Indoor carbon dioxide capture system

Abstract

The present invention aims to provide an indoor carbon dioxide recovery device that is installed indoors and recovers carbon dioxide contained in the air. [Solution] An indoor carbon dioxide recovery device 1 for recovering carbon dioxide contained in the air, installed indoors, comprises a hollow housing 2 and a carbon dioxide absorbent 3 disposed inside the housing 2. Furthermore, it is provided with a first opening 21 communicating with the lower side of the internal space of the housing 2 and a second opening 22 communicating with the upper side of the internal space inside the housing 2.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to an indoor carbon dioxide recovery device installed indoors for recovering carbon dioxide contained in the air. [Background technology]

[0002] Global warming is a phenomenon caused by a combination of various factors, but the prevailing theory attributes it to greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted into the atmosphere as a result of human industrial activities. Therefore, reducing carbon dioxide emissions is considered an international challenge. Research is also progressing on methods for capturing emitted carbon dioxide.

[0003] As a means of recovering carbon dioxide, for example, a method has been developed in which carbon dioxide is brought into contact with a carrier containing calcium components to generate calcium carbonate, thereby fixing the carbon dioxide to the carrier (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-214262 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] In the method described in Patent Document 1 (method for fixing carbon dioxide), blast furnace slag is used as a carrier containing calcium components, and this is dispersed in alkaline water and brought into contact with carbon dioxide. In alkaline water, the calcium components contained in the blast furnace slag become calcium hydroxide, and the carbon dioxide that comes into contact with this calcium hydroxide becomes calcium carbonate and is fixed to the blast furnace slag. Since the expansion and leaching of calcium components over time are suppressed in blast furnace slag from which carbon dioxide has been fixed, it can be secondarily used as road aggregate, concrete aggregate, etc.

[0006] However, the carbon dioxide fixation method described in Patent Document 1 is for processing carbon dioxide contained in large amounts of exhaust gas emitted from factories, and is not intended for small-scale carbon dioxide treatment in indoor spaces such as offices or ordinary homes.

[0007] If small-scale carbon dioxide treatment were carried out in each room, such as offices and private homes, a considerable amount of carbon dioxide could be expected to be captured.

[0008] However, in order to process carbon dioxide on a small scale, it is necessary to construct a new system that consumes as little energy (electricity, etc.) as possible.

[0009] The present invention was developed to solve the aforementioned technical problems, and aims to provide an indoor carbon dioxide recovery device that is installed indoors and recovers carbon dioxide contained in the air. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention, which solves the aforementioned technical problems, is an indoor carbon dioxide recovery device installed indoors for recovering carbon dioxide contained in the air, comprising a hollow housing and a carbon dioxide absorbent disposed within the housing, and characterized in that a first opening communicating with the lower side of the internal space of the housing and a second opening communicating with the upper side of the internal space within the housing are provided through the outer shell of the housing (hereinafter referred to as "the present invention device").

[0011] In the apparatus of the present invention, a preferred configuration is one in which a partition plate provided with a plurality of ventilation holes is arranged to divide the internal space of the housing into an upper side and a lower side, and the carbon dioxide absorbent is placed on the partition plate.

[0012] In the device of the present invention, it is a preferred embodiment that the opening area of each ventilation hole provided in the partition board has a dimensional relationship smaller than the opening area of the first opening.

[0013] In the device of the present invention, it is a preferred embodiment that the opening area of each ventilation hole has a dimensional relationship of 50% or less of the opening area of the first opening.

[0014] In the device of the present invention, it is a preferred embodiment that the carbon dioxide absorbent mainly contains calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide.

[0015] In the device of the present invention, it is a preferred embodiment that it further comprises a planter that can be connected to the upper part of the housing.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, carbon dioxide contained in the air can be recovered indoors.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the device of the present invention, and FIGS. 1(b) and (c) are perspective views showing the state in which the front door of the device of the present invention is opened. [Figure 2] FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view showing the state in which the carbon dioxide absorbent is taken out from the device of the present invention, and FIG. 2(b) is a plan view showing the partition board. [Figure 3] FIGS. 3(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views showing the air flow changing due to the temperature difference between the indoor and the inside of the housing. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the air flow corresponding to the temperature difference between the indoor and the inside of the housing caused by the heat generation reaction of the carbon dioxide absorbent. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a planter that can be connected to the upper part of the housing together with the device of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the state in which plants are planted in the planter.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0019] <Apparatus 1 of the Present Invention> An embodiment of the apparatus 1 of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The apparatus 1 of the present invention includes a hollow "housing (2)" and a "carbon dioxide absorbent (3)" disposed within the housing 2.

