A vessel for use with a direct air capture system

The vessel design with a removable lid and linked door assembly addresses access challenges in direct air capture systems, enabling efficient and safe maintenance of cartridges.

WO2026101526A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2026-05-15GE VERNOVA INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY LLC +1
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
GE VERNOVA INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY LLC
Filing Date
2024-11-07
Publication Date
2026-05-15

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing direct air capture systems face challenges in efficiently accessing internal cartridges for maintenance and making connections, which is time-consuming and poses risks to personnel.

Method used

A vessel design with a lid that is removable and a door assembly comprising a plurality of doors linked by lever arms, allowing concurrent movement, enabling easy access to cartridges without opening the vessel interior.

Benefits of technology

Facilitates efficient and safe maintenance of cartridges by allowing external access and connection, reducing time and risk, while maintaining structural integrity and space efficiency.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

A vessel for use with direct air capture is disclosed. The vessel includes a main vessel body, a lid, at least one cartridge coupled to the lid, and at least one door assembly. The main vessel body includes a wall defining a cavity within the vessel. The wall includes at least one duct flange extending around an opening defined in the wall. The lid is sealingly coupled to the main vessel body. The cavity is accessible when the lid is removed. The at least one door assembly is coupled to the at least one duct flange of the vessel. The at least one door assembly includes a plurality of first doors that are configured to move concurrently. The at least cartridge include a sorbent that adsorbs at least one of carbon dioxide or water.
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Description

A VESSEL FOR USE WITH A DIRECT AIR CAPTURESYSTEMBACKGROUND

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to a vessel, and in particular to vessels used in direct air capture systems.

[0002] At least some known direct air capture (DAC) systems include a vessel containing a solid or other type of sorbent used to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) molecules from ambient air. During adsorption, air flows through the sorbent to adsorb the CO2 from the air, and during desorption, the sorbent releases CO2 inside the vessel such that the CO₂ can be captured.

[0003] Within at least some DAC systems, the adsorption sorbent is applied on a set of contactors (or adsorption cells) that are inserted within a respective cartridge that is within a closed vessel having an upper lid and a bottom lid. The upper and the bottom lids are each movable to control a flow of air through the vessel ami for repair and maintenance work of the vessel. Accordingly, when the set of contactors are in the vessel and the upper and bottom lids are opened and / or removed, air flows through each of the set of contactors. Although, such carbon capture systems may be effective in capturing CO2, accessing an inside of the vessel for maintenance of the contactors or to make connections with the cartridges may be a time-consuming and challenging task that may pose a risk to maintenance personnel

[0004] Accordingly, a need exists for a carbon capture vessel design that is effective for direct air capture systems and that provides access to the internal cartridges in a more efficient and less time-consuming manner.SUMMARY

[0005] In one aspect, a vessel for use with direct air capture is disclosed. The vessel includes a main vessel body including a wall defining a cavity within the vessel. The wall includes at least one duct flange extending around an opening defined in the wall. The vessel further includes a lid sealingly coupled to the main vessel body and at least onedoor assembly coupled to the at least one duct flange of the vessel. The cavity is accessible when the lid is removed, and the door assembly includes a plurality of first doors that are configured to move concurrently. The vessel further includes at least one cartridge coupled to the lid. The at least cartridge includes a sorbent that adsorbs at least one of carbon dioxide or water.

[0006] In another aspect, a vessel for use with direct air capture is disclosed. The vessel includes an annular vessel body, at least one lid, a first door assembly, a second door assembly, and at least one cartridge. The annular vessel body includes a wall defining a cavity within the vessel. The wall includes a first duct flange and a second duct flange, and each duct flange is extending around an opening defined in the wall. The lid is coupled to the vessel body and is selectively removeable from the vessel body. The first door assembly is coupled to the first duct flange, and the second door assembly is coupled to the second duct flange. The first door assembly is selectively moveable independent of the second door assembly. The at least one cartridge is coupled to the lid of the vessel body within the cavity.

