Carbon dioxide recovery apparatus and carbon dioxide recovery method

Abstract

Provided is a recovery apparatus that is mounted on a moving body and recovers carbon dioxide, the recovery apparatus comprising: an adsorption unit 22 that adsorbs carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere; a plurality of measurement units 21 that measure the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere; a determination unit 23 that determines a movement direction on the basis of the carbon dioxide concentration measured by each of the plurality of measurement units 21; and a control unit 24 that carries out control such that the moving body moves in the determined direction.

Description

Carbon dioxide recovery device and carbon dioxide recovery method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a carbon dioxide recovery device and a recovery method.

[0002] Due to global warming caused by the increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, meteorological variations have become active, and efforts to reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are being considered.

[0003] In Non-Patent Document 1, a device installed indoors to recover carbon dioxide has been proposed. In Non-Patent Document 2, a "direct air capture technology (DAC)" that installs large-scale equipment outdoors and recovers carbon dioxide from the atmosphere has been proposed. Regarding the "direct air capture technology", Climeworks, a Swiss venture, has succeeded in commercialization.

[0004] Carbon Recovery Technology Research Institute, "CRRA, Releases the Latest Version of the Office / Home CO2 Recovery Device 'Hiyasshi' for Realizing a Carbon Neutral Society. Achieves Cloudification of the System and 100% Clean Energy", online, [Searched on August 28, 2024], Internet <https: / / www.hiyassy.com / _files / ugd / 82272f_31d457a1b9d645738effd35fad0d6d61.pdf> Climeworks, "direct air capture and storage (DAC+S)", online, [Searched on August 28, 2024], Internet <https: / / climeworks.com / >

[0005] The technologies of Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 involve installing the device indoors or outdoors. Therefore, in Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is possible to recover carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in the area where the device is installed, but the movement of the device to other areas is not considered. [[ID=#]]

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the object of the present disclosure is to provide a movable carbon dioxide recovery device and a recovery method.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, one aspect of the present disclosure is a recovery device mounted on a mobile body for recovering carbon dioxide, comprising: an adsorption unit for adsorbing carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere; a plurality of measuring units for measuring the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere; a determination unit for determining the direction of movement based on the carbon dioxide concentrations measured by the plurality of measuring units; and a control unit for controlling the mobile body to move in the determined direction, wherein the plurality of measuring units are each arranged at different positions on the mobile body.

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure is a method for recovering carbon dioxide carried out by a recovery device mounted on a mobile body, wherein the recovery device comprises a plurality of measuring units, a determination unit, a control unit, and an adsorption unit, each of which is arranged at different positions on the mobile body, the measuring units measure the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, the determination unit determines the direction of movement based on the carbon dioxide concentrations measured by each of the plurality of measuring units, the control unit controls the mobile body to move in the determined direction, and the adsorption unit adsorbs carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere surrounding the mobile body.

[0009] This disclosure provides a mobile carbon dioxide capture device and capture method.

[0010] Figure 1A is a schematic top view showing the mobile unit and carbon dioxide capture device. Figure 1B is a schematic front view showing the mobile unit and carbon dioxide capture device. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the preparation process for carbon dioxide capture. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the carbon dioxide capture process. Figure 4 is an example of the hardware configuration.

[0011] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0012] Figures 1A and 1B schematically show the mobile body of this embodiment and the carbon dioxide capture device (hereinafter referred to as the "capture device") mounted on the mobile body. In this embodiment, the case in which a drone is used as the mobile body will be described below as an example, but the mobile body is not limited to a drone. The mobile body may be, for example, an aerial vehicle including a drone, a mobile body such as a vehicle that can move on the ground, or a mobile body such as a ship that can move on water. Note that a drone is also called an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

[0013] Figure 1A is a top view of the drone and collection device. Figure 1B is a front view of the drone and collection device shown in Figure 1A. The collection device of this embodiment is mounted on a drone, allowing it to move and collect carbon dioxide from areas of the atmosphere with relatively high carbon dioxide concentrations.

