Facility for separating and recovering carbon dioxide in atmosphere

Abstract

A facility for separating and recovering carbon dioxide in an atmosphere according to an aspect of the present disclosure comprises: an adsorption treatment chamber in which an adsorption treatment is carried out by bringing an atmosphere into contact with a particulate adsorbent contained in the adsorption treatment chamber to adsorb carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere onto the adsorbent; a regeneration treatment chamber which is positioned above the adsorption treatment chamber and in which a regeneration treatment is carried out by bringing steam into contact with the particulate adsorbent contained in the regeneration treatment chamber to desorb carbon dioxide from the adsorbent; and a transport device for transporting the adsorbent discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber to the regeneration treatment chamber, wherein the adsorption treatment chamber takes in the adsorbent regenerated in the regeneration treatment chamber and performs the adsorption treatment using the taken-in adsorbent, and the regeneration treatment chamber takes in the adsorbent used for the adsorption treatment in the adsorption treatment chamber and performs the regeneration treatment on the taken-in adsorbent.

Description

Atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture facility that separates and captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

[0002] Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a system for adsorbing carbon dioxide in the air using an adsorbent. Figure 11a of Patent Document 1 discloses a system in which the adsorbent that has adsorbed carbon dioxide is regenerated by contacting it with steam, and the regenerated adsorbent is vertically lifted and returned to a container where the adsorption treatment is carried out.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-20723

[0004] When regeneration treatment is performed using steam, a large amount of moisture adheres to the adsorbent. However, unlike systems that separate and capture carbon dioxide from "exhaust gas," systems that separate and capture carbon dioxide from "atmosphere" do not perform a drying treatment to dry the adsorbent. This is because during the adsorption treatment, a large amount of air is blown onto the adsorbent, and this air blowing dries the adsorbent.

[0005] In the system described in Patent Document 1, a drying process is not performed either, so a large amount of moisture adheres to the adsorbent material when it is transported to the container where the adsorption process is performed. If such an adsorbent material with a large amount of moisture adhered thereto is transported by a transport device, there is a risk of problems occurring in the transport device and its peripheral equipment.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment that can suppress problems with the transport device that transports the adsorbent.

[0007] An atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises an adsorption treatment chamber that performs an adsorption treatment by bringing atmospheric air into contact with a particulate adsorbent contained therein, thereby adsorbing carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere onto the adsorbent; a regeneration treatment chamber that is located above the adsorption treatment chamber and performs a regeneration treatment by bringing steam into contact with the particulate adsorbent contained therein, thereby desorbing carbon dioxide from the adsorbent; and a transport device that transports the adsorbent discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber to the regeneration treatment chamber, wherein the adsorption treatment chamber takes in the adsorbent that has been regenerated in the regeneration treatment chamber and performs adsorption treatment using the taken-in adsorbent, and the regeneration treatment chamber takes in the adsorbent used for adsorption treatment in the adsorption treatment chamber and performs regeneration treatment on the taken-in adsorbent.

[0008] This configuration can prevent problems with the transport device that transports the adsorbent.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture system according to a first embodiment, as viewed from the front side. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture system according to the first embodiment, as viewed from the back side. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture system according to a second embodiment, as viewed from the front side. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture system according to a third embodiment, as viewed from the front side. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture system according to a fourth embodiment, as viewed from the front side.

[0010] (First embodiment) Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described. First, a carbon dioxide separation and capture system (hereinafter referred to as "separation and capture system") 100 according to a first embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the separation and capture system 100 according to the first embodiment, as seen from the front side. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the separation and capture system 100 according to the first embodiment, as seen from the rear side.

[0011] The separation and recovery equipment 100 includes an adsorption chamber 10, a regeneration chamber 20, a suction device 30, and a transport device 40. These components will be described below in order.

[0012] <Adsorption Treatment Chamber> The adsorption treatment chamber 10 is a chamber where adsorption treatment is carried out, in which carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere is adsorbed onto an adsorbent. The adsorbent used in the adsorption treatment is an adsorbent that has been regenerated in the regeneration treatment chamber 20, which will be described later. The adsorption treatment chamber 10 takes in the adsorbent that has been regenerated in the regeneration treatment chamber 20, and performs adsorption treatment using the taken-in adsorbent. The atmosphere comes into contact with the adsorbent by passing through the inside of the adsorption treatment chamber 10, in which the adsorbent is housed. As a result, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is adsorbed onto the adsorbent and collected. The adsorbent in this embodiment is particulate, and a porous carrier impregnated with amine is used. However, the adsorbent is not limited to the above.