[0007] In yet another aspect, a vessel for use in direct air capture is disclosed. The vessel includes a hollow body defined by an annular wall such that a cavity is defined therein. The annular wall includes at least a first duct flange extending around an opening defined in the annular wall. The vessel includes a lid sealingly coupled to the body of the vessel and selectively removeable from the body of the vessel to provide access to the cavity, and a first door assembly coupled to the at least first duct flange. The first door assembly includes a plurality' of doors selectively moveable. The vessel includes at least one actuator rod coupling the plurality of doors together such that the plurality of doors is only moveable concurrently.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 A is a perspective side view of an exemplary vessel that may be used with a direct air capture (DAC) system for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from ambient air.

[0009] FIG. IB is a side perspective view of the vessel shown in FIG. 1A in which a lid of the vessel is uncoupled from and elevated above the main vessel body.

[0010] FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of a portion of doors used with the vessel shown in FIG. 1A.

[0011] FIG. 2B is a side view of the portion of the doors shown in FIG. 2A.

[0012] FIG. 2C is side view of a door actuator mechanism used to coordinate movement of the doors and coupled to a cross-section of the vessel shown in FIG.1A.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary control system that may be used to control movement of the doors relative to the vessel shown in FIG. 1 A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] When introducing elements of various embodiments disclosed herein, the articles “a,” an." “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

[0015] Unless otherwise indicated, approximating language, such as “generally,” “substantially,” and “about,” as used herein indicates that the term so modified may apply to only an approximate degree, as would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art, rather than to an absolute or perfect degree. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms such as “about,” “approximately.” and “substantially” is not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. Additionally, unless otherwise indicated, the terms “first,” “second,” etc. are used herein merely as labels, and are not intended to impose ordinal, positional, or hierarchical requirements on the items to which these terms refer. Moreover, reference to. for example, a “second” item does not require or preclude the existence of, for example, a “first” or lower-numbered item or a “third” or higher-numbered item.

[0016] As used herein, the terms “processor” and “computer” and related terms, e.g., “processing device,” “controller,” and “computer device” are not limited to just those integrated circuits referred to in the art as a computer, but broadly refers to amicrocontroller, a microcomputer, a programmable logic controller (PLC), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and other programmable circuits, and these terms are used interchangeable herein.

[0017] Furthermore, as used herein, the term “real-time” refers to at least one of: the time of occurrence of the associated events, the time of measurement and collection of predetermined data, the time for a computer device (e.g., a processor) to process the data, and / or the time of a system response to the events and the environment. In the embodiments described herein, these activities and events may be considered to occur substantially instantaneously.

[0018] The embodiments described herein relate to a direct air capture (DAC) system including a vessel that includes piping and / or openings for vacuum, air flow, and water flow. The piping and / or openings may be couple the vessel with the top lid and / or via openings at the bottom of the vessel. In each embodiment, the top lid of the vessel is removable concurrently with at least one set of contactors (or at least one contractor cartridge) that is coupled to the top lid such that the contactor cartridge is suspended from the top lid and extends into the vessel from the top lid. Accordingly, in the exemplary embodiment, removing the top lid concurrently extracts the contactor cartridge from the vessel. As such, necessary connections and / or maintenance to the contractor cartridge or contactor may be made externally to the vessel, without requiring that the contactor be accessed within the interior of the vessel. Furthermore, each contactor includes a sorbent designed for adsorption of carbon dioxide and / or water. The sorbent may be formed of one or more of silica, zeolites, alumina, amine-based materials, metal oxides, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), polymers, and carbon materials (activated carbon, graphite, graphene, fullerene, carbon nanotubes, biochar, and / or hydrochar).

[0019] In the exemplar}' embodiment, to enable air to flow through and past the contactor cartridge, the vessel includes openings defined on the wall of the vessel. Moreover, in the exemplary embodiment, the vessel is cylindrically shaped, and often within a direct air carbon capture system, a plurality of vessels may be placed side-by-side in close proximity. Because of the close proximity of adjacent vessels, limited available space may be available on each vessel for a door. However, because of the weight and structural integrity necessary for such doors. Having only one coupled to the vessel may make itdifficult for an operator to use as the large size of the door may be difficult to move after the vessel has been under a vacuum. Moreover, the relatively large size of the door may limit the relative location that the vessel may be used, as the door requires space to be opened as it is swung away from the sidewall of the vessel.

