Rotary valve for adjusting the flow rate of a pourable co 2 separation agent, and co 2 separation device

Abstract

The invention relates to a rotary valve (10) for adjusting the flow rate of a gravity-driven flow (12) of a pourable material (14, 14'), in particular a pourable CO2 separation agent (14, 14') in a CO2 separation device (10) for separating CO2 from a supplied air flow (40). The rotary valve (10) has a rotatably mounted valve element (22) with a through-channel which forms, between a channel inlet (28) and a channel outlet (30), a maximum passage angle (32) relative to a horizontal plane (34) for the gravity-driven flow (12) of the pourable material (14, 14'), said maximum passage angle (32) being variably adjustable by rotating the valve element (22), and thus the through-channel (26), relative to the horizontal plane (34) in order to adjust the flow rate of the gravity-driven flow (12) of the pourable material (14, 14').

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] title

[0003] Rotary valve for adjusting a emes CO2-

[0004] State of the art

[0005] The invention relates to a rotary valve for adjusting the flow rate of a gravity-driven flow of a bulk material, in particular a bulk CO2 separation agent, in a CO2 separation device for separating CO2 from a supplied gas stream, in particular an air stream, a chamber unit with at least one such rotary valve, and a CO2 separation device with at least one such rotary valve or such a chamber unit. The invention further relates to the use of such a rotary valve for adjusting the flow rate of a gravity-driven flow.

[0006] To limit the warming of the Earth's atmosphere, so-called DAC (Direct Air Capture) systems are used to separate or remove CO2 (carbon dioxide) from the air.

[0007] Since the binding of CO2 and, if present, water to an adsorbent material depends on temperature, pressure, concentration, humidity, etc., all adsorption and desorption systems cyclically establish different conditions in order to separate CO2 through the resulting hysteresis. To adjust the desorption conditions, the adsorbent material must be temporarily sealed off from the environment and is therefore located in a chamber.

[0008] US 2023 / 330589 A1 describes a continuous system for CO2 removal and the necessity of an air seal via an airlock for the desorption section. In this system, the particle flow must be readjusted during continuous desorption if, for example, the CO2 and atmospheric humidity (water) content of the adsorbent material changes, as this is dependent on weather and time of day. This necessitates longer residence times in the desorption section, and extending the time as in a steady-state process, such as that described in WO 2021 / 239748 A1, is not possible. Increasing the temperature is not an option, as this would degrade the adsorbent material, leading to higher costs.

[0009] Pinch valves are also known, in which the cross-section of a tube is reduced by squeezing it, thus reducing and preventing particle flow. However, inerting by the valve is practically impossible when the particulate material is stationary, as the cross-section is greatly reduced or even non-existent in this position.

[0010] Conventional silo discharge devices such as rotary valves and flat-bottom feeders are unsuitable because, firstly, they are not vacuum-tight, and secondly, they prioritize continuous discharge over the continuous movement of the particle column within the desorption section. Since the particle column rapidly replenishes in the desorption section, a rotary valve will fill completely if the flow rate is not restricted upstream of the valve. In the simplest case, deflector plates are installed upstream of rotary valves, limiting the maximum flow rate into the valve chambers by narrowing the cross-section. For more precise applications, screw conveyors are positioned upstream and, if necessary, downstream of a rotary valve, thus preventing overfilling by coordinating the feed rates of the screws and the rotary valve.The rotary valve thus primarily acts as a separator, separating, for example, grain as silo contents from the surrounding environment. The grain can then be discharged continuously, with the speed being adjustable within certain limits. It is known from experience that completely filling the rotary valve chambers leads to material damage, as the particles are sheared by the tightly fitted edges of the chambers during rotation (due to tightness and leakage), if this would not otherwise cause the rotary valve to jam. One remedy offered by rotary valve manufacturers is to incorporate a pre-metering mechanism through a constriction, preventing the chambers from being completely filled. However, this constriction now serves for metering, and the rotary valve only provides a partial air seal, as some air still enters the desorption section.

[0011] Disclosure of the invention

[0012] The present invention therefore relates to a rotary valve for adjusting the flow rate of a gravity-driven flow of a bulk material, in particular a bulk CO2 separation agent in a CO2 separation device for separating CO2 from a supplied gas stream, in particular an air stream, with

[0013] - comprising a valve body with a valve inlet port and a valve outlet port, and

[0014] - comprising a valve element rotatably mounted in the valve body between the valve inlet channel and the valve outlet channel, a through channel with a channel inlet associated with the valve inlet channel and a channel outlet associated with the valve outlet channel, wherein, when the rotary valve is used as intended

[0015] - the valve inlet channel is located above the through channel and the valve outlet channel is located below the through channel, and

[0016] - the passage channel between the channel inlet and the channel outlet forms a maximum passage angle relative to a horizontal plane for the gravity-driven flow of the bulk material, whereby the maximum passage angle can be variably adjusted by rotating the valve element and thus the passage channel relative to the horizontal plane in order to adjust the flow rate of the gravity-driven flow of the bulk material.