[0014] The drone comprises multiple propellers 11, a body 12, and arms 13. The illustrated drone has four propellers 11, and each propeller 11 is connected to the body 12 via an arm 13. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1A, the drone has four arms 13 radiating outwards in four directions from the central part of the body 12, and each arm 13 has a propeller 11 near its tip.

[0015] The drone is equipped with a power source (not shown). Examples of power sources include hydrogen fuel cells, batteries, and solar cells. Gasoline, which emits carbon dioxide gas, is preferably not used as a power source because it affects the measurement of carbon dioxide concentration.

[0016] The recovery device of this embodiment is mounted on a drone (mobile device) and recovers carbon dioxide. As shown in Figure 1B, the recovery device comprises a plurality of measuring units 21, an adsorption unit 22, a determination unit 23, and a control unit 24.

[0017] The measurement unit 21 measures (detects) the carbon dioxide concentration (carbon dioxide gas concentration) in the atmosphere. The measurement unit 21 outputs the measured carbon dioxide concentration (measurement result) to the determination unit 23. The measurement unit 21 can use a measuring instrument such as an NDIR (non-dispersive infrared absorption) carbon dioxide sensor.

[0018] Multiple measuring units 21 are positioned at different locations on the drone. The illustrated recovery device has one measuring unit 21 for each arm 13, for a total of four measuring units 21. However, the number of measuring units 21 is not limited to four; two or more are acceptable. For example, the measuring units 21 may be positioned below each of the multiple propellers 11 on the drone. Specifically, the propellers 11 are installed on the upper surface near the tip of each arm 13, and the measuring units 21 are installed on the lower surface near the tip of each arm 13. In other words, the measuring units 21 are installed on the underside (bottom) of the propellers 11. During drone flight, each propeller 11 generates an airflow from top to bottom, so by positioning the measuring units 21 below the propellers 11, the measuring units 21 can efficiently measure the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere near the propellers 11.

[0019] In this embodiment, by installing the measurement unit 21 in four locations, carbon dioxide concentrations can be detected in four directions relative to the machine body 12. If the recovery device has five or more measurement units 21, the recovery device may further include support members that extend in a direction different from the arm 13 to support the measurement units 21, and the measurement units 21 may be installed on the support members.

[0020] The adsorption unit 22 adsorbs carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere. The adsorption unit 22 can use materials that adsorb carbon dioxide contained in the air and allow other substances to pass through. It is preferable to place the adsorption unit 22 in a position where there is airflow and where it does not impair the stability of the drone flight. In the illustrated example, the adsorption unit 22 is placed on the underside (ground side) of the drone. Specifically, the adsorption unit 22 is fixed so as to hang from the center of the underside of the aircraft body 12, but the installation position of the adsorption unit 22 is not limited to this. By adsorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere can be reduced.

[0021] The adsorption section 22 may use an existing carbon dioxide adsorption sheet or a powdered carbon dioxide adsorbent. However, considering the surface area exposed to the atmosphere, it is preferable that the adsorption section 22 contains a powdered carbon dioxide adsorbent. For example, a housing that allows air to pass through may be filled with the powdered adsorbent, and the housing may be suspended from the machine body 12. The powdered adsorbent is preferably in a solid powder state at room temperature and reacts with carbon dioxide in the air to adsorb carbon dioxide. For example, calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)) ２ ) is carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air. ２ Calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which reacts with ) and is used in a variety of applications. ３ This is preferable because it changes to ).

[0022] The determination unit 23 is located inside the machine body 12 and is electrically connected to each measuring unit 21 via connecting wiring. The determination unit 23 determines the direction of movement based on the carbon dioxide concentrations measured by each of the multiple measuring units 21. For example, the determination unit 23 may identify the measuring unit 21 that measured the highest carbon dioxide concentration and determine the direction of movement as the direction in which the measuring unit 21 is located, from the center or center of gravity of the moving body.

