Atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and recovery equipment

Abstract

Atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and recovery equipment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is provided with: a plurality of adsorption treatment chambers for performing an adsorption treatment for adsorbing carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere on a particulate adsorbent housed therein by bringing the atmosphere into contact with the adsorbent; and a regeneration treatment chamber for performing a regeneration treatment for desorbing carbon dioxide from the particulate adsorbent housed therein by bringing steam into contact with the adsorbent. The plurality of adsorption treatment chambers take in the adsorbent regenerated in the regeneration treatment chamber, and perform the adsorption treatment using the adsorbent that has been taken in. The regeneration treatment chamber takes in the adsorbent used for the adsorption treatment in the plurality of adsorption treatment chambers, and performs the regeneration treatment on the adsorbent that has been taken in.

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 technique for adsorbing carbon dioxide in the air onto a particulate adsorbent, and a technique for separating carbon dioxide from the adsorbent with the use of steam.

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

[0004] In atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment, when adsorption treatment of atmospheric air is performed using particulate adsorbents, it is considered to increase the volume of the adsorption treatment chamber to improve efficiency. However, if a large volume of adsorption treatment chamber is filled with a large amount of adsorbent, it becomes difficult for the atmospheric air to flow through the adsorbent, and there is a risk that the efficiency of the adsorption treatment will actually decrease.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture facility that is capable of efficient adsorption treatment when using a particulate adsorbent.

[0006] An atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a plurality of adsorption treatment chambers that perform an adsorption treatment in which the carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere is adsorbed onto a particulate adsorbent contained therein by bringing the atmosphere into contact with the adsorbent, and a regeneration treatment chamber that performs a regeneration treatment in which the carbon dioxide is desorbed from the particulate adsorbent contained therein by bringing steam into contact with the particulate adsorbent, wherein the plurality of adsorption treatment chambers take in the adsorbent that has been regenerated in the regeneration treatment chambers and perform the adsorption treatment using the taken-in adsorbent, and the regeneration treatment chamber takes in the adsorbent that was used for the adsorption treatment in the plurality of adsorption treatment chambers and performs the regeneration treatment on the taken-in adsorbent.

[0007] According to this configuration, when a particulate adsorbent is used, it is possible to provide an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture facility that is capable of efficient adsorption treatment.

[0008] 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.

[0009] (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.

[0010] The separation and capture equipment 100 is equipment that separates and captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In other words, the separation and capture equipment 100 is a Direct Air Capture (DAC) equipment. The separation and capture equipment 100 includes an adsorption treatment chamber 10, a regeneration treatment chamber 20, and a suction device 30. These components will be described in order below.

[0011] <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 the adsorption treatment using the taken-in adsorbent. The adsorbent in this embodiment is in particulate form, and a porous carrier impregnated with amine is used. However, the adsorbent is not limited to the above.

[0012] The separation and recovery system 100 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of adsorption treatment chambers 10. The number of adsorption treatment chambers 10 included in the separation and recovery system 100 is not limited. Each adsorption treatment chamber 10 has the same configuration and the same volume. Air 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 air is adsorbed onto the adsorbent and recovered.

[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 of the inlet surface 11 and the outlet surface 12 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction are referred to as the "width dimension W1" and the "width dimension W2," respectively. Thus, 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. With this configuration, the volume of the adsorption treatment chamber 10 can be secured at a certain level, while the pressure loss of the atmosphere can be reduced by shortening the travel distance of the atmosphere within the adsorption treatment chamber 10.

[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 adsorption treatment chamber 10 includes a supply port 13 for taking in the adsorbent and a discharge port 14 for discharging the adsorbent. In this embodiment, the supply port 13 is located at the upper end of the adsorption treatment chamber 10, and the discharge port 14 is located at the lower end of the adsorption treatment chamber 10. The adsorbent discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber 10 is transferred to the regeneration treatment chamber 20 by a first transfer device 15 and supplied to the regeneration treatment chamber 20. The first transfer device 15 is, for example, a bucket conveyor or an air conveyor.