[0017] The present invention further relates to a chamber unit, in particular a sorption unit or desorption unit for a CO2 separation device for separating CO2 from a supplied gas stream, in particular an air stream, with

[0018] - a chamber for the temporary storage of a bulk material, - a feed line section leading into an upper feed area of ​​the chamber for feeding the bulk material into the chamber, and

[0019] - a discharge pipe section extending from a lower discharge area of ​​the chamber for discharging the bulk material from the chamber, wherein at least one rotary valve of the type described above is provided, which

[0020] - is arranged in the feed line section to adjust the supplied flow rate of a gravity-driven flow of the bulk material; and / or

[0021] - is arranged in the discharge pipe section to adjust a discharged flow rate of a / the gravity-driven flow of the bulk material.

[0022] The present invention also relates to a CO2 separation device for separating CO2 from a supplied gas stream, in particular an air stream, by means of a pourable CO2 separation agent with

[0023] - a rotary valve of the type described above for adjusting the flow rate of a gravity-driven flow of the bulk CO2 separation agent, or

[0024] - a sorption unit of the type described above, or

[0025] - a desorption unit of the type described above, or

[0026] - a sorption unit of the type described above and a desorption unit of the type described above, wherein, in order to generate a closed circuit of the CO2 separation agent, the discharge line section of the sorption unit is fluidically connected to the supply line section of the desorption unit, so that the CO2-enriched free-flowing CO2 separation agent can be fed from the sorption chamber to the desorption chamber, and the discharge line section of the desorption unit is fluidically connected to the supply line section of the sorption unit, so that the regenerated free-flowing CO2 separation agent can be fed back from the desorption chamber to the sorption chamber.The present invention further relates to the use of a rotary valve of the type described above for adjusting the flow rate of a gravity-driven flow of a bulk material, in particular a bulk CO2 separation agent, preferably in a chamber unit, in particular of the type described above, or in a CO2 separation device for separating CO2 from a supplied gas stream, in particular an air stream, in particular of the type described above.

[0027] The present invention is based on the finding that pourable materials can be piled up depending on their internal friction until they begin to flow down the piled-up material when a certain angle of repose is exceeded, whereby the flow behavior of the pourable material can be influenced by inclination or tilting of the substrate analogous to an inclined plane / plate relative to the horizontal plane.

[0028] Consequently, the flow capacity of a flowable material through a channel also depends on its inclination and, if applicable, its geometric properties, with any change in the channel's inclination resulting in a change in the flow rate. The design can be based on the simplest geometric laws (Pythagoras).

[0029] Therefore, according to the invention, a rotary valve with a rotatably arranged valve element is proposed, comprising a flow channel (adapted to the respective bulk material) which forms a maximum flow angle relative to the horizontal plane, so that the flow rate of a gravity-driven flow of a bulk material is continuously adjustable, i.e., controllable. Depending on the angle range and design of the flow channel relative to the horizontal plane, various operating positions and thus valve characteristics can be achieved.

[0030] The rotary valve according to the invention can advantageously be installed in any configuration

[0031] Sizes can be easily scaled, i.e., especially from small diameters, e.g. in pilot plants (laboratory, technical center), up to large systems such as CO2 combustion devices or particle heat exchangers with cross-sections DN100 and larger.

[0032] Due to the properties described above, the rotary valve according to the invention is particularly advantageous for use in a continuous CO2 separation device for separating CO2 from a supplied gas stream, especially an air stream, in order to adjust the flow rate of a gravity-driven flow of a bulk material CO2 separation agent.

[0033] The rotary valve is designed or configured to adjust the flow rate of a gravity-driven flow of a pourable material or medium.

[0034] The term "adjusting" in the context of this application understandably also includes controlling and / or regulating the flow rate of the gravity-driven flow of the bulk material.

[0035] The pourable material or medium is free-flowing or free-form. It can be, for example, granular or particulate. The pourable material can consist of a single material or a mixture of materials. It can be dry, slurry-like, or suspended.

[0036] Gravity-driven flow is a flow, i.e., material flow or particle flow, which is driven at least mainly or even exclusively by gravity.

[0037] For poorly flowing particulate materials, gravity-driven flow can be supported by temporary fluidization.

[0038] The rotary valve is specifically designed and configured for use in a CO2 separation device to separate CO2 from a supplied gas stream, particularly an air stream. Consequently, the bulk material is preferably a bulk CO2 separation agent. The bulk CO2 separation agent is designed to separate CO2 from a supplied gas stream or air stream. The bulk CO2 separation agent can, in particular, comprise a suitably functionalized bulk sorbent, such as an adsorbent and / or an absorbent. Accordingly, the bulk CO2 separation agent can, for example, have a granular or particulate solid as a support structure with a base material selected from the group consisting of: resins, polymers, ceramics, zeolites, silicates, organometallic compounds, organic materials such as cellulose or activated carbon, and combinations thereof.The base material can in turn be specifically functionalized with amines, potassium carbonate or other components designed to chemically and / or physically bind CO2.

