Gas treatment device

Abstract

To provide a carbon dioxide recovery facility which can be installed in a relatively compact manner.SOLUTION: A gas treatment device includes: a hollow housing having an inlet part and an outlet part of gas; an adsorption-desorption device including a carbon dioxide adsorption-desorption material; heating means capable of heating the adsorption-desorption material; and a blower which generates airflow for causing the gas to pass through the adsorption-desorption device and exhausts the gas to the outlet part. An internal space of the housing is partitioned into a plurality of spaces by a partition wall. The plurality of spaces include: a first space communicating with the inlet part; a second space located adjacent to the first space and housing the adsorption-desorption device disposed therein; and a third space located adjacent to the second space and housing the blower disposed therein. The adsorption-desorption device takes the gas from the first space and exhausts the gas to the third space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for recovering carbon dioxide.

Background Art

[0002] Technologies for recovering carbon dioxide from gases such as air have been attracting attention. Patent Document 1 discloses a system in which an adsorbent for carbon dioxide is flowed through an adsorption vessel, a regeneration vessel, and a drying vessel, and the carbon dioxide adsorbed by the adsorbent is recovered.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the system of Patent Document 1, a site for installing each facility, a transport structure for the adsorbent, and a line connecting the facilities are required, and the scale is large. An apparatus that can be installed compactly adjacent to a carbon dioxide supply source such as an agricultural facility is desired.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a carbon dioxide recovery facility that can be installed relatively compactly.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to the present invention, an adsorption / desorption device including an intake section, an exhaust section, and an adsorbent / desorbent for carbon dioxide between the intake section and the exhaust section; heating means capable of heating the adsorbent / desorbent; a blower that generates an air flow for passing a gas through the adsorption / desorption device; a hollow housing having an inlet section and an outlet section for a gas; A gas treatment device comprising: The internal space of the enclosure is divided into multiple spaces by partition walls. The aforementioned multiple spaces are, A first space communicating with the aforementioned entrance, Adjacent to the first space is a second space in which the suction / desorption device is located, It includes a third space adjacent to the second space and communicating with the exit section, The blower is placed in the third space, The intake portion of the adsorption / desorption device is exposed to the first space, The exhaust portion of the adsorption / desorption device is exposed to the third space. A gas treatment apparatus characterized by the above is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a carbon dioxide capture system that can be installed in a relatively compact manner. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] External view of a gas processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Diagram illustrating the internal structure of the gas processing apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] (A) and (B) are diagrams illustrating the operation of the gas treatment apparatus in Figure 1. [Figure 4] A diagram illustrating the internal structure of another gas processing device. [Figure 5] A diagram illustrating the internal structure of another gas processing device. [Figure 6] A diagram illustrating the internal structure of another gas processing device. [Figure 7] A diagram illustrating the internal structure of another gas processing device. [Figure 8] External view of a gas treatment device using a horizontal-axis wind turbine. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of the features described in the embodiments are essential for the invention. Two or more of the plurality of features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Also, the same or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <First Embodiment> <Configuration of the Apparatus> FIG. 1 is an external view of a gas processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the internal structure of the gas processing apparatus 1. The gas processing apparatus 1 is installed outdoors and is an apparatus that recovers carbon dioxide from a gas and discharges a gas with a high concentration of carbon dioxide. For example, it is installed adjacent to an agricultural facility typified by a greenhouse. In the case of this embodiment, the gas to be processed is air.

[0011] The gas processing apparatus 1 includes a hollow housing 10. The housing 10 constitutes the outer wall of the gas processing apparatus 1 and houses the components of the gas processing apparatus 1. The housing 10 of this embodiment has a top portion 11, a bottom portion 12, and a cylindrical outer peripheral portion 13 between the top portion 11 and the bottom portion 12. The top portion 11 and the bottom portion 12 have a disk shape, and the area of the bottom portion 12 is larger than the area of the top portion 11. The outer peripheral portion 13 has a tapered shape that tapers from the bottom portion 12 toward the top portion 11, including a vertical portion 13a that extends substantially vertically from the top portion 11 toward the bottom portion 12 and an inclined portion 13b that is inclined outward from the top portion 11 toward the bottom portion 12.

