1 shows a detailed flow chart of a carbon capture process according to one implementation. [Figure 10]

[0193] 1 shows details of the particulate matter portion of the carbon capture process according to one implementation of the disclosed system. [Figure 11]

[0194] 1 is a flow chart illustrating a capture process according to an implementation featuring the production of green hydrogen gas and other by-products such as green chlorine gas. [Figure 12]

[0195] 1 is a flow chart illustrating a capture process according to an implementation featuring the production of hydrochloric acid. [Figure 13]

[0196] 1 shows a schematic flow chart of one implementation of the disclosed system. [Figure 14]

[0197] 1 shows a flowchart of the complete process according to one implementation. [Figure 15]

[0198] 1 illustrates a further implementation of a system configured to capture carbon dioxide in gas form. [Figure 16]

[0199] 1 shows a flow chart illustrating a carbon capture process according to one implementation of the system. [Figure 17]

[0200] 1 shows a flowchart of a combined carbon capture and lithium extraction process according to one implementation. [Figure 18]

[0201] 1 shows a flow chart illustrating a carbon capture process and lithium extraction according to an implementation featuring the production of green hydrogen gas and other by-products such as green chlorine gas and hydrochloric acid. [Figure 19]

[0202] 1 shows a schematic flow chart of one implementation of the disclosed system using bipolar membrane electrodialysis. [Figure 20]

[0203] 1 shows a flow chart of one implementation of the disclosed system for producing green hydrogen gas using an electrolysis unit. [Figure 21]

[0204] A further implementation of the system configured to capture carbon dioxide in gas form and use it partially or completely for lithium extraction is shown. [Figure 22]

[0205] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a carbon capture process according to one implementation. [Figure 23]

[0206] 1 shows a flow chart of a capture process according to one implementation featuring direct disposal of air-captured CO2 carbonate in addition to precipitated carbonate. [Figure 24]

[0207] 1 shows a flow chart illustrating a capture process according to an implementation featuring recycling of a hydroxide-rich stream from a precipitator and a hydrogen-rich stream from an acid neutralization process with rocks such as olivine. [Diagram 25]

[0208] 1 shows a flow chart illustrating an implementation of the capture process featuring reuse of the salt solution by neutralizing the air-captured CO2 carbonate with a hydrogen-rich stream. [Figure 26]

[0209] 1 shows a flow chart where neutralization of air-captured CO2 carbonate is accomplished indirectly using a liquid solution such as calcium chloride, which may be fully or partially sourced within the system by reacting divalent ion rejects from ion exchange with a hydrogen-rich stream, or may be sourced externally. [Figure 27]

[0210] 1 shows a schematic flow chart of one implementation of the disclosed system featuring direct disposal of sodium carbonate into the ocean. [Figure 28]

[0211] 1 shows a flow chart of the complete process according to one implementation of the disclosed system featuring acid neutralization with olivine and recycling of sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid streams. [Figure 29]

[0212] 13 illustrates a further implementation of a system configured to capture carbon dioxide in gas form and recycle the salt solution back into the electrochemical process step. [Diagram 30]

[0213] 1 illustrates an alternative implementation of a system configured to recycle the salt solution back into the electrochemical process step while precipitating calcium carbonate that is ultimately disposed of in the ocean or on land. [Diagram 31]

[0214] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a carbon capture process according to one implementation. [Diagram 32]

[0215] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a carbon capture process according to one implementation. [Diagram 33]

[0216] FIG. 1 shows a flow chart in which CO2 is captured from the air in the form of carbonate, which is further used to absorb CO2 from industrial sources to form bicarbonate. [Diagram 34]

[0217] 1 shows a flow chart illustrating the capture process, according to an implementation featuring reuse of the salt solution by neutralization with a hydrogen-rich stream of carbonates formed from the absorption of CO2 from air and industrial sources. [Diagram 35]

[0218] 1 shows a schematic flow chart of one implementation of the disclosed system featuring disposal of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate on land or at sea. [Diagram 36]

[0219] 13 illustrates a further implementation of a system configured to capture carbon dioxide in gas form and recycle the salt solution back into the electrochemical process step. [Figure 37]

[0220] 1 shows a flow chart illustrating a carbon capture process according to an implementation featuring a bipolar electrodialysis unit producing multiple output streams including one hydroxide-rich stream, one hydrogen-rich stream, and one hydrogen gas stream. [Figure 38]

[0221] 1 shows a schematic flow chart of one implementation of the disclosed system featuring the use of bipolar electrodialysis for the product used in carbon dioxide mineralization. [Figure 39]

[0222] 1 shows details of a portion of a BPED unit including an array of ion exchange membranes and electrodes for producing multiple streams including hydrogen gas, dilute hydrochloric acid, and concentrated sodium hydroxide, according to one implementation. [Diagram 40]

[0223] 1 shows a flowchart of a combined carbon capture, desalination and mineral extraction process according to one implementation. [Diagram 41]

[0224] FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of one implementation of the disclosed system that uses incorporation of synergies and interdependencies between carbon dioxide capture and sequestration, desalination, and mineral extraction. [Diagram 42]

[0225] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a carbon capture process according to one implementation. [Diagram 43]

[0226] 1 shows a flowchart of a combined carbon capture, desalination and mineral extraction process according to one implementation. [Diagram 44]

[0227] FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of one implementation of the disclosed system that uses incorporation of synergies and interdependencies between carbon dioxide capture and sequestration, desalination, and mineral extraction. [Diagram 45]

[0228] 1 shows a flow chart illustrating a carbon capture process according to one implementation. [Figure 46]

[0229] 1 shows a flowchart of a combined carbon capture and hydrogenation process to form methanol, according to one implementation. [Figure 47]

[0230] 1 shows a flowchart of a combined carbon capture and hydrogenation process to form methanol, according to one implementation. [Figure 48]

[0231] FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a system using carbon dioxide capture and hydrogenation of re-released CO2 gas to form methanol according to one implementation. [Figure 49]

[0232] FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a system using carbon dioxide capture and hydrogenation of mineral carbonates to form methanol, according to one implementation. [Figure 50]

[0233] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a carbon capture process according to one implementation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0124] one

[0234] Various examples and implementations disclosed or contemplated herein relate to methods, systems and devices for carbon dioxide capture and sequestration. Various implementations use an electrochemical process, such as electrodialysis (ED) or electrolysis, to produce a hydroxide-rich stream from an input liquid, such as a saline solution. The hydroxide-rich stream can be used with passive airflow over a packed structure to capture CO2 directly from the air. In various implementations, solid carbonate is precipitated from the resulting liquid carbonate solution and then deposited in a body of water or otherwise stored. In some implementations, the liquid carbonate solution is further or alternatively processed to release and store the captured CO2 as a gas.

[0125]

[0235] To operate the process continuously, additional liquid inputs can be used to continue the process. In various cases, the input liquid is a saline solution, i.e., water containing one or more dissolved salts, such as, for example, sodium chloride. In some cases, the input liquid is a saline solution, such as seawater. In various cases, the input liquid is desalinated brine, brackish water, brine waste, or another salt water.

[0126]

[0236] As described herein, the disclosed technology is often broadly referred to as system 10, capture system 10, or carbon capture system 10, with the understanding that this is for the sake of brevity and is in no way intended to be limited to any particular manner.

[0127]

[0237] One objective of various implementations of the capture system 10 is to minimize energy usage associated with CO2 extraction methods. In various implementations, the system does not rely on the use of kilns or boilers and therefore does not require constant power. This in turn means that various implementations can be powered only by intermittent / renewable electricity. Another objective of the disclosed system 10 according to various implementations is to maximize CO2 collection by capturing CO2 both with the creation of a solvent and directly from the air. Additionally, an objective of various implementations is to provide an air capture method that eliminates the typical step of heating a solvent or sorbent to extract CO2 prior to CO2 capture and sequestration by creating a solid carbonate stream and depositing it in the ocean or other body of water, or on land. These and other objectives are detailed below.

[0128]

[0238] Certain implementations of the capture system 10 relate to the sequestration of CO2 using only a saltwater solution, such as seawater, and electricity. In these implementations, electricity is applied to the saltwater solution by an electrochemical process (e.g., electrodialysis or electrolysis) to create a hydroxide-rich solvent that can be used to capture CO2 directly from the air. The resulting precipitated solid carbonates are deposited in a body of water, e.g., the ocean or on land. Additional saltwater is used to keep the process going, which in some cases can facilitate a continuous process of CO2 capture and sequestration, especially in locations where saltwater is easily accessible.

[0129]

[0239] In various exemplary implementations, capture system 10 is performed offshore because such a location allows for consistent wind currents, easy access to saline water such as seawater, and easy deposition of precipitated carbonates back into the ocean. It is further appreciated that such a location can minimize costs by avoiding or reducing electrical costs for fans for air capture, avoiding or reducing transportation costs for depositing the carbonates in the ocean, and reducing pumping costs for seawater input.

[0130]

[0240] In various alternative implementations, capture system 10 may be utilized on land and may include various process modifications, including, for example, 1) locating system 10 near a source of saline water, such as seawater, desalted brine, brackish water, waste brine, or water with added salt, 2) locating system 10 near a location with persistent wind and / or solar radiation, and / or 3) locating capture system 10 near a site of accumulation of solid carbonate salts.

[0131]

[0241] 1 illustrates an implementation of a carbon capture system 10 and various operational flows thereof according to aspects of the disclosed technology. In this implementation, various optional steps are performed. For example, in various implementations, the system includes a process having steps such as receiving an input liquid (box 100) and subjecting the input liquid to an electrochemical process, such as electrolysis or electrodialysis, to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream (box 110). The process also includes capturing CO2 from the air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system (box 120), and precipitating the air-captured CO2, for example as carbonate (box 130).

[0132]

[0242] 2-4, in various implementations of capture system 10, an input liquid 12, such as seawater or other saline liquid, is fed into capture system 10 to produce a hydroxide-rich stream 14 including salts such as NaOH and / or MgOH and / or CaOH and / or other hydroxides. It will be understood that capture system 10, as well as other implementations and examples described herein, include one or more fluid and / or electrical connections (generally shown as lines) between various optional components that may be arranged in a wide variety of arrangements such that the various fluids / gases and electricity described herein can flow as described.

[0133]

[0243] In various implementations, after the liquid input 12 enters the system 10, a portion of the input liquid 12 is exposed to an electrochemical processing apparatus 16. In various implementations, the electrochemical process 16 includes electrodialysis (ED), as shown in FIGS. 2-4. In such cases, the electrochemical processing apparatus includes an electrodialysis unit, such as an ED stack configured to perform electrodialysis on the liquid 12. In various implementations, the ED stack includes a stack of membranes 18 disposed between positively charged and negatively charged plates of a bipolar electrodialysis (BPED). In such cases, the ED stack may also be referred to as an electrodialysis bipolar membrane (EDBM). In various implementations, the ED stack is configured or otherwise includes a set of repeating ED cells 18 in a three-chamber pattern. The pattern includes repeating bipolar membranes, as well as anion- and cation-permeable membranes.

[0134]

[0244] Optionally, by maintaining a sufficient flow rate through the electrodialysis unit, membrane fouling, a common problem in water purification systems, can be largely avoided. As an example, in some cases, the electrodialysis unit receives a continuous high-velocity feed of input liquid, e.g., water. Periodically reversing the polarity of the system also helps protect the membranes.