[0039] The free-flowing CO2 separation agent can, in particular, comprise or be in the form of a granular ion exchange resin. The free-flowing CO2 separation agent can, for example, comprise or consist of granular Lewatit VP OC 1065 or Zeolite X13.

[0040] The rotary valve comprises a valve body with a valve inlet channel for feeding the bulk material into the rotary valve and a valve outlet channel for discharging the bulk material from the rotary valve. In normal use or with the rotary valve in its intended configuration, the valve inlet channel and the valve outlet channel preferably extend vertically. Alternatively or additionally, the valve inlet channel and the valve outlet channel are preferably arranged horizontally offset from each other.

[0041] The rotary valve further comprises a valve element rotatably mounted in the valve body between the valve inlet channel and the valve outlet channel. The rotatably mounted valve element has a through-channel with a channel inlet associated with or facing the valve inlet channel and a channel outlet associated with or facing the valve outlet channel. The valve inlet channel and the channel inlet, as well as the valve outlet channel and the channel outlet, are preferably designed to be compatible with each other. The valve outlet channel and the valve outlet channel may, for example, have curved or beveled wall sections.

[0042] The valve element is preferably cylindrical, in particular designed as a straight cylinder. The valve element can be designed as a roller. The valve element can be extended from the valve body via known sealing systems, so that a rotary movement is possible via, for example, pneumatic or electrical actuation.

[0043] The through-channel preferably comprises at least one bore, and in particular several bores, which have a round or substantially rectangular cross-section. The cross-section of the at least one bore can be, in particular, constant, tapered, or widening.

[0044] Since the flow is gravity-driven, when the rotary valve is used or arranged as intended, the valve inlet channel is located above the through channel and the valve outlet channel is located below the through channel.

[0045] Furthermore, when used or arranged as intended, the rotary valve's passage between the inlet and outlet forms a maximum angle relative to a horizontal plane for the gravity-driven flow of the bulk material. This maximum angle can be adjusted by rotating the valve element, and thus the passage, relative to the horizontal plane, thereby controlling the flow rate of the gravity-driven flow of the bulk material.

[0046] In other words, the flow channel is rotatably mounted and designed in such a way that a maximum flow angle relative to a horizontal plane is established for the gravity-driven flow of the bulk material through it. The maximum flow angle is the angle up to which the bulk material can flow through the flow channel under the influence of gravity. It should be noted that this angle is measured in the direction of flow. The maximum flow angle naturally depends on the orientation and geometric design, such as the length, cross-sectional profile, etc., of the flow channel. For example, with a constant cross-sectional profile of the flow channel, the maximum flow angle could correspond to the angle between the horizontal plane and the inclined line passing through the highest point of the channel inlet and the lowest point of the channel outlet.

[0047] The valve element or the through-channel preferably has a horizontal axis of rotation, i.e., an axis of rotation in the horizontal plane.

[0048] It is advantageous if, in at least a first operating position of the valve element, the maximum passage angle is set to at least a flow angle of the bulk material in which the gravity-driven flow flows or can flow through the passage channel, and in at least a second operating position of the valve element, the maximum passage angle is set to at least a stop angle of the bulk material in which the gravity-driven flow stops or is stopped in the passage channel.

[0049] In this context, it is particularly advantageous if at least one flow angle is greater than the angle of repose of the pourable material and at least one stop angle is less than or equal to the angle of repose of the pourable material.

[0050] In other words, the valve element can be rotated or adjusted to a first operating position in which the flow channel is tilted such that the maximum flow angle exceeds the angle of repose of the pourable material, allowing the gravity-driven flow to pass through the channel. The valve element can also be rotated or adjusted to a second operating position in which the flow channel is tilted such that the maximum flow angle falls below the angle of repose of the pourable material, causing the gravity-driven flow in the flow channel to stop or be stopped, i.e., come to a standstill.

[0051] Furthermore, it is advantageous if the valve element, in particular stepless, can be rotated between several first operating positions with different flow angles up to at least one stop angle, in order to adjust the flow rate of the flowing gravity-driven flow steplessly or continuously.

[0052] It is also advantageous if, in at least one second operating position of the valve element, the channel inlet and the channel outlet of the through-channel are at least partially open, so that a fluidic connection between the valve inlet channel and the valve outlet channel continues to exist when the gravity-driven flow is stopped.

[0053] It is particularly advantageous if, in at least one first operating position and in at least one second operating position of the valve element, the channel inlet and the channel outlet are fully open. In other words, the opening cross-section at the channel inlet and the opening cross-section at the channel outlet remain unchanged in at least one first operating position and in at least one second operating position.

[0054] The advantage here is that – unlike, for example, pinch valves – the passage remains open even when the material flow is stopped, allowing gas to flow through it (in the opposite direction to the material flow). Inerting and / or fluidizing the material can therefore be achieved continuously without the valve position significantly affecting the gas flow.

[0055] Thus, the rotary valve can, for example, be used to inertize the flow of the free-flowing CO2 separation agent during a desorption process under vacuum by means of a purge gas. Since this also dries free-flowing CO2 separation agents that tend to agglomerate, the risk of clogging of the rotary valve can be significantly reduced.