[0012] An inlet portion 14, which is an intake for untreated air, and an outlet portion 15, which is a discharge portion for treated air, are provided in the outer peripheral portion 13. In the case of this embodiment, the inlet portion 14 is an opening formed in the outer peripheral portion 13, and the outlet portion 15 is formed by an exhaust pipe 41. In the case of this embodiment, the inlet portion 14 is formed in the lower part of the outer peripheral portion 13, and the outlet portion 15 is formed in the upper part of the outer peripheral portion 13.

[0013] The internal space of the housing 10 is partitioned into a plurality of spaces S1 to S3 by partition walls 16 and 17. The space S1 communicates with the inlet portion 14, and an outlet portion 15 is formed in the outer peripheral portion 13 that forms the space S3. The space S2 is a space located between the space S1 and the space S3, and the adsorber / desorber 20 is disposed therein.

[0014] The adsorber / desorber 20 includes a hollow container 21 that extends in the vertical direction. An air inlet 21a is provided at the lower end of the container 21, and an exhaust port 21b is formed at the upper end. The inlet 21a opens into the space S1, and the exhaust port 21b opens into the space S3. Inside the container 21, an adsorbent / desorbent material 22 for carbon dioxide is provided. The adsorbent / desorbent material 22 is made of a material that adsorbs carbon dioxide at room temperature and releases the adsorbed carbon dioxide at high temperature, and is, for example, an amine-based material, a polymer material, or an inorganic material. A member 34 is disposed in the accommodation space of the adsorbent / desorbent material 22. When the member 34 is heated or cooled, the adsorbent / desorbent material 22 is configured to be heated or cooled by heat conduction.

[0015] The gas treatment device 1 includes a heating unit 30 capable of heating the adsorbent / desorbent material 22. The heating unit 30 includes a heat source 31 and a supply unit 32. In this embodiment, the heat source 31 is a solar collector. An opening 13c is formed in the inclined portion 13b of the outer peripheral portion 13, and the heat source 31 is provided so as to close the opening 13c. The heat source 31 is a solar heat collection panel having a shell shape and forms a part of the outer peripheral portion 13.

[0016] By providing the heat source 31, which is a solar collector, on the inclined portion 13b, sunlight is more easily irradiated, and the heat of sunlight can be efficiently absorbed. The supply unit 32 is disposed in the space S2 and is a unit that circulates a liquid, which is a heating medium, between the heat source 31 and the adsorber / desorber 20 via a pipe 33 and the member 34. The member 34 is, for example, a member that forms a flow path through which the liquid, which is a heating medium, passes. The supply unit 32 is, for example, an electric pump. By operating the supply unit 32, the heat of sunlight obtained by the heat source 31 can be supplied to the member 34 via the liquid to heat the adsorbent / desorbent material 22.

[0017] A blower 40 is provided in space S3. The blower 40 draws in air from space S3 and exhausts it to the outside of the housing 10 via the exhaust pipe 41. As the air in space S3 is exhausted, space S3 becomes negative pressure. The suction / decoupling device 20, whose exhaust port 21b opens into space S3, also becomes negative pressure, and air from outside the housing 10 is drawn into the suction / decoupling device 20 through the inlet 14, space S1, and intake port 21a. In this way, the operation of the blower 40 can generate an airflow that allows gas to pass through the suction / decoupling device 20.

[0018] The power source for the blower 40 is either a wind turbine 50 or a motor 51. The wind turbine 50 is a vertical-axis wind turbine and is installed on the top 11. By placing the wind turbine 50 at a high position, it is possible to obtain wind power more easily. The motor 51 is located in space S3. When the wind force is small, the blower 40 can be operated by driving the motor 51. The transmission mechanism 52 transmits the driving force of either the wind turbine 50 or the motor 51 to the blower 40. The transmission mechanism 52 includes, for example, a clutch that intermittently transmits power between the wind turbine 50 and the blower 40, and a clutch that intermittently transmits power between the motor 51 and the blower 40.