[0135]

[0245] In various implementations, as described in further greater detail herein, the electrochemical process 16 includes electrolysis. In such cases, the electrochemical processing device 16 may include, for example, an electrolytic device for processing the input liquid 12.

[0136]

[0246] 2-4, in use according to a particular implementation, application of electricity by an electrochemical machining apparatus 16 creates a hydroxide-rich stream 14 from input liquid 12. The hydroxides in this stream 14 are then available to capture CO2 from air 25 using a direct air CO2 capture mechanism 22.

[0137]

[0247] The portion of the brine 12 that provided the Ca+, Na+ and Mg+ ions to the ED stack 16 is now partially desalinated and is at a neutral pH. This seawater 800 may be returned to the ocean or used to balance the pH of other waste streams before being returned.

[0138]

[0248] Some or all of the hydroxide solution 14 is then sent to a direct air CO2 capture mechanism 22 to capture the carbon dioxide as carbonate. This mechanism may be one of many existing approaches. Once this stream 14 has progressed through the CO2 capture system and is saturated with carbon, it is preferably sent to a precipitation system 20 to extract the carbonate. In various implementations, the direct air capture system is preferably installed in a location with sustained wind speed (shown at 25) to minimize flow time and energy costs through the capture mechanism.

[0139]

[0249] In various implementations, the precipitation system includes a precipitation tank 20 in fluid communication with a direct air CO2 capture mechanism 22, and optionally one or more of the other system 10 components described herein. As shown in Figures 2-4, in various implementations, the precipitation tank 20 is connected upstream of the electrochemical processing apparatus 16. In some cases, the tank 20 is coupled with a pretreatment stage, such as a nanofiltration stage 15A shown in Figure 3 or a reverse osmosis stage 15B shown in Figure 4. Additionally, in various implementations, the precipitation tank 20 is coupled with the electrochemical processing apparatus 16, thus providing a recycle loop for the outflow from the air capture mechanism 22 after carbonate has precipitated from the stream in the tank.

[0140]

[0250] In various implementations, the capture system 10 utilizes a method for the extraction of inorganic hydroxides provided by: X a (O b H c ) m where X represents an element or combination of elements capable of chemically bonding with oxygen and / or hydrogen; at least one element in X is an element in group IA, IIA, IIIA, IVA, IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, VIIB, VIIB or VIIIB of the periodic table; a, b and c are stoichiometrically determined positive integers.

[0141]

[0251] According to certain implementations, the capture and sequestration of CO2 as described above by using an input liquid 12, such as saline solution, and electricity (via an electrochemical process 16, e.g., an ED stack) as inputs. In these implementations, electrochemistry and water are used to create hydroxides in the form of the hydroxide-rich stream 14 identified above, which can then be used to capture CO2 directly from the air.

[0142]

[0252] As shown and discussed, the system 10 allows for the precipitation of solid carbonates after capturing CO2 from the air. According to various implementations, the precipitation is given by: X(CO3) m where X is an element or combination of elements capable of chemically bonding with a carbonate group or groups; at least one of said elements is an element of group IA, IIA, IIIA, IVA, IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, VIIB, VIIB or VIIIB of the periodic table; m is a stoichiometrically determined positive integer. Following such precipitation, the solid carbonates can be placed in the ocean or other body of water to promote an increase in alkalinity.

[0143]

[0253] The carbonates recovered from the entire process may be returned to the ocean or another body of water as shown in these implementations at 30. As anthropogenic atmospheric carbon increases, the air / water equilibrium shifts and an increasing percentage of CO2 is absorbed by the ocean as carbonates and bicarbonates. This has led to an increase in ocean acidity. Depositing carbonates from the processes described herein into the ocean can help combat ocean acidification and support certain marine organisms that depend on carbonates.

[0144]

[0254] Carbonate deposition occurs where, in certain implementations, these deposited carbonates sink and dissolve below the carbonate compensation depth. Below this depth, low temperatures and high pressures cause the calcium carbonate to dissolve. Once dissolved, the Ca+ and carbonate ions can disperse into the ocean.

[0145]

[0255] As mentioned above, in certain implementations, the input liquid 12 passes through one or more optional pretreatment stages 15 before entering the electrochemical processing apparatus 16. By way of example, in some cases, an optional filtration system 15A, such as a nanofiltration and / or microfiltration system, is utilized, as will be appreciated. In various cases, the nanofiltration and / or microfiltration serves to remove divalent ions from the concentrated sodium chloride solution that constitutes at least a portion of the input liquid 12.

[0146]

[0256] As shown in the implementation of FIG. 4, an optional reverse osmosis concentration system 15B is used in some cases to pre-concentrate the brine input liquid 12 (e.g., seawater) for use in the electrochemical processor 16. In various implementations, the efficiency of the electrochemical processor 16 (e.g., the ED bipolar membrane shown in FIG. 4) increases with the concentration of the seawater, so it is cost effective to add a standard reverse osmosis (RO) stage or an additional electrodialysis step before the electrochemical processor 16. Seawater is typically 30-35 g / l NaCl and other dissolved solids. In various implementations, additional concentration by RO or ED can increase the concentration of the brine to 70-100 g / l.

[0147]

[0257] Another example of an optional pretreatment stage is shown as part of the carbon capture process and system 10 in Figure 5. The pretreatment stage in this case includes a filtration system 15A and an ion exchange package 15C upstream of the electrochemical processing device 16, where the optional ion exchange system 15C may be useful for removing divalent ions from the input liquid to improve the feed composition for the electrochemical processing device, such as an electrodialysis bipolar membrane (EDBM).

[0148]

[0258] Continuing with Figure 5, the illustrated flow diagram provides a detailed depiction of a carbon capture process and system 10 according to one possible implementation. The detailed diagram shows numerous pumps, vessels and other components of the system, as well as fluid connections between associated components. It is understood that the system may include fewer and / or additional components and aspects not shown in various cases.

[0149]

[0259] Starting from the left of the flow diagram, the input liquid 12 (brine in this example) is pumped to an expansion vessel (V-001) before flowing to a pre-treatment stage, which in this case includes a nanofiltration unit (15A) and an ion exchange unit (15C) for removing divalent ions such as calcium and magnesium. The output (e.g., filtrate) from this pre-treatment stage is stored in a vessel (V-005) before being sent to an electrochemical processing device 16. In this example, the electrochemical processing device is implemented with an electrodialysis bipolar membrane (EDBM-001).

[0150]

[0260] In the electrochemical processing apparatus 16, the treated input liquid 12 (e.g., a salt stream) is split into a hydroxide-rich stream (14) and a hydrogen-rich stream (79). The hydroxide-rich stream 14 is then passed through an air contactor (22) where it absorbs carbon dioxide from an air stream (25) to form carbonate. The carbonate stream (72) is then pumped to a precipitator or settling tank (20) where it is mixed with the divalent ion stream from the nanofiltration 15A and ion exchange package 15C to form calcium carbonate. The calcium carbonate solution is then separated into a slurry of calcium carbonate solids (30). In some cases, a centrifugal dryer CG-001 is used to separate the slurry of carbonate solids 30 and water (802), which is recycled back into the system.

[0151]

[0261] As will be appreciated, in this example, the primary input to the capture process 10 is brine (12) and the primary outputs are carbonate solids (30) and hydrochloric acid (79). In various implementations, the process / system 10 may use one or more additional inputs and generate one or more additional outputs. In various implementations, one or more of the auxiliary inputs and / or outputs are largely reused within the system. For example, in some cases, the output from the electrochemical process 16 is processed (e.g., by reverse osmosis) to provide low total dissolved solids (TDS) water (804), which can be used as a replenisher for the EDBM unit. In some cases, an HCl make-up stream and / or a NaOH make-up stream are also used to power the EDBM unit. In various implementations, for example, a regeneration stream 806 containing an amount of HCl is used to regenerate the ion exchange pretreatment stage 15C. As will be appreciated, additional inputs and / or outputs may be present in various implementations of the system 10.

[0152]

[0262] Referring to FIG. 6, in various implementations, the capture system 10 is configured to capture CO2 in gaseous form. As shown in FIG. 6, the system 10 is similar to the examples shown in FIGS. 2-5, but with some modifications. The first is a mixture (generally shown at 48) of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) produced by the direct air CO2 capture mechanism 22 with a hydrogen rich stream 79. This combination creates CO2 in gaseous form 52 and brine 50. The brine 50 may be returned to the electrochemical process 16 via the input liquid 12 for reuse in the process, and the gaseous CO2 is stored.

[0153]

[0263] The electrochemical process 16 in the system 10 of Figure 6 may, in some cases, include an electrodialysis stack (e.g., EDBM). In such cases, the electrodialysis stack receives the brine input liquid 12 and produces a hydrogen-rich stream 79, shown in this example as hydrochloric acid (HCl). The HCl can then be mixed with sodium carbonate from the capture mechanism 16 to produce gaseous CO2.

[0154]

[0264] As one possible alternative, in various implementations, the electrochemical process 16 includes an electrolysis unit. In such a case, the electrolysis unit produces, for example, hydrogen and chlorine gas in addition to a hydroxide-rich stream. The hydrogen and chlorine gas can then be combined in an HCl oven and deionized water absorber to produce hydrochloric acid 79, which can then be used to produce gaseous CO2 52 when mixed with Na2CO3 from the air capture system 22. Thus, various examples of capture systems 10 that provide a hydrogen-rich stream, such as HCl, may include an electrochemical process 16 implemented by either an electrodialysis stack or an electrolysis unit combined with an HCl oven and deionized water absorber.

[0155]

[0265] Further implementations of the disclosed systems and methods may be combined or otherwise utilized with the additional examples below, and the teachings of each of the disclosed implementations outlined herein may utilize techniques disclosed in other examples and aspects, such that all teachings contained herein relate to variations of the implementations disclosed elsewhere herein. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that in a particular implementation, features disclosed in any particular example or other aspects detailed herein may be combined with additional features outlined in alternative examples, such that the present disclosure contemplates combining various features for particular applications of the disclosed technology.

[0156] two

[0266] Additional embodiments disclosed or contemplated herein relate to methods, systems and devices for extracting, concentrating and precipitating various metal and mineral hydroxides as part of CO2 capture and sequestration using water and salt input, electrochemical production of hydroxides, and inclusion of airflow over a packed structure.

[0157]

[0267] FIG. 7 illustrates an implementation of a carbon capture system 10 and its various operational flows according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. In this implementation, various optional steps are performed. For example, in various implementations, the system includes a process having steps such as receiving an input liquid (box 100), subjecting the input liquid to an electrochemical process (box 105) to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream (box 110), capturing CO2 from the air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system (box 120), and precipitating the air-captured CO2 (box 130). As shown in FIG. 7, in various implementations, the electrochemical process is electrolysis. In various implementations, the electrochemical process includes electrodialysis (box 105) performed by an electrodialysis stack, such as an ED stack configured for bipolar electrodialysis (BPED). In certain implementations, the capture system 10 further enables the precipitation of minerals or metals, such as lithium (box 135).

[0158]

[0268] As discussed above, additional implementations of the carbon capture system 10 disclosed or contemplated herein relate to methods, systems and devices for the extraction, concentration and precipitation of various metal and mineral hydroxides. The metal and mineral hydroxide processes may, in various cases, be implemented as part of CO2 capture and sequestration using water and salt input, electrochemical production of hydroxides, and inclusion of airflow over packed structures, as described herein.