[0020] As such, the present disclosure is also directed to a door design for a vessel that overcomes at least some of the problems associated with larger, bulkier known vessel door designs. In some embodiments, a plurality of vessel doors is linked or coupled together in an assembly that enables the movement of a plurality of doors to provide access into, or flow through, the vessel in a coordinated manner that is less cumbersome than is possible with at least some known vessel doors. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the linked vessel door assembly includes a plurality of doors coupled together with lever arms that are linked or coupled together to enable coordinated opening and closing of the plurality of doors concurrently. Each individual door may include at least one lever arm on a first side of the door and at least one lever arm on a second side of the door. The lever arms on the first side of each door may be coupled together and the lever arms on the second side of each door may be coupled together. The coupled lever arms on the first and second sides of the plurality of doors create an assembly that may be selectively operated by an actuator to enable the plurality of doors to move concurrently together.

[0021] In the exemplary embodiment, and by way of a non-limiting example, three doors are coupled together with a hinge set on each side of the door (i.e.. a first hinge set extending along the first side of the door and a second hinge set extending along the second side of the door). Moreover, each hinge enables the door to be coupled to the vessel with locking heli-coils. Within each hinge, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or any other low friction bushings may be used with an aluminum (Al) housing. In some embodiments, a clevis with racetrack holes may be coupled to each door to enable or facilitate enhanced adjustability. Each door may also be fitted with at least one seal, such as, but not limited to an O-ring, to enable the door to be sealed against the vessel when the door is in a closed position. When the pressure is applied to the lever arms, the sides of that door remain compressed against the vessel and because of the design, the pressure is substantially evenly applied across the seal as the door is fully closed. Further, each door may be fabricated from a metallic material, such as, but not limited to 6061 aluminum alloy (6061 Al) and maybe about 2 inches thick. Additionally, in some embodiments, a biasing mechanism, such as a spring may be used to facilitate a quick lift off with a center of gravity of the door being below a pivot point.

[0022] FIG. 1 A is a side perspective view 100a of a vessel 150 that may be used with a direct air capture system (not shown) for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) and / or water from ambient air. In the exemplary embodiment, the vessel 150 includes a main vessel body 104 that is covered or closed with a lid 102. In the exemplary embodiment, the main vessel body 104 and the lid 102 are secured together in sealing contact using a plurality of fasteners 118. In other embodiments, any other fastening mechanism that enables the lid 102 to be securely coupled to the main vessel body 104 as described herein may be used. The lid 102 may be lifted and removed from the main vessel body 104 using one or more connections or clevises 108 that extend from the lid 102. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the lid 102 may only be removed from the main vessel body 104 when the fasteners 118 are loosened and removed such that the lid 102 is unsecured from the main vessel body 104.

[0023] In the exemplary embodiment, the main vessel body 104 includes a plurality of lift connections 106 that enable the vessel 150 to be lifted and / or positioned relative to a ground floor, for example. In the exemplary embodiment, a plurality of flange mount feet 110 are used to support the vessel 150 on a supporting surface, and more specifically, such that the main vessel body 104 is elevated a distance above the supporting surface. In alternative embodiments, the vessel 150 may be supported by any other support that enables the vessel 150 to function as described herein. In the exemplary embodiment, the vessel 150 includes a plurality of piping and associated mechanisms and valving that enables the vessel 150 to be drained and / or that enables a vacuum to be introduced to the vessel 150. For example, in the exemplary embodiment, the vessel 150 is coupled to a vacuum line 120 and to a drain flange 122 that each extends from a bottom surface of the vessel 150. The lid 102 may also include at least one opening, such as, a pair of openings 124 that enable a connection to a hot water source and / or a cold water source, an opening 128 that enables steam injection, and / or an opening 126 that enables instrumentation to be coupled to the vessel 150.