[0013] The adsorption treatment chamber 10 of this embodiment has a plate-like shape perpendicular to the horizontal direction. The adsorption treatment chamber 10 includes an inlet surface 11, which is one of the main surfaces, as shown in FIG. 1 , and an outlet surface 12, which is the other main surface, as shown in FIG. 2 . The inlet surface 11 and the outlet surface 12 are formed, for example, of a mesh-like member, allowing atmospheric air to pass through. As shown in FIG. 1 , atmospheric air flows from the outside of the adsorption treatment chamber 10 into the inside of the adsorption treatment chamber 10 through the inlet surface 11. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2 , the atmospheric air that has flowed into the inside of the adsorption treatment chamber 10 passes through gaps in the adsorbent and flows out of the adsorption treatment chamber 10 through the outlet surface 12. In this embodiment, the inlet surface 11 and the outlet surface 12 are parallel to each other.

[0014] Here, the distance from the inlet surface 11 to the outlet surface 12 is referred to as the "passing distance D," the longitudinal dimensions of the inlet surface 11 and the outlet surface 12 are referred to as the "vertical dimension L1" and the "vertical dimension L2," respectively, and the dimensions in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the inlet surface 11 and the outlet surface 12 are referred to as the "width dimension W1" and the "width dimension W2," respectively. In this case, the passing distance D is smaller than the vertical dimension L1 and the width dimension W1 of the inlet surface 11, and smaller than the vertical dimension L2 and the width dimension W2 of the outlet surface 12.

[0015] Furthermore, the vertical dimension L1 of the inflow surface 11 is greater than the width dimension W1, and the vertical dimension L2 of the outflow surface 12 is greater than the width dimension W2. In this embodiment, the inflow surface 11 and the outflow surface 12 extend in the vertical direction. Therefore, the vertical dimension L1 of the inflow surface 11 and the vertical dimension L2 of the outflow surface 12 correspond to the height of the inflow surface 11 and the height of the outflow surface 12, respectively. Furthermore, the width dimension W1 of the inflow surface 11 and the width dimension W2 of the outflow surface 12 correspond to the horizontal width of the inflow surface 11 and the horizontal width of the outflow surface 12, respectively.

[0016] However, if the inlet surface 11 and the outlet surface 12 are inclined relative to the vertical direction or have a horizontally elongated shape, the vertical dimension L1 of the inlet surface 11 and the vertical dimension L2 of the outlet surface 12 will not necessarily coincide with the height of the inlet surface 11 and the height of the outlet surface 12, respectively, and the width dimension W1 of the inlet surface 11 and the width dimension W2 of the outlet surface 12 will not necessarily coincide with the horizontal width of the inlet surface 11 and the horizontal width of the outlet surface 12, respectively.

[0017] The vertical dimension L1 of the inlet surface 11 may be the same as or different from the vertical dimension L2 of the outlet surface 12. Similarly, the width dimension W1 of the inlet surface 11 may be the same as or different from the width dimension W2 of the outlet surface 12. Although the inlet surface 11 and the outlet surface 12 in this embodiment are rectangular, the inlet surface 11 and the outlet surface 12 may have shapes other than rectangular. Furthermore, the inlet surface 11 and the outlet surface 12 may have shapes different from each other.

[0018] The adsorbent in the adsorption treatment chamber 10 is replaced sequentially. The lower end of the adsorption treatment chamber 10 is connected to a discharge pipe 13, and the adsorbent in the adsorption treatment chamber 10 is discharged through the discharge pipe 13. A discharge valve 14 is provided on the discharge pipe 13. The adsorbent in the adsorption treatment chamber 10 can be discharged by opening this discharge valve 14, and the discharge of the adsorbent in the adsorption treatment chamber 10 can be stopped by closing the discharge valve 14.

[0019] <Regeneration treatment chamber> The regeneration treatment chamber 20 is a chamber where a regeneration treatment is carried out to desorb carbon dioxide from the adsorbent. The adsorbent to be regenerated is the adsorbent used for the adsorption treatment in the adsorption treatment chamber 10. The regeneration treatment chamber 20 takes in the adsorbent used for the adsorption treatment in the adsorption treatment chamber 10, and carries out the regeneration treatment by bringing steam into contact with the taken-in adsorbent. Note that the regeneration treatment chamber 20 in this embodiment is a sealable container. In the regeneration treatment of this embodiment, a negative pressure is created inside the regeneration treatment chamber 20, and the regeneration treatment chamber 20 is formed to be able to withstand the negative pressure.