[0159]

[0269] In certain implementations, in addition to the permanent CO2 capture described above, the capture system 10 can also produce lithium, as shown in Figures 8-10, and in various cases, reduce particulate matter concentrations in the ambient air, as described herein. It is also understood that an objective of the various implementations of the capture system 10 described herein is to minimize the energy usage and environmental impact associated with the extraction of lithium and other metals. Minimizing energy usage is itself beneficial to the environment, and further, the methods described use less water and toxic chemicals than existing methods.

[0160]

[0270] To this end, the capture system 10 according to a particular implementation utilizes a method for the extraction of inorganic hydroxides given by: X a (O b H c ) m where X represents an element or combination of elements capable of chemically bonding with oxygen and / or hydrogen; at least one element in X is an element in group IA, IIA, IIIA, IVA, IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, VIIB, VIIB or VIIIB of the periodic table; a, b and c are stoichiometrically determined positive integers.

[0161]

[0271] Certain implementations of extraction are combined with the CO2 capture and sequestration described above by using a metal and / or mineral-bearing input liquid 12, such as a saline solution 12, and electricity (via an electrochemical process 16, e.g., an ED stack) as an input, as variously shown in Figures 8-10. These implementations use electrochemistry and water to create hydroxides in the form of the hydroxide-rich stream 14 identified above, which can then be used to precipitate metal and mineral hydroxide solids to capture CO2 directly from the air.

[0162]

[0272] In these implementations, after capturing CO2 from the air, the system 10 allows for the precipitation of solid carbonates as given by: X(CO3) m where X is an element or combination of elements capable of chemically bonding with a carbonate group or groups; at least one of said elements is an element of group IA, IIA, IIIA, IVA, IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, VIIB, VIIB or VIIIB of the periodic table; m is a stoichiometrically determined positive integer.

[0163]

[0273] Following such precipitation, the solid carbonates can be collected and / or deposited in the ocean or other bodies of water to promote increased alkalinity, as shown in Figures 8-10.

[0164]

[0274] 8-10, system 10 includes various optional steps and substeps. In a particular implementation, system 10 includes feeding a mineral-containing saline solution as an input liquid 12 to an electrochemical process 16, such as a bipolar electrodialysis membrane / ED stack, to produce a hydroxide-rich stream 14, as described above.

[0165]

[0275] It is understood that in these implementations, stream 14 may be split into multiple separate portions for various uses. For example, in some of these implementations of system 10, a portion of hydroxide-rich stream 14 is used to capture and precipitate air-captured CO2 as carbonates and / or to precipitate air-captured particulate matter, metals and minerals such as lithium for use.

[0166]

[0276] In these implementations of system 10, a portion of the minerals contained in hydroxide-rich stream 14 are precipitated for extraction, while another portion of hydroxide-rich stream 14 is utilized to capture CO2 as described above.

[0167]

[0277] As shown in Figure 9, the input liquid 12 is passed through a pretreatment stage 15 that may include one or more of various filtration and / or concentration systems, such as the filtration and concentration examples discussed above with respect to Figures 2-5. The filtered input liquid 12A is mixed 17 with an optionally recycled waste stream 19 and a low pH solution 13 and passed through an electrochemical process 16 to create a hydroxide-rich stream 14, as previously described. As shown in Figure 9, in various implementations, the low pH solution 13 is a generated output from the electrochemical process 16.

[0168]

[0278] In these implementations, solids such as LiOH may be precipitated 60 and collected for minerals or metals such as lithium.

[0279] The electrochemical process 16 according to a particular implementation is configured to ensure that the hydroxide-rich stream 14 is a high pH alkaline solution. This hydroxide-rich alkaline solution 14 produced by the electrochemical process 16 is then sent to a precipitation system (shown at 60 in FIG. 9) to remove metal and mineral hydroxides such as lithium 62. Precipitation is utilized in a particular implementation of this step to collect solid metal and mineral hydroxides and retain a portion of the hydroxide solution to be used for carbon capture. The process of increasing alkalinity also converts bicarbonate, carbonic acid, and captured CO2 to carbonate ions, which will be understood to precipitate increasingly as the pH increases.

[0169]

[0280] The remainder of stream 14A may be used for direct air carbon dioxide capture as described above, with the optional introduction of concentrated CO2 28 and exposure to air 25, which is optionally filtered 32, for example in a cooling tower 40. That is, certain capture systems may utilize an air filtration system 32, such as a HEPA filter 32, to filter particulate matter from air 25 in the cooling tower 40, and the system may be further configured to capture additional particulate matter in stream 14A during CO2 capture (shown at 22). The resulting stream 72 containing the particulate matter and captured CO2 includes liquid carbonates, which may then be precipitated as solid metal oxides 70, CaCO3, and other compounds 20, as will be readily understood.

[0170]

[0281] As also shown in the implementation of FIG. 9, certain systems may utilize a filter system to introduce additional liquid 72 containing particulate matter into the precipitate 20.

[0282] The output liquid stream 74 from the continuous precipitation of solids 20 can be further purified by various desalination 3 methods (e.g., by nanofilter (NF) 15A and / or reverse osmosis (RO) 15B) to produce clean water 1 as one output and concentrated brine 2 as a second output, which may be recirculated as will be appreciated.

[0171]

[0283] FIG. 10 shows a further simplified implementation in which the system 10 utilises a filter 32, such as a HEPA filter, for the air input and an additional treatment stage 15 (including reverse osmosis and nanofiltration) for the water / liquid input, although one skilled in the art will appreciate that additional filtration techniques can be readily used.

[0172]

[0284] As previously mentioned, according to certain implementations, the system 10 uses a saline solution 12 that contains metals and minerals, such as those described above, and that will be readily understood by those of skill in the art. In further implementations of the system 10, the system operates or takes place near a non-saline solution that contains minerals, and includes various process modifications, as will be understood. In various implementations, these modifications may include 1) adding sodium to the non-saline solution, and 2) introducing minerals to the water at the start of the process.

[0173] three

[0285] As discussed above, various embodiments disclosed or contemplated herein relate to methods, systems, and devices that enable capture and sequestration of CO2 using a liquid input, such as a saline solution, such as seawater, brine, or other salt water, by electrochemical processes and passive airflow over a packed structure. In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed technology, additional examples disclosed or contemplated herein relate to methods, systems, and devices for producing by-products, such as green hydrogen and other gases, such as chlorine gas, or hydrochloric acid, as part of the capture and sequestration of CO2. As with various other described examples, capture and sequestration of CO2 from an input of water and salt containing CO2 may be performed by electrochemical production of hydroxides and airflow over a packed structure.

[0174]

[0286] As discussed elsewhere herein, various implementations of the carbon capture system 10 according to the disclosed technology involve the sequestration of CO2 using an input liquid (e.g., a saline solution such as seawater) and electricity. In these implementations, electricity is applied to the saline solution by an electrochemical process, such as electrodialysis or electrolysis, to create a hydroxide-rich solvent that can be used to capture CO2 directly from the air. In various implementations, the resulting precipitated solid carbonate is then deposited in a body of water, such as the ocean, and additional saline solution is used to continue the process on a continuous basis.

[0175]

[0287] 11-12 show various implementations of a carbon capture system 10 and various operational flows thereof according to the disclosed technology. In these implementations, various optional steps are performed, including those shown and discussed above, such as with respect to FIG. 1. For example, in various implementations, the capture system 10 includes a process having steps such as receiving an input liquid (box 100) and subjecting the input liquid to an electrochemical process to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream (box 110). The process also includes capturing CO2 from the air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system (box 120), and precipitating the air-captured CO2, for example as solid carbonate (box 130).

[0176]

[0288] In various implementations, the electrochemical process is configured to produce one or more by-products in addition to the hydroxide-rich stream. For example, in various cases, the electrochemical process includes an electrolysis process that produces other gases, such as hydrogen gas and chlorine gas. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, in various implementations, the electrochemical process (e.g., electrolysis) uses renewable energy (box 105), thereby producing other gases, such as green hydrogen gas and green chlorine gas (box 140), in addition to the hydroxide-rich stream. The operational flow 10 of the system in Figure 11 further enables a step of storing by-product gases, such as hydrogen and chlorine, in a pressurized vessel (box 150). The exemplary operational process 10 in Figure 12 includes a step of directly combining hydrogen and chlorine gas to produce hydrochloric acid (box 160). For example, in various implementations, the hydrogen and chlorine gases are combined in an HCl oven and deionized water absorber, and then stored in a vessel for further processing or sale (box 170).

[0177]

[0289] As shown in Figures 13-15, various implementations of carbon capture system 10 produce green hydrogen and other gases or by-products as part of the capture and sequestration of CO2 by the disclosed technology. Similar to the implementation of system 10 shown in Figures 2-4, in various implementations of capture system 10 shown in Figures 13-15, an input liquid 12, such as seawater or other saline liquid, is fed to capture system 10 to produce a hydroxide-rich stream 14 containing salts such as NaOH and / or MgOH and / or CaOH and / or other hydroxides. As described herein, it is understood that implementations of capture system 10, including the implementation shown in Figures 13-15, include one or more fluid and / or electrical connections (generally shown as lines) between various optional components that may be arranged in a wide variety of arrangements such that the various fluids / gases and electricity described herein can flow as described.

[0178]

[0290] Returning to FIGS. 13-15, in various implementations, after the liquid input 12 enters the capture system 10, a portion of the input liquid 12 is exposed to an electrochemical processing device 16, which in this example is an electrolysis unit configured to perform electrolysis on the input liquid 12. In various implementations, as will be appreciated, optional pretreatment stages 15, such as nanofiltration and microfiltration systems, ion exchange stages, and / or reverse osmosis concentration stages, are utilized. In various implementations, the electrolysis unit includes a stack of ion-permeable membranes 18A disposed between a positively charged electrode 18B and a negatively charged electrode 18C. In various implementations, the electrochemical processing device 16 is configured or otherwise includes a set of electrolysis units connected in series or parallel. Various other configurations of the electrochemical processing device 16 can also be utilized.

[0179]

[0291] In use with certain implementations, application of electricity by the electrolysis unit creates a hydroxide rich stream 14 from the input liquid 12. These hydroxides are then available for capturing 22 CO2 from the air 25. In various implementations, an optional precipitation tank 20 is provided as part of the system 10. As shown in FIG. 13, the precipitation tank 20 is in fluid communication with one or more of the other system components described herein.

[0180]

[0292] The portion of the brine 12 that provided the Ca+, Na+ and Mg+ ions to the electrolysis unit is now partially desalinated 317 and is at neutral pH. This seawater may be returned to the ocean or may be used to balance the pH of other waste streams before being returned.

[0181]

[0293] Some or all of the hydroxide solution 14 is then sent to a direct air CO2 capture mechanism 22 to capture the carbon dioxide as carbonate. This mechanism may be one of many existing approaches. Once this stream 14 has progressed through the CO2 capture system and is saturated with carbon, in various cases it is sent to a precipitation system 20 to extract the carbonate. In various implementations, the direct air capture system 22 is preferably located in a location with sustained wind speeds (shown at 25) to minimize flow time and energy costs through the capture mechanism.