[0023] Specifically, the determination unit 23 acquires carbon dioxide concentration from each measurement unit 21, identifies the measurement unit 21 that measured the highest carbon dioxide concentration among those acquired, and sends a signal to the control unit 24 indicating the direction corresponding to the identified measurement unit 21. The determination unit 23 may also acquire the direction of the measurement unit 21 with the highest carbon dioxide concentration using a table pre-set in a storage unit (not shown). The table is assumed to associate each measurement unit 21 with a direction. In this embodiment, the direction of each measurement unit 21 is the direction in which the arm 13 on which the measurement unit 21 is installed extends outward from the machine body 12. The determination unit 23 sends a signal to the control unit 24 indicating the determined direction.

[0024] The control unit 24 (flight controller) is located inside the aircraft body 12 and is electrically connected to the determination unit 23 via connecting wiring. The control unit 24 controls the drone to fly (move) in the direction determined by the determination unit 23. Specifically, the control unit 24 receives a signal indicating direction from the determination unit 23 and controls each propeller 11 to fly in the direction of the signal. For example, the control unit 24 generates an operation signal to fly the drone in the direction determined by the determination unit 23 and controls the ESC (Electronic Speed ​​Controller) and motor (not shown) of each propeller. The ESC rotates the motor based on the operation signal from the control unit 24, and this rotation of the motor causes the propeller 11 to rotate.

[0025] As a result, the drone flies (moves) in the direction determined by the determination unit 23. The determined direction is the direction in which the measurement unit 21 that measured the highest carbon dioxide concentration is located, or the direction in which the arm 13 on which the measurement unit 21 is installed extends, as viewed from the aircraft body 12. The area around the measurement unit 21 that measured the highest carbon dioxide concentration is a region (area) around the drone where the carbon dioxide concentration is higher than the area around other measurement units 21. Therefore, by controlling the flight direction in the determined direction, the control unit 24 moves the drone equipped with the adsorption unit 22 in a direction in which the carbon dioxide concentration is estimated to be relatively high, and the carbon dioxide concentration can be efficiently recovered using the adsorption unit 22.

[0026] Next, the carbon dioxide recovery method of this embodiment will be described.

[0027] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the preparation process of this embodiment. A collection device is mounted on a drone to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The drone used in this embodiment can be any general drone having multiple arms 13 and each arm 13 having a propeller.

[0028] The measuring unit 21 is installed on the outside of the drone body 12 (S11). Each measuring unit 21 may be fixed to the underside (back side) of the propeller 11 near the tip of each arm 13 of the drone using a fastener.

[0029] The determination unit 23 is installed inside the aircraft body 12 using a fixing device (S12), and the control unit 24 is installed using a fixing device (S13). Note that the order of processing S11 to S13 does not matter.

[0030] Next, the measurement units 21 and the determination units 23 are electrically connected using a general wiring method (S14). For example, by connecting the measurement units 21 and the determination units 23 using a wire coated with plastic resin, contact with moisture can be prevented. The determination unit 23 and the control unit 24 are also electrically connected using a general wiring method (S15). In S15 as well, the determination unit 23 and the control unit 24 may be connected using a wire coated with plastic resin. Note that the order of processing S14 and S15 may be reversed.

[0031] Next, the suction part 22 is installed on the outside of the aircraft body 12 (S16). As described above, the suction part 22 may be fixed using a fastener so that it hangs from the center of the lower part of the aircraft body 12. The timing of the S16 process may be at the beginning (before S11) or between S13 and S14. However, it is preferable to perform the S16 process as the last process of the preparation process, just before flying the drone, as shown in the figure.

[0032] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of a drone during flight. When the drone takes flight, the capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere begins.

[0033] The drone begins flight (S21). In this embodiment, the drone flies autonomously by autopilot. However, the user may initiate flight manually using a remote controller (transmitter).

[0034] After the start of flight, each measuring unit 21 continuously measures the carbon dioxide concentration in the surrounding area (near the tip of the corresponding arm 13) in real time and outputs the measurement result to the determination unit 23 (S21). The measuring unit 21 may output the measurement result, which is being measured in real time, directly to the determination unit 23, or it may output the measurement result to the determination unit 23 at predetermined intervals, or it may output the measurement result to the determination unit 23 at the timing when the carbon dioxide concentration changes. Alternatively, the measuring unit 21 may measure the carbon dioxide concentration at predetermined intervals and output the measurement result to the determination unit 23 at predetermined intervals.