[0019] Furthermore, the adsorption treatment chambers 10 are arranged in parallel and connected in parallel. Because the adsorption treatment chambers 10 are connected in parallel, the adsorbent discharged from one adsorption treatment chamber 10 does not directly flow into another adsorption treatment chamber 10. In this embodiment, since the separation and recovery equipment 100 includes multiple adsorption treatment chambers 10, even when adsorption treatment is performed using a large amount of adsorbent, the adsorption treatment is performed by dividing the adsorbent among the multiple adsorption treatment chambers 10. Therefore, the amount of adsorbent stored in each adsorption treatment chamber 10 can be reduced, and adsorption treatment can be performed efficiently.

[0020] <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.

[0021] The regeneration chamber 20 includes a supply port 21 for taking in the adsorbent and a discharge port 22 for discharging the adsorbent. In this embodiment, the supply port 21 is located at the upper end portion of the regeneration chamber 20, and the discharge port 22 is located at the lower end portion of the regeneration chamber 20. The regenerated adsorbent is discharged from the discharge port 22 of the regeneration chamber 20. The adsorbent discharged from the regeneration chamber 20 is transferred to the adsorption chamber 10 by a second transfer device 23 and supplied to the adsorption chamber 10. The second transfer device 23 is, for example, a bucket conveyor or an air conveyor.

[0022] The regeneration chamber 20 in this embodiment is located to the side of the adsorption chamber 10. Specifically, the supply port 21 of the regeneration chamber 20 is not located below the discharge port 14 of the adsorption chamber 10, and the discharge port 22 of the regeneration chamber 20 is not located above the supply port 13 of the adsorption chamber 10. In other words, the adsorption chamber 10 and the regeneration chamber 20 are aligned horizontally, not vertically. This allows the height of the separation and recovery equipment 100 to be reduced.

[0023] In this embodiment, the volume of the regeneration processing chamber 20 is the same as the volume of each adsorption processing chamber 10. Therefore, the amount of adsorbent that the regeneration processing chamber 20 can regenerate at one time is the same as the amount of adsorbent that each adsorption processing chamber 10 can accommodate. However, the volume of the regeneration processing chamber 20 may be larger than the volume of each adsorption processing chamber 10. Furthermore, the total volume of all the adsorption processing chambers 10 is larger than the volume of the regeneration processing chamber 20.

[0024] <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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] <Operation of Separation and Recovery Equipment> Next, the operation of the separation and recovery equipment 100 will be described. Here, for simplicity of explanation, it is assumed that the separation and recovery equipment 100 is equipped with two adsorption treatment chambers 10 and one regeneration treatment chamber 20. Furthermore, the adsorption treatment time is twice the regeneration treatment time. Specifically, the adsorption treatment time is set to 2 hours, and the regeneration treatment time is set to 1 hour. Here, the "adsorption treatment time" refers to the time of adsorption treatment performed using the adsorbent from the time the adsorption treatment chamber 10 takes in the adsorbent until it discharges it. Furthermore, the "regeneration treatment time" refers to the time of regeneration treatment performed on the adsorbent from the time the regeneration treatment chamber 20 takes in the adsorbent until it discharges it.

[0028] First, the separation and recovery equipment 100 simultaneously performs adsorption and regeneration processes. The adsorption processes are performed in each of the two adsorption chambers 10. Specifically, with both adsorption chambers 10 containing adsorbents, the corresponding suction devices 30 are driven. As a result, atmospheric air flows into both adsorption chambers 10 and passes through the interiors, and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is adsorbed onto the adsorbents and recovered.

[0029] On the other hand, in the regeneration process, the regeneration process chamber 20 is sealed while the adsorbent is housed therein. Then, the inside of the regeneration process chamber 20 is made negative pressure, and low-temperature steam is supplied to the regeneration process chamber 20. This causes carbon dioxide to desorb from the adsorbent, and the adsorbent is regenerated. At this time, the regeneration process chamber 20 may be heated or kept warm.