[0182]

[0294] Thus, the exemplary capture systems shown in Figures 13-15 involve the capture and sequestration of CO2 using water and salt input, electrochemical production of hydroxides, and airflow over a packed structure, as described herein. In addition to the permanent CO2 capture described above, various capture systems (such as those of Figures 13-15) can also produce hydrogen and chlorine gas, and in some cases, can reduce particulate matter concentrations in the ambient air, as described herein. It is also understood that the purpose of the various systems is to use renewable energy to minimize the environmental impact associated with the production of hydrogen gas. The use of renewable energy is itself beneficial to the environment. Furthermore, the various methods described herein have multiple uses for the chemicals produced, in some cases more than existing methods.

[0183]

[0295] In various implementations, the capture system 10 utilizes a method for the extraction of inorganic hydroxides provided by: X a (O b H c ) m where X represents an element or combination of elements capable of chemically bonding with oxygen and / or hydrogen; at least one element in X is an element in group IA, IIA, IIIA, IVA, IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, VIIB, VIIB or VIIIB of the periodic table; a, b and c are stoichiometrically determined positive integers.

[0184]

[0296] The production of hydrogen gas in certain implementations is combined with the above-mentioned CO2 capture and sequestration by receiving an input saline liquid 12, such as seawater, and renewable electricity to power an electrolysis unit, as variously shown in Figures 13-15. These implementations use electrochemistry and water to create hydroxides in the form of the hydroxide-rich stream 14 identified above, and simultaneously produce hydrogen gas 16B and chlorine gas 16C as by-products. The hydroxide-rich stream is used to directly capture CO2 from the air.

[0185]

[0297] In these implementations, after capturing CO2 from the air, the system 10 allows for the precipitation of solid carbonates as given by: X(CO3) m where X is an element or combination of elements capable of chemically bonding with a carbonate group or groups; at least one of said elements is an element of group IA, IIA, IIIA, IVA, IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, VIIB, VIIB or VIIIB of the periodic table; m is a stoichiometrically determined positive integer.

[0186]

[0298] Following such precipitation, the solid carbonates can be placed in the ocean or other body of water to promote an increase in alkalinity.

[0299] 13-15 includes various optional steps and substeps. In a particular implementation, the capture system 10 includes feeding a mineral-containing brine solution as an input liquid 12 to an electrolysis unit to produce a hydroxide-rich stream 14 as described above.

[0187]

[0300] In various implementations, the hydrogen-rich stream is at least partially produced in the electrochemical process 16. For example, as shown in the implementation of Figure 15, the by-product gas streams of hydrogen gas (16B) and chlorine gas (16C) from the electrochemical process 16 can be combined in a combustion chamber and passed through a deionized water absorber (16D) to form hydrochloric acid of various concentrations (16E). In certain implementations, the by-product gas streams of hydrogen gas (16B) and chlorine gas (16C) from the electrochemical process 16 can be stored in pressurized vessels for further processing and sale.

[0188]

[0301] In various implementations of capture system 10, a portion of the minerals contained in hydroxide-rich stream 14 are precipitated for extraction, while other portions of hydroxide-rich stream 14 are utilized to capture CO2 as described above. As an example, in various implementations, hydroxides of one or more minerals (e.g., lithium hydroxide) are precipitated from hydroxide-rich stream 14, as shown in FIG.

[0189]

[0302] Returning to FIG. 15, in a particular implementation, the system 10 can capture CO2 in gas form 52. As shown in FIG. 15, the system 10 is similar to the examples of FIGS. 13 and 14, but with some modifications. The first is a mix 48 of the Na2CO3 produced by the direct air CO2 capture mechanism 22 with a low pH hydrochloric acid stream 16E produced from hydrogen gas 16B and chlorine gas 16C produced by the electrochemical process 16. This combination creates CO2 in gas form 52 and saltwater 50. The saltwater 50 may be returned to the electrochemical process 16 for reuse in the process, and the gaseous CO2 is stored as previously described.

[0190]

[0303] According to certain implementations, the system 10 uses a salt water solution 12 containing metals and minerals, such as those described above. In further implementations, as will be further appreciated, the capture system and / or process 10 operates or takes place near a non-salt water solution containing minerals and includes various process modifications. These modifications may include, for example, 1) adding sodium to the non-salt water solution and 2) introducing minerals to the water at the start of the process.

[0191]

[0304] 16 is a flow chart providing a detailed depiction of the carbon capture process and system 10 according to one possible implementation. The detailed view shows numerous pumps, vessels and other components of the system, as well as fluid connections between the associated components. It is understood that the system may in various cases include fewer and / or additional components and aspects not shown.

[0192]

[0305] Continuing to refer to FIG. 16, in this example, the system 10 receives a saline input liquid 12 that is pumped to an expansion vessel (V-001) before being sent to a pre-treatment stage. The pre-treatment stage in this example includes a nanofiltration unit (15A) and an ion exchange unit (15C) to remove divalent ions, such as calcium and magnesium. The output (e.g., filtrate) from this pre-treatment stage is stored in a vessel (V-002) before being sent to an electrochemical processing device 16. In various implementations, the electrochemical processing device is an electrolysis unit as shown in FIG.

[0193]

[0306] An electrochemical processing apparatus 16 (e.g., an electrolysis unit) splits the pretreated input liquid into a hydroxide-rich stream 14, a hydrogen gas stream (16B), and a chlorine gas stream (16C). The hydroxide-rich stream is then passed through an air contactor (22) where it absorbs carbon dioxide from an air stream (25) to form carbonate salts. These carbonate salts (Stream 72) are then pumped to a precipitator or settling tank (20) where they are mixed with the divalent ion stream from the nanofiltration 15A and ion exchange package 15C to form calcium carbonate. The calcium carbonate solution is then separated into a slurry of calcium carbonate solids (Stream 30). In some cases, a centrifugal dryer CG-001 is used to separate the slurry of solid carbonates 30 and water (802), which is recycled back into the system.

[0194]

[0307] According to various implementations, the input liquid 12 received by the capture system 10 is an artificial brine. In some cases, the artificial brine is distinct from seawater brine or the brine reject obtained from seawater reverse osmosis, and is instead made by adding salt to freshwater.

[0195]

[0308] In various implementations, the process / system 10 of Figure 16 may use one or more additional inputs and produce one or more additional outputs. As just one possible example, in various implementations, a regeneration stream 806 containing, for example, an amount of HCl is used to regenerate the ion exchange pretreatment stage 15C. As will be appreciated, there may be additional inputs and / or outputs in various implementations of the system 10.

[0196] four

[0309] 17-22, some implementations relate to other aspects of the disclosed technology including one or more of capture and sequestration of CO2, extraction of lithium compounds, and production of by-products such as green hydrogen and other gases such as chlorine gas, or hydrochloric acid. Various implementations disclosed or contemplated herein relate to methods, systems and devices that enable simultaneous capture and sequestration of CO2 in an air contactor using a liquid input such as a salt solution such as seawater, brine or other salt water via electrolysis, and extraction of lithium compounds in an absorber.

[0197]

[0310] Additional implementations disclosed or contemplated herein relate to methods, systems and devices for the capture and sequestration of CO2 in a combined air contactor using water and salt inputs, inclusion of electrochemical production of hydroxide-rich and hydrogen-rich streams, and production of by-product green hydrogen and other gases such as chlorine gas, or hydrochloric acid as part of lithium extraction in an absorber.

[0198]

[0311] Additional implementations disclosed or contemplated herein relate to methods, systems and devices for sequestering CO2 in gas form by using a hydroxide-rich stream to capture the CO2 as carbonate in an air contactor and a hydrogen-rich stream to regenerate the CO2. The collected CO2 gas is then used in combination with a lithium absorber to form lithium carbonate.

[0199]

[0312] As discussed above and described herein with respect to Figures 17-22, the disclosed technology is broadly referred to as an operational flow 10 and / or capture system 10, with the understanding that this is for the sake of brevity and is in no way intended to be limited to any particular manner.

[0200]

[0313] Particular implementations of the disclosed capture system 10 involve the sequestration of CO2 and extraction of Li using only saltwater, such as geothermal or seawater, and electricity. In these implementations, electricity is applied to the saltwater via electrolysis to create a hydroxide-rich solvent that can be used to capture CO2 directly from the air. Electrolysis also creates a hydrogen-rich solvent that can be used to recover Li from the absorber. The resulting precipitated lithium carbonate is recovered for further processing / sale, and other solid carbonates, such as calcium carbonate, are then deposited in the ocean, and additional saltwater is used to keep the process going and continuous.

[0201]

[0314] 17 and 18 show various implementations of the carbon capture system 10 described herein. In these implementations, various optional steps are performed. For example, in various implementations, the system 10 includes the process shown in FIG. 17, which has steps such as receiving an input liquid (box 100) that is pretreated and filtered (box 210) before subjecting the input liquid to an electrochemical process. In the illustrated example, the electrochemical process includes electrodialysis, which produces at least one hydroxide-rich stream and one hydrogen-rich stream (box 220). The process further includes capturing CO2 from the air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system (box 120), and extracting Li from the absorber using the hydrogen-rich stream (box 240). The process also includes precipitating the air-captured CO2 and Li from the absorber as carbonates (box 250).

[0202]

[0315] As shown in FIG. 18, in various implementations, the electrochemical process includes electrolysis. In various cases, electrolysis is performed using renewable energy (box 105) to produce a hydroxide-rich stream (box 110) as well as other gases such as hydrogen gas and chlorine gas (box 140). In certain implementations, the operational flow of system 10 further allows for the direct combination of hydrogen and chlorine gas in an HCl oven and deionized water absorber to produce hydrochloric acid (box 160). The hydrochloric acid is used in the Li absorber to form soluble Li compounds (box 240) that are precipitated as carbonates (box 250).

[0203]

[0316] As shown in FIG. 19, in various implementations of the system 10, an input liquid 12, such as seawater or other saline liquid, is fed to the capture system 10, pretreated and filtered 15A to remove coarse particles and divalent ions such as calcium and magnesium, and passed through a Li absorber 80. The input liquid 12 exiting the Li absorber is then passed through an electrochemical processor 16. In this example, the processor 16 includes a bipolar membrane electrodialysis stack 16 that produces a hydroxide-rich stream 14, including salts such as NaOH and / or MgOH and / or CaOH and / or other hydroxides, and a hydrogen-rich stream 79, including acids such as HCl. As described herein, it is understood that the capture system 10 includes one or more fluid and / or electrical connections (generally shown as lines) between various optional components that may be arranged in a wide variety of arrangements such that the various fluids / gases and electricity described herein can flow as described.

[0204]

[0317] As shown in FIG. 20, in various implementations, after the liquid input 12 enters the system 10 and passes through the pretreatment 15A and Li absorption steps 80, a portion of the input liquid 12 is exposed to an electrochemical processing apparatus 16 that includes an electrolysis unit configured to perform electrolysis on the input liquid 12. In various implementations, the electrolysis unit includes a stack of ion-permeable membranes 18A disposed between a positively charged electrode 18B and a negatively charged electrode 18C. In various implementations, the electrolysis unit is configured or otherwise includes a set of electrolysis units connected in series or parallel. Various other configurations of electrolysis units can also be utilized.

[0205]

[0318] In use with certain implementations, application of electricity by an electrolysis unit creates a hydroxide-rich stream 14 from input liquid 12. In various implementations, a hydrogen-rich stream is produced, at least in part, in an electrochemical process 16. As shown in FIG. 20, in certain implementations, by-product gas streams of hydrogen gas (16B) and chlorine gas (16C) are combined in a combustion chamber and deionized water absorber (16D) to form a hydrogen-rich stream of hydrochloric acid of various concentrations (16E). The hydroxide-rich stream is used to capture 22 CO2 from air 25. The hydrogen-rich stream is used to extract Li from Li absorber 80.