[0056] Alternatively or additionally, the rotary valve can be supplied with compressed air to clear blockages that, with other valves, can usually only be addressed by an undesirable, temporary increase in the flow rate. Furthermore, it is advantageous if, in at least one third operating position of the valve element, the maximum flow angle is set to at least one stop angle of the bulk material, and the channel outlet is closed, thus interrupting the fluidic connection between the valve inlet channel and the valve outlet channel.

[0057] In this context, it is particularly advantageous if the channel inlet is at least partially open in at least one third operating position of the valve element.

[0058] This measure offers a further advantage over pinch valves, as the rotary valve, for example for use in a desorption process, can be completely gas-tight after the material flow has stopped, whereas pinch valves always have a gas leakage due to material residue adhering to the valve's hose wall. Furthermore, no shear forces are exerted on the material, and the risk of jamming or blockage of the valve element is minimized.

[0059] The operating positions are working or actuation positions of the valve element. The operating positions are preferably adjustable or reachable sequentially in one direction of rotation of the valve element, with the at least one second operating position being adjustable or reachable between the at least one first operating position and the at least one third operating position. In other words, depending on the direction of rotation, first the at least one first operating position, then the at least one second operating position, and subsequently the at least one third operating position, and vice versa, can be adjusted.

[0060] The chamber unit is preferably designed as a sorption unit or desorption unit for a CO2 separation device for separating CO2 from a supplied gas stream, in particular an air stream.

[0061] In the case that the chamber unit is designed as a sorption unit, the chamber is designed as a sorption chamber for the temporary holding of a pourable CO2 separation agent in order to sorb the CO2 from the supplied gas stream, in particular air stream.

[0062] In this case, a pressurized gas unit for supplying pressurized gas (against the gravity-driven flow of the bulk material) into and / or through the at least one rotary valve is preferably connected or attached to the discharge line section downstream of the at least one rotary valve in order to clear blockages in it.

[0063] In the case that the chamber unit is designed as a desorption unit, the chamber is designed as a desorption chamber for the temporary holding of a CO2-enriched bulk CO2 separation agent in order to desorb the CO2 from the bulk CO2 separation agent.

[0064] Preferably, a pump unit, in particular a vacuum unit, can be connected to or is connected to the feed line section downstream of the at least one rotary valve in order to pump desorbed CO2 out of the desorption chamber. Alternatively or additionally, a purge gas unit can preferably be connected to or is connected to the discharge line section downstream of the at least one rotary valve in order to supply a purge gas (against the gravity-driven flow of the bulk material) into the desorption chamber in order to remove oxygen from the desorption chamber.

[0065] Preferably, a preheating chamber for the bulk CO2 separation agent is arranged in the feed line section upstream of the at least one rotary valve, wherein at least one further rotary valve, in particular exactly one further rotary valve or exactly two further rotary valves of the type described above, is / are arranged upstream of the preheating chamber. Alternatively or additionally, a cooling chamber for the bulk CO2 separation agent is preferably arranged in the discharge line section downstream of the at least one rotary valve, wherein at least one further rotary valve, in particular exactly one further rotary valve or exactly two further rotary valves of the type described above, is / are arranged downstream of the cooling chamber. In this case, a gate function can be provided by means of two further rotary valves in addition to controlling or regulating the flow rate.

[0066] The CO2 separation device is designed for separating CO2 from a supplied gas stream, in particular an air stream, by means of a CO2 separation process. Within the scope of the present invention, the term "separation" encompasses any meaningful method of separating or separating CO2 (carbon dioxide) from a gas, in particular air, wherein binding and / or adhesion and / or storage and / or absorption of CO2 molecules by the free-flowing CO2 separation agent takes place.

[0067] The CO2 separation device is specifically designed to separate the CO2 from the supplied gas or air stream by means of a sorption process, in particular an adsorption and / or absorption process in the sorption chamber, whereby the separation occurs with the release of energy or heat to the gas or air stream. Accordingly, the separation of the CO2 can be carried out in particular by means of at least one of the following processes or combinations thereof:

[0068] - chemical adsorption process

[0069] - physical adsorption process

[0070] - chemical absorption process

[0071] - physical absorption process

[0072] The CO2 separation device is further configured to release CO2 from the CO2 separation agent by means of a CO2 release process. Within the scope of the present invention, the term "release" encompasses any meaningful method of releasing or expelling CO2 (carbon dioxide) from the bulk CO2 separation agent, wherein a dissolution and / or release and / or discharge of CO2 molecules from the bulk CO2 separation agent takes place.

[0073] In this case, the CO2 separation device is specifically designed to release or dissolve the CO2 from the CO2 separation agent by means of a desorption process in which the CO2 is released from the bulk CO2 separation agent by introducing energy or heat into it.

