Carbon Dioxide Capture System

Abstract

The carbon dioxide capture system according to the present disclosure comprises an air conditioner having an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, a CO2 capture device that is arranged downstream or upstream of a blower in the indoor unit or the outdoor unit and captures CO2 by utilizing the wind power of the blower, and a control unit that controls the blower, wherein the control unit switches operating modes related to CO2 capture based on an instruction signal and rotates the blower at a rotation speed associated with the operating mode.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to carbon dioxide capture systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a carbon dioxide absorbing and releasing section is provided inside an indoor unit of an air conditioner. In this disclosure, a fan of the indoor unit is used to blow airflow onto the carbon dioxide absorbing and releasing section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-90546 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the disclosure of Patent Document 1, for example, when the air conditioner is not operating, the air flow does not reach the carbon dioxide absorption and release section, which causes a problem of a decrease in the carbon dioxide recovery function.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a carbon dioxide capture system capable of improving the carbon dioxide capture function. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One embodiment of the carbon dioxide capture system according to the present disclosure comprises an air conditioner having an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, a CO2 capture device that is positioned downstream or upstream of a blower in the indoor unit or the outdoor unit and captures CO2 by utilizing the wind power of the blower, and a control unit that controls the blower, wherein the control unit switches operating modes related to CO2 capture based on an instruction signal and rotates the blower at a rotation speed associated with the operating mode. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a carbon dioxide capture system capable of improving the carbon dioxide capture function. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a carbon dioxide capture system in a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a carbon dioxide capture system in a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4 is an example of a rotation speed setting value table. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and may be modified as desired within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure.

[0010] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a carbon dioxide capture system 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the carbon dioxide capture system 1 includes an air conditioner H and a CO2 capture device 20. The air conditioner H has an indoor unit 2 and an outdoor unit 10. The air conditioner H is a so-called heat pump device. The indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 10 are connected by a pipe P or the like for circulating a refrigerant. The CO2 capture device 20 includes a capture section 21, a separation section 23, and a circulation mechanism 25.

[0011] The outdoor unit 10 includes a housing 11, a heat exchanger 12, and a blower 13. The outdoor unit 10 also includes a compressor (not shown) and the like. Housing 11 is formed with an inlet 14 and an outlet 15. Heat exchanger 12 and blower 13 are disposed inside housing 11. Heat exchanger 12 performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and outside air (air). Blower 13 has a function of blowing an airflow onto heat exchanger 12.

[0012] When the blower 13 is driven, air is drawn into the housing 11 through the suction port 14. The air drawn into the housing 11 passes through the heat exchanger 12 and is blown out of the housing 11 through the air outlet 15. Hereinafter, the upstream side in the flow direction of the airflow generated by blower 13 will be simply referred to as the upstream side, and the downstream side in the flow direction of the airflow generated by blower 13 will be simply referred to as the downstream side.

[0013] The capture unit 21 has a function of capturing CO2 from air. The capture unit 21 is disposed downstream of the blower 13. A first duct 22 that transmits airflow from the blower 13 to the capture unit 21 is provided between the blower 13 and the capture unit 21. Note that the capture unit 21 may simply be disposed downstream of the blower 13 without providing the first duct 22.

[0014] The recovery section 21 has an adsorbent. The adsorbent includes a material capable of adsorbing CO2. Examples of materials capable of adsorbing CO2 include amine, zeolite, silica gel, diatomaceous earth, alumina, and activated carbon. A plurality of materials may be selected from the above, or a material other than the above may be used. The adsorbent may be granular (e.g., bead-shaped (spherical) or pellet-shaped (cylindrical)). Alternatively, a powdered adsorbent may be used. In this case, the powdered adsorbent may be supported on the surface of a substrate. The substrate may be, for example, honeycomb-shaped. For example, the powdered adsorbent may be supported on a honeycomb rotor. The adsorbent may be a liquid adsorption liquid.

[0015] The collection section 21 is configured to be able to hold the adsorbent at a position where it receives the airflow generated by the blower 13. For example, the recovery unit 21 may have a container capable of accommodating the adsorbent and having air permeability. In this case, the container is disposed at a position where it receives the airflow generated by the blower 13. Alternatively, for example, when the adsorbent is supported on a honeycomb rotor, the recovery section 21 may have a support section that supports the honeycomb rotor at a position where it receives the airflow generated by the blower 13 .