[0206]

[0319] Some or all of the hydroxide solution 14 is then sent to a direct air CO2 capture mechanism 22 for capturing the carbon dioxide as carbonate. This mechanism may be one of many existing approaches. Once this stream 14 has progressed through the CO2 capture system and is saturated with carbon, it is preferably sent again to a precipitation system 20 for extracting the carbonate. The direct air capture system is preferably installed in a location with sustained wind speeds to minimize flow time and energy costs through the capture mechanism.

[0207]

[0320] As shown in Figure 19, in various implementations, some or all of the hydrogen-rich solution 79 from the bipolar membrane electrodialysis stack is sent to a Li absorber 80 to extract Li from the sorbent in the form of Li compounds. As shown in Figure 20, in various implementations, some or all of the hydrogen-rich solution 16E from the electrolysis unit is sent to the Li absorber 80. In either example, one of the output streams from the lithium absorber 80 is then sent to a precipitation system 20 that contains the sodium carbonate produced by the direct air capture system. The lithium compounds, in one such manifestation, are then precipitated as lithium carbonate.

[0208]

[0321] To this end, the system 10 according to a particular implementation utilizes a method for the extraction of inorganic hydroxides given by: X a (O b H c ) m where X represents an element or combination of elements capable of chemically bonding with oxygen and / or hydrogen; at least one element in X is an element in group IA, IIA, IIIA, IVA, IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, VIIB, VIIB or VIIIB of the periodic table; a, b and c are stoichiometrically determined positive integers.

[0209]

[0322] In these implementations, after capturing CO2 from the air, the system 10 allows for the precipitation of solid carbonates as given by: X(CO3) m where X is an element or combination of elements capable of chemically bonding with a carbonate group or groups; at least one of said elements is an element of group IA, IIA, IIIA, IVA, IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, VIIB, VIIB or VIIIB of the periodic table; m is a stoichiometrically determined positive integer.

[0210]

[0323] Following such precipitation, value-added carbonates, such as lithium carbonate, are separated and further processed for sale and storage, while other solid carbonates, such as calcium carbonate, may be placed in the ocean or other bodies of water to promote an increase in alkalinity.

[0211]

[0324] Various implementations of system 10 shown in Figures 19-22 include various optional steps and substeps. In certain implementations, some or all of the hydrogen-rich solution 79 from electrochemical processing apparatus 16 (e.g., bipolar membrane electrodialysis stack) of Figure 19, or stream 16E in the case of electrochemical processing apparatus 16 (e.g., electrolysis unit) of Figure 20, is neutralized with rocks such as olivine to enhance weathering and further increase carbon dioxide removal.

[0212]

[0325] As shown in the implementation of FIG. 21, in certain implementations, the system 10 can capture CO2 in gas form. This approach uses the same process as described herein, but with two modifications. The first is to mix the Na2CO3 produced by the direct air CO2 capture mechanism 22 with a low pH hydroxide rich stream produced by the electrochemical process 16 (see, for example, the discussion of FIG. 6 herein). In various implementations, the Na2CO3 is mixed with low pH hydrochloric acid produced from hydrogen and chlorine gas produced by the electrochemical processing device 16 (in this case an electrolysis unit) and discussed further with respect to FIG. 15. The combination in each case creates CO2 52 in gas form and brine (not shown). The brine may be returned to the electrochemical process 16 for reuse in the process, and the gaseous CO2 may be stored as previously described or used in the lithium absorber 80 to directly convert the Li ions absorbed in the sorbent to lithium carbonate, which is stored as previously described and post-processed for sale.

[0213]

[0326] 22 is a flow chart providing a detailed depiction of the carbon capture process and system 10 according to one possible implementation. The detailed view shows a number of vessels and other components of the system, as well as fluid connections between the associated components. It is understood that the system may in various cases include fewer and / or additional components and aspects not shown.

[0214]

[0327] As shown in Figure 22, in this example, the system 10 receives an input liquid 12 comprising salt water which flows to a pretreatment stage. The pretreatment stage in this example includes a nanofiltration unit (15A) to remove divalent ions such as calcium and magnesium. The filtrate output from the pretreatment stage is then passed to a lithium extraction vessel (V-001) to selectively absorb lithium ions from the salt water input liquid 12.

[0215]

[0328] The absorbed lithium ions are extracted in stream 808 using hydrochloric acid (79) from the electrochemical processor 16. The carbonate salts 72 from the air contactor 22 are fed to a lithium precipitation vessel (V-002) along with a lithium ion stream 808 (e.g., lithium chloride). The carbonate salts mix with the lithium ion stream in the precipitation vessel to produce a lithium carbonate stream 810. The lithium-depleted input liquid (e.g., brine stream) 12 is now output from the lithium extraction vessel (V-001) and fed to the electrochemical processor 16. In this example, the electrochemical processor 16 is an electrodialysis bipolar membrane unit (EDBM-001).

[0216]

[0329] According to various implementations, the EDBM unit splits the salt stream 12 into a hydroxide-rich stream (14) and a hydrogen-rich stream (79). In various cases, the hydrogen-rich stream is hydrochloric acid, which is optionally made available as an output and further fed to the lithium extraction vessel as previously described. The hydroxide-rich stream is passed to an air contactor (22) where carbon dioxide is absorbed from an air stream (25) to form carbonates. These carbonates (72) are then fed to a sparger or bubble column reactor (V-003) where concentrated CO2 (28) from the industrial gas is passed to form bicarbonates (814). The bicarbonates and other carbonate precipitates are separated in a centrifugal dryer (CG-001) as stream 30.

[0217]

[0330] As will be appreciated, in this example, one of the primary inputs to the capture process 10 is the input brine liquid (12). In various implementations, another input is concentrated CO2 28, for example from various industrial processes and plants. In the example shown, some of the outputs are carbonate and bicarbonate solids (30), hydrochloric acid (79), and lithium carbonate 810.

[0218]

[0331] In various implementations, the process / system 10 may use one or more additional inputs and generate one or more additional outputs. In various implementations, the one or more supplemental inputs and / or outputs are largely recycled within the system. For example, in some cases, the output from the electrochemical process 16 is processed (e.g., by reverse osmosis) to provide low total dissolved solids (TDS) water (804), which can be used as a make-up fluid for the EDBM unit. In some cases, an HCl make-up stream and / or a NaOH make-up stream are also used to power the EDBM unit. As will be appreciated, additional inputs and / or outputs may be present in various implementations of the system 10.

[0219] Five

[0332] 23-30, various systems, methods and devices implement further aspects of the disclosed technology related to post-processing and sequestration in direct air CO2 capture and / or storage or handling of various elements and compounds. Various embodiments disclosed or contemplated herein enable capture and sequestration of CO2 using a liquid input such as a salt solution such as seawater, brine or other salt water using an electrochemical process and passive airflow over an air contactor. Further embodiments relate to post-processing of the air-captured CO2 carbonate, recycling of the hydroxide-rich liquid solution, neutralization with olivine, and recycling of the hydrogen-rich liquid solution, and storing the CO2 in gas form while recycling the salt solution back to the electrochemical process.

[0220]

[0333] As previously described herein, examples and implementations of the disclosed technology, including the implementation of Figures 23-30, are broadly referred to as capture systems 10 having various operational processes, with it being understood that this is for the sake of brevity and is in no way intended to be limited to any particular manner.

[0221]

[0334] As discussed elsewhere herein, certain implementations of the capture system 10 relate to the sequestration of CO2 using an input liquid that includes only a saline solution, such as seawater, and electricity. In these implementations, electricity is applied to the saline solution by electrolysis to create a hydroxide-rich solvent that can be used to capture CO2 directly from the air. The resulting liquid carbonate solution or further processed precipitated solid carbonates are then deposited at sea or stored on land, and additional saline solution is used to keep the process going and continuous.

[0222]

[0335] 23-26 show various implementations of the capture system 10 described herein. In these implementations, various optional post-processing steps are performed after the capture of carbon dioxide from the air by the hydroxide-rich stream. For example, as shown in FIGS. 23, 24 and 26, in various implementations, the liquid carbonate solution from the air contactor is directly stored in the ocean or on land (box 340). In some cases, as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the hydrogen-rich stream is neutralized with olivine (box 335). In various implementations, the hydroxide-rich stream (box 350) and the hydrogen-rich stream (box 355) are recycled back to the electrochemical process step 310, as shown in the example of FIG. 24. In some cases, the salt solution is recycled back to the electrochemical process step (box 360), either directly by a neutralization step (box 335) as shown in FIG. 25, or indirectly using a liquid solution (box 380) as shown in FIG. 26. Additionally, in various implementations, the system 10 stores the CO2 in gas form (box 370), as shown in FIG.

[0223]

[0336] Various implementations of the capture system 10 with various post-processing steps are shown in Figures 27-30 in accordance with the disclosed technology. As shown in Figure 27, in various post-processing implementations of air-captured CO2, the carbonate solution 72 leaving the air contactor 22 is either directly deposited in a large body of water such as the ocean, or is first converted to another carbonate in a precipitator 20, and the precipitate is then deposited in the ocean or stored on land. In various implementations, the air contactor 22 is a stilling pond, where the hydroxide-rich solution is exposed to air for a period of time before being discarded. In another implementation, the air contactor 22 is a system with a cooling tower or fans or other energy support units to aid in air convection and increase contact with the hydroxide-rich solution.

[0224]

[0337] 28, in various implementations, hydroxide rich liquid 14A from the precipitator 20 is recycled back to the electrochemical process 16. In various implementations, hydrogen rich liquid 79 from the electrochemical process 16 is neutralized in a solid-liquid mixer using olivine 82 and the neutralized mixture 83 is stored at sea or on land, while unused hydrogen rich liquid 79A is recycled back to the electrochemical process 16. Various other configurations of the acid neutralization process can also be utilized.

[0225]

[0338] Certain implementations may require the application of heat or cooling through heat exchangers to enhance the kinetics of certain reactions and processes.

[0339] 29 and 30, in various implementations, the liquid carbonate solution 72 from the air capture unit 22 is directly or indirectly neutralized with a hydrogen-rich stream, such as hydrochloric acid 79, in the mixer / bubble device 48. The direct neutralization reaction releases carbon dioxide gas 52, which is captured for storage in a pressurized vessel 52A. The resulting sodium chloride solution 50 is recycled back to the electrochemical process step 16.

[0226]

[0340] In various implementations, as shown in Figure 30, the hydrogen-rich stream 79 reacts with divalent rejects from the pretreatment system 15 (which may include, for example, filtration, concentration, and ion exchange steps) in a mixer / bubble device 48A to form a liquid solution 48B, for example, a calcium chloride solution. This calcium chloride solution 48B is combined with sodium carbonate solution 72 from the air capture system 22 in a precipitator 20 to form a precipitate, calcium carbonate, which is then disposed of at sea or on land. The liquid solution from the precipitator is a sodium chloride salt solution 50, which is then recycled back to the electrochemical process steps.

