Fuel synthesis apparatus and fuel production method

Abstract

To effectively generate fuel from carbon dioxide separated from the atmosphere.SOLUTION: The fuel synthesizer 21 separates carbon dioxide from the air 17 and synthesizes a fuel from the separated carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide separation device 10 includes a compressor 11, a condenser 12, an expander 13, a water separation unit 14, and a fuel synthesis unit 20. The compressor 11 generates compressed air 172 by compressing air 17. The condenser 12 generates the condensed air 173 by exchanging heat with the compressed air 172. The expander 13 generates expanded air 174 by expanding the condensed air 173, and solidifies carbon dioxide contained in the expanded air 174. The water separation unit 14 removes water from the air 17 before being introduced into the compressor 11. The fuel synthesizing unit 20 synthesizes a fuel from the separated carbon dioxide.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuel synthesis apparatus and a fuel production method for synthesizing fuel from carbon dioxide separated from the atmosphere. [Background technology]

[0002] The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is on the rise. Specifically, according to a report by the Japan Meteorological Agency, the global average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rose from 340 ppm in 1985 to 410 ppm in 2020.

[0003] Factors contributing to the long-term increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration include human activities such as the consumption of fossil fuels, cement production, and changes in land use such as deforestation. Some of the emitted carbon dioxide is absorbed by plants and the oceans, but the rest accumulates in the atmosphere. Therefore, if human activities continue at their current rate, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is expected to rise further.

[0004] Meanwhile, the Earth is currently warmer than it has been in the past 1,400 years. Global warming not only causes average temperatures to rise, but also brings about various climate changes, such as abnormally high temperatures (heat waves) and an increase in heavy rainfall and droughts. The effects are already being seen in natural ecosystems and human society, such as changes in biological activity due to the earlier arrival of spring, and impacts on water resources and agricultural crops. Global temperatures are expected to rise further in the future, which is likely to have more serious impacts on water, ecosystems, food, coastal areas, and health.

[0005] Although the causal relationship between the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and global warming has not yet been clearly clarified, there is a clear correlation between the two. Therefore, it is expected that global warming can be curbed by suppressing or reducing the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration.

[0006] The following patent documents describe inventions for separating carbon dioxide from gas. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6086998 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-266154 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-262016 [Patent Document 4] Patent No. 3778674 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, various problems are expected to arise when attempting to reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere on a global scale.

[0009] It is generally believed that the atmosphere is composed mostly of nitrogen (78.08%), oxygen (20.95%), argon (0.93%), and carbon dioxide (0.03%). However, in reality, the atmosphere also contains water vapor. The proportion of water vapor in the atmosphere varies depending on atmospheric conditions. Specifically, the proportion of water vapor in the atmosphere varies depending on temperature, air pressure, weather, etc. Furthermore, the proportion of water vapor in the atmosphere differs depending on the location on Earth and also changes over time. No method has yet been proposed that takes these factors into consideration to separate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

[0010] Furthermore, in order to reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere on a global scale, it is known that it is effective to separate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, generate fuel from the separated carbon dioxide, and use the generated fuel. Meanwhile, research and development on synthetic fuels (e-fuels) made from hydrogen produced by renewable energy is also progressing. However, methods for separating carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are still in the development stage.

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel synthesis apparatus and a fuel production method that can effectively synthesize fuel from carbon dioxide separated from the atmosphere. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention is an apparatus for synthesizing fuel from carbon dioxide separated from atmospheric air, and is equipped with a compressor, a condenser, an expander, a water separation unit, and a fuel synthesis unit, wherein the compressor generates compressed air by compressing the air, the condenser generates condensed air by heat exchange with the compressed air, the expander generates expanded air by expanding the condensed air and solidifies the carbon dioxide contained in the expanded air, the water separation unit separates moisture from the air before it is introduced into the compressor, and the fuel synthesis unit generates fuel from the solidified carbon dioxide. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fuel synthesis device that can effectively synthesize fuel from carbon dioxide separated from the atmosphere. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a fuel synthesis device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 10 is a table showing the effects of the fuel synthesis device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 3 is a table showing the influence of the operating environment on the fuel synthesis device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is a graph showing the behavior of a refrigerant in a fuel synthesizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same components are generally designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a carbon dioxide separator 10.