[0024] In the exemplary embodiment, the vessel 150 is formed with a first opening or inlet 130 and a second opening or outlet 131. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, first and second openings 130 and 131, respectively, are each formed as a duct flange. Moreover, in the exemplary embodiment, inlet 130 and outlet 131 are defined diametrically opposite to each other to facilitate enabling air entering the vessel 150 via inlet 130 to be removed from the vessel 150 via outlet 131. As the air passes through the vessel 150, CO2 and / or water entrained in the air may be collected by a contactor cartridge 132 (shown in FIG. IB) coupled to the lid 102 such that the contactor cartridge 132 is suspended within a cavity (not shown in FIG. 1 A) defined within the vessel 150.

[0025] As described herein, inlet 130 and outlet 131 include a plurality of doors 112 rather than a single door. As best seen in FIG. 1 A, vessel 150 includes three doors 112 coupled to inlet (or duct flange) 130 and three doors coupled to outlet (or duct flange) 131. However, rather than three doors 112, in alternative embodiments, vessel 150 may include two doors or more than three doors. Moreover, although in the exemplary embodiment, the same number of doors 112 are used with each duct flange 130 and 131 (i.e., inlet 130 and outlet 131). in alternative embodiments either duct flange 130 or 131 (i.e.. inlet 130 or outlet 131) may include a different number of doors 112 than the number of doors 112 coupled to the other duct flange 131 or 130 (i.e., outlet 131 or inlet 130). In the exemplary embodiment, the doors 112 coupled along each duct flange 130 or 131 are linked together with each other as described herein and as best seen in FIG. 2C. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, each door includes a lever arm 115 on the first side of the door 112 and a lever arm 114 on the second side of the door 112 that may be used to selectively open and / or close the door 112. In addition, and as described in more detail below; lever arms 114 and 115 also enable the plurality of doors 112 associated with each duct flange 130 and / or 131 to be coupled together as shown in FIG. 2C.

[0026] FIG. IB is a side perspective view 100b of the vessel 150 in which the lid 102 of the vessel 150 is not secured to the main vessel body 104 via fasteners 118. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the lid 102 has been elevated to provide access to the contactor cartridge 132 that is securely coupled to the lid 102. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiments, when the lid 102 is elevated a distance from the main vessel body 104, the contactor cartridge 132 remains suspended from the lid 102. In the exemplaryembodiment, the contactor cartridge 132 is connected or coupled with the lid 102 of the vessel 150 to facilitate ease of access and maintenance of the contactor cartridge 132 and / or the interior of the vessel 150. By way of a non-limiting example, the contactor cartridge 132 may include a single membrane contactor, or a plurality of membrane contactors, of microporous hollow fiber membrane that enables rapid and efficient gas transfer performance. Further, in the exemplary embodiment, the contactor cartridge 132 may be configured or adapted for a compact in-line operation with low pressure drop to help save space, and improve productivity. The contactor cartridge 132 may be cylindrical-, rectangular- or polygonal- shaped, or any other shape that enables the cartridge 132 to function as described herein. Moreover, in other embodiments, more than one contactor cartridge 132 may be coupled to the lid 102 of the vessel 150.

[0027] In another exemplary embodiment, the contactor cartridge 132 is connected or coupled with a section of the wall (instead of lid 102) of the vessel 150, and the section of the wall to which the contactor cartridge 132 is coupled is removable for maintenance of the contactor cartridge 132 or the vessel 150. The removable section of the wall (not shown in FIG. IB) to which the contactor cartridge is connected or coupled is sealed with at least one O-ring for a leak proof environment of the vessel 150.

[0028] FIG. 2A is an enlarged view 200a of a portion of the doors 112 used with the vessel 150 shown in FIG. 1 A. and FIG. 2B is a side view 200b of the portion of the doors 112 shown in FIG. 2A. In the exemplary embodiment, each door 112 includes a lever arm 114 and a lever arm 115, as shown in FIG. 2A. The lever arms 114 and 115 may be identical and each is pivotally coupled to each respective door 112 using a pivot rod 203 that extends through a pair of pivot hinges 202. More specifically, the pivot hinges 202 are each secured to the duct flange 130 (or duct flange 131 shown in FIG. 1A) such that the pivot rod 203 is rotatably coupled to and supported by each pivot hinge 202. Moreover, each pivot hinge 202 enables the door 112 to be coupled to the vessel 150. Within each pivot hinge 202, poly tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or low friction bushings may be used with an aluminum (Al) housing.