[0020] The upper end portion of the regeneration chamber 20 is connected to an inlet portion 21, and the adsorbent is supplied to the regeneration chamber 20 through this inlet portion 21. An inlet valve 22 is provided at the inlet portion 21. The lower end portion of the regeneration chamber 20 is connected to an outlet portion 23, and the adsorbent in the regeneration chamber 20 is supplied to the adsorption chamber 10 through this outlet portion 23. An outlet valve 24 is provided at the outlet portion 23.

[0021] In this embodiment, the regeneration treatment chamber 20 is located above the adsorption treatment chamber 10, and therefore, when the outlet valve 24 is opened, the adsorbent in the regeneration treatment chamber 20 moves by its own weight to the adsorption treatment chamber 10. Therefore, according to this embodiment, a transport device is not required to move the adsorbent in the regeneration treatment chamber 20 to the adsorption treatment chamber 10, or if a transport device is used, a simple one is sufficient. Therefore, even if a large amount of moisture adheres to the adsorbent due to the regeneration treatment, no transport device for transporting the adsorbent exists or is simple, and therefore problems with the transport device and its peripheral equipment caused by moisture adhering to the adsorbent are unlikely to occur.

[0022] The volume of the regeneration processing chamber 20 is smaller than the volume of the adsorption processing chamber 10. For example, the volume of the regeneration processing chamber 20 is half or less of the volume of the adsorption processing chamber 10. Alternatively, the volume of the regeneration processing chamber 20 may be approximately one-sixth or more and one-fourth or less of the volume of the adsorption processing chamber 10.

[0023] <Suction Device> The suction device 30 is a device that sucks the atmosphere inside the adsorption treatment chamber 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the suction device 30 is located outside the adsorption treatment chamber 10, on the side of the outflow surface 12. In this embodiment, the suction device 30 is, for example, a fan, but the suction device 30 is not limited to this and may be, for example, a pipe connected to a negative pressure tank or a negative pressure chimney. Note that the separation and recovery equipment 100 may include, instead of the suction device 30, an air supply device such as a fan that supplies atmosphere to the inflow surface 11 of the adsorption treatment chamber 10.

[0024] The suction device 30 sucks in the air inside the adsorption treatment chamber 10 through the outlet surface 12 of the adsorption treatment chamber 10, causing the air to flow from the outside of the adsorption treatment chamber 10 into the inside of the adsorption treatment chamber 10 through the inlet surface 11. In this manner, in this embodiment, the air is caused to flow into the inside of the adsorption treatment chamber 10 using the suction device 30, rather than using a blower that sends the air toward the inlet surface 11 of the adsorption treatment chamber 10.

[0025] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the air flowing into the adsorption treatment chamber 10 from increasing due to passing through the air blower. The lower the temperature of the adsorbent, the easier it is to adsorb carbon dioxide. In this embodiment, air with a relatively low temperature flows into the adsorption treatment chamber 10, so that the temperature increase of the adsorbent due to the air is suppressed, and the adsorption treatment can be carried out efficiently.

[0026] <Transport Device> The transport device 40 is a device that transports the adsorbent discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber 10 to the regeneration treatment chamber 20. The transport device 40 receives the adsorbent discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber 10 via the discharge pipe 13 and lifts the received adsorbent. The lifted adsorbent is supplied to the regeneration treatment chamber 20 via the inlet 21. Note that, because the adsorbent comes into contact with a large amount of air during the adsorption treatment, the adsorbent used in the adsorption treatment is dry. This makes it possible to avoid problems with the transport device 40 and its peripheral equipment caused by moisture adhering to the adsorbent. Note that, for example, a bucket conveyor or an air conveyor can be used as the transport device 40.

[0027] <Operation of Separation and Recovery Equipment> Next, the operation of the separation and recovery equipment 100 will be described. The separation and recovery equipment 100 performs adsorption treatment in the adsorption treatment chamber 10. Specifically, the suction device 30 is driven with the adsorption treatment chamber 10 filled with an adsorbent. As a result, the suction device 30 causes atmospheric air to flow into the adsorption treatment chamber 10 from the inlet surface 11, and as the flowed-in atmospheric air passes through the adsorption treatment chamber 10, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is adsorbed by the adsorbent.

