Gas recovery device

Abstract

Provided is a gas recovery device that can efficiently recover a gas to be recovered, even when having a ventilation resistance member.　A carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) (1) comprises a blower (10), a first adsorption part (11a), a second adsorption part (11b), and an air passage switching means (13). The blower (10) comprises a first air inlet (12a), a second air inlet (12b), a first air outlet (14), a first fan (15), and a ventilation resistance member (16). Air taken in through the first air inlet (12a) passes through the ventilation resistance member (16) and is discharged through the first air outlet (14), and air taken in through the second air inlet (12b) is discharged through the first air outlet (14) without passing through the ventilation resistance member (16).

Description

Gas recovery device

[0001] This disclosure relates to a gas recovery device.

[0002] In a conventional gas recovery device, it is possible to efficiently remove gas in the atmosphere (e.g., carbon dioxide) by adsorbing the gas in the atmosphere to an adsorbent member using the air flow of a device having a blower device. (See, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-131166

[0004] In the above-described conventional gas recovery device, a heat exchanger that causes a ventilation resistance in the air flow is provided in the air flow path for adsorbing the gas to be recovered. Hereinafter, a configuration that is disposed in the air flow path for adsorbing the gas and causes a ventilation resistance (also referred to as pressure loss or pressure drop) in the air flow is referred to as a "ventilation resistance member". Therefore, in the conventional gas recovery device, since the air flow always receives the ventilation resistance caused by the ventilation resistance member, there is a problem that the gas recovery efficiency of the gas to be recovered per unit power consumption is not good due to power loss.

[0005] This disclosure has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to efficiently recover the gas to be recovered by the gas recovery device even when the gas recovery device has a ventilation resistance member.

[0006] The gas recovery device according to this disclosure includes a blower unit having a first fan that generates an air flow and a ventilation resistance member that causes a ventilation resistance when the air flow passes through, and at least two adsorbing units that adsorb the gas contained in the air flow generated by the first fan. The blower unit includes a first intake port that sucks air from the outside to the inside of the blower unit, a second intake port that is provided separately from the first intake port and sucks air from the outside to the inside of the blower unit, an air intake from the first intake port passes through the ventilation resistance member by the air flow generated by the first fan and is discharged, and a first air outlet provided at a position where the air intake from the second intake port is discharged without passing through the ventilation resistance member by the air flow generated by the first fan. The adsorbing unit includes at least a first adsorbing unit provided at a position where the air sucked from the first intake port flows and a second adsorbing unit provided at a position where the air sucked from the second intake port flows.

[0007] The gas recovery device of this disclosure ensures an airflow path that does not pass through the airflow resistance member by providing a second air intake port. Therefore, since the gas to be recovered can be recovered without generating airflow resistance due to the airflow resistance member, it has the effect of increasing the gas recovery efficiency per unit of power consumption.

[0008] This is a schematic diagram showing a carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) according to Embodiment 1 with the first or second air passage open. This is a functional block diagram of the control unit based on the operating status of the blower according to Embodiment 1. This is a flowchart for explaining the control of the fan, first air passage and second air passage based on the operating status of the blower according to Embodiment 1. This is a schematic diagram showing a carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) according to Embodiment 1 with the first and second air passages open. This is a functional block diagram of the control unit based on the operating status of the blower according to Embodiment 2. This is a schematic block diagram showing the movement path of the adsorbent according to Embodiment 2. This is a flowchart for explaining the control of the amount of adsorbent in the first adsorption unit and second adsorption unit based on the operating status of the blower according to Embodiment 2. This is a flowchart for explaining the control of the amount of adsorbent in the first adsorption unit and second adsorption unit based on the operating status of the blower according to Embodiment 3. This is a schematic diagram showing a carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) according to Embodiment 4. This is a functional block diagram of the control unit based on the operating status of the blower according to Embodiment 4. This is a flowchart for explaining the control of the second fan, first air passage, second air passage, and third air passage based on the operating status of the blower according to Embodiment 4. This is a functional block diagram of the control unit based on the operating status of the blower according to Embodiment 5. This is a schematic block diagram showing the movement path of the adsorbent according to Embodiment 5. This is a flowchart for explaining the control of the amount of adsorbent in the first adsorption unit, second adsorption unit, and third adsorption unit based on the operating status of the blower according to Embodiment 5. This is a flowchart for explaining the control of the amount of adsorbent in the first adsorption unit, second adsorption unit, and third adsorption unit based on the operating status of the blower according to Embodiment 6.