[0029] In the exemplary embodiment, each pivot rod 203 has a length L that enables the pivot rod 203 to extend through an opening (not shown in FIG. 2A) formed within each lever arm 114 and / or 115 at an inner end 205 of each lever arm 114 and / or 115. Anouter end 207 of each lever arm 114 and / or 115 is also shown in FIG. 2A. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the pivot rod 203 may be secured to each lever arm 114 and / or 115 via a fastener such that the pivot rod 203 enables the lever arms 114 and 115 coupled thereto to selectively rotate concurrently from a fully closed position to a fully open position. In the exemplary embodiment, the lever arms 114 are secured to the pivot rod 203 via a set screw (not shown) in the housing of each arm 114, such that each set screw contacts a flat portion of the pivot rod 203. Additionally, the pivot rod 203 also extends through a pair of yokes 204 each including a pair of legs 209 extending from a yoke base 211 of the yoke 204 and terminating in the opening formed at the inner end 205 of each lever arm 114 and / or 115. The opening at the inner end 205 of each lever arm 114 and / or 115 is sized to receive the pivot rod 203 therethrough. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the pivot rod 203 extends through an opening in each yoke leg 209, as shown in FIG. 2A, and is rotatably coupled to the yoke 204.

[0030] In the exemplary embodiment, each yoke base 211 is also formed with an opening 213 that is sized to receive a clevis pin (not shown) therethrough such that the yoke base 211 is rotatably coupled to the clevis pin. Each clevis pin secures each yoke base 211 to a respective door 112. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, each clevis pin is coupled to a pair of clevis brackets 208 that are each securely coupled to a respective door 112. In the exemplary embodiment, each clevis bracket 208 may have racetrack holes in the clevis bracket 208 to enable or facilitate enhanced adjustability of each door 112. In the exemplary embodiment, each clevis bracket 208 is formed with an opening 206 that is sized to receive an end portion of each clevis pin therein.

[0031] In the exemplary embodiment, a seal (not shown) extends between each door 112 and the duct flange 130 (and / or each door 112 and the duct flange 131). More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, when the door 112 is fully closed, the seal extends about a perimeter of the inner surface (not shown in FIG. 2 A) of the door 112 and is compressed betw een the door inner surface and an outer surface (not shown) of the duct flange 130 (or the duct flange 131) to enable the door 112 to substantially seal against the duct flange 130.

[0032] In the exemplary embodiment, the inner end 205 of each lever arm 114 and / or 115 may be semi-circular. Accordingly, as the pair of lever arms (e.g., the lever arm 114 and the lever arm 115) are rotated from a fully open position towards the fully closed position, the inner end 205 of each lever arm 114 and / or 115 contacts the outer surface (not shown) of the door 112 and induces a closing torque force against the door 112. Because of the combination of the material used in fabricating the doors 112, the overall size of the door 112, and the relative positions of the clevis brackets 208 and the pivot rod 203, a substantially even force is applied across the door 112 that facilitates sealing the door 112 substantially flush against the duct flange 130 (or the duct flange 131) as the door 112 is closed. As such, in the exemplar}7embodiment, when the doors 112 are fully closed, leakage between the perimeter of each door 112 and the duct flange 130 (or the duct flange 131) is facilitated to be prevented, if not eliminated.

[0033] In the exemplary embodiment, the doors are identical to each other. In alternative embodiments, at least one door 112 may be sized differently than at least one other door 112. Because the vessel 150 may be under vacuum during use, the doors 112 must be structurally robust. In the exemplary embodiment, the doors 112 may be fabricated from a metallic material that can withstand operating conditions present within the vessel 150. For example, in some embodiments, the doors are fabricated from, but not limited to only being fabricated from, titanium, stainless steel, nickel alloys, aluminum alloys, and / or carbon steel. Moreover, in the exemplary embodiment, the door 112 is rectangular. Compared to known vessels used with DAC systems, which typically include only one large door on each side of the vessel, the doors 112 are considerably smaller and as such, a plurality of vessels may be placed side-by-side in close proximity within the DAC system. Additionally, as compared to known doors used with vessels in known DAC systems, the present doors 112 are considerably lighter in weight.