[0016] The adsorbent held in the capture unit 21 is hit by the airflow blown out from the air outlet 15 by driving the blower 13. This causes air to enter the adsorbent or causes the air in the adsorbent to be exhausted. The capture unit 21 brings the airflow generated by the blower 13 into contact with the adsorbent, causing the adsorbent to adsorb CO2. That is, in this embodiment, the capture unit 21 uses the wind power of the blower 13 to capture CO2.

[0017] The separation unit 23 has a function of separating CO2 from the adsorbent that has adsorbed CO2. The separation unit 23 is disposed downstream of the blower 13. A second duct 24 that transmits airflow from the blower 13 to the separation unit 23 is provided between the blower 13 and the separation unit 23. The separation unit 23 is configured to be capable of holding the adsorbent at a position that receives the airflow generated by the blower 13.

[0018] The circulation mechanism 25 circulates the adsorbent between the capture section 21 and the separation section 23. Specifically, the adsorbent that has adsorbed CO2 in the capture section 21 is moved to the separation section 23 by the circulation mechanism 25. In addition, the adsorbent from which CO2 has been separated in the separation section 23 is moved again to the capture section 21 by the circulation mechanism 25. The circulation mechanism 25 may be controlled by the control section 16. Alternatively, the circulation mechanism 25 may be controlled by a component different from the control section 16.

[0019] The adsorbent held in the separation section 23 is hit by an airflow blown out from the air outlet 15 by driving the blower 13. When the air conditioner H performs cooling operation, the air sucked into the housing 11 from the air inlet 14 is heated to, for example, 45 to 70°C by the heat exchanger 12. The blower 13 sends out the airflow heated by the heat exchanger 12 toward the separation section 23. Therefore, during cooling operation, the heated airflow hits the adsorbent held in the separation section 23.

[0020] The separation unit 23 separates CO2 from the adsorbent by heating the adsorbent in this manner. That is, the separation unit 23 can use the wind power of the blower 13 to separate CO2. The CO2 separated in the separation unit 23 may be used, for example, for producing methane. In this case, a methanation facility or the like may be connected to the separation unit 23. Alternatively, the CO2 may be temporarily stored by another means, and the stored CO2 may be transported to a methanation facility.

[0021] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the carbon dioxide capture system 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the carbon dioxide capture system 1 has a control unit 16, a CO2 sensor 18, a humidity sensor 19, and a communication device 17. The control unit 16 is connected to the motor 13a of the blower 13 and the communication device 17. The control unit 16 may also be connected to the CO2 sensor 18, the humidity sensor 19, the circulation mechanism 25, and the like.

[0022] The control unit 16 controls at least the motor 13a of the blower 13. The control unit 16 may control components other than the motor 13a. For example, the control unit 16 may control a compressor included in the air conditioner H. A processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) can be used as the control unit 16.

[0023] The communicator 17 communicates with the outside (e.g., the mobile terminal 6, the server device 4, the operation unit 3, etc.) based on the control by the control unit 16. The mobile terminal 6 is, for example, a smartphone, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, etc. An app for operating the air conditioner H may be installed in the mobile terminal 6. The server device 4 has a processing unit, a storage unit, a communication unit, etc., and can process and store information. The server device 4 may be, for example, a cloud server. The server device 4 may also be installed in a data center.

[0024] When a user operates the portable terminal 6, a signal may be directly exchanged between the portable terminal 6 and the communicator 17. Alternatively, when a user operates the portable terminal 6, a signal may be indirectly exchanged between the portable terminal 6 and the communicator 17 via the server device 4.

[0025] The operation unit 3 is a part for operating the air conditioner H. As a specific example, the operation unit 3 may be a remote controller that communicates with the indoor unit 2. An example of the control performed by the control unit 16 will now be described.

[0026] In this embodiment, the control unit 16 switches the operation mode M related to CO2 capture based on the instruction signal. The control unit 16 also rotates the blower 13 at a rotation speed associated with the operation mode M. The "operation mode M related to CO2 capture" includes, for example, an "air conditioning priority mode m1", a "capture priority mode m2", and a "medium mode m3". Modes other than these may also be included in the "operation mode M related to CO2 capture".