[0017] The carbon dioxide separator 10 is a device that separates carbon dioxide from air 17 using an air refrigeration cycle. The air 17 is, for example, the atmosphere. By separating carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using the carbon dioxide separator 10, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can be reduced, which is expected to help curb global warming.

[0018] The carbon dioxide separation device 10 can be installed anywhere on Earth as long as it can take in atmospheric air. For example, it can be installed on land, underground, on the sea, under the sea, or on the seabed. As will be described later, it is preferable to install the carbon dioxide separation device 10 in an area on Earth where the temperature and humidity are low. Low atmospheric temperature reduces the energy required to cool the atmosphere to the freezing point of carbon dioxide. Low atmospheric humidity reduces the energy required to cool the atmosphere. For example, it is preferable to install the carbon dioxide separation device 10 in the Antarctic, the Arctic, or the like.

[0019] As described below, the air treated by the carbon dioxide separation apparatus 10 is released into the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide captured by the carbon dioxide separation apparatus 10 is used, for example, for industrial purposes. Alternatively, the captured carbon dioxide may be used for food cultivation or stored in a final treatment facility constructed deep underground.

[0020] Specifically, the carbon dioxide separation apparatus 10 mainly comprises a compressor 11, a condenser 12, an expander 13, and a water separation unit 14. The devices that make up the carbon dioxide separation apparatus 10 are interconnected by piping (not shown), and air 17 flows through the piping. From the upstream side of the flow of air 17, the carbon dioxide separation apparatus 10 comprises an air cooling unit 15, a water separation unit 14, the compressor 11, a first condenser 121, a second condenser 122, the expander 13, and a separation unit 19. The carbon dioxide separation apparatus 10 also comprises an arithmetic and control unit 18, which is, for example, a CPU. The operation of each part that makes up the carbon dioxide separation apparatus 10 is controlled by the arithmetic and control unit 18.

[0021] The air 17 is named differently depending on the treatment stage in the carbon dioxide separation device 10. Untreated air 171 is air 17 before being introduced into the compressor 11. Compressed air 172 is air 17 compressed by the compressor 11. Condensed air 173 is air 17 condensed by the condenser 12. Expanded air 174 is air 17 expanded by the expander 13. Treated air 175 is air 17 that has passed through the separation section 19.

[0022] The air cooling section 15 cools the pre-treatment air 171 taken in from outside. Well-known cooling devices such as a refrigeration cycle or a Peltier element can be used as the air cooling section 15. Furthermore, the air cooling section 15 can also employ a mechanism for exchanging heat between the pre-treatment air 171 and solid water (ice) separated by the separation section 19, which will be described later. By employing such a mechanism, the energy consumed by the air cooling section 15 can be reduced. By cooling the pre-treatment air 171 by the air cooling section 15, the humidity of the pre-treatment air 171 increases, and the moisture can be easily separated from the water separation section 14, which will be described later.

[0023] The water separation section 14 removes moisture from the pre-treatment air 171. Specific mechanisms that can be used for the water separation section 14 include a centrifuge that separates moisture from the pre-treatment air 171 by centrifugal force, a membrane that captures only the moisture contained in the pre-treatment air 171, and the like. The water separation section 14 can remove all of the moisture contained in the pre-treatment air 171, but preferably removes only part of the moisture contained in the pre-treatment air 171. By doing so, as will be described later, a predetermined amount of moisture can be left in the pre-treatment air 171 that is to be treated in the carbon dioxide separation device 10. Therefore, the solid moisture separated from the expanded air 174 in the separation section 19 can be supplied to the air cooling section 15, and the solid moisture can be used in the air cooling section 15 to cool the air cooling section 15.

[0024] The compressor 11 generates compressed air 172 by compressing the air 17. Moisture has been separated from the untreated air 171 introduced into the compressor 11. Therefore, the compressed air 172 compressed by the compressor 11 easily reaches a high temperature.

[0025] The condenser 12 generates condensed air 173 by heat exchange with the compressed air 172. The condenser 12 has a first condenser 121 and a second condenser 122, arranged from the upstream side in the flow of the air 17.

[0026] The first condenser 121 condenses the compressed air 172 by exchanging heat with the compressed air 172. The first condenser 121 is a device that dissipates heat to the outside of the carbon dioxide separation device 10. As the first condenser 121, for example, a general heat exchanger that exchanges heat with air in the atmosphere by blowing air can be used. Here, the heat exchange in the first condenser 121 may be heat exchange between the solidified moisture obtained by the separation unit 19 and the compressed air 172.