[0034] FIG. 2C is a side view 200c of a door actuator mechanism 210 to connect lever arms 114 or 115 of each door 112 together to enable doors 112 to be selectively moved in a coordinated movement. In the exemplary embodiment, the door actuator mechanism 210 includes a connecting bar assembly that is coupled to the outer end 207 of each lever arm 114 or 115. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, each of the lever arms 114 (or lever arms 115) are connected together via a vertically -oriented connectorrod 212. In the exemplary embodiment, each vertically-oriented connector rod 212 is coupled to each lever arm 114 or 115 at the outer end 207. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, each lever arm outer end 207 includes an opening 213 (shown in FIG. 2B) that enables each lever arm 114 and / or 115 to be securely and rotatably coupled to each vertically-oriented connector rod 212. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, each lever arm 114 and / or 115 is rotatably coupled to a respective eyelet (not shown) extending from the vertically-oriented connector rod 212 via a fastener (not shown) inserted through each eyelet and through a respective lever arm outer end opening 213.

[0035] In the exemplary embodiment, the connecting bar assembly 210 includes an actuator arm 215 that may be centered between the pair of vertically -oriented rods 212. More specifically, the actuator arm 215 is coupled to lever arms 114 or 115 via the vertically-oriented connector rod 212 such that movement of the actuator arm 215 causes concurrent movement of each vertically-oriented rod 212 and concurrent movement of each lever arm 114 or 115. More specifically, movement of actuator arm 215 causes concurrent and coordinated movement of all of the plurality of doors 112 coupled to duct flange 130 (or duct flange 131). In the exemplary embodiment, the actuator arm 215 may be coupled to an automatically actuated control system 300 (shown in FIG. 3) that enables coordinated closing and / or opening of doors 112. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the control system 300 includes a plurality of hydraulically activated mechanisms that enable the selective movement of the doors 112. In other embodiments, the control system 300 may include any other type of mechanism that enables the selective movement of the doors 112 such as, but not limited to pneumatic actuators, and / or electric actuators.

[0036] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary control system 300 that may be used to control selective movement of doors 112 during various operating modes of the direct air capture system. In the exemplary embodiment, the controller 302 includes a memory 304 and a processor 306. The controller 302 may be configured to automatically control opening and / or closing of the doors 112s of the vessel 150 in real-time based on data and / or instructions stored in the memory 304. and data analyzed by the processor 306. Alternatively, the controller 302 may accept manual inputs for operating the doors 112s of the vessel 150.

[0037] The vessel and the doors according to exemplary embodiments as described herein enable a complete extraction of the contactor cartridge and without requiring access a door coupled to a sidewall of the vessel. When the lid of the vessel is removed, cartridges within the vessel remain suspended from the lid and are removed concurrently with the lid. As such, any connections necessary to the contactor cartridge may be made external to the vessel including the maintenance and / or replacement of the cartridge or contactor. As such, maintenance of the vessel and / or the cartridge is facilitated to be performed in a less cumbersome and less time consuming manner as compared to the efforts that are generally required with known DAC vessels.

[0038] The above description is meant to be exemplary only, and one skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed. Modifications, which fall within the scope of the present invention, will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in light of a review of this disclosure, and such modifications are intended to fall within the appended claims. The systems described herein are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but rather portions of the various systems may be utilized independently and separately from other systems described herein.

[0039] Although specific features of various embodiments of the invention may be shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only. Moreover, references to “one embodiment” in the above description are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. In accordance with the principles of the invention, any feature of a drawing may be referenced and / or claimed in combination with any feature of any other drawing.

[0040] Further aspects of the invention are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses:

[0041] A vessel for use with direct air capture, the vessel comprising: a main vessel body including a wall defining a cavity within the vessel, the wall including at least one duct flange extending around an opening defined in the wall; a lid sealingly coupled to the main vessel body, wherein the cavity is accessible when the lid is removed; at least one cartridge coupled to the lid. wherein the at least one cartridge includes a sorbent thatadsorbs at least one of carbon dioxide or water; and at least one door assembly coupled to the at least one duct flange of the vessel, the door assembly including a plurality of first doors that are configured to move concurrently.