[0074] Accordingly, the release of CO2 can be achieved in particular by means of at least one of the following processes or combinations thereof:

[0075] - chemical desorption process

[0076] - physical desorption process

[0077] Within the scope of the present invention, the term "supply" or "supplied" primarily refers to an actively initiated or caused, and thus technically controlled or regulated, supply of the gas or airflow by means of a blower or fan unit of the CO2 separation device. However, the term "supply" or "supplied" can also encompass a passively initiated or caused supply of the gas or airflow without departing from the scope of the present invention. Consequently, the airflow can be supplied in any manner, e.g., naturally (as wind).

[0078] In a preferred embodiment, the CO2 separation device has a sorption unit of the type described above, which forms a sorption section of the CO2 separation device.

[0079] In addition, the CO2 separation device advantageously has a desorption unit of the type described above, which forms a, in particular multi-stage, desorption section of the CO2 separation device.

[0080] In this arrangement, the pipe sections of the sorption unit and the desorption unit are part of a pipe system of the CO2 separation device, whereby, to create a closed circuit of the CO2 separation agent, the discharge pipe section of the sorption unit is fluidically connected to the supply pipe section of the desorption unit, so that the CO2-enriched free-flowing CO2 separation agent can be fed from the sorption chamber to the desorption chamber, and the discharge pipe section of the desorption unit is fluidically connected to the supply pipe section of the sorption unit, so that the regenerated free-flowing CO2 separation agent can be fed back from the desorption chamber to the sorption chamber.

[0081] The CO2 separation device may further comprise at least one of the following units:

[0082] - Blower unit, in particular with a large number of fans for supplying the airflow;

[0083] - Steam generator for providing steam for the CO2 desorption process;

[0084] - Inerting unit for supplying an inert gas stream, such as...

[0085] Nitrogen, oxygen-free air and / or water vapor to remove oxygen before the desorption process to protect the CO2 combustion agent from chemical degradation;

[0086] - Heating unit for additional heating of the bulk CO2 separation agent for the desorption process;

[0087] - Cooling unit for additional cooling of the bulk CO2 separation agent for the sorption process;

[0088] - Material conveying unit for conveying the free-flowing CO2 separation agent through the pipes or the pipe system;

[0089] - Sensor unit for the sorption and desorption process;

[0090] - Control unit for controlling and / or regulating the sorption and desorption process.

[0091] The control unit can be designed to be connected to other control units and / or a central control unit of the CO2 separation device or a higher-level system via radio transmission such as WLAN, Bluetooth, Near-Field Communication, etc.

[0092] The CO2 separation device is preferably designed to be stationary.

[0093] In particular, the CO2 separation device can be part of a building climate control system, especially integrated into a climate control system within a building. The separation chamber of the CO2 separation device can be integrated into the building's air conditioning circuit. (Drawings)

[0094] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show:

[0095] Fig. 1 shows a side sectional view of a device according to the invention.

[0096] Rotary valve;

[0097] Fig. 2a-d shows a sequence of different operating positions of a valve element of the rotary valve from Fig. 1; and

[0098] Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of a CO2- according to the invention.

[0099] Separation device with a sorption unit and a desorption unit according to the invention.

[0100] In the following description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, the same or similar reference numerals are used for the elements shown in the various figures and acting similarly, without repeating the description of the elements.

[0101] Fig. 1 shows a basic structure of a rotary valve according to the invention, which in its entirety is provided with the reference numeral 10.

[0102] The rotary valve 10 is designed to adjust the flow rate of a gravity-driven flow 12 of a bulk material 14 or a bulk CO2 separation agent 14. For this purpose, the rotary valve 10 has a valve body 16 with a valve inlet channel 18 for supplying the gravity-driven flow 12 of the bulk material 14 and a valve outlet channel 20 for discharging the gravity-driven flow 12 of the bulk material 14. When the rotary valve 10 is used as intended, the valve inlet channel 18 and the valve outlet channel 20 extend vertically and are horizontally offset from each other. The rotary valve 10 also has a valve element 22 rotatably mounted in the valve body 16 between the valve inlet channel 18 and the valve outlet channel 20. The valve element 22 is cylindrical or designed as a straight cylinder.The valve element 22 is rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis of rotation 24. The valve element 22 has a through-channel 26 with a channel inlet 28 associated with the valve inlet channel 18 and a channel outlet 30 associated with the valve outlet channel 20.

[0103] As can be seen from Fig. 1, when the rotary valve 10 is used as intended, the valve inlet channel 18 is located above the through channel 26 and the valve outlet channel 20 is located below the through channel 26.

[0104] Furthermore, the passage channel 26 between the channel inlet 28 and the channel outlet 30 forms a maximum passage angle 32 with respect to a horizontal plane 34 for the gravity-driven flow 12 of the bulk material 14. Here, the maximum passage angle 32 is the angle up to which the bulk material 14 can flow through the passage channel 26 under gravity. The maximum passage angle understandably depends on the orientation and geometric design, such as the length, cross-sectional profile, etc., of the passage channel 26.