[0027] The second condenser 122 condenses the compressed air 172 by further performing heat exchange with the compressed air 172. The second condenser 122 is a device that recovers heat inside the carbon dioxide separation device 10. The second condenser 122 may be a device that exchanges heat between the compressed air 172 and treated air 175 from which moisture and carbon dioxide have been removed by the separation section 19. Furthermore, the second condenser 122 may be a device that exchanges heat between the compressed air 172 and solidified moisture or solidified carbon dioxide obtained by the separation section 19.

[0028] The condensed air 173 condensed by the condenser 12 is sent to the expander 13 .

[0029] The expander 13 expands the condensed air 173 to generate expanded air 174. Furthermore, the expander 13 solidifies the carbon dioxide contained in the expanded air 174. Specifically, the expander 13 expands the condensed air 173 to generate expanded air 174 having a temperature of −79° C. or lower. Because the temperature of the expanded air 174 is extremely low, the carbon dioxide contained in the expanded air 174 becomes solid. Similarly, the water contained in the expanded air 174 also becomes solid.

[0030] In this embodiment, the water separation unit 14 disposed in the upstream stage removes moisture from the untreated air 171. Therefore, the moisture contained in the condensed air 173 in the expander 13 is limited. This makes it possible to easily separate carbon dioxide from the condensed air 173.

[0031] Here, the compressor 11 and the expander 13 share a drive shaft. In addition, this drive shaft is driven by a motor 16. With this configuration, the compressor 11 and the expander 13 can be operated by a single motor 16, thereby reducing the energy required to operate the carbon dioxide separation device 10. Here, an internal combustion engine or the like can be used instead of the motor 16.

[0032] In the separation section 19, solidified carbon dioxide and water are separated from the expanded air 174 expanded by the expander 13. Such separation may be performed by removing the carbon dioxide and water by centrifugal force, or by removing the carbon dioxide and water by a membrane-like member.

[0033] Here, solidified carbon dioxide has a higher specific gravity than solidified water. Specifically, the specific gravity of solidified carbon dioxide is 1.56. Therefore, by utilizing the difference in specific gravity between the two, solidified carbon dioxide and solidified water can be separated using a separator using centrifugal force. As will be described later, the solid water separated by separation unit 19 is sent to air cooling unit 15. Furthermore, the solid carbon dioxide separated by separation unit 19 is released to the outside of the system via second condenser 122. Furthermore, here, the solidified carbon dioxide and water may be crushed into granules or powder in a stage preceding separation unit 19. In this way, the solidified carbon dioxide and water can be more easily separated individually by centrifugation.

[0034] In this embodiment, the water separation unit 14 described above removes most of the moisture from the untreated air 171. Therefore, the amount of moisture obtained by the separation unit 19 is not large. Therefore, the separation unit 19 obtains carbon dioxide with high purity.

[0035] The carbon dioxide produced and solidified by the separation section 19 is used for industrial purposes or stored as described above, and the solid water produced by the separation section 19 is used for heat exchange in the air cooling section 15 as described above, and then released to the external environment.

[0036] Furthermore, the treated air 175 from which carbon dioxide and the like have been removed by the separation section 19 is heated by heat exchange in the second condenser 122 and then released to the external environment. The treated air 175 has a lower carbon dioxide concentration than the untreated air 171. Therefore, by releasing a large amount of treated air 175 into the atmosphere, it is possible to reduce the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere on a global scale and contribute to the prevention of global warming.

[0037] Furthermore, the carbon dioxide separation device 10 having the above-described configuration constitutes a fuel synthesis device 21 together with the fuel synthesis section 20. Furthermore, the above-described carbon dioxide separation method can be realized as a synthetic fuel production method for producing synthetic fuel using the fuel synthesis device 21.

[0038] The fuel synthesis unit 20 is a device that produces synthetic fuel from the carbon dioxide collected by the separation unit 19 of the carbon dioxide separation unit 10. The fuel synthesis unit 20 first uses a specific photocatalyst to produce activated water from the carbon dioxide and water solidified by the carbon dioxide separation unit 10. Next, the activated water is reacted with carbon dioxide and seed oil to continuously produce synthetic fuel with the same composition as the seed oil. Here, for example, light oil, heavy oil, kerosene, gasoline, kerosene, etc. can be used as the seed oil.