[0019] Carbon dioxide concentration sensors 61 and 62 are placed in spaces S1 and S3. From the detection results of the concentration sensors 61 and 62, the difference between the carbon dioxide concentration of the air in space S1 and the carbon dioxide concentration of the air in space S3 can be identified. In the adsorption process, if this difference is large, the carbon dioxide adsorption effect of the adsorbent / desorbent material 22 is high (adsorption degree is low), and if this difference is small, the adsorption effect of the adsorbent / desorbent material 22 is low (adsorption degree is high). Therefore, by using this small difference as a trigger to move to the desorption process, carbon dioxide can be recovered efficiently.

[0020] The control circuit 60 is an electronic circuit that controls the operation of the gas processing device 10. The control circuit 60 includes, for example, a processor such as a CPU, a memory device, an input / output interface that relays information between the processor and an external device, a communication interface that communicates with a higher-level controller (e.g., a user's mobile terminal or personal computer), a drive circuit that drives actuators, and a signal processing circuit that processes detection signals from sensors. The memory device is a semiconductor memory such as ROM or RAM, or a hard disk. The processor executes a control program stored in the memory device to control the operation of the gas processing device 1 (particularly the operation of the supply unit 32 and the motor 51).

[0021] <Example of operation> Figures 3(A) and 3(B) are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the gas treatment device 1. Figure 3(A) shows the adsorption process in which carbon dioxide is adsorbed onto the adsorbent / desorbing material 22, and Figure 3(B) shows the desorption process in which the carbon dioxide adsorbed onto the adsorbent / desorbing material 22 is released from the adsorbent / desorbing material 22.

[0022] In each process, the blower 40 is driven by the rotation of the wind turbine 50 or the motor 51. The motor 51 is driven when the wind force is small, and for example, the wind turbine 50 or the motor 51 is selected as the drive source according to the user's instructions. When the blower 40 is driven, outside air is drawn in from the inlet 14 and exhausted from the outlet 15 after passing through space S1, the suction / decoupling device 20, space S3, the blower 40 and the exhaust pipe 41.

[0023] During the adsorption process, the supply unit 32 is stopped, and the heating medium (liquid) is not circulated. The adsorption / desorption unit 20 reaches approximately the same temperature as the ambient temperature, and as the air passes through the adsorption / desorption material 22, carbon dioxide contained in the air is adsorbed onto the adsorption / desorption material 22. Air with a reduced carbon dioxide concentration is exhausted from the outlet 15. The adsorption process is carried out, for example, at night.

[0024] When the difference in carbon dioxide concentrations between spaces S1 and S3, based on the detection results of carbon dioxide concentration sensors 61 and 62 (Figure 2), falls below a threshold, it is determined that the adsorption of carbon dioxide by the adsorbent / desorbent material 22 has reached a saturation state, and the process moves to the desorption step.

[0025] The desorption / desorption process is basically performed during the daytime when solar heat can be utilized at the heat source 31, which is a solar heat collector. The supply unit 32 is driven to circulate the liquid, which is the heating medium. As the liquid heating medium is supplied to the component 34, the adsorption / desorption material 22 is heated, and carbon dioxide is released from the adsorption / desorption material 22. Air with an increased carbon dioxide concentration is exhausted from the outlet 15. The exhausted air can be used in agricultural equipment, etc. The exhausted air may also be stored in a tank.

[0026] In this way, the gas treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment can recover carbon dioxide contained in the air by repeating the adsorption process and the desorption process.

[0027] In the gas treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the inside of the housing 10 is divided into multiple spaces S1 to S3 by partition walls 16 and 17, and spaces S1 and S3 are used as the gas intake and exhaust paths for the adsorption / desorption unit 20. The piping to the adsorption / desorption unit 20 is reduced, preventing the complexity of the apparatus configuration and enabling a more compact design. By performing carbon dioxide adsorption and desorption in a common adsorption / desorption unit 20, a more compact design can be achieved compared to a configuration with an adsorption tower and a desorption tower (recovery tower).

[0028] By using a solar collector as the heating source 31, power consumption can be reduced by utilizing natural energy, and the device can be made more compact by using the solar collector as part of the outer periphery 13 of the housing 10. In addition, by placing the solar collector, which is the heating source 31, on the inclined section 13b, the area for receiving sunlight can be made larger.

[0029] By using the wind turbine 50 as the power source for the blower 40, energy can be saved by utilizing natural energy. By positioning the blower 40 and the outlet 15 on top of the housing 10, the heated air containing carbon dioxide released from the adsorption / desorption material 22 by the heating unit 30 can be efficiently exhausted to the outside by utilizing the rising airflow.