[0027] The "air conditioning priority mode m1" is a mode that prioritizes the air conditioning function by the air conditioner H. For example, in the "air conditioning priority mode m1", the rotation speed of the blower 13 is set to a value similar to that of the prior art. That is, in the air conditioning priority mode m1, the control unit 16 rotates the blower 13 at a rotation speed optimized for achieving the air conditioning function.

[0028] The "recovery priority mode m2" is a mode that prioritizes the recovery of CO2. In the "recovery priority mode m2", the rotation speed of the blower 13 is set to a value greater than that in the "air conditioning priority mode m1". For example, in the "air conditioning priority mode m1", when the air conditioning function is off, the rotation speed of the blower 13 is usually set to zero. However, in the "recovery priority mode m2", even when the air conditioning function is off, the rotation speed of the blower 13 is set to a value greater than zero. That is, in the "recovery priority mode m2", the blower 13 is in a state of constantly rotating. Also, in the recovery priority mode m2, the control unit 16 rotates the blower 13 at a rotation speed greater than the rotation speed optimized for realizing the air conditioning function. By actively rotating the blower 13 in this way, the efficiency of CO2 recovery by the recovery device 20 can be increased.

[0029] The "intermediate mode m3" is an operation mode M intermediate between the air conditioning priority mode m1 and the recovery priority mode m2. For example, the intermediate mode m3 may be selected when a user wishes to reduce the noise of the blower 13 while promoting the recovery of CO2. The "intermediate mode m3" does not have to be included in the "operation mode M related to CO2 recovery".

[0030] In the recovery priority mode m2, the recovery of CO2 can be promoted, but there is a problem that the noise of the blower 13 becomes louder. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 16 switches the "operation mode M related to CO2 recovery" according to the user's preference, etc. The instruction signal is used to switch the operation mode M in this manner. For example, when the user operates the operation unit 3 to select the "recovery priority mode m2", an instruction signal corresponding to the recovery priority mode m2 is input from the operation unit 3 to the control unit 16.

[0031] Hereinafter, examples of setting the rotation speed of blower 13 in each operation mode M will be described.

[0032] FIG. 3 is an example of a rotation speed setting value table stored in a memory area (not shown) of the air conditioner H. The "set air volume" in FIG. 3 is the air volume set by the user by operating the operation unit 3 or the like. The "temperature difference range" in FIG. 3 is the range of the difference (temperature difference) between the target indoor temperature set by the user by operating the operation unit 3 or the like and the actual indoor temperature. For example, the temperature difference range Δ1 is when the temperature difference is -10°C to -5°C, and the temperature difference range Δ2 is when the temperature difference is -5°C to -3°C, etc. These settings are examples and can be changed. In the example of FIG. 3, the specified rotation speeds RN11 to RN66 are set corresponding to the six set air volumes w1 to w6 and the six temperature difference ranges Δ1 to Δ6. The specified rotation speed may be determined based only on the set air volume, not on the temperature difference range.

[0033] In the "air conditioning priority mode m1", the control unit 16 rotates the blower 13 at specified rotation speeds RN11 to RN66 that are specified in the rotation speed setting value table. The specified rotation speeds RN11 to RN66 are rotation speeds that are determined to optimize the air conditioning function.

[0034] In the "recovery priority mode m2", the control unit 16 rotates the blower 13 at a corrected rotation speed that is higher than the specified rotation speeds RN11 to RN66. For example, consider a case where the set air volume is w1 and the temperature difference range is Δ1. In this case, in the air conditioning priority mode m1, the specified rotation speed is set to RN11. In contrast, in the recovery priority mode m2, when the set air volume is w1 and the temperature difference range is Δ1, the control unit 16 rotates the blower 13 at a corrected rotation speed that is higher than the specified rotation speed RN11.

[0035] The value of the correction rotation speed may be obtained by, for example, adding a constant value to the specified rotation speeds RN11 to RN66. Alternatively, the correction rotation speed may be determined in advance according to the set air volumes w1 to w6 and the temperature difference ranges Δ1 to Δ6. Alternatively, the correction rotation speed may be a fixed value. When a fixed value is used as the correction rotation speed, it may be determined, for example, so as to maximize the efficiency of CO2 capture by the capture device 20.