[0030] Next, the regeneration process is carried out for one hour, and when the regeneration process is completed, the suction device 30 corresponding to one of the two adsorption process chambers 10 is stopped, and the adsorption process of that one adsorption process chamber 10 is completed. At this time, the adsorption process of the other of the two adsorption process chambers 10 continues.

[0031] The adsorption treatment chamber 10, after the adsorption treatment has been completed, discharges all of the adsorbent used in the adsorption treatment, and the discharged adsorbent is supplied to the regeneration treatment chamber 20 by the first transfer device 15. At the same time, the regeneration treatment chamber 20 discharges all of the adsorbent that has been regenerated, and the discharged adsorbent is supplied to the adsorption treatment chamber 10, after the adsorption treatment has been completed, by the second transfer device 23. In other words, the adsorbent is exchanged between the adsorption treatment chamber 10, after the adsorption treatment has been completed, and the regeneration treatment chamber 20.

[0032] Next, regeneration treatment is resumed in the regeneration treatment chamber 20, and adsorption treatment is resumed in the adsorption treatment chamber 10 where the adsorbent has been replaced. Note that the regeneration treatment chamber 20 performs regeneration treatment all at once on the adsorbent discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber 10. Thereafter, the regeneration treatment is carried out for one hour, and when the regeneration treatment is completed, the adsorbent is replaced between the adsorption treatment chamber 10 other than the one where the adsorbent was replaced and the regeneration treatment chamber 20. After the replacement of the adsorbent is completed, regeneration treatment is resumed in the regeneration treatment chamber 20, and adsorption treatment is resumed in the adsorption treatment chamber 10 where the adsorbent has been replaced.

[0033] In this way, the two adsorption treatment chambers 10 discharge the adsorbent at different times, and the adsorbent is replaced alternately every hour. As a result, the adsorbent is replaced every hour in the regeneration treatment chamber 20, and the adsorbent is replaced every two hours in each adsorption treatment chamber 10. By repeating the above cycle, adsorption treatment and regeneration treatment can be performed continuously even if the adsorption treatment time (2 hours in the above example) and the regeneration treatment time (1 hour in the above example) are different.

[0034] Although the adsorption treatment time is twice the regeneration treatment time in the above example, the adsorption treatment time may be more than twice the regeneration treatment time. In this case, the number of adsorption treatment chambers 10 included in the separation and recovery equipment 100 may be more than twice the number of regeneration treatment chambers 20. The separation and recovery equipment 100 according to this embodiment separates and recovers carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, not from exhaust gas. However, the amount of carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere is much less than the amount of carbon dioxide contained in the exhaust gas. Therefore, the adsorbent can sufficiently adsorb carbon dioxide even when exposed to the atmosphere for a long period of time. Therefore, by increasing the number of adsorption treatment chambers 10 compared to the number of regeneration treatment chambers 20, i.e., by increasing the total volume of the adsorption treatment chambers 10 compared to the volume of the regeneration treatment chambers 20, as in this embodiment, a long adsorption treatment time can be ensured, the adsorbent's capabilities can be fully utilized, and efficient adsorption treatment is possible.

[0035] In the above description, the adsorbent is simultaneously supplied to the regeneration chamber 20 and to the adsorption chamber 10 where the adsorption process has been completed. However, if it is difficult to perform these operations simultaneously, the separation and recovery equipment 100 may be provided with, for example, three adsorption chambers 10. In other words, the number of adsorption chambers 10 provided in the separation and recovery equipment 100 may be three times the number of regeneration chambers 20. With this configuration, the adsorption process and the regeneration process can be performed continuously by emptying the interiors of the three adsorption chambers 10 and pausing them while the three adsorption chambers 10 are sequentially subjected to the regeneration process.