[0105] In the illustrated embodiment, the through-channel 26 is designed as a round bore with a constant cross-sectional profile. Accordingly, the maximum through-angle 32 corresponds to the angle between the horizontal plane 34 and the inclined line 36, which runs through the uppermost point of the channel inlet and the lowermost point of the channel outlet.

[0106] As explained in more detail in the following description of Figs. 2a-d, the maximum flow angle 32 can be variably adjusted by rotating the valve element 22 and thus the flow channel 26 relative to the horizontal plane 34, thereby adjusting or regulating the flow rate of the gravity-driven flow 12 of the bulk material 14. Figs. 2a-d show a sequence of different operating positions of the valve element 22 of the rotary valve 10 from Fig. 1.

[0107] Fig. 2a shows a first operating position of the valve element 22, in which the maximum flow angle 32 is set to a flow angle of the bulk material 14 in which the gravity-driven flow 12 flows or can flow through the flow channel 26. Here, the flow angle is greater than the angle of repose of the bulk material 14.

[0108] Fig. 2b shows a second operating position of the valve element 22, in which the maximum flow angle 32 is set to a stop angle of the bulk material 14 at which the gravity-driven flow 12 in the flow channel 26 stops or is stopped. Here, the stop angle is less than or equal to the angle of repose of the bulk material 14.

[0109] As can be further seen in Fig. 2b, in the second operating position of the valve element 22, the channel inlet 28 and the channel outlet 30 are fully open, so that when the gravity-driven flow 12 is stopped, a fluidic connection continues to exist between the valve inlet channel 18 and the valve outlet channel 20. This advantageously allows, for example, a purge gas 38 of nitrogen, oxygen-free air and / or water vapor to flow through the passage channel 26 even when the gravity-driven flow 12 is stopped.

[0110] Fig. 2c shows a further second operating position of the valve element 22, in which the maximum passage angle 32 is set to a further stop angle of the bulk material 14 and, in contrast to Fig. 2b, the channel inlet 28 and the channel outlet 30 of the passage channel 26 are only partially open. However, the fluidic connection between the valve inlet channel 18 and the valve outlet channel 20 remains.

[0111] The valve element 22 is continuously rotatable between several initial operating positions, each with different flow angles, up to the stop angles, in order to adjust the flow rate of the gravity-driven flow 12. Fig. 2d shows a third operating position of the valve element 22, in which the maximum passage angle 32 is set to a further stop angle of the bulk material 14 and, furthermore, the channel outlet 30 is closed, so that the fluidic connection between the valve inlet channel 18 and the valve outlet channel 20 is interrupted. In this position, the channel inlet 28 is partially open, so that no shear forces are exerted on the stopped bulk material 14.

[0112] Figure 3 shows a schematic representation of a CO2 separation device 100 according to the invention for separating CO2 from a supplied gas stream 40 or air stream 40. The CO2 separation device 100 comprises a sorption unit 42 and a desorption unit 44 according to the invention.

[0113] The sorption unit 42 has a sorption chamber 46 in which a free-flowing material 14, designed as a CO2 separation agent 14, is temporarily contained to sorb the CO2 from the supplied air stream 40. The sorption chamber 46 has a feed line section 50 opening into an upper feed area 48 of the sorption chamber 46 for supplying the free-flowing CO2 separation agent 14 into the sorption chamber 46. The sorption chamber 46 also has a discharge line section 54 extending from a lower discharge area 52 of the sorption chamber 46 for removing the free-flowing CO2 separation agent 14 from the sorption chamber 46.

[0114] The sorption unit 42 further comprises two rotary valves 10 according to the invention, one of which is arranged in the feed line section 50 to adjust a supplied flow rate of a gravity-driven flow 12 of the free-flowing CO2 separation agent 14, and the other of which is arranged in the discharge line section 54 to adjust a discharged flow rate of the gravity-driven flow 12 of the CO2-enriched free-flowing CO2 separation agent 14'.

[0115] The sorption unit 42 also has a pressurized gas unit 56 connected to the discharge line section 54 downstream of the rotary valve 10 according to the invention, which is designed to guide a pressurized gas 58 against the gravity-driven flow 12 of the free-flowing CO2 separation agent 14 into or through the rotary valve 10 according to the invention in order to dissolve blockages in it.

[0116] The desorption unit 44 has a desorption chamber 60 in which the CO2-enriched CO2 separation agent 14' is temporarily contained in order to desorb the CO2 from the CO2 separation agent 14'. The desorption chamber 60 has a feed line section 64 opening into an upper feed area 62 of the desorption chamber 60 for supplying the CO2-enriched, free-flowing CO2 separation agent 14' into the desorption chamber 60. The desorption chamber 60 also has a discharge line section 68 extending from a lower discharge area 66 of the desorption chamber 60 for discharging the regenerated, free-flowing CO2 separation agent 14 from the desorption chamber 60.

[0117] The desorption unit 44 further comprises two rotary valves 10 according to the invention, one of which is arranged in the feed line section 64 to adjust a supplied flow rate of the gravity-driven flow 12 of the CO2-enriched bulk CO2 separation agent 14', and the other of which is arranged in the discharge line section 68 to adjust a discharged flow rate of the gravity-driven flow 12 of the regenerated bulk CO2 separation agent 14.