[0028] Furthermore, simultaneously with this adsorption treatment, the adsorbent used in the adsorption treatment is regenerated. Specifically, the adsorbent used in the adsorption treatment is filled into the regeneration treatment chamber 20, and the inlet valve 22 and the outlet valve 24 are closed to seal the regeneration treatment chamber 20. In this state, steam is supplied to the regeneration treatment chamber 20. This causes carbon dioxide to be desorbed from the adsorbent.

[0029] Subsequently, when the regeneration treatment is completed, the suction device 30 is temporarily stopped, the outlet valve 24 is opened, and the discharge valve 14 is also opened. As a result, the adsorbent after regeneration treatment is supplied from the regeneration treatment chamber 20 to the adsorption treatment chamber 10, and the adsorbent that has adsorbed carbon dioxide is discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber 10. At this time, rather than discharging all of the adsorbent from the adsorption treatment chamber 10, an amount of adsorbent equal to the amount of adsorbent supplied to the adsorption treatment chamber 10, i.e., an amount of adsorbent equal to the volume of the regeneration treatment chamber 20, is discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber 10. For example, if the volume of the regeneration treatment chamber 20 is one-fifth of the volume of the adsorbent in the adsorption treatment chamber 10, one-fifth of the adsorbent from the adsorption treatment chamber 10 is discharged. Thereafter, the outlet valve 24 and the discharge valve 14 are closed.

[0030] Subsequently, simultaneously with or shortly after the adsorbent is discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber 10, the transport device 40 is operated and the inlet valve 22 is opened. As a result, the adsorbent discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber 10 is transported to the regeneration treatment chamber 20 and filled into the regeneration treatment chamber 20. After the adsorbent has been filled into the regeneration treatment chamber 20, the transport device 40 is stopped and the inlet valve 22 is closed. Thereafter, the suction device 30 is driven to resume the adsorption treatment, and steam is supplied to the regeneration treatment chamber 20 to resume the regeneration treatment. In the separation and recovery equipment 100, the above operations constitute one cycle, and this cycle is repeated.

[0031] By repeating the above cycle, the adsorbent supplied to the adsorption chamber 10 moves downward and is discharged from the adsorption chamber 10. In other words, the adsorption chamber 10 is configured to move the adsorbent taken in from the upper portion downward and discharge it from the lower portion. Each time a regeneration process is completed in the regeneration chamber 20, the adsorption chamber 10 discharges an amount of adsorbent from the lower portion corresponding to the volume of the regeneration chamber 20. If the volume of the regeneration chamber 20 is one-fifth of the volume of the adsorption chamber 10, repeating the above cycle five times will replace all of the adsorbent in the adsorption chamber 10. In this way, in this embodiment, the adsorbent is supplied to and discharged from the adsorption chamber 10 intermittently. In other words, the adsorption process and the regeneration process can be performed intermittently.

[0032] Second Embodiment Next, a separation and recovery system 200 according to a second embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the separation and recovery system 200 according to the second embodiment, as viewed from the front side. The separation and recovery system 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the separation and recovery system 100 according to the first embodiment in that it includes an adsorption treatment standby chamber 50 and a regeneration treatment standby chamber 60. Apart from this, the separation and recovery system 200 according to the second embodiment has basically the same configuration as the separation and recovery system 100 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the adsorption treatment standby chamber 50 and the regeneration treatment standby chamber 60 will be described in detail below.

[0033] <Adsorption Treatment Standby Chamber> The adsorption treatment standby chamber 50 is a chamber that stores the adsorbent before adsorption treatment. The adsorption treatment standby chamber 50 is located below the regeneration treatment chamber 20 and above the adsorption treatment chamber 10. The adsorbent that has been regenerated in the regeneration treatment chamber 20 is temporarily stored in this adsorption treatment standby chamber 50 and then supplied to the adsorption treatment chamber 10. Therefore, even while regeneration treatment is being performed in the regeneration treatment chamber 20, the supply and discharge of adsorbent to the adsorption treatment chamber 10 can continue until the adsorbent in the adsorption treatment standby chamber 50 is used up.