[0030] <Second Embodiment> To prepare for weather fluctuations, a device for storing heat generated by the heat source 31, which is a solar collector, may be provided. Figure 4 shows an example. In the example in Figure 4, a tank 36 is provided in the liquid circulation path of the supply unit 32. The tank 36 is connected to the piping 33 and stores a fixed amount of liquid. By providing the tank 36, the amount of circulating liquid can be increased, and solar heat can be effectively stored in the tank 36. Even if sunlight decreases due to weather changes or after sunset, the heating of the adsorption / desorption material 22 can be continued, and the time for the desorption process can be extended.

[0031] <Third Embodiment> The adsorption efficiency of the adsorbent 22 may decrease due to moisture in the gas during carbon dioxide adsorption. Therefore, a moisture adsorbent 23 may be provided in the adsorbent 20. Figure 5 shows an example. In the illustrated example, the adsorbent 20 contains a moisture adsorbent 23 in addition to the carbon dioxide adsorbent 22. The adsorbent 23 is positioned upstream of the adsorbent 22 in the direction of gas flow. Specifically, the adsorbent 23 is positioned between the adsorbent 22 and the intake 21a. The adsorbent 23 can be, for example, silica gel, zeolite, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), or activated carbon.

[0032] In this embodiment, a condenser 70 is placed in space S3 to reduce the moisture content of the gas exhausted from the blower 40. The condenser 70 is installed in the middle of the exhaust pipe 15 and condenses the moisture content in the exhausted gas, draining the condensed moisture through the drain pipe 71. A known type of condenser can be used for the condenser 70, for example, an air-cooled or water-cooled cooler for cooling gas.

[0033] In this embodiment, by providing the adsorption / desorption material 23, moisture in the gas is adsorbed onto the adsorption / desorption material 23 during the adsorption process. A drier gas is supplied to the adsorption / desorption material 22, improving the carbon dioxide adsorption performance. In the desorption process, moisture adsorbed onto the adsorption / desorption material 23 is desorbed (vaporized) from the adsorption / desorption material 23 by heating and exhausted together with the carbon dioxide desorbed from the adsorption / desorption material 22. However, since the moisture in the gas exhausted by the blower 40 is removed by the condenser 70, a dry gas with a high carbon dioxide content can be exhausted from the outlet 15.

[0034] <Fourth Embodiment> The system may be configured to distinguish between a dilute gas (lean gas) of carbon dioxide exhausted from the adsorption process and a rich gas (rich gas) of carbon dioxide exhausted from the desorption process, and discharge them separately. Figure 6 shows an example of this configuration.

[0035] In the illustrated example, a switch 42 is connected to exhaust pipe 41, and exhaust pipes 43 and 44 are connected to the switch 42. The switch 42 switches which of the exhaust pipes 43 and 44 is connected to exhaust pipe 41. For example, in the adsorption process, exhaust pipe 41 and exhaust pipe 43 are connected by the switch 42, and lean gas is exhausted from exhaust pipe 43. On the other hand, in the desorption process, exhaust pipe 41 and exhaust pipe 44 are connected by the switch 42, and rich gas is exhausted from exhaust pipe 44.

[0036] By switching the exhaust pipe for lean gas and rich gas, agricultural equipment and storage tanks that receive rich gas from the gas treatment device 1 can eliminate the need to manually remove lean gas.

[0037] <Fifth Embodiment> Instead of the solar collector used as the heat source 31, a solar power generator (solar panel) may be used as the power source. Figure 7 shows an example. In the example in Figure 7, a solar power generator 31' is provided instead of the heat source 31, which is a solar power generator. The solar power generator 31' constitutes a part of the outer periphery 13, similar to the solar collector in the first embodiment. A power supply device 81 and a battery 82 are provided in space S2. The power supply device 81 stores the electricity generated by the solar power generator 31' in the battery 82 and also supplies power from the battery 82 to each component of the gas processing device 1.