[0227]

[0341] In various implementations, as shown in FIG. 30, a calcium-rich stream or other similar compound stream 15D obtained from an external source is used in a mixer / bubbling device 48A along with a hydrogen-rich stream 79 to form a chloride solution 48B which reacts with sodium carbonate from the air contactor 22 in the precipitator 20 to form a precipitate that is disposed of at sea or on land, and a liquid salt solution 50 that is recycled back to the electrochemical process step.

[0228]

[0342] 31 is a flow chart providing a detailed depiction of the carbon capture process and system 10 according to one possible implementation. The detailed view shows numerous pumps, vessels, and other components of the system, as well as the fluid connections between the associated components. It is understood that the system may in various cases include fewer and / or additional components and aspects not shown.

[0229]

[0343] As shown in Figure 31, in this example, the system 10 receives an input liquid 12 comprising salt water. The input liquid 12 is pumped to an expansion vessel (V-001) before being sent to a pre-treatment system including a nanofiltration unit (15A) and an ion exchange unit (15C) for removing divalent ions such as calcium and magnesium. The filtrate output from the pre-treatment stage is stored in a vessel (V-005) before being sent to an electrochemical processing apparatus 16 (pump, P-005).

[0230]

[0344] In various implementations, the electrochemical processing apparatus 16 includes an electrodialysis bipolar membrane (EDBM-001) unit as shown in FIG. 31. The EDBM unit splits the input salt liquid 12 into a hydroxide-rich stream (14) and a hydrogen-rich stream (79). The hydroxide-rich stream 14 is then passed to an air contactor (22) where it absorbs carbon dioxide from an air stream (25) to form carbonates. These carbonates (72) are then fed to a sparger or bubble column reactor or carbonation tower (V-006) where concentrated CO2 from industrial gas (stream 18) is passed through the carbonate solution to form bicarbonates (814). The bicarbonates are dried in a centrifugal dryer (CG-001) along with other carbonates (30) to separate the solids slurry (30) and recycle additional water (802) back.

[0231]

[0345] 32 is a flow chart providing a detailed depiction of the carbon capture process and system 10 according to one possible implementation. The detailed view shows numerous pumps, vessels and other components of the system, as well as fluid connections between the associated components. It is understood that the system may in various cases include fewer and / or additional components and aspects not shown.

[0232]

[0346] 32, in this example, the system 10 receives an input liquid 12 comprising brine (12) that is pumped to an expansion vessel (V-001) before being sent to a pre-treatment stage including a nanofiltration unit (15A) and an ion exchange unit (15C) for removing divalent ions such as calcium and magnesium. The output (e.g., filtrate) from the pre-treatment stage is stored in vessel (V-004) and mixed with recycled brine (50) before being sent to the electrochemical processing apparatus 16.

[0233]

[0347] In various implementations, the electrochemical processing apparatus 16 is an electrodialysis bipolar membrane (EDBM-001) unit. The EDBM unit in this example splits the salt input liquid into a hydroxide-rich stream (14) and a hydrogen-rich stream (79). The hydroxide-rich stream is then passed to an air contactor (22) where carbon dioxide is absorbed from an air stream (25) to form carbonates. These carbonates (72) are fed, for example, to a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR, V005) where they are mixed with hydrochloric acid (79) to form carbon dioxide gas (52), which in some cases is compressed and stored for further processing. In various implementations, the salt solution 50 remaining in the CSTR is recycled back to the EDBM unit.

[0234]

[0348] 33-36, various systems, methods and devices implement other aspects of the disclosed technology relating to post-processing of hydroxide-rich and hydrogen-rich liquid solutions, particularly in ways that include process optimization, increasing the amount of carbon dioxide captured, and reducing costs. Various embodiments disclosed or contemplated herein enable capture and sequestration of CO2 using a liquid input such as a saline solution, such as seawater, brine or other salt water, using an electrochemical process and passive airflow over an air contactor.

[0235]

[0349] As described elsewhere herein, examples and implementations of the disclosed technology are broadly referred to as capture systems 10 having various operational flows or processes, with it being understood that this is for the sake of brevity and is in no way intended to be limited to any particular manner.

[0236]

[0350] 33 and 34 show various implementations of capture system 10 and associated operational flows. In these implementations, capture of carbon dioxide from the air by the hydroxide-rich stream is followed by various optional post-processing steps. For example, in various implementations, the liquid carbonate solution from the air contactor (box 410) is exposed to additional carbon dioxide gas from an industrial source (box 400) to form bicarbonate, which is precipitated (box 420) and then stored on land or in a large body of water (box 340).

[0237]

[0351] 34 shows an implementation of the capture system 10 in which the hydrogen-rich stream is neutralized with carbonate salts (Box 335) to release CO2 gas. The resulting salt solution is recycled back to the electrochemical process step 310 (Box 360). In various implementations, the CO2 is stored in gas form (Box 370).

[0238]

[0352] Various implementations of capture system 10 in accordance with the disclosed technology are shown in Figures 35-36. As shown in Figure 35, in various post-processing implementations of air captured CO2, carbonate solution 72 leaving air contactor 22 is exposed to additional carbon dioxide gas 28 from an industrial source in reactor 80 to form a bicarbonate precipitate that is ultimately stored on land or in a large body of water.

[0239]

[0353] In another implementation, as shown in Figure 36, the liquid carbonate solution 72 from the air capture unit 22 and the bicarbonate solution 72A resulting from the reactor 80 with industrial carbon dioxide gas are neutralized directly or indirectly with a hydrogen rich stream such as hydrochloric acid 79 in the mixer / bubbling device 48. The direct neutralization reaction releases carbon dioxide gas 52, which is captured for storage in the pressurized vessel 52A. The resulting sodium chloride solution 50 is recycled back to the electrochemical process step 16.

[0240] Six

[0354] With reference to Figures 37-39, some implementations relate to another aspect of the disclosed technology relating to methods, systems and devices for producing multiple product streams, such as green hydrogen gas, hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide, as part of CO2 capture and sequestration using water and salt input, electrochemical production of hydroxide, and inclusion of airflow over a packed structure.

[0241]

[0355] As discussed above and described herein with respect to Figures 37-39, the disclosed technology is broadly referred to as a capture system 10 having various operational processes or flows, it should be understood that this is for the sake of brevity and is in no way intended to be limited to any particular manner.

[0242]

[0356] Certain implementations of the disclosed capture system 10 relate to the sequestration of CO2 using only an input liquid 12 (e.g., a saline solution such as seawater) and electricity. In these implementations, electricity is applied to the saline solution by an electrochemical processing device. In various cases, the electrochemical processing device is a bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPED) unit configured to create a hydroxide-rich stream that can be used to directly capture CO2 from air. The resulting precipitated solid carbonate is then deposited in the ocean, and additional saline solution is used to keep the process going and continuous. In various implementations, additional products, such as hydrogen gas and hydrogen-rich solvent, are created in the BPED unit during the production of the hydroxide-rich solvent.

[0243]

[0357] FIG. 37 illustrates various implementations of the capture system 10 and operational flow described herein. In these implementations, various optional steps are performed. For example, in various implementations, the system 10 includes a process having steps such as receiving an input liquid (box 100) and subjecting the input liquid to an electrochemical process. In the illustrated example, the electrochemical process includes electrodialysis (box 310) producing at least one hydroxide-rich stream and one hydrogen-rich stream. The system and process 10 also includes capturing CO2 from the air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system (box 120), as well as precipitating the air-captured CO2 (box 130). In various implementations, the electrodialysis is performed using renewable energy to produce hydrogen gas in addition to the hydroxide-rich and hydrogen-rich solvent streams (box 145). In certain implementations, the system 10 further allows for the storage of by-product gases such as hydrogen in a pressurized vessel (box 150).

[0244]

[0358] As shown in Figure 38, in various cases, the capture system 10 has an electrochemical process 16 that is used to split salts in the input liquid 12 to form a hydroxide-rich stream 14 (e.g., containing NaOH) and a hydrogen-rich stream (not shown) containing an acid such as HCl. The NaOH stream 14, when exposed to ambient air or industrial gases in the air capture unit 22, captures CO2 to form carbonates that are stored on land or underwater. In certain implementations, the electrochemical process includes a bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPED) unit, which produces hydrogen gas in addition to the hydroxide- and hydrogen-rich (e.g., NaOH and HCl) stream.

[0245]

[0359] FIG. 39 provides a detailed view of a portion of an electrochemical processing apparatus 16 according to various implementations. In various implementations, the electrochemical processing apparatus 16 is configured as a bipolar electrodialysis (BPED) unit that produces multiple product streams according to various implementations. As shown, feed water 12 enters the BPED unit having a cathode 85 and an anode 86. The unit includes multiple membranes that are stacked in a predetermined manner to produce the required streams. These membranes include a cation exchange membrane (CEM) 87 and an anion exchange membrane (AEM) 88.

[0246]

[0360] In various implementations, the CEM 87 passes hydrogen ions produced from the decomposition of water molecules, while the AEM 88 passes hydroxyl ions. The hydrogen ions are consumed at the cathode to form hydrogen gas 91. Although other electrochemical reactions at the electrode surface can occur, proper selection of electrode materials and the use of electrocatalysts can increase the selectivity of the hydrogen evolution reaction. The remaining hydrogen ions constitute dilute hydrochloric acid 90.

[0247]

[0361] The anion exchange layer 88 passes the hydroxyl ions, which are protected by the adjacent CEM 87, forming relatively concentrated sodium hydroxide 89 (compared to the dilute HCl produced). To further increase the sodium hydroxide concentration, partial recycle may be implemented in various cases.

[0248] seven

[0362] Various implementations disclosed or contemplated herein relate to methods, systems and devices that enable simultaneous capture and sequestration of CO2, desalination of water, and extraction of value-added minerals. In various cases, carbon dioxide is captured and sequestered from ambient air (e.g., in an air contactor) and from industrial sources (e.g., in a bubble column or sparger reactor). Desalted water may be provided for industrial and domestic use in some cases. The combined processes are tightly integrated with several interdependencies and synergies, resulting in an efficient system where products are used interchangeably between processes, resulting in benefits such as low carbon emissions and reduced waste streams.

[0249]

[0363] Additional implementations disclosed or contemplated herein relate to methods, systems and devices for the extraction of value-added minerals, particularly chromium, bromine and lithium, recovery of low total dissolved solids (TDS) water for use in domestic or industrial applications, and capture of carbon dioxide. In various implementations, carbon dioxide is absorbed from fossil fuel energy generated, particularly for reverse osmosis and desalination of salt water, and / or captured from ambient air using processes such as nanofiltration, ion exchange, and electrolysis or electrodialysis to produce solvents from high salinity brines, among others.

[0250]

[0364] As discussed above and described herein with respect to Figures 40-41, the disclosed technology is broadly referred to as a capture system 10 having various operational processes or flows, with it being understood that this is for the sake of brevity and is in no way intended to be limited to any particular manner.

[0251]

[0365] The particular implementations of capture system 10 shown in Figures 40-41 relate to the sequestration of CO2 and simultaneous extraction of value-added minerals along with the recovery of low TDS water for domestic and industrial use using only a saltwater solution, such as seawater or brackish groundwater, and electricity. In these implementations, electricity is applied to the input saltwater solution by an electrochemical process. In various implementations, the electrochemical process includes electrolysis, which creates a hydroxide-rich solvent that can be used to directly capture CO2 from the air. In various implementations, the electrochemical process (e.g., electrodialysis or electrolysis) also creates hydrogen-rich and chlorine-rich solvent streams that can be used for mineral extraction and disinfection of low TDS water for its use.