[0036] 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 a regeneration treatment standby chamber 40. Other than this, the separation and recovery system 200 according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the separation and recovery system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0037] The regeneration treatment waiting chamber 40 is a chamber that takes in and temporarily stores the adsorbent discharged from each adsorption treatment chamber 10. When the adsorbent stored in the regeneration treatment waiting chamber 40 is discharged, it is transferred to the regeneration treatment chamber 20. The regeneration treatment waiting chamber 40 includes a supply port 41 that takes in the adsorbent and a discharge port 42 that discharges the adsorbent. In this embodiment, the supply port 41 is located at the upper end portion of the regeneration treatment waiting chamber 40, and the discharge port 42 is located at the lower end portion of the regeneration treatment waiting chamber 40.

[0038] The regeneration treatment waiting chamber 40 is located downstream of the discharge port 14 of the adsorption treatment chamber 10 and upstream of the supply port 21 of the regeneration treatment chamber 20 in the flow direction of the adsorbent. In this embodiment, the regeneration treatment waiting chamber 40 is located above the regeneration treatment chamber 20. However, the position of the regeneration treatment waiting chamber 40 is not limited, and the regeneration treatment waiting chamber 40 may be located, for example, above the first transfer device 15. Furthermore, the regeneration treatment waiting chamber 40 in this embodiment has the same volume as each adsorption treatment chamber 10. However, the regeneration treatment waiting chamber 40 may have a larger volume than each adsorption treatment chamber 10.

[0039] In the separation and recovery equipment 200 according to this embodiment, when replacing the adsorbent, first, all of the adsorbent stored in the adsorption treatment chamber 10, in which the adsorbent replacement is to be performed, is discharged, and the adsorbent discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber 10 is temporarily stored in the regeneration treatment standby chamber 40. Next, the adsorbent stored in the regeneration treatment chamber 20 is discharged, and the adsorption treatment chamber 10, in which the adsorbent replacement is to be performed, takes in the adsorbent discharged from the regeneration treatment chamber 20. As a result, the emptied adsorption treatment chamber 10 is filled with adsorbent. Thereafter, the regeneration treatment standby chamber 40 discharges the adsorbent that was temporarily stored therein, and the regeneration treatment chamber 20 takes in the adsorbent discharged from the regeneration treatment standby chamber 40. As a result, the emptied regeneration treatment chamber 20 is filled with adsorbent. With the above, the adsorbent replacement is completed.

[0040] As described above, according to this embodiment, a time lag occurs between when the adsorption treatment chamber 10 finishes discharging the adsorbent and when the adsorption treatment chamber 10 takes in the adsorbent. Therefore, the supply of the adsorbent to the adsorption treatment chamber 10 and the discharge of the adsorbent from the adsorption treatment chamber 10 are not performed simultaneously, which prevents the adsorbent after the regeneration treatment from mixing with the adsorbent before the regeneration treatment. Furthermore, there is no need to take measures to create the time lag, such as stopping the operation of some of the adsorption treatment chambers 10 while the regeneration treatment is being performed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the adsorption treatment can be performed efficiently.

[0041] 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 it includes an adsorption treatment standby chamber 50. Other than this, the separation and recovery system 300 according to the third embodiment has the same configuration as the separation and recovery system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0042] The adsorption treatment standby chamber 50 is a chamber that takes in and temporarily stores the adsorbent discharged from the regeneration treatment chamber 20. When the adsorbent stored in the adsorption treatment standby chamber 50 is discharged, it is transferred to each adsorption treatment chamber 10. The adsorption treatment standby chamber 50 includes a supply port 51 for taking in the adsorbent and a discharge port 52 for discharging the adsorbent. In this embodiment, the supply port 51 is located at the upper end portion of the adsorption treatment standby chamber 50, and the discharge port 52 is located at the lower end portion of the adsorption treatment standby chamber 50.