[0039] Specifically, activated water is produced from carbon dioxide and water using a photocatalyst, as shown in the following reaction formula: CO2 + H2O ⇒ CO + H2 + O2 Next, activated water is reacted with carbon dioxide and seed oil to produce hydrocarbons (fuel), as shown in the following reaction, commonly known as the Fischer-Tropsch reaction: nCO+(2n+1)H2⇒CnH2n +2 +nH2O To summarize the above, the reaction shown in the following formula takes place. nCO2+(n+1)H2⇒CnH2n +2 +nO2 Through the above reaction, fuel is produced from H2 obtained through the photocatalytic reaction of carbon dioxide collected from the atmosphere with water. This fuel is also called e-fuel because it is a synthetic fuel produced from CO2 and H2 obtained without using fossil fuels.

[0040] FIG. 2 is a table showing the effects of the carbon dioxide separator 10.

[0041] Here we will consider the various parameters for comparing refrigeration systems. First, we will consider the latent heat and specific heat of water and carbon dioxide. The latent heat of sublimation of carbon dioxide is 573 kJ / kg at 1 atm and -79°C. The latent heat of vaporization of water is 2500 kJ / kg at 1 atm and 0°C. The latent heat of fusion of water is 335 kJ / kg at 1 atm and 0°C. The specific heat of water is 4.2 kJ / kgK at 1 atm and 0°C. The specific heat of ice is 2.1 kJ / kgK at 1 atm and -1°C. The specific heat of carbon dioxide is 0.82 kJ / kgK at 1 atm and 0°C.

[0042] Next, let's consider the composition of environmental air. For example, in a general environment at 25°C and 50% RH (relative humidity), the density of air is 1.17 kg / m3, the density of carbon dioxide (0.048 wt%) is 5.6 x 10-4 kg / m3, and the density of water vapor is 0.012 kg / m3. Also, in an Antarctic environment at -10°C and 80% RH, the density of air is 1.30 kg / m3, the density of carbon dioxide (0.048 wt%) is 6.2 x 10-4 kg / m3, and the density of water vapor is 0.0018 kg / m3.

[0043] Regarding the coefficient of performance (COP) of the air refrigeration cycle, for example, there is a track record of COP≒0.5 by recovering power using an expander.

[0044] Here, a comparison will be made from various points of view between a chlorofluorocarbon refrigeration system that uses chlorofluorocarbon as a refrigerant and the carbon dioxide separation apparatus 10 according to this embodiment.

[0045] In terms of refrigeration capacity, the Freon refrigeration system has higher performance than the carbon dioxide separation device 10 .

[0046] In terms of cooling temperature, the Freon refrigeration system and the carbon dioxide separation device 10 are equivalent.

[0047] In terms of power requirements, the carbon dioxide separator 10 is significantly smaller than a Freon refrigeration system, and therefore the carbon dioxide separator 10 can separate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using a smaller amount of energy.

[0048] The refrigeration load of the carbon dioxide separation device 10 is smaller than that of a fluorocarbon refrigeration system, and therefore the carbon dioxide separation device 10 can reduce energy consumption when separating carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

[0049] In terms of system COP, the carbon dioxide separator 10 is larger than a Freon refrigeration system, and therefore operates more efficiently in separating carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

[0050] The maximum energy saving effect ratio of the carbon dioxide separator 10 is lower than that of the fluorocarbon refrigeration system, which shows that the carbon dioxide separator 10 is superior in terms of energy saving.

[0051] In terms of power consumption, the carbon dioxide separation device 10 is smaller than a fluorocarbon refrigeration system, and therefore the carbon dioxide separation device 10 can reduce power consumption when separating carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

[0052] The carbon dioxide separation device 10 emits less carbon dioxide than chlorofluorocarbons. Therefore, the carbon dioxide separation device 10 can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide generated during operation of the device when separating carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

[0053] FIG. 3 is a table showing the influence of the operating environment on the carbon dioxide separator 10. Here, the influence of the operating environment on the carbon dioxide separator 10 is shown in a case where 300,000 m3 / sec of air is treated. Indicates the combination.