[0118] The desorption unit 44 also includes a pump unit 70 or vacuum unit 70 connected to the feed line section 64 downstream of the rotary valve 10 according to the invention, which is configured to pump desorbed CO2 out of the desorption chamber 60. The desorption unit 44 further includes a preheating chamber 72 for the CO2-enriched, free-flowing CO2 separation agent 14' arranged in the feed line section 64 upstream of the rotary valve 10 according to the invention, wherein two further rotary valves 10 according to the invention are arranged upstream of the preheating chamber 72 to provide a gate function.

[0119] The desorption unit 44 also has a purge gas unit 74 connected to the discharge line section 68 downstream of the rotary valve 10 according to the invention, which is configured to guide the purge gas 38 against the gravity-driven flow 12 of the regenerated bulk CO2 separation agent 14 into the desorption chamber 60 in order to remove oxygen from the desorption chamber 60. The desorption unit 44 further has a cooling chamber 76 for the regenerated bulk CO2 separation agent 14 arranged in the discharge line section 68 downstream of the rotary valve 10 according to the invention, wherein two further rotary valves 10 according to the invention are arranged downstream of the cooling chamber 76 to provide a gate function.

[0120] As can be seen from Fig. 3, to generate a closed circuit of the CO2 separation agent 14, 14', the discharge line section 54 of the sorption unit 42 is fluidically connected to the feed line section 64 of the desorption unit 44, so that the CO2-enriched free-flowing CO2 separation agent 14' can be fed from the sorption chamber 46 to the desorption chamber 60, and the discharge line section 68 of the desorption unit 44 is fluidically connected to the feed line section 50 of the sorption unit 42, so that the regenerated free-flowing CO2 separation agent 14 can be fed back from the desorption chamber 60 to the sorption chamber 46. Furthermore, material conveying units 78 are provided for conveying the free-flowing CO2 separation agent 14, 14' through the pipe sections 50, 54, 64, 68.

Claims

Claims 1. Rotary valve (10) for adjusting the flow rate of a gravity-driven flow (12) of a bulk material (14, 14'), in particular a free-flowing CO2 separation agent (14, 14') in a CO2 separation device (10) for separating CO2 from a supplied gas stream (40), in particular an air stream (40), with - comprising a valve body (16) having a valve inlet channel (18) and a valve outlet channel (20), and - comprising a valve element (22) rotatably mounted in the valve body (16) between the valve inlet channel (18) and the valve outlet channel (20), a through channel (26) with a channel inlet (28) associated with the valve inlet channel (18) and a channel outlet (30) associated with the valve outlet channel (20), wherein, when the rotary valve (10) is used as intended - the valve inlet channel (18) is located above the through channel (26) and the valve outlet channel (20) is located below the through channel (26), and - the passage channel (26) between the channel inlet (28) and the channel outlet (30) forms a maximum passage angle (32) relative to a horizontal plane (34) for the gravity-driven flow (12) of the bulk material (14, 14'), wherein the maximum passage angle (32) can be variably adjusted by rotating the valve element (22) and thus the passage channel (26) relative to the horizontal plane (34) in order to adjust the flow rate of the gravity-driven flow (12) of the bulk material (14, 14').

2. Rotary valve (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that in at least a first operating position of the valve element (22) the maximum flow angle (32) is set to at least one flow angle of the bulk material (14, 14') in which the gravity-driven flow (12) flows or can flow through the flow channel (26), and in at least a second operating position of the valve element (22) the maximum flow angle (32) is set to at least one stop angle of the bulk material (14, 14'), in the gravity-driven flow (12) in the passage channel (26) stops or is stopped.

3. Rotary valve (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one flow angle is greater than a repose angle of the pourable material (14, 14') and the at least one stop angle is less than or equal to the repose angle of the pourable material (14, 14').

4. Rotary valve (10) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the valve element (22) is rotatable, in particular continuously, between several first operating positions with different flow angles up to at least one stop angle, in order to adjust the flow rate of the flowing gravity-driven flow (12).

5. Rotary valve (10) according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that in at least one second operating position of the valve element (22) the channel inlet (28) and the channel outlet (30) of the through-channel (26) are at least partially open, so that when the gravity-driven flow (12) is stopped, a fluidic connection between the valve inlet channel (18) and the valve outlet channel (20) continues to exist.

6. Rotary valve (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that in the at least one first operating position and in the at least one second operating position of the valve element (22) the channel inlet (28) and the channel outlet (30) are fully open.

7. Rotary valve (10) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that in at least a third operating position of the valve element (22) the maximum passage angle (32) is set to the at least one stop angle of the pourable material (14, 14') and furthermore the channel outlet (30) is closed, so that the fluidic connection between the valve inlet channel (18) and the valve outlet channel (20) is interrupted.

8. Rotary valve (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that in at least one third operating position of the valve element (22) the channel outlet (30) is at least partially open.

9. Rotary valve (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve element (22) is cylindrical, in particular as a straight cylinder.