[0036] Furthermore, the control unit 16 may not drive the circulation mechanism 25 in the air conditioning priority mode m1. In this case, it is possible to suppress noise generation and power consumption associated with driving the circulation mechanism 25. The control unit 16 may drive the circulation mechanism 25 in the recovery priority mode m2. In this case, it is possible to promote CO2 recovery in the recovery unit 21 and CO2 separation in the separation unit 23.

[0037] (Modification) In the above description, the CO2 capture device 20 is disposed downstream of the blower 13 of the outdoor unit 10, and captures CO2 by utilizing the wind power of the blower 13. However, the CO2 capture device 20 may be disposed upstream of the blower 13. In this case as well, the CO2 capture device 20 can capture CO2 by utilizing the wind power of the blower 13.

[0038] Alternatively, the CO2 capture device 20 may be disposed downstream or upstream of a blower included in the indoor unit 2. In this case as well, the CO2 capture device 20 can capture CO2 by utilizing the wind power of the blower included in the indoor unit 2. The CO2 capture device 20 may be disposed inside the indoor unit.

[0039] As described above, the carbon dioxide capture system 1 according to the present disclosure includes an air conditioner H, a CO2 capture device 20, and a control unit 16. The air conditioner H includes an indoor unit 2 and an outdoor unit 10. The CO2 capture device 20 is disposed downstream or upstream of the blower 13 included in the indoor unit 2 or the outdoor unit 10, and captures CO2 using the wind power of the blower 13. The control unit 16 controls at least the blower 13. Then, the control unit 16 switches the operation mode M related to CO2 capture based on an instruction signal, and rotates the blower 13 at the rotation speed associated with the operation mode.

[0040] According to such a carbon dioxide capture system 1, even if the air conditioning function of the air conditioner H is off, the operation mode can be switched to an operation mode M that prioritizes CO2 capture based on an instruction signal to rotate the blower 13 and promote the capture of CO2. Therefore, the CO2 capture function can be improved.

[0041] The operation mode M may include an air conditioning priority mode m1 and a recovery priority mode m2. In the air conditioning priority mode m1, the control unit 16 may rotate the blower 13 at the specified rotation speeds RN11 to RN66 that are specified by a rotation speed setting value table (for example, FIG. 3). In the recovery priority mode m2, the control unit 16 may rotate the blower 13 at a correction rotation speed that is higher than the specified rotation speeds RN11 to RN66. This configuration allows the user to select the air conditioning priority mode m1 and the recovery priority mode m2. Specifically, the air conditioning priority mode m1 can be selected when noise suppression is desired, and the recovery priority mode m2 can be selected when priority is desired for CO2 recovery.

[0042] Moreover, the operation mode M may further include an intermediate mode m3. In the intermediate mode m3, the control unit 16 may rotate the blower at an intermediate rotation speed between the specified rotation speeds RN11 to RN66 and the correction rotation speed. A user can select the intermediate mode when he or she wishes to promote CO2 capture while suppressing noise generation.

[0043] The instruction signal may be input to the control unit 16 based on an operation by the user. More specifically, the instruction signal may be input to the control unit 16 based on an operation of the mobile terminal 6 or the operation unit 3 by the user. In this case, the user operates the mobile terminal 6 or the operation unit 3 to select one of the air conditioning priority mode m1, the collection priority mode m2, or the intermediate mode m3. Then, an instruction signal for switching to the selected operation mode M is input to the control unit 16 from the mobile terminal 6 or the operation unit 3.

[0044] The operation mode M may be switched based on a pre-specified schedule. For example, the user operates the mobile terminal 6 or the operation unit 3 to specify the date and time when the operation mode M is to be changed to the recovery priority mode m2. In this case, when the date and time arrives, the control unit 16 rotates the blower 13 at a corrected rotation speed corresponding to the recovery priority mode m2. The "pre-specified schedule" may be, for example, a specific time on a specific day of the week. For example, by specifying the recovery priority mode m2 to be used during a time period when the user is absent, the blower 13 can be rotated even during a time period when the air conditioner H would not normally be operating, thereby promoting the recovery of CO2.