[0042] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein the at least one duct flange includes a first duct flange and a second duct flange diametrically opposite the first duct flange, wherein the plurality of first doors are coupled to the first duct flange, and wherein a plurality of second doors are coupled to the second duct flange.

[0043] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein the plurality of first doors and the plurality of second doors each include at least two doors that are coupled together.

[0044] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein each of the plurality of first doors includes a first lever arm attached along a first side of each of the plurality of first doors and a second lever arm attached along a second side of each of the plurality of second doors.

[0045] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first side of the plurality of first doors is opposite to the second side of each of the plurality of first doors, and wherein the first lever arm of each of the plurality of first doors are coupled together, and wherein the second lever arm of each of the plurality of first doors are coupled together.

[0046] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein movement of the coupled first lever arms and the coupled second lever arms causes the plurality of first doors to move concurrently together.

[0047] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses further comprising a control system configured to selectively move the plurality of first doors or the plurality of second doors concurrently together.

[0048] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses further comprising at least one cartridge suspended within the vessel cavity, wherein when the lid is removed from the vessel, the at least one cartridge remains suspended from the lid and is concurrently removed from the vessel with the lid.

[0049] A vessel for use with direct air capture, the vessel comprising: an annular vessel body including a wall defining a cavity within the vessel, the wall including at least a first duct flange and a second duct flange, each duct flange extending around an opening defined in the wall; a lid coupled to the vessel body, wherein the lid is selectively removable from the vessel body; a first door assembly coupled to the first duct flange; a second door assembly coupled to the second duct flange, wherein the first door assembly is selectively moveable independent of the second door assembly; and at least one cartridge coupled to the lid of the vessel body within cavity.

[0050] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein the at least one cartridge is suspended and hangs within the cavity when the vessel is fully assembled.

[0051] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein the at least one cartridge is suspended from the lid and remains suspended from the lid when the lid is removed from the vessel.

[0052] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein the at least one cartridge is configured to remove water or carbon dioxide from ambient air during operation of the vessel.

[0053] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first door assembly is diametrically opposite to the second door assembly and includes a plurality of doors that are moveable concurrently to provide selective airflow through the cavity.

[0054] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein the second door assembly includes a plurality of doors that are moveable concurrently to provide selective airflow through the cavity.

[0055] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein each of the plurality of doors of the first door assembly or the second door assembly includes a pair of lever arms, wherein a first of each of the pairs of lever arms are coupled together by a first rod, and wherein a second of each of the pairs of lever arms are coupled together by a second rod.

[0056] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first and second rods are coupled together to enable concurrent movement of the first and second rods, and wherein movement of the first and second rods causes concurrent movement of all of the plurality of doors of the first door assembly or the second door assembly.

[0057] A vessel for use in direct air capture, the vessel comprising: a hollow body defined by an annular wall such that a cavity is defined therein, the annular wall including at least a first duct flange extending around an opening defined in the annular wall; a lid sealingly coupled to the body of the vessel and selectively removeable from the body of the vessel to provide access to the cavity; a first door assembly coupled to the at least the first duct flange, the first door assembly including a plurality of doors selectively moveable; and at least one actuator rod coupling the plurality of doors together such that the plurality of doors are only moveable concurrently.

[0058] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein the annular wall further includes at least a second duct flange extending around another opening diametrically opposite to the first duct flange, and a second door assembly coupled to the second duct flange.

[0059] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein the second door assembly includes the plurality of doors that are selectively moveable together.

[0060] The vessel in accordance with any of the preceding clauses, wherein the plurality of doors of the first door assembly or the second door assembly includes at least two doors that are coupled together.