[0054] Here, we consider the following cases: a general environment with a humidity reduction rate of 0% (first case), a general environment with a humidity reduction rate of 50% (second case), a general environment with a humidity reduction rate of 0% in an Antarctic environment (third case), and an Antarctic environment with a humidity reduction rate of 50% (fourth case). The general environment refers to an environment in a region on Earth far from the Antarctic, such as a warm environment with a temperature of approximately 25°C and a relative humidity (RH) of 50%. The Antarctic environment refers to an environment in the Antarctic, such as a cold environment with a temperature of approximately -10°C and a relative humidity (RH) of 80%. The humidity reduction rate indicates the rate at which the water separation unit 14 removes moisture from the pre-treatment air 171.

[0055] The flow rate of carbon dioxide is lower in Cases 1 and 2 than in Cases 3 and 4. This means that by operating the carbon dioxide separation device 10 in an Antarctic environment, more carbon dioxide can be separated from the air 17.

[0056] The water vapor flow rate decreases in the order of Case 1, Case 2, Case 3, and Case 4. That is, Case 1 has the highest water vapor flow rate and Case 4 has the lowest. Furthermore, the water vapor flow rates of Cases 3 and 4, which are Antarctic environments, are far lower than the water vapor flow rates of Cases 1 and 2, which are general environments. Therefore, by operating the carbon dioxide separation device 10 in an Antarctic environment, the load on the compressor 11 and the expander 13 can be reduced.

[0057] The carbon dioxide solidification latent heat and water vapor solidification latent heat are values ​​calculated from the carbon dioxide flow rate and water vapor flow rate, respectively. The total latent heat is the sum of the carbon dioxide solidification latent heat and water vapor solidification latent heat. The total latent heat decreases in the order of Case 1, Case 2, Case 3, and Case 4. That is, Case 1 has the highest total latent heat, and Case 4 has the lowest total latent heat.

[0058] The required power is the power required to operate the carbon dioxide separation device 10. The required power decreases in the order of Case 1, Case 2, Case 3, and Case 4. That is, Case 1 requires the most power and Case 4 requires the least power. Comparing Case 1 and Case 4, the power required in Case 4 is about 10% of the power required in Case 1.

[0059] For this reason, by adopting Case 4, in which the dehumidification rate is 50% in the Antarctic, as the operating environment for the carbon dioxide separator 10, the power required to operate the carbon dioxide separator 10 can be reduced.

[0060] In Case 4, if air with a flow rate of 300,000 m3 / sec is to be treated by the carbon dioxide separator 10, the power required for this treatment can be supplied by several nuclear power plants.

[0061] Fig. 4 is a pH diagram showing the behavior of the refrigerant in the carbon dioxide separation unit 10. In the graph of Fig. 4, the horizontal axis represents enthalpy, and the vertical axis represents pressure.

[0062] Points A to D in Fig. 4 indicate the pressure and temperature of the air at points A to D in Fig. 1. That is, point A is immediately before being introduced into the compressor 11, point B is immediately after being discharged from the compressor 11, point C is immediately before being introduced into the expander 13, and point D is immediately after being discharged from the expander 13.

[0063] First, point A indicates raw air 171 before being introduced into compressor 11 from the outside. Here, the temperature of raw air 171 is -10°C and the pressure is 1 atm. Point B indicates compressed air 172 before being adiabatically compressed by compressor 11 and introduced into first condenser 121. Here, the temperature of compressed air 172 is 60°C and the pressure of compressed air 172 is 2 atm. Point C indicates condensed air 173 before being isobarically cooled through second condenser 122 and introduced into expander 13. Here, the temperature of condensed air 173 is -70°C and the pressure of condensed air 173 is 2 atm. Point D indicates expanded air 174 before being adiabatically expanded through expander 13 and introduced into separation section 19. Here, the temperature of expanded air 174 is -105°C and the pressure of expanded air 174 is 1 atm.

[0064] In this embodiment, heat exchange is performed in the second condenser 122 by recovering internal heat in the second condenser 122 described above, and therefore it is possible to effectively cool the compressed air 172. Furthermore, as described above, the untreated air 171 can be cooled by the solidified moisture separated from the expanded air 174, and therefore it is possible to effectively recover the dehumidification heat.