[0045] Furthermore, the switching of the operation mode M may be executed based on a signal generated by the AI ​​with reference to the past operation conditions of the air conditioner H. In this case, the AI ​​may, for example, identify a time period when the user is absent from the past operation conditions, and generate an instruction signal for switching the operation mode M to the collection priority mode m2 during the identified time period. Alternatively, the AI ​​may cause the mobile terminal 6 or the like to display a notification recommending switching the operation mode M to the collection priority mode m2, and generate an instruction signal after authenticating the user.

[0046] The carbon dioxide capture system 1 may further include a CO2 sensor 18 that detects the CO2 concentration in the room where the indoor unit 2 is located. The CO2 capture device 20 may be located upstream or downstream of the blower of the indoor unit 2. When the CO2 concentration detected by the CO2 sensor 18 becomes higher than the upper limit, the control unit 16 may execute the capture priority mode m2. According to this configuration, the rotation speed of the blower 13 increases when the CO2 concentration is high, so that the CO2 capture efficiency can be further improved. Also, when the CO2 concentration becomes lower than the lower limit, the control unit 16 may execute the air conditioning priority mode m1.

[0047] Generally, the lower the humidity, the higher the efficiency of CO2 capture. Therefore, the carbon dioxide capture system 1 may further include a humidity sensor 19 that detects the humidity in the room where the CO2 capture device 20 is placed or in the outdoor air. The control unit 16 may execute the capture priority mode m2 when the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 19 becomes lower than a threshold value. This configuration allows for more efficient capture of CO2.

[0048] The control unit 16 may also switch the operation mode M based on the power supply and demand forecast data. For example, the recovery priority mode m2 may be executed during a period when the demand for power is low. In this case, the blower 13 is rotated using surplus power, and the recovery of CO2 can be promoted. In addition, the air conditioning priority mode m1 may be executed during a period when the demand for power is high. In this case, the rotation speed of the blower 13 can be reduced to suppress power consumption. In this way, the environmental load can be reduced by switching the operation mode M according to the power supply and demand forecast. The supply and demand forecast data may be input to the control unit 16 from the server device 4 via the communication device 17, for example.

[0049] The technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0050] For example, the structure of the capture device 20 is an example and can be changed. As a specific example, the capture device 20 does not need to have the separation unit 23 and the circulation mechanism 25. As long as the capture device 20 has at least the capture unit 21, it can capture CO2 by utilizing the wind power of the blower 13. If the capture device 20 does not have the separation unit 23, for example, the adsorbent that has adsorbed CO2 may be periodically removed from the capture unit 21 and new adsorbent may be replenished to the capture unit 21.

[0051] In addition, the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1... Carbon dioxide recovery system 2... Indoor unit 10... Outdoor unit 13... Blower 16... Control unit 19... Humidity sensor 20... Recovery device H... Air conditioner

Claims

[Claim 1] An air conditioner having an indoor unit and an outdoor unit; The indoor unit or the outdoor unit is provided with a blower, and the blower is disposed downstream or upstream of the blower. ２ Recover CO ２ A recovery device; A control unit that controls the blower, The control unit controls the CO ２ Switching the operation mode for collection, The operation modes include an air conditioning priority mode, a recovery priority mode, and an intermediate mode, In the air conditioning priority mode, the control unit rotates the blower at a specified rotation speed specified by a rotation speed setting value table, In the recovery priority mode, the control unit rotates the blower at a correction rotation speed that is higher than the specified rotation speed, In the intermediate mode, the control unit rotates the blower at an intermediate rotation speed between the specified rotation speed and the correction rotation speed. a communication device connected to the control unit and configured to transmit and receive the instruction signal based on an operation by a user; The control unit switches the operation mode related to CO 2 capture based on the instruction signal, the communication device receives the instruction signal by communicating with any one of a mobile terminal, a server device, and an operation unit; The communication device transmits a notification recommending switching the driving mode during a time period identified from past driving conditions to any one of the mobile terminal, the server device, and the operation unit; A carbon dioxide capture system, wherein the control unit switches the operation mode based on the instruction signal generated based on user authentication.

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