[0061] While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A vessel for use with direct air capture, the vessel comprising:a main vessel body including a wall defining a cavity within the vessel, the wall including at least one duct flange extending around an opening defined in the wall;a lid sealingly coupled to the main vessel body, wherein the cavity is accessible when the lid is removed;at least one cartridge coupled to the lid. wherein the at least one cartridge includes a sorbent that adsorbs at least one of carbon dioxide or water; and at least one door assembly coupled to the at least one duct flange of the vessel, the door assembly including a plurality of first doors that are configured to move concurrently.

2. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the at least one duct flange includes a first duct flange and a second duct flange diametrically opposite the first duct flange, wherein the plurality of first doors is coupled to the first duct flange, and wherein a plurality of second doors is coupled to the second duct flange.

3. The vessel of claim 2. wherein the plurality of first doors and the plurality of second doors each include at least two doors that are coupled together.

4. The vessel of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of first doors includes a first lever arm attached along a first side of each of the plurality of first doors and a second lever arm attached along a second side of each of plurality of first doors.

5. The vessel of claim 4, wherein the first side of the plurality of first doors is opposite to the second side of each of the plurality of first doors, and wherein the first lever arm of each of the plurality of first doors are coupled together, and wherein the second lever arm of each of the plurality of first doors are coupled together.

6. The vessel of claim 5, wherein movement of the coupled first lever arms and the coupled second lever arms causes the plurality of first doors to move concurrently together.

7. The vessel of claim 2 further comprising a control system configured to selectively move the plurality of first doors or the plurality of second doors concurrently together.

8. The vessel of claim 1 further comprising at least one cartridge suspended within the vessel cavity, wherein when the lid is removed from the vessel, the at least one cartridge remains suspended from the lid and is concurrently removed from the vessel with the lid.

9. A vessel for use with direct air capture, the vessel comprising: an annular vessel body including a wall defining a cavity within the vessel, the wall including at least a first duct flange and a second duct flange, each duct flange extending around an opening defined in the wall;a lid coupled to the vessel body, wherein the lid is selectively removable from the vessel body;a first door assembly coupled to the first duct flange;a second door assembly coupled to the second duct flange, wherein the first door assembly is selectively moveable independent of the second door assembly; and at least one cartridge coupled to the lid of the vessel body within cavity.

10. The vessel of claim 9, wherein the at least one cartridge is suspended and hangs within the cavity when the vessel is fully assembled.

11. The vessel of claim 10, wherein the at least one cartridge is suspended from the lid and remains suspended from the lid when the lid is removed from the vessel.

12. The vessel of claim 10, wherein the at least one cartridge is configured to remove water or carbon dioxide from ambient air during operation of the vessel.

13. The vessel of claim 9, wherein the first door assembly is diametrically opposite to the second door assembly and includes a plurality of doors that are moveable concurrently to provide selective airflow through the cavity.

14. The vessel of claim 13, wherein the second door assembly includes a plurality of doors that are moveable concurrently to provide selective airflow through the cavity.

15. The vessel of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of doors of the first door assembly or the second door assembly includes a pair of lever arms, wherein a first of each of the pairs of lever arms are coupled together by a first rod, and wherein a second of each of the pairs of lever arms are coupled together by a second rod.

16. The vessel of claim 15, wherein the first and second rods are coupled together to enable concurrent movement of the first and second rods, and wherein movement of the first and second rods causes concurrent movement of all of the plurality of doors of the first door assembly or the second door assembly.

17. A vessel for use in direct air capture, the vessel comprising:a hollow body defined by an annular wall such that a cavity is defined therein, the annular wall including at least a first duct flange extending around an opening defined in the annular wall;a lid sealingly coupled to the body of the vessel and selectively removeable from the body of the vessel to provide access to the cavity;a first door assembly coupled to the at least the first duct flange, the first door assembly including a plurality of doors selectively moveable; andat least one actuator rod coupling the plurality of doors together such that the plurality of doors is only moveable concurrently.

18. The vessel of claim 17, wherein the annular wall further includes at least a second duct flange extending around another opening diametrically opposite to the first duct flange, and a second door assembly coupled to the second duct flange.

19. The vessel of claim 18, wherein the second door assembly includes the plurality of doors that are selectively moveable together.

20. The vessel of claim 18, wherein the plurality of doors of the first door assembly or the second door assembly includes at least two doors that are coupled together.