[0043] The adsorption treatment waiting chamber 50 is located downstream of the discharge port 22 of the regeneration treatment chamber 20 and upstream of the supply port 13 of the adsorption treatment chamber 10 in the flow direction of the adsorbent. In this embodiment, the adsorption treatment waiting chamber 50 is located below the regeneration treatment chamber 20. However, the position of the adsorption treatment waiting chamber 50 is not limited, and the adsorption treatment waiting chamber 50 may be located, for example, above the second transfer device 23. Furthermore, the adsorption treatment waiting chamber 50 in this embodiment has the same volume as the regeneration treatment chamber 20. However, it may have a larger volume than the regeneration treatment chamber 20.

[0044] In the separation and recovery equipment 300 according to this embodiment, when replacing the adsorbent, first the regeneration treatment chamber 20 discharges the adsorbent, and the adsorbent discharged from the regeneration treatment chamber 20 is temporarily stored in the adsorption treatment standby chamber 50. Next, the adsorption treatment chamber 10, which will be replacing the adsorbent, discharges all of the adsorbent stored therein, and the regeneration treatment chamber 20 takes in the adsorbent discharged from the adsorption treatment chamber 10. As a result, the emptied regeneration treatment chamber 20 is filled with adsorbent. After that, the adsorption treatment standby chamber 50 discharges the adsorbent that it temporarily stored therein, and the adsorption treatment chamber 10, which will be replacing the adsorbent, takes in the adsorbent discharged from the adsorption treatment standby chamber 50. As a result, the emptied adsorption treatment chamber 10 is filled with adsorbent. With the above, the replacement of the adsorbent is completed.

[0045] As described above, according to this embodiment, as in the second embodiment, a time lag occurs between when the adsorption treatment chamber 10 finishes discharging the adsorbent and when the adsorption treatment chamber 10 takes in the adsorbent. Therefore, the supply of the adsorbent to the adsorption treatment chamber 10 and the discharge of the adsorbent from the adsorption treatment chamber 10 are not performed simultaneously, which prevents the adsorbent after the regeneration treatment from mixing with the adsorbent before the regeneration treatment. Furthermore, there is no need to take measures to create the time lag, such as stopping the operation of some of the adsorption treatment chambers 10 while the regeneration treatment is being performed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the adsorption treatment can be performed efficiently.

[0046] (Summary) The first item disclosed in this specification is an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture facility comprising a plurality of adsorption treatment chambers that perform an adsorption treatment in which atmospheric air is brought into contact with a particulate adsorbent contained therein, thereby causing carbon dioxide contained in the air to be adsorbed onto the adsorbent, and a regeneration treatment chamber that 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, wherein the plurality of adsorption treatment chambers take in the adsorbent that has been regenerated in the regeneration treatment chambers and perform the adsorption treatment using the taken-in adsorbent, and the regeneration treatment chamber takes in the adsorbent that was used for the adsorption treatment in the plurality of adsorption treatment chambers and performs regeneration treatment on the taken-in adsorbent.

[0047] According to this configuration, since the atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment is equipped with multiple adsorption treatment chambers, the amount of adsorbent contained in each adsorption treatment chamber can be reduced, thereby enabling efficient adsorption treatment.

[0048] A second item disclosed in this specification is the atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and recovery system according to the first item, wherein the total volume of the plurality of adsorption treatment chambers is greater than the volume of the regeneration treatment chamber.

[0049] Atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment performs adsorption treatment on the atmosphere rather than on exhaust gas, and with the above configuration, by ensuring a long adsorption treatment time, the capacity of the adsorbent can be fully utilized, making efficient adsorption treatment possible.

[0050] A third item disclosed in this specification is the atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment described in the second item, wherein the plurality of adsorption treatment chambers are connected in parallel, and each adsorption treatment chamber discharges all of the adsorbent stored therein at different times after performing the adsorption treatment, and the regeneration treatment chamber performs regeneration treatment at one time on an amount of adsorbent equal to the amount of adsorbent discharged from each adsorption treatment chamber at different times.

[0051] According to this configuration, the adsorption process and the regeneration process can be carried out continuously.

[0052] A fourth item disclosed in this specification is the atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment according to the third item, wherein the regeneration chamber is located to the side of the plurality of adsorption chambers.