[0020] - Housing 2 - The housing 2 serves as a reactor when recovering carbon dioxide contained in the air. Further, the housing 2 is provided with a first opening 21 that communicates with the lower side of the internal space of the housing 2 through the outer shell (side wall, bottom surface, and top surface), and a second opening 22 that communicates with the upper side of the internal space within the housing 2. As shown in FIG. 2(a), in the present embodiment, the housing 2 is a hollow box body (180 mm in length, 230 mm in width, 150 mm in depth) having an overall shape on a quadrangular prism with rounded corners, and a front door 23 is provided on the front surface to construct a structure that facilitates access to the inside of the housing 2. Further, the first opening 21 is provided by opening a through hole (inner diameter: 40 mm) in the lower part of one side wall of the housing 2, and the second opening 22 is provided by opening a through hole (inner diameter: 40 mm) in the upper part of the other opposing side wall. Furthermore, a partition plate 24 that divides the internal space into an upper side and a lower side is disposed within the housing 2. As shown in FIG. 2(b), a plurality of ventilation holes (inner diameter: 6 mm) 25 penetrating through the front and back are provided in the partition plate 24.

[0021] - Carbon Dioxide Absorbent 3 - The carbon dioxide absorbent 3 serves to fix carbon dioxide by reacting with carbon dioxide contained in the air within the housing 2. In the present embodiment, as the carbon dioxide absorbent 3, a reaction component containing calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide is enclosed in a non-woven breathable bag material and placed on the partition plate 24.

[0022] The device 1 of the present invention having the above configuration is installed indoors and collects carbon dioxide contained in the air. Usually, in an indoor space such as an office or a home, the indoor temperature (T r ) is adjusted by air-conditioning equipment such as heating and cooling, but this indoor temperature (T r ) frequently changes at the start or end of the air-conditioning equipment, when people enter or leave, during ventilation, etc.

[0023] On the other hand, the temperature inside the box (T b ) of the housing 2 of the device 1 of the present invention placed in this indoor space changes with a delay compared to the change in the indoor temperature (T r ), so a temperature difference occurs between the indoor temperature (T r ) and the temperature inside the box (T b ).

[0024] And when the temperature inside the box (T r ) is higher than the indoor temperature (T b ), as shown in Fig. 3(a), an air flow from the first opening 21 towards the second opening 22 occurs inside the housing 2.

[0025] On the other hand, when the temperature inside the box (T r ) is lower than the indoor temperature (T b ), as shown in Fig. 3(b), an air flow from the second opening 22 towards the first opening 21 occurs inside the housing 2.

[0026] In any case, when a partition board 24 having ventilation holes 25 is arranged inside the housing 2 as in this embodiment, the air flow increases the wind speed when passing through the ventilation holes 25 with a smaller diameter than the first opening 21.

[0027] And by using this generated air flow to bring air into contact with the carbon dioxide absorbent 3 arranged inside the housing 2, moisture (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) contained in the air, and reaction components (in this embodiment, calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide) contained in the carbon dioxide absorbent 3 react, and the carbon dioxide is fixed.

[0028] Here, as in this embodiment, if the carbon dioxide absorbent 3 contains calcium components such as calcium dioxide or calcium hydroxide as a reactive component, then reaction heat is generated during the reaction with carbon dioxide, which lowers the room temperature (T r ) Box temperature (T b The ) becomes higher. As a result, as shown in Figure 4, an airflow from the first opening 21 to the second opening 22 is constantly generated inside the housing 2 of the apparatus 1 of the present invention. Furthermore, by arranging a partition plate 24 having ventilation holes 25 inside the housing 2 as in this embodiment, the airflow increases in velocity as it passes through the ventilation holes 25 provided in the partition plate 24, which has the advantage of reaching deep into the carbon dioxide absorbent 3.

[0029] By the way, in this embodiment, a hollow box having an overall rectangular prism shape was used as the housing 2, but the shape of the housing 2 is not particularly limited.