[0252]

[0366] 40-41 illustrate various synergies and interdependencies between the carbon capture, mineral extraction and desalination processes according to various implementations of the capture system and process 10. In the implementations shown, various optional steps are performed. For example, in various implementations, the system 10 includes a process having steps such as receiving an input liquid (box 100) and disinfecting the input liquid with a chlorine-based product (box 510) obtained from an electrochemical reaction (box 310) that is used to produce a solvent for the carbon capture process.

[0253]

[0367] The disinfected product is passed through pretreatment stages, which may include variously nanofiltration and ion exchange. The product is further pretreated (Box 520) with carbonates, such as sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, obtained from a carbon capture process (Box 580). The pretreated solution is then processed with a hydrogen-rich solvent from an electrochemical process, such as hydrochloric acid, to dissolve metals and minerals, and the dissolved materials are precipitated as carbonates for extraction (Box 530).

[0254]

[0368] The resulting water stream is passed through reverse osmosis and other processes involved in water desalination (Box 550) to obtain a low TDS stream for domestic and industrial use (Box 560). The concentrated high salinity brine is then passed through an electrochemical process such as electrolysis or electrodialysis (Box 310) to produce a solvent, including, for example, a hydrogen-rich and / or hydroxide-rich solvent. The solvent, such as sodium hydroxide, is used to capture CO2 (Box 580) from ambient air and industrial sources such as fossil fuel energy generation equipment (Box 540) that is used to power the metal extraction and desalination processes.

[0255]

[0369] As shown in FIG. 41, in various implementations of the system 10, an input liquid 12, such as seawater 12 or other saline liquid 12, is fed to the capture system 10. The input liquid 12 is pretreated and filtered to remove coarse particles 15A and divalent ions 15C, such as calcium and magnesium. The input liquid 12 is then passed through a metal and mineral extraction process, such as in an absorber 80A, which then precipitates the metals and minerals for further purification 80B. The input liquid 12 exiting the metal and mineral extraction process 80A is also passed through a reverse osmosis unit 120, which uses energy from a fossil fuel generator 121. The reverse osmosis unit 120 separates the water into a low TDS water stream 122, which can be further disinfected with hydrogen and chlorine rich disinfectants before being sent for domestic and industrial use 123. Further, the retentate from the reverse osmosis stage 120 may be optionally filtered 15A and then optionally passed through a bipolar membrane electrodialysis stack 16 to produce a hydroxide-rich stream 14 containing salts such as NaOH and / or other hydroxides, and / or a hydrogen-rich stream containing acids such as HCl.

[0256]

[0370] As described herein, it will be understood that the capture system 10 shown in FIG. 41 includes one or more fluid and / or electrical connections (generally represented by lines) between various optional components that may be arranged in a wide variety of arrangements so that the various fluids / gases and electricity described herein can flow as described.

[0257]

[0371] Some or all of the hydroxide solution 14 is then sent to a direct air CO2 capture mechanism 22 to capture the carbon dioxide and an industrial gas CO2 capture mechanism 48 to capture the industrial source of carbon dioxide 28 as carbonate, which may be one of many existing techniques. Once this stream 14 has progressed through the CO2 capture system and is saturated with carbon, it is preferably sent again to a precipitation system 20 to extract the carbonate.

[0258]

[0372] 42 is a flow chart providing a detailed depiction of a carbon capture process according to one possible implementation. The detailed view shows numerous vessels and other components of the system, as well as fluid connections between the associated components. It is understood that the system may in various cases include fewer and / or additional components and aspects not shown.

[0259]

[0373] Continuing with FIG. 42, in various implementations, the capture system and method 10 receives an input liquid 12, such as seawater, which is then sent through a pretreatment stage. In the illustrated example, the pretreatment stage includes a reverse osmosis unit (15B) where the input liquid 12 is concentrated. After concentration, the resulting permeate (818) with reduced dissolved salts (low TDS) is returned for domestic and industrial use. The concentrated input liquid 12 from the reverse osmosis unit (15B) is then fed to a nanofiltration unit (15A) and an ion exchange unit (15C) to remove divalent ions such as calcium and magnesium. The output of the pretreatment stage (e.g., filtrate) is then sent to an electrochemical processing device 16.

[0260]

[0374] In various implementations, the electrochemical processing apparatus 16 includes an electrodialysis bipolar membrane (EDBM-001). The EDBM unit is configured to split the input liquid salt stream into a hydroxide-rich stream (14) and a hydrogen-rich stream (79). The hydroxide-rich stream is then passed to an air contactor (22) where it absorbs carbon dioxide from an air stream (25) to form carbonates. These carbonates (72) are pumped to a reactor (V-002) that absorbs CO2 from an industrial gas (28) and a desalination plant (820) to form bicarbonates (stream 814). In various implementations, the solid bicarbonate slurry (814) is separated in a centrifugal dryer (CG-001) into a solid carbonate / bicarbonate precipitate stream 30, an aqueous carbonate 822 stream, and water, which in some cases is recycled back to the system (802), sent to the desalination plant (824), or both.

[0261]

[0375] As will be appreciated, in various implementations, the process / system 10 may use one or more additional inputs and generate one or more additional outputs, and in various implementations, one or more of the supplemental inputs and / or outputs are largely recycled within the system. For example, in some cases, the output from the electrochemical process 16 is processed (e.g., by reverse osmosis) to provide low total dissolved solids (TDS) water (804), which can be used as a make-up fluid for the EDBM unit. In some cases, an HCl make-up stream and / or a NaOH make-up stream are also used to power the EDBM unit.

[0262]

[0376] As will be appreciated, there may be additional inputs and / or outputs in various implementations of the system 10, particularly if the capture system 10 is integrated with another industrial process, such as, for example, desalination. In various implementations, the capture system / process 10 is configured to provide a number of outputs to the desalination plant, as follows: As shown in FIG. 42, examples include low TDS water 818 collected upstream of the electrochemical process as RO permeate (e.g., up to 50%) and sent to the desalination plant, dilute HCl 79 sent to the desalination plant for disinfectant and pH control, water 826 recovered by concentrating the HCl, and carbonate water solution 822 separated in a centrifugal dryer and sent to the desalination plant for hardness removal and pH control.

[0263]

[0377] Additionally, in various implementations, the system / process 10 is configured to receive and process CO2 emissions from a desalination facility, thus providing an efficient method of handling the emissions.

[0264]

[0378] Various implementations disclosed or contemplated herein relate to methods, systems and devices that enable simultaneous capture and sequestration of CO2 from ambient air in an air contactor and from industrial sources in a bubble column or sparger reactor, as well as mineral extraction from mined or waste rock materials. In various implementations, the combined processes are tightly integrated with several interdependencies and synergies, with products being used interchangeably between them, leading to an efficient system with low carbon emissions and reduced waste streams.

[0265]

[0379] As described herein, the disclosed technology will be broadly referred to as a system 10, with the understanding that this is for the sake of brevity and is not intended to be limited to any particular manner.

[0266]

[0380] Certain implementations of the capture system 10 relate to the sequestration of CO2 using only saltwater and electricity, and the simultaneous extraction of metals and minerals from mined or waste rock material. In these implementations, electricity is applied to saltwater via electrodialysis to create a hydroxide-rich solvent that can be used to capture CO2 directly from the air. The electrodialysis process also dissolves the mined or waste rock, creating a hydrogen-rich acid stream that can then be used to extract metals or minerals.

[0267]

[0381] 43 illustrates various synergies and interdependencies according to various implementations of the carbon capture and mineral extraction system 10. In the implementations shown, various optional steps are performed. For example, in various implementations, the system includes a process having steps such as receiving an input liquid (Box 100), performing an electrochemical reaction to produce a hydroxide-rich solvent for the carbon capture process and a hydrogen-rich solvent for mineral extraction (Box 310).

[0268]

[0382] In various cases, the hydroxide-rich solvent is passed through an air contactor or other similar medium to convert carbon dioxide from ambient air and industrial sources to carbonates (Box 120). In some cases, the hydrogen-rich solvent is mixed with fine rock powder (Box 725) to dissolve the desired metals and minerals. The fine rock powder is obtained from mined rock or rock waste (Box 705) that has been crushed with dry or wet media (Box 715).

[0269]

[0383] Dissolved metal and mineral compounds, such as metal chlorides obtained by mixing fine rock powder with hydrochloric acid (Box 380), are mixed with carbonates to form metal and mineral carbonates (Box 355), which are then precipitated for storage on land or in water (Box 340). In some cases, the salt solution resulting from the reaction is recycled back to the beginning of the process (Box 360).

[0270]

[0384] As shown in Figure 44, in various implementations of the carbon capture system 70, coarse rock obtained from a mine or waste feed stream 730 is first ground into fine particles in a wet or dry grinder 732 and then dissolved using a hydrogen-rich stream 79, such as hydrochloric acid, from a direct air capture system. The direct air capture system uses a saline liquid as the input liquid 12 to the electrochemical process to form a hydroxide-rich stream 14 and a hydrogen-rich stream 79. The input liquid 12 is first pre-treated 15 by nanofiltration and ion exchange to remove divalent ions such as calcium and magnesium.

[0271]

[0385] The hydroxide rich stream is used to remove carbon dioxide from ambient air and industrial gases to form carbonates 72, such as sodium carbonate and bicarbonate. Dissolved metal / mineral rock particles 734 are then mixed with the carbonates in the precipitator 20 to form mineral carbonates that are stored on land or in water, and the salt solution 50 remaining in the precipitator is recycled back to the electrochemical step.

[0272]

[0386] As described herein, capture system 10 is understood to include one or more fluid connections (generally represented as lines) between various optional components that may be arranged in a wide variety of arrangements so that the various fluids / gases and electricity described herein can flow as described.

[0273]

[0387] 45 is a flow chart providing a detailed depiction of carbon capture process 10 according to one possible implementation. The detailed view shows numerous vessels and other components of the system, as well as fluid connections between the associated components. It is understood that the system may in various cases include fewer and / or additional components and aspects not shown.

[0274]

[0388] Continuing with FIG. 45, in various implementations, the capture system and method 10 receives an input liquid 12, such as seawater, which is sent through a pretreatment stage. In the illustrated example, the pretreatment stage includes a nanofiltration unit (15A) and an ion exchange unit (15C) to remove divalent ions, such as calcium and magnesium. The output of the pretreatment stage (e.g., filtrate) is then sent to an electrochemical processing device 16.

[0275]

[0389] In various implementations, the electrochemical processing apparatus 16 includes an electrodialysis bipolar membrane (EDBM-001). The EDBM unit is configured to split the input liquid salt stream into a hydroxide-rich stream (14) and a hydrogen-rich stream (79). The hydroxide-rich stream is then passed to an air contactor (22) where it absorbs carbon dioxide from an air stream (25) to form carbonates. These carbonates (72) are then pumped to a reactor (V-001) where it absorbs CO2 from an industrial gas (28) to form bicarbonates (stream 814). In various implementations, the solid bicarbonate slurry (814) is separated in a centrifugal dryer (CG-001) into a solid carbonate / bicarbonate precipitate stream 30 and water, and in some cases the water is recycled back into the system (802).