[0053] According to this configuration, the height of the atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment can be reduced.

[0054] The fifth item disclosed in this specification is an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture equipment described in the third item, which is equipped with a regeneration treatment standby chamber having the same volume as or a larger volume than the regeneration treatment chamber and which temporarily stores the adsorbent discharged from each of the adsorption treatment chambers.

[0055] According to this configuration, a time lag can be created between when the adsorption treatment chamber finishes discharging the adsorbent and when the supply of the adsorbent to the adsorption treatment chamber begins, thereby enabling the adsorption treatment to be carried out efficiently.

[0056] A sixth item disclosed in this specification is an atmospheric carbon dioxide separation and capture facility described in the third item, which is equipped with an adsorption treatment standby chamber having the same volume as or larger than each of the adsorption treatment chambers and which temporarily stores the adsorbent material discharged from the regeneration treatment chamber.

[0057] According to this configuration, a time lag can be created between when the adsorption treatment chamber finishes discharging the adsorbent and when the supply of the adsorbent to the adsorption treatment chamber begins, thereby enabling the adsorption treatment to be carried out efficiently.

[0058] 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 each of the plurality of adsorption treatment chambers includes an inflow surface through which atmospheric air flows from the outside of the adsorption treatment chamber into the inside of the adsorption treatment chamber, and an outflow surface through which atmospheric air flows from the inside of the adsorption treatment chamber to the outside of the adsorption treatment chamber.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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 each adsorption treatment chamber and configured to suck in the atmosphere inside the adsorption treatment chamber through the outlet surface, thereby allowing the atmosphere to flow from the outside of the adsorption treatment chamber into the interior of the adsorption treatment chamber through the inlet surface.

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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. A carbon dioxide separation and recovery facility in the atmosphere, comprising: a plurality of adsorption treatment chambers that perform 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; and a regeneration treatment chamber that performs a regeneration treatment of desorbing carbon dioxide from the adsorbent by bringing steam into contact with the adsorbent in particulate form accommodated therein. The plurality of adsorption treatment chambers take in the adsorbent regenerated in the regeneration treatment chamber therein and perform an adsorption treatment using the taken-in adsorbent. The regeneration treatment chamber takes in the adsorbent used for the adsorption treatment in the plurality of adsorption treatment chambers therein and performs a regeneration treatment on the taken-in adsorbent.

2. The carbon dioxide separation and recovery facility in the atmosphere according to claim 1, wherein the total volume of the plurality of adsorption treatment chambers is larger than the volume of the regeneration treatment chamber.

3. The carbon dioxide separation and recovery facility in the atmosphere according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of adsorption treatment chambers are connected in parallel, each adsorption treatment chamber discharges all of the adsorbent accommodated therein at staggered timings after the adsorption treatment is performed, and the regeneration treatment chamber performs a regeneration treatment on the same amount of adsorbent as the adsorbent discharged from each adsorption treatment chamber at staggered timings all at once.

4. The carbon dioxide separation and recovery facility in the atmosphere according to claim 3, wherein the regeneration treatment chamber is located laterally as viewed from the plurality of adsorption treatment chambers.

5. The carbon dioxide separation and recovery facility in the atmosphere according to claim 3, further comprising a regeneration treatment standby chamber having the same volume as or a larger volume than the regeneration treatment chamber and temporarily accommodating the adsorbent discharged from each adsorption treatment chamber.

6. The carbon dioxide separation and recovery facility in the atmosphere according to claim 3, further comprising an adsorption treatment standby chamber having the same volume as or a larger volume than each adsorption treatment chamber and temporarily accommodating the adsorbent discharged from the regeneration treatment chamber.

7. The carbon dioxide separation and recovery facility in the atmosphere according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of adsorption treatment chambers 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 located outside each adsorption treatment chamber and sucking the atmosphere inside the adsorption treatment chamber through the outflow surface, so as to allow 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 smaller than the longitudinal dimension and the width dimension of the outflow surface.

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