[0065] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these and can be modified within the scope of the present invention. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0066] For example, the carbon dioxide separation apparatus 10 and the fuel synthesis apparatus 21 according to this embodiment desirably use natural energy obtained from wind power generation, solar power generation, etc. In this way, the carbon dioxide separation apparatus 10 and the fuel synthesis apparatus 21 can be operated with a reduced load on the global environment.

[0067] The invention that can be understood from the above-described embodiment will be described below together with its effects.

[0068] The present invention provides an apparatus for separating carbon dioxide from atmospheric air, comprising a compressor, a condenser, an expander, and a water separation unit. The compressor generates compressed air by compressing the air, the condenser generates condensed air by heat exchange with the compressed air, the expander generates expanded air by expanding the condensed air, and solidifies the carbon dioxide contained in the expanded air. The water separation unit separates moisture from the air before it is introduced into the compressor. According to the present invention, by removing moisture from the air before it is introduced into the compressor, the load on the compressor and the expander can be reduced. Furthermore, the expander can prevent the large amount of moisture contained in the condensed air from freezing. Therefore, it is expected that carbon dioxide can be effectively separated from the atmosphere and global warming can be suppressed.

[0069] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the present invention further comprises an air cooling section, which cools the air before the water separation section. According to the present invention, since the air before treatment is cooled, moisture can be easily removed from the air in the water separation section.

[0070] In addition, the present invention is characterized in that the expander solidifies the moisture contained in the air, and the air cooling section cools the air by exchanging heat between the solidified moisture and the air. According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the energy required to cool the air.

[0071] Furthermore, in the present invention, by leaving moisture in the air in the water separation section, solidified moisture is left in the treated air, and the untreated air can be cooled by this solidified moisture.

[0072] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that it comprises the carbon dioxide separation device and a fuel synthesis unit, and the fuel synthesis unit produces fuel from the carbon dioxide separated from the air by the carbon dioxide separation device. According to the present invention, a huge amount of fuel can be produced from the atmosphere.

[0073] The present invention also provides a method for separating carbon dioxide from atmospheric air, which includes compressing the air to generate compressed air, exchanging heat with the compressed air to generate condensed air, expanding the condensed air to generate expanded air, solidifying the carbon dioxide contained in the expanded air, and removing moisture from the air before it is compressed. According to the present invention, removing moisture from the air before it is introduced into the compressor prevents the moisture contained in the condensed air from solidifying in the expander and the solidified moisture from becoming integrated with the carbon dioxide. In other words, the expander can effectively remove only the carbon dioxide.

[0074] The present invention also provides a fuel production method including the carbon dioxide separation method, characterized in that fuel is produced from the carbon dioxide separated from the air. According to the present invention, a huge amount of fuel can be produced from the atmosphere. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 10 Carbon dioxide separator 11 Compressor 12 Condenser 121 First condenser 122 Second condenser 13 Expander 14 Water separation section 15 Air cooling section 16 motors 17. Air 171 Untreated air 172 Compressed Air 173 Condensed Air 174 Expanded Air 175 Treated Air 18 Calculation control unit 19 Separation section 20 Fuel synthesis department 21 Fuel synthesis device

Claims

1. This is a device that synthesizes fuel from carbon dioxide separated from atmospheric air. The system includes a compressor, a condenser, an expander, a water separation unit, and a fuel synthesis unit, The compressor generates compressed air by compressing the air, the condenser generates condensed air by heat exchange with the compressed air; the expander expands the condensed air to generate expanded air and solidifies the carbon dioxide contained in the expanded air; the water separation unit separates moisture from the air before it is introduced into the compressor, The fuel synthesizing device is characterized in that the fuel synthesizing unit generates the fuel from the solidified carbon dioxide.

2. Further comprising an air cooling section, 2. The fuel synthesizing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air cooling section cools the air before the water separating section.

3. The expander solidifies the moisture contained in the air, 3. The fuel synthesizing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the air cooling section cools the air by exchanging heat between the solidified moisture and the air.

4. 2. The fuel synthesizing device according to claim 1, wherein the water separating section partially separates the water contained in the air.

5. This is a method of synthesizing fuel from carbon dioxide separated from atmospheric air. generating compressed air by compressing the air; generating condensed air by heat exchange with the compressed air; Expanding the condensed air to generate expanded air, and solidifying the carbon dioxide contained in the expanded air; removing moisture from the air before it is compressed; A fuel production method, characterized in that the fuel is produced from the carbon dioxide separated from the air.

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