[0038] The heating unit 30' of this embodiment is located in space S2 and includes a heating source (electric heater) 35 driven by the power of the capacitor 82. The supply unit 32 circulates a heating medium, which is a liquid, between the heating source 35 and the adsorption / desorption unit 20 via pipes 33' and 34. The power stored in the capacitor 82 can also be used to drive the motor 51.

[0039] <Sixth Embodiment> Instead of the vertical-axis wind turbine 50, which is the driving source for the blower 40, a horizontal-axis wind turbine may be used. Figure 8 is an external view of the gas processing device 1 to which a horizontal-axis wind turbine 100 is applied. The wind turbine 100 is rotatably supported on a vertical support shaft 150 erected on the top part 11. The wind turbine 100 has a body 101, wind turbine blades 102 and a vertical tail fin 104. The vertical tail fin 104 rotates around the support shaft 50 when subjected to wind pressure, causing the wind turbine blades 102 to point in the windward direction. By placing the wind turbine 100 at a high position, it is possible to obtain wind power more easily. The rotational force of the rotation axis of the wind turbine blades 102 is transmitted to the transmission mechanism 52 exemplified in Figure 2 via a drive shaft that passes through the hollow support shaft 150.

[0040] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0041] 1 gas treatment device, 10 housing, 20 adsorption / desorption unit, 30 heating unit, 40 blower

Claims

1. A housing having a gas inlet and outlet, A carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption device equipped with a carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption material, A heating means capable of heating the adsorption / desorption material, A blower that generates an airflow that passes gas through the adsorption / desorption device and exhausts it to the outlet, A gas processing apparatus equipped with, The internal space of the enclosure is divided into multiple spaces by partition walls. The aforementioned multiple spaces are, A first space communicating with the aforementioned entrance, Adjacent to the first space is a second space in which the suction / desorption device is located, The third space is adjacent to the second space and includes the space in which the blower is located. The adsorption / desorption device draws gas from the first space and exhausts gas into the third space. A gas treatment apparatus characterized by the following:

2. A gas treatment apparatus according to claim 1, The enclosure is equipped with a wind turbine located outside the casing, The blower receives the driving force of the wind turbine. A gas treatment apparatus characterized by the following:

3. A gas processing apparatus according to claim 2, The wind turbine is located on the top of the housing. A gas treatment apparatus characterized by the following:

4. A gas treatment apparatus according to claim 1, The heating means is A heat source for heating a liquid, The system comprises a supply means for supplying the liquid to the adsorption / desorption device, The supply means is located in the second space. A gas treatment apparatus characterized by the following:

5. A gas apparatus according to claim 4, The aforementioned heating source is a solar collector. The supply means circulates the liquid between the adsorption / desorption device and the solar collector. A gas treatment apparatus characterized by the following:

6. A gas processing apparatus according to claim 5, The second space is provided with a tank for storing the liquid, which is located in the liquid circulation path. A gas treatment apparatus characterized by the following:

7. A gas processing apparatus according to claim 5, The solar collector is a solar heat collection panel that forms part of the outer wall of the housing. A gas treatment apparatus characterized by the following:

8. A gas treatment apparatus according to claim 7, The aforementioned enclosure is It has a top portion, a bottom portion, and a cylindrical outer circumference between the top portion and the bottom portion, The solar heat collection panel forms the outer periphery, A gas treatment apparatus characterized by the following:

9. A gas processing apparatus according to claim 8, The outer periphery has an inclined portion that slopes outward from the top to the bottom, The aforementioned solar heat collection panel forms the inclined portion. A gas treatment apparatus characterized by the following:

10. A gas treatment apparatus according to claim 1, The adsorption / desorption device is equipped with a moisture adsorption / desorption material on the upstream side in the gas flow direction relative to the adsorption / desorption material. A condenser is placed in the third space to reduce the moisture content of the gas exhausted from the blower. The gas that has passed through the condenser is exhausted from the outlet. A gas treatment apparatus characterized by the following:

11. A gas treatment apparatus according to claim 1, Equipped with control means, The control means is When desorbing carbon dioxide from the adsorbent / desorbent material, the adsorbent / desorbent material is heated by the heating means, When carbon dioxide is adsorbed onto the adsorbent / desorbent material, the heating of the adsorbent / desorbent material by the heating means is stopped. A gas treatment apparatus characterized by the following:

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