[0034] Furthermore, the adsorption treatment standby chamber 50 of this embodiment has a volume equal to or larger than that of the regeneration treatment chamber 20. In other words, the adsorption treatment standby chamber 50 can accommodate an amount of adsorbent sufficient for one regeneration treatment or more. Therefore, by adjusting the amount of adsorbent discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber 10 so that the "time required to discharge an amount of adsorbent sufficient for one regeneration treatment from the adsorption treatment chamber 10" matches the "time required for one regeneration treatment," the adsorption treatment chamber 10 can be kept filled with adsorbent regardless of the timing at which the regeneration treatment ends. Therefore, this embodiment allows for continuous adsorption treatment, which in turn allows for efficient adsorption treatment.

[0035] In this embodiment, the adsorption processing standby chamber 50 and the adsorption processing chamber 10 are integrally formed, but the adsorption processing standby chamber 50 and the adsorption processing chamber 10 may also be separate bodies. When the adsorption processing standby chamber 50 and the adsorption processing chamber 10 are integrally formed, the area through which the atmosphere passes is the adsorption processing chamber 10, and the area through which the atmosphere does not pass is the adsorption processing standby chamber 50. For example, when the suction device 30 includes multiple fans 31, the area located above the uppermost fan 31 may be defined as the adsorption processing standby chamber 50.

[0036] <Regeneration Treatment Standby Chamber> The regeneration treatment waiting chamber 60 is a chamber that stores the adsorbent before regeneration treatment. In this embodiment, the regeneration treatment waiting chamber 60 is located above the regeneration treatment chamber 20 and stores the adsorbent transported by the transport device 40. Therefore, the adsorbent transported by the transport device 40 is stored in the regeneration treatment waiting chamber 60 and then supplied to the regeneration treatment chamber 20. In this embodiment, the regeneration treatment waiting chamber 60 and the regeneration treatment chamber 20 are separate entities. In this embodiment, the volume of the regeneration treatment waiting chamber 60 is the same as the volume of the regeneration treatment chamber 20. However, the volume of the regeneration treatment waiting chamber 60 may be different from the volume of the regeneration treatment chamber 20.

[0037] The separation and recovery equipment 200 according to this embodiment is equipped with the regeneration treatment standby chamber 60, so that the adsorbent transported by the transport device 40 can be stored in the regeneration treatment standby chamber 60 while regeneration treatment is being performed in the regeneration treatment chamber 20. By storing the adsorbent before regeneration treatment in the regeneration treatment standby chamber 60 in this way, after the regeneration treatment is completed, the adsorbent to be next subjected to regeneration treatment can be quickly supplied to the regeneration treatment chamber 20. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the regeneration treatment can be performed efficiently.

[0038] Third Embodiment Next, a separation and recovery system 300 according to a third embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the separation and recovery system 300 according to the third embodiment, as viewed from the front side. The separation and recovery system 300 according to the third embodiment differs from the separation and recovery system 100 according to the first embodiment in that the regeneration treatment chamber 20 includes a first regeneration treatment chamber 26 and a second regeneration treatment chamber 27. In other words, in the third embodiment, the regeneration treatment chamber 20 is divided. Except for this point, the separation and recovery system 300 according to the third embodiment has basically the same configuration as the separation and recovery system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0039] In the above-described first regeneration treatment chamber 26 and second regeneration treatment chamber 27, regeneration treatment is performed independently of each other. The first regeneration treatment chamber 26 and second regeneration treatment chamber 27 are connected in parallel, and the adsorbent regenerated in the first regeneration treatment chamber 26 and second regeneration treatment chamber 27 is supplied to the same adsorption treatment chamber 10. Therefore, by alternately performing regeneration treatment in the first regeneration treatment chamber 26 and the second regeneration treatment chamber 27, the time interval between supplying the adsorbent from the regeneration treatment chamber 20 to the adsorption treatment chamber 10 can be shortened, and the adsorption treatment can be performed efficiently. Note that although the regeneration treatment chamber 20 in this embodiment includes two regeneration treatment chambers 26, 27, it may include three or more regeneration treatment chambers.

[0040] Fourth Embodiment Next, a separation and recovery system 400 according to a fourth embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the separation and recovery system 400 according to the fourth embodiment, as viewed from the front side. The separation and recovery system 400 according to the fourth embodiment includes two adsorption treatment chambers 10 arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction and two regeneration treatment chambers 20 connected in parallel. In other words, the separation and recovery system 400 according to the fourth embodiment is similar to a structure in which two separation and recovery systems 100 according to the first embodiment are combined. However, each regeneration treatment chamber 20 of the separation and recovery system 400 according to this embodiment can supply adsorbent to either of the two adsorption treatment chambers 10.