[0035] The determination unit 23 uses the carbon dioxide concentration values ​​(measurement results) output from each measurement unit 21 to determine the flight direction and sends the determined flight direction to the control unit 24 (S23). Specifically, the determination unit 23 identifies the measurement unit 21 that measured the highest value and determines the direction of the identified measurement unit 21 (the extension direction of the arm 13 on which the measurement unit 21 is installed) as the flight direction. The processing by the determination unit 23 can be in real time or at regular intervals.

[0036] The control unit 24 generates instructions (operation signals) to fly in the direction determined by the decision unit 23, and controls each propeller 11 to fly the drone in that direction (S24). In other words, the drone can automatically change direction and fly according to the instructions of the control unit 24. The instructions from the control unit 24 may be given in real time or at regular intervals.

[0037] The control unit 24 determines whether or not to terminate the flight (S25). If the flight is not terminated (S25: NO), the process returns to S22, and the carbon dioxide concentration measurement, flight direction determination, and flight control processes from S22 to S24 are repeated. As a result, the drone continues to fly in the direction of relatively high carbon dioxide concentration, and the adsorption unit 22 installed on the drone can efficiently collect carbon dioxide.

[0038] Regarding the end of flight, the end time of flight may be set in advance in the control unit 24, and the control unit 24 may determine that the flight has ended when that time arrives. Also, the end of flight may be instructed to the control unit 24 manually by the user using a remote controller (transmitter). Further, the control unit 24 may refer to the drive source (battery) and determine that the flight has ended when the remaining amount of the drive source becomes less than a predetermined value.

[0039] When it is determined that the flight has ended (S25: YES), the control unit 24 ends the flight and lands the drone at a predetermined location (S26).

[0040] Then, by collecting the adsorption unit 22 installed on the airframe 12 of the drone, the collection of carbon dioxide ends (S27). By replacing the adsorption unit 22 with a new adsorption unit 22 and charging the drive source, the collection process shown in FIG. 3 can be repeatedly carried out.

[0041] When the adsorption unit 22 is carbon dioxide adsorption powder, the carbon dioxide adsorption powder filled in the housing attached to the airframe 12 can be collected, regenerated, and the regenerated carbon dioxide adsorption powder can be filled in the housing and reused. Also, it may be replaced with new carbon dioxide adsorption powder in the housing and used as a new adsorption unit 22.

[0042] In the collection process shown in FIG. 3, an example of collecting the adsorption unit 22 in S27 is described. However, when the adsorption unit 22 is a powdery carbon dioxide adsorbent stored in a housing, the adsorption unit 22 does not necessarily need to be collected. The carbon dioxide adsorption powder (e.g., CaCO ３ ) that has adsorbed carbon dioxide can be utilized as fertilizer by spreading it at a desired location without collection. For example, the used carbon dioxide adsorption powder can be used for soil creation in fields or paddy fields. By providing an automatic opening and closing function to the housing that houses the carbon dioxide adsorption powder, the control unit 24 can open the lid of the housing and spread the carbon dioxide-adsorbed carbon dioxide adsorbent as fertilizer. Specifically, the control unit 24 flies the drone to a desired location such as a field and automatically opens the bottom of the housing to spread the used carbon dioxide adsorption powder.

[0043] The recovery device of the present embodiment described above is a recovery device mounted on a drone (mobile body) for recovering carbon dioxide, and includes an adsorption unit 22 that adsorbs carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere, a plurality of measurement units 21 that measure the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, a determination unit 23 that determines the moving direction based on the carbon dioxide concentration measured by each of the plurality of measurement units 21, and a control unit 24 that controls the drone to move in the determined direction. The plurality of measurement units 21 are respectively arranged at different positions of the drone.