10. Rotary valve (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the through-channel (26) comprises at least one bore, in particular several bores, which has / have a round or rectangular cross-section, which is in particular constant or tapered or widening.

11. Rotary valve (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, when the rotary valve (10) is used as intended, the valve inlet channel (18) and the valve outlet channel (20) extend in a vertical direction and / or are arranged offset from each other in a horizontal direction.

12. Chamber unit (42; 44), in particular sorption unit (42) or desorption unit (44) for a CO2 separation device (10) for separating CO2 from a supplied gas stream (40), in particular air stream (40), with - a chamber (46; 60) for the temporary storage of a pourable material (14, 14'), - a feed line section (50; 64) opening into an upper feed area (48; 62) of the chamber (46; 60) for feeding the bulk material (14, 14') into the chamber (46; 60), and - a discharge line section (54; 68) extending from a lower discharge area (52; 66) of the chamber (42; 44) for discharging the bulk material (14, 14') from the chamber (42; 44), characterized by at least one rotary valve (10) according to one of the preceding claims, which - is arranged in the feed line section (50; 64) to adjust a supplied flow rate of a gravity-driven flow (12) of the bulk material (14, 14'); and / or - is arranged in the discharge line section (54; 68) to adjust a discharged flow rate of a / the gravity-driven flow (12) of the bulk material (14, 14').

13. Chamber unit (42, 44) according to claim 12, characterized in that it is designed as a sorption unit (42), wherein the chamber (46) is designed as a sorption chamber (46) for the temporary holding of a pourable CO2 separation agent (14, 14') in order to sorb the CO2 from the supplied gas stream (40), in particular air stream (40).

14. Chamber unit (42, 44) according to claim 13, characterized in that a pressurized gas unit (56) for supplying pressurized gas (58) into and / or through the at least one rotary valve (10) can be connected or is connected to the discharge line section (54) downstream of the at least one rotary valve (10) in order to clear blockages in it.

15. Chamber unit (42, 44) according to claim 12, characterized in that it is designed as a desorption unit (44), wherein the chamber (60) is designed as a desorption chamber (60) for the temporary holding of a CO2-enriched free-flowing CO2 separation agent (14') in order to desorb the CO2 from the free-flowing CO2 separation agent (14').

16. Chamber unit (42, 44) according to claim 15, characterized in that - a pump unit (70), in particular a vacuum unit (70), can be connected or is connected to the supply line section (64) downstream of the at least one rotary valve (10) in order to pump desorbed CO2 out of the desorption chamber (60), and / or - a purge gas unit (74) for supplying a purge gas (48) into the desorption chamber (60) can be connected or is connected to the discharge line section (68) downstream of the at least one rotary valve (10) in order to remove oxygen from the desorption chamber (60).

17. Chamber unit (42, 44) according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that - in the feed line section (64) upstream of the at least one rotary valve (10) a preheating chamber (72) for the pourable CO2 separation agent (14') is arranged, wherein upstream of the preheating chamber (72) at least one further rotary valve (10), in particular exactly one further rotary valve (10) or exactly two further rotary valves (10) according to one of claims 1 to 11 is / are arranged, and / or - in the discharge line section (68) downstream of the at least one rotary valve (10) a cooling chamber (76) for the pourable CO2 separation agent (14) is arranged, wherein downstream of the cooling chamber (76) at least one further rotary valve (10), in particular exactly one further rotary valve (10) or exactly two further rotary valves (10) according to one of claims 1 to 11 is / are arranged.

18. CO2 separation device (10) for separating CO2 from a supplied gas stream (40), in particular an air stream (40), by means of a pourable CO2 separation agent (14, 14') with - a rotary valve (10) according to one of claims 1 to 11 for adjusting a flow rate of a gravity-driven flow (12) of the pourable CO2 separation agent (14, 14'), or - a sorption unit (42) according to one of claims 12 to 14, or - a desorption unit (44) according to one of claims 12 or 15 to 17, or - a sorption unit (42) according to claim 13 or 14 and a desorption unit (44) according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein, to generate a closed circuit of the CO2 separation agent (14, 14'), the discharge line section (54) of the sorption unit (42) is fluidically connected to the feed line section (64) of the desorption unit (44), so that the CO2-enriched free-flowing CO2 separation agent (14') can be fed from the sorption chamber (46) to the desorption chamber (60), and the discharge line section (68) of the desorption unit (44) is fluidically connected to the feed line section (50) of the sorption unit (42), so that the regenerated The free-flowing CO2 separation agent (14) from the desorption chamber (60) can be returned to the sorption chamber (46).

19. Use of a rotary valve (10) according to one of claims 1 to 11 for adjusting a flow rate of a gravity-driven flow (12) of a pourable material (14, 14'), in particular a pourable CO2 separation agent (14, 14'), preferably in a chamber unit (42, 44), in particular according to one of claims 12 to 17, or in a CO2 separation device (10) for separating CO2 from a supplied gas stream (40), in particular air stream (40), in particular according to claim 18.

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