[0041] According to this embodiment, as in the third embodiment, the time interval for supplying the adsorbent from the regeneration treatment chamber 20 to the adsorption treatment chamber 10 can be shortened, and the adsorption treatment can be performed efficiently. Note that although the separation and recovery equipment 400 according to this embodiment includes two adsorption treatment chambers 10 and two regeneration treatment chambers 20, it may include three or more adsorption treatment chambers 10 and three or more regeneration treatment chambers 20.

[0042] The first to fourth embodiments have been described above. However, the separation and recovery equipment disclosed in this specification is not limited to the above-described configurations. For example, the separation and recovery equipment 100, 200, 300, and 400 according to the above-described embodiments may be combined.

[0043] (Summary) The first item disclosed in this specification comprises an adsorption treatment chamber that performs an adsorption treatment in which atmospheric air is brought into contact with a particulate adsorbent contained therein, thereby causing carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere to be adsorbed onto the adsorbent; a regeneration treatment chamber that is located above the adsorption treatment chamber and performs a regeneration treatment in which steam is brought into contact with the particulate adsorbent contained therein, thereby causing carbon dioxide to be desorbed from the adsorbent; and a transport device that transports the adsorbent discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber to the regeneration treatment chamber, wherein the adsorption treatment chamber takes in the adsorbent that has been regenerated in the regeneration treatment chamber and performs adsorption treatment using the taken-in adsorbent, and the regeneration treatment chamber takes in the adsorbent used for adsorption treatment in the adsorption treatment chamber and performs regeneration treatment on the taken-in adsorbent.

[0044] According to this configuration, the transporting device transports dry adsorbent, so that troubles with the transporting device, etc. can be suppressed.

[0045] A second item disclosed in this specification is the atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment according to the first item, wherein the volume of the regeneration chamber is half or less of the volume of the adsorption chamber.

[0046] According to this configuration, the cycle of adsorption treatment and regeneration treatment can be performed in a well-balanced manner.

[0047] A third item disclosed in this specification is the atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment described in the second item, wherein the adsorption treatment chamber is configured to move the adsorbent taken in from the upper part downward and discharge it from the lower part, and each time regeneration treatment by the regeneration treatment chamber is completed, an amount of adsorbent corresponding to the volume of the regeneration treatment chamber is discharged from the lower part.

[0048] According to this configuration, the adsorption process and the regeneration process can be carried out intermittently.

[0049] The fourth item disclosed in this specification is an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment described in any one of the first to third items, which is located above the adsorption treatment chamber, has the same volume as the regeneration treatment chamber or a larger volume than the regeneration treatment chamber, and is equipped with an adsorption treatment waiting chamber that stores adsorbent material before adsorption treatment.

[0050] According to this configuration, it is possible to perform the adsorption process continuously, and the adsorption process can be performed efficiently.

[0051] The fifth item disclosed in this specification is an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment described in any one of the first to fourth items, which is located above the regeneration treatment chamber and is equipped with a regeneration treatment waiting chamber that stores the adsorbent material before regeneration treatment that has been transported by the transport device.

[0052] According to this configuration, the adsorbent can be quickly supplied to the regeneration chamber, so that the regeneration process can be carried out efficiently.

[0053] A sixth item disclosed in this specification is an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment according to any one of the first to fifth items, wherein the regeneration treatment chambers include a first regeneration treatment chamber and a second regeneration treatment chamber that are connected in parallel, perform regeneration treatment independently of each other, and supply regenerated adsorbent to the same adsorption treatment chamber.

[0054] According to this configuration, the time interval for supplying the adsorbent from the regeneration chamber to the adsorption chamber can be shortened, so that the adsorption process can be carried out efficiently.

[0055] A seventh item disclosed in this specification is an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment described in any one of items 1 to 6, wherein the adsorption treatment chamber includes an inlet surface through which atmospheric air flows into the interior of the adsorption treatment chamber from the outside of the adsorption treatment chamber, and an outlet surface through which atmospheric air flows out from the interior of the adsorption treatment chamber to the outside of the adsorption treatment chamber.

[0056] According to this configuration, a large amount of air can be taken into the adsorption treatment chamber through the inflow surface, so that the adsorption treatment can be carried out efficiently.