[0044] The distribution method of the present embodiment is a method for recovering carbon dioxide performed by a recovery device mounted on a drone (mobile body). The recovery device includes a plurality of measurement units 21 respectively arranged at different positions of the drone, a determination unit 23, a control unit 24, and an adsorption unit 22. The measurement unit 21 measures the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, the determination unit 23 determines the moving direction based on the carbon dioxide concentration measured by each of the plurality of measurement units 21, the control unit 24 controls the drone to move in the determined direction, and the adsorption unit 22 adsorbs the carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere around the drone.

[0045] Since the recovery device of the present embodiment is mounted on a mobile body such as a drone, it is a movable recovery device, and can recover not only the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a certain area but also the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of other areas.

[0046] The recovery device of the present embodiment determines the moving direction based on the carbon dioxide concentration measured at different positions of the mobile body, and controls the mobile body to move in the determined direction. Thereby, in the present embodiment, without the user operating the mobile body, the mobile body can be continuously automatically moved in the direction where the carbon dioxide concentration is relatively high, and the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can be efficiently recovered.

[0047] The recovery device of the present embodiment is a small and lightweight device that can be mounted on a mobile body, and can recover carbon dioxide at a low cost. That is, large-scale equipment is not required, and it can be easily realized as a device for personal use.

[0048] The decision unit 23 and control unit 24 described above can use, for example, a general-purpose computer system as shown in Figure 4. The illustrated computer system includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit, processor) 901, memory 902, storage 903 (HDD: Hard Disk Drive, SSD: Solid State Drive), communication device 904, input device 905, and output device 906. The memory 902 and storage 903 are storage devices. In this computer system, the functions of the decision unit 23 and control unit 24 are realized when the CPU 901 executes a predetermined program loaded onto the memory 902.

[0049] Furthermore, the determination unit 23 and the control unit 24 may be implemented on one computer or on multiple computers. The programs of the determination unit 23 and the control unit 24 can be stored on computer-readable recording media such as HDDs, SSDs, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, CDs (Compact Discs), and DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), or distributed over a network. Computer-readable recording media are, for example, non-transitory recording media.

[0050] It should be noted that this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and numerous modifications are possible within the scope of its essence. In the embodiments described above, carbon dioxide was recovered using a recovery device mounted on a drone, but carbon dioxide can be absorbed and reduced during flight simply by installing a carbon dioxide adsorption member or adsorbent on a commonly used drone.

[0051] 11: Propeller 12: Airframe 13: Arm 21: Measurement unit 22: Suction unit 23: Determination unit 24: Control unit

Claims

1. A recovery device mounted on a mobile body for recovering carbon dioxide, comprising: an adsorption unit for adsorbing carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere; a plurality of measuring units for measuring the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere; a determination unit for determining the direction of movement based on the carbon dioxide concentrations measured by the plurality of measuring units; and a control unit for controlling the mobile body to move in the determined direction, wherein the plurality of measuring units are each positioned at different locations on the mobile body.

2. The recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit identifies the measurement unit that measured the highest carbon dioxide concentration and determines the direction in which the measurement unit is located from the central part or center of gravity of the moving body as the direction of movement.

3. The recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the moving body is an aircraft, and the suction part is located at the lower part of the aircraft.

4. The recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the moving body is an unmanned aerial vehicle, and the measuring unit is positioned below each of the plurality of propellers of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The recovery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adsorption part comprises a powdered carbon dioxide adsorbent.

6. A method for recovering carbon dioxide carried out by a recovery device mounted on a mobile body, wherein the recovery device comprises a plurality of measuring units, a determination unit, a control unit, and an adsorption unit, each of which is arranged at different positions on the mobile body; the measuring units measure the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere; the determination unit determines the direction of movement based on the carbon dioxide concentrations measured by each of the plurality of measuring units; the control unit controls the mobile body to move in the determined direction; and the adsorption unit adsorbs carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere surrounding the mobile body.

7. The recovery method according to claim 6, wherein the moving body is an aircraft, the adsorption unit is a powdered carbon dioxide adsorbent housed in a housing, and the control unit opens the lid of the housing and scatters the carbon dioxide adsorbent, which has already adsorbed carbon dioxide, as fertilizer.

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