[0030] In this embodiment, a first opening 21 is provided at the lower part of one side wall of the housing 2, and a second opening 22 is provided at the upper part of the opposite side wall. However, the second opening 22 may be positioned so as to penetrate the top surface of the housing 2. On the other hand, the first opening 21 may be provided on the bottom surface of the housing 2, with legs attached to support the housing 2 from below.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first opening 21 and the second opening 22 are the same shape and diameter, but the shapes and diameters of the first opening 21 and the second opening 22 may be different.

[0032] In addition, in this embodiment, a partition plate 24 is placed inside the housing 2 and the carbon dioxide absorbent 3 is placed on the partition plate 24, but the carbon dioxide absorbent 3 may be placed on the floor of the housing 2 without providing a partition plate 24.

[0033] However, in the case where a partition plate 24 is placed inside the housing 2 as in this embodiment, and the carbon dioxide absorbent 3 is placed on the partition plate 24, it is preferable to provide a plurality of ventilation holes 25 in the partition plate 24, the ventilation holes 25 having dimensions smaller than the opening area of ​​the first opening 21. In this case, it is even more preferable that the opening area of ​​each ventilation hole 25 be 50% or less (more preferably 10-20%) of the opening area of ​​the first opening 21.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the carbon dioxide absorbent 3 contains calcium components such as calcium dioxide and calcium hydroxide as its reactive components. However, the reactive components of the carbon dioxide absorbent 3 are not particularly limited as long as they can come into contact with and fix carbon dioxide in the air. However, it is more preferable to use a reactive component of the carbon dioxide absorbent 3 that produces an exothermic reaction when it comes into contact with carbon dioxide in the air.

[0035] Furthermore, in the present invention apparatus 1, as shown in Figure 5, a preferred embodiment is one that further includes a planter 4 that can be connected to the upper part of the housing 2.

[0036] If the device 1 of the present invention is configured such that a planter 4 can be connected to the top of the housing 2, then, as shown in Figure 6, it becomes possible to cultivate plants on top of the housing 2.

[0037] Plants grown on the present invention's device 1 for capturing carbon dioxide can serve as a symbol to stimulate interest in and appreciation for nature.

[0038] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, when calcium is used as the reactive component of the carbon dioxide absorbent 3, the calcium reacts with carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate. Adding other nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus to this calcium carbonate creates a fertilizer. Applying this fertilizer to plants grown on the apparatus 1 of the present invention can further raise awareness regarding carbon dioxide emissions, capture, and utilization.

[0039] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented in various other forms without departing from its spirit or main features. Therefore, the embodiments described above are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted restrictively. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and is not restricted in any way by the text of the specification. Moreover, any modifications or changes that fall within the equivalent scope of the claims are all within the scope of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0040] The present invention can be suitably used as a means for fixing carbon dioxide. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0041] 1. The present invention (indoor carbon dioxide recovery device) 2 cabinets 21 First opening 22 Second opening 23 Front Door 24 partition boards 25 ventilation holes 3. Carbon dioxide absorbent 4 planters

Claims

1. An indoor carbon dioxide capture device installed indoors to capture carbon dioxide contained in the air, A hollow casing, A carbon dioxide absorbent placed inside the aforementioned enclosure, It is equipped with, Through the outer shell of the aforementioned housing, A first opening that communicates with the lower side of the internal space of the housing, A second opening that communicates with the upper side of the internal space within the housing, An indoor carbon dioxide capture device characterized by being provided with [a specific feature].

2. In the indoor carbon dioxide recovery device according to claim 1, A partition plate, provided with multiple ventilation holes, is arranged to divide the internal space of the housing into an upper side and a lower side. An indoor carbon dioxide recovery device comprising the carbon dioxide absorbent placed on the partition plate.

3. In the indoor carbon dioxide capture device according to claim 2, An indoor carbon dioxide recovery device in which the opening area of ​​each ventilation hole provided in the partition plate is dimensionally smaller than the opening area of ​​the first opening.

4. In the indoor carbon dioxide recovery device described in claim 3, An indoor carbon dioxide recovery device in which the opening area of ​​each ventilation hole is dimensionally such that it is 50% or less of the opening area of ​​the first opening.

5. In the indoor carbon dioxide recovery device according to claim 1, An indoor carbon dioxide recovery device in which the carbon dioxide absorbent mainly consists of calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide.

6. In the indoor carbon dioxide recovery device according to claim 1, Furthermore, an indoor carbon dioxide capture device comprising a planter that can be connected to the upper part of the housing.

Images