[0057] An eighth item disclosed in this specification is the atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment described in the seventh item, which includes a plurality of suction devices located outside the adsorption treatment chamber and configured to suck in the atmosphere inside the adsorption treatment chamber through the outlet surface, thereby causing the atmosphere to flow from the outside of the adsorption treatment chamber into the interior of the adsorption treatment chamber through the inlet surface.

[0058] According to this configuration, the temperature of the air flowing into the adsorption treatment chamber can be suppressed, thereby suppressing a rise in the temperature of the adsorbent, and allowing the adsorption treatment to be carried out efficiently.

[0059] A ninth item disclosed in this specification is an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture facility according to the seventh or eighth item, wherein the distance from the inlet surface to the outlet surface is smaller than the vertical and width dimensions of the inlet surface and smaller than the vertical and width dimensions of the outlet surface.

[0060] According to this configuration, the volume of the adsorption treatment chamber can be secured to a certain level or more, while the travel distance of the air within the adsorption treatment chamber can be shortened, thereby reducing the pressure loss of the air.

Claims

1. An adsorption treatment chamber that performs an adsorption treatment of adsorbing carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere to an adsorbent in particulate form accommodated therein by bringing the atmosphere into contact with the adsorbent; a regeneration treatment chamber that is located above the adsorption treatment chamber and performs a regeneration treatment of desorbing carbon dioxide from the adsorbent by bringing vapor into contact with the adsorbent in particulate form accommodated therein; and a transfer device that transfers the adsorbent discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber to the regeneration treatment chamber. The adsorption treatment chamber takes in the adsorbent regenerated in the regeneration treatment chamber therein and performs the adsorption treatment using the taken-in adsorbent. The regeneration treatment chamber takes in the adsorbent used for the adsorption treatment in the adsorption treatment chamber therein and performs the regeneration treatment on the taken-in adsorbent. An equipment for separating and recovering carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

2. The equipment for separating and recovering carbon dioxide in the atmosphere according to claim 1, wherein the volume of the regeneration treatment chamber is not more than one-half of the volume of the adsorption treatment chamber.

3. The equipment for separating and recovering carbon dioxide in the atmosphere according to claim 2, wherein the adsorption treatment chamber is configured to move the adsorbent taken in from the upper portion downward and discharge it from the lower portion, and each time the regeneration treatment by the regeneration treatment chamber is completed, an amount of the adsorbent corresponding to the volume of the regeneration treatment chamber is discharged from the lower portion.

4. The equipment for separating and recovering carbon dioxide in the atmosphere according to claim 1, further comprising an adsorption treatment standby chamber that is located above the adsorption treatment chamber and has the same volume as or a larger volume than the regeneration treatment chamber and accommodates the adsorbent before the adsorption treatment.

5. The equipment for separating and recovering carbon dioxide in the atmosphere according to claim 1, further comprising a regeneration treatment standby chamber that is located above the regeneration treatment chamber and accommodates the adsorbent before the regeneration treatment transferred by the transfer device.

6. The equipment for separating and recovering carbon dioxide in the atmosphere according to claim 1, wherein the regeneration treatment chambers are connected in parallel and perform the regeneration treatment independently of each other, and include a first regeneration treatment chamber and a second regeneration treatment chamber that supply the regenerated adsorbent to the same adsorption treatment chamber.

7. The equipment for separating and recovering carbon dioxide in the atmosphere according to claim 1, wherein the adsorption treatment chamber includes an inflow surface through which the atmosphere flows into the adsorption treatment chamber from the outside of the adsorption treatment chamber and an outflow surface through which the atmosphere flows out of the adsorption treatment chamber from the inside of the adsorption treatment chamber.

8. The equipment for separating and recovering carbon dioxide in the atmosphere according to claim 7, comprising a plurality of suction devices that are located outside the adsorption treatment chamber and suck the atmosphere inside the adsorption treatment chamber through the outflow surface, thereby allowing the atmosphere to flow into the adsorption treatment chamber from the outside of the adsorption treatment chamber through the inflow surface.

9. The equipment for separating and recovering carbon dioxide in the atmosphere according to claim 7, wherein the distance from the inflow surface to the outflow surface is smaller than the longitudinal dimension and the width dimension of the inflow surface, and is also smaller than the longitudinal dimension and the width dimension of the outflow surface.

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