[0276]

[0390] In various implementations, integration with mineral extraction utilizes the hydrogen-rich stream 79 (e.g., HCl) produced by the electrochemical processing unit 16. As shown in FIG. 45, the system / process 10 receives mineral rock 130A, which is crushed in a dry crusher (G-001) and then dissolved in the hydrogen-rich stream 79 in a leach tank (V-003). The resulting mixture 830 is then sent to a precipitation vessel (V-003) and mixed with carbonates and bicarbonates 30. The resulting mixture forms metal and mineral carbonates 832, which are precipitated for storage on land or in water.

[0277]

[0391] As will be appreciated, additional inputs and / or outputs may be present in various implementations of system 10.

[0278] eight

[0392] As discussed above and described herein with respect to Figures 46-50, the disclosed technology is broadly referred to as system 10, with the understanding that this is for the sake of brevity and is in no way intended to be limited to any particular manner.

[0279]

[0393] Particular implementations of the capture system 10 involve sequestering CO2 in the form of mineral carbonates, re-releasing the captured CO2 using hydrochloric acid from an electrochemical unit (e.g., an electrolysis or electrodialysis unit), and combining the released CO2 with hydrogen produced from an electrochemical process to form methanol. In these implementations, electricity is applied to the salt solution by the electrochemical process to create a hydroxide-rich solvent that can be used to directly capture CO2 from the air. The electrodialysis or electrolysis process also creates hydrogen-rich and chlorine-rich solvent streams that can be used for the re-release of the captured CO2 and its synthesis into methanol.

[0280]

[0394] In certain other implementations of the capture system 10, hydrogenation is performed on the carbonate in the presence of a catalyst to form methanol. The energy used in the process is renewable energy resulting in green hydrogen, which in turn results in a green methanol product. The green methanol may be used to store carbon dioxide in that form or may be further processed into other derived green products.

[0281]

[0395] Figure 46 illustrates various steps in the process of carbon capture and hydrogenation to methanol in various implementations of the capture system 10. In this implementation, the system includes a process having steps such as receiving an input saline liquid (box 100), passing the liquid through an electrochemical process (box 610), such as electrolysis or electrodialysis, to produce a hydroxide-rich solvent stream, such as sodium hydroxide (box 110). The process also includes capturing CO2 from ambient air and industrial sources using a solvent (box 580), and precipitating the captured CO2 in the form of carbonate (box 130).

[0282]

[0396] In various implementations, the process 10 further includes using an electrochemical process at least in part to produce chlorine gas (Box 140B) and hydrogen gas (Box 140A). The process also includes neutralizing the carbonate salts with a hydrogen-rich stream, such as hydrochloric acid (Box 160). Hydrochloric acid may be formed by combustion of chlorine gas (Box 140B) and hydrogen gas (Box 140A). Optionally, CO2 re-emitted from the combustion may be hydrogenated with hydrogen from the electrochemical process in the presence of a catalyst for methanol synthesis (Box 680). The process also includes storage of the methanol for sale and further production of derived products (Box 695). Neutralization of the carbonate salts produces salts, such as sodium chloride, which are recycled back for inclusion with the input liquid 100 (Box 690).

[0283]

[0397] FIG. 47 illustrates various steps in a process for a system for producing methanol using carbon capture and hydrogenation steps that form part of system 10. In this example, mineral carbonates are directly hydrogenated to form methanol (Box 685). The process also includes a step of storing the methanol for sale and further production of derived products (Box 695). Additionally, system 10 produces chlorine-based by-products, such as chlorine gas and / or hydrochloric acid, which may be stored for subsequent sale (Box 675).

[0284]

[0398] As shown in FIG. 48, in one implementation of the system 10, an input liquid 12, such as seawater, is pretreated and filtered to remove coarse particles 15 and passed through an electrochemical processing device 16 (e.g., an electrolysis unit in the illustrated example) to produce a hydroxide-rich stream 14 containing salts such as NaOH and / or other hydroxides, and by-product gases such as hydrogen 16B and chlorine 16C. The by-product gases can be combined in a combustion chamber 16D to produce a hydrogen-rich acid stream such as hydrochloric acid 16E. The hydroxide-rich stream is used to capture CO2 from ambient air in an air contactor 22 and from industrial gases 28 in a reactor 80 to form mineral carbonates. The mineral carbonates are then neutralized with hydrochloric acid in a mixer / bubbling device 48 to re-emit pure CO2 gas 52 and recycle the salts 50. In the methanol processing unit 124, the re-emitted CO2 52 is combined with hydrogen gas 16B from the electrolysis unit to form methanol 125 in a chamber at high temperature and pressure in the presence of a catalyst, which is then stored 126 for sale or further processing.

[0285]

[0399] In another implementation, as shown in FIG. 49, the carbonates are directly hydrogenated using hydrogen gas 16B for the synthesis of methanol 124. Direct hydrogenation of carbonates is carried out in the presence of a catalyst, such as a ruthenium (Ru) catalyst, and other chemicals, including alcohols, such as ethylene glycol, to form methanol. Direct air capture of CO2 and methanol synthesis 124 can be carried out in a single reactor. The by-product, in this implementation chlorine gas 16C, is stored in a pressurized vessel for sale or further processing.

[0286]

[0400] As described herein, capture system 10 is understood to include one or more fluid and / or electrical connections (generally represented as lines) between various optional components that may be arranged in a wide variety of arrangements so that the various fluids / gases and electricity described herein can flow as described.

[0287]

[0401] 50 is a flow chart providing a detailed depiction of a carbon capture process according to one possible implementation. The detailed view shows numerous vessels and other components of the system, as well as fluid connections between the associated components. It is understood that the system may in various cases include fewer and / or additional components and aspects not shown.

[0288]

[0402] According to various implementations, the system 10 receives an input liquid 12, which in some cases is an artificial brine formed by mixing salt with water. The input liquid is fed to a pretreatment system including, in this case, a nanofiltration unit (15A) and an ion exchange unit (15C) to remove divalent ions such as calcium and magnesium. The filtrate output by the pretreatment stage is then sent to an electrochemical processing device 16.

[0289]

[0403] In various implementations, the electrochemical processing equipment is an electrolysis unit (EZ-001) where the salt and aqueous solution is split into a hydroxide-rich stream (14), a hydrogen gas stream (16B), and a chlorine gas stream (16C). A portion of the hydrogen gas (16B) and chlorine gas (16C) are combusted in an HCl oven (V-001) to form HCl (79). The hydroxide stream (14) is passed through an air contactor 22 where the hydroxide combines with ambient CO2 to form a carbonate solution (72). The carbonate solution 72 is exposed to industrial CO2 (28) to form bicarbonate in a reactor (V-002). The bicarbonate solution (814) is mixed with HCl (79) in a mixer / bubble reactor (V-003) to release gaseous CO2 (52). The CO2 (52) and H2 (16B) gases are then sent to a methanol reactor 840 for the synthesis of methanol 842.

[0290]

[0404] In various implementations, the primary inputs of the capture process and system 10 of Figure 50 are liquid input 12 (e.g., artificial brine in this example), air 25, and CO2 from industrial emissions. In various implementations, the primary outputs are methanol 842, Cl2 gas 16C, and carbonate product 30.

[0291]

[0405] In various implementations, the process / system 10 of Figure 50 may use one or more additional inputs and produce one or more additional outputs. As just one possible example, in various implementations, a regeneration stream 806 containing, for example, an amount of HCl is used to regenerate the ion exchange pretreatment stage 15C. As will be appreciated, additional inputs and / or outputs may be present in various implementations of the system 10.

[0292]

[0406] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed devices, systems and methods.

Claims

1. Carbon Dioxide (CO ２ 1. A method for capturing and isolating a fungus, comprising: receiving an input liquid comprising water and salt; subjecting the input liquid to an electrochemical process to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream; and Removal of CO from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system ２ , thereby capturing air-captured CO ２ Producing a liquid carbonate solution comprising: A method comprising:

2. Air-capturing CO from the liquid carbonate solution ２ as a solid carbonate and / or a slurry of carbonate.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disposing of the liquid carbonate solution from the air capture system directly to a body of water or land.

4. The liquid carbonate solution is mixed with the hydrogen-rich stream produced by the electrochemical process to produce gaseous CO ２ The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of generating:

5. producing a hydrogen-rich stream at least in part via said electrochemical process; dissolving metals and / or minerals in said hydrogen rich stream to produce a metal and / or mineral solution; mixing carbonate from said liquid carbonate solution with said metal and / or mineral solution to produce a metal and / or mineral carbonate mixture; precipitating metal and / or mineral carbonates from said metal and / or mineral carbonate mixture; and recycling said salt solution from said metal and / or mineral carbonate mixture by mixing said salt solution with said input liquid upstream of said electrochemical process. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising pre-treating the input liquid with carbonate from the liquid carbonate solution.

7. CO from desalination plants ２ with the liquid carbonate solution; precipitating carbonate from the liquid carbonate solution; pre-treating the input liquid with the precipitated carbonate upstream of the electrochemical process; and processing the pretreated input liquid in a reverse osmosis system to recover water from the pretreated input liquid prior to the electrochemical process. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

8. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising treating the input liquid and / or the recovered water with a hydrogen-rich stream produced at least in part by the electrochemical process.

9. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the input liquid in a pretreatment stage prior to performing the electrochemical process, the pretreatment stage including one or more of a filtration system, a reverse osmosis concentration system, and an ion exchange system.

10. The liquid carbonate solution from the passive air capture system ２ CO from the source ２ 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing the bicarbonate solution to produce a bicarbonate solution.

11. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising mixing the liquid carbonate and bicarbonate solutions with hydrochloric acid to neutralize the liquid carbonate and bicarbonate solutions to form carbon dioxide gas and a salt solution, and then recycling the salt solution back into the electrochemical process.

12. producing hydrogen in the electrochemical process; neutralizing carbonate from the liquid carbonate solution with hydrochloric acid to produce CO ２ and generating said CO ２ with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst at elevated temperature and pressure to produce methanol.

13. Carbon Dioxide (CO ２ 1. A method for capturing and isolating a fungus, comprising: receiving an input liquid comprising saltwater and at least one of minerals and metals; subjecting the input liquid to an electrochemical process to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream; Removal of CO from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system ２ , thereby capturing air-captured CO ２ Producing a liquid carbonate solution comprising: precipitating said at least one of said minerals and metals from said at least one hydroxide-rich stream; and Air-capturing CO from the liquid carbonate solution ２ Precipitating A method comprising:

14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one precipitated mineral or metal is lithium.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the electrochemical process comprises bipolar electrodialysis.

16. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising absorbing lithium (Li) ions from the input liquid in an absorber, producing a hydrogen-rich stream in the electrochemical process, extracting Li from the absorber using the hydrogen-rich stream, and precipitating Li as lithium carbonate.

17. Carbon Dioxide (CO ２ 1. A method for capturing and isolating a fungus, comprising: receiving an input liquid comprising water and salt; conducting an electrochemical process comprising electrolysis by an electrolysis unit to produce at least one hydroxide-rich stream; Removal of CO from air using the hydroxide-rich stream and a passive air capture system ２ , thereby capturing air-captured CO ２ producing a liquid carbonate solution comprising: Air trapped CO ２ from the liquid carbonate solution. A method comprising:

18. 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising producing the at least one hydroxide-rich stream, hydrogen gas, and chlorine gas in the electrolysis unit.

19. 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising combining the hydrogen and chlorine to produce hydrochloric acid.

20. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the electrolysis unit is powered by renewable energy.

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