[0009] The following embodiment describes a gas recovery apparatus in which the gas to be recovered is carbon dioxide. The gas to be recovered is not limited to carbon dioxide; it may also be formaldehyde, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrocarbons such as methane, nitrogen oxides such as nitrous oxide, etc. The airflow is a flow of a mixed gas containing the gas to be recovered. The mixed gas containing the gas to be recovered is, for example, the atmosphere or automobile exhaust. The atmosphere is the air outside or the air inside.

[0010] Embodiment 1. The carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 1 in Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 1 according to Embodiment 1 with the first air passage 17a or the second air passage 17b open. The carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 1 comprises a blower unit 10, a first adsorption unit 11a, a second adsorption unit 11b, a first air passage switching means 13a, and a second air passage switching means 13b. The blower unit 10 comprises a first air intake port 12a, a second air intake port 12b, a first air outlet port 14, a first fan 15, and an airflow resistance member 16. In Embodiments 1 to 3, the first air outlet port 14 and the first fan 15 will hereafter be referred to as the air outlet port 14 and the fan 15. Furthermore, when there is no need to distinguish between the first airflow switching means 13a and the second airflow switching means 13b, they are referred to as the airflow switching means 13.

[0011] The air blower unit 10 is, for example, an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, an air handling unit, a ventilation fan, an air purifier, etc. The air blower unit 10 has a fan 15 and an airflow resistance member 16 built into its housing. In Embodiment 1, the air blower unit 10 will be described using the outdoor unit of an air conditioner as an example.

[0012] The first air intake port 12a, the second air intake port 12b, and the air outlet port 14 are provided on the side of the housing of the blower unit 10. The first air intake port 12a and the second air intake port 12b are different openings and draw air from the outside to the inside of the blower unit 10.

[0013] The air outlet 14 is positioned so that air drawn in from the first intake port 12a passes through the ventilation resistance member 16 and is discharged by the airflow generated by the fan 15, and air drawn in from the second intake port 12b is discharged by the airflow generated by the fan 15 without passing through the ventilation resistance member 16.

[0014] The airflow resistance member 16 is, for example, a heat exchanger, a dust collection filter, a deodorizing filter, etc., and is a member that generates airflow resistance in the air that passes through it. The airflow resistance member 16 may also exert effects on the airflow other than airflow resistance, such as exchanging heat, removing dust, or removing odors. The effects on the airflow other than airflow resistance are not limited to those described above. The airflow resistance member 16 may also be a member that generates only airflow resistance in the airflow.

[0015] Figure 1(a) shows the state in which the first ventilation passage 17a is open. Figure 1(b) shows the state in which the second ventilation passage 17b is open. As can be seen by referring to Figure 1(a), when the first ventilation passage 17a is open, the first ventilation passage 17a is open and the second ventilation passage 17b is blocked. Similarly, as can be seen by referring to Figure 1(b), when the second ventilation passage 17b is open, the first ventilation passage 17a is blocked and the second ventilation passage 17b is open.

[0016] The first air passage 17a is an air passage that connects the inside of the air blower 10 from the first air intake 12a to the outlet 14 and passes through the airflow resistance member 16. The second air passage 17b is an air passage that connects the inside of the air blower 10 from the second air intake 12b to the outlet 14 and does not pass through the airflow resistance member 16. That is, when the first air passage 17a is open, air is drawn into the housing from the first air intake 12a, passes through the airflow resistance member 16, and is discharged outside the housing from the outlet 14. When the second air passage 17b is open, air is drawn into the housing from the second air intake 12b, and is discharged outside the housing from the outlet 14 without passing through the airflow resistance member 16.

[0017] The first airflow switching means 13a is provided on the first airflow passage 17a and switches the opening and closing of the first airflow passage 17a. The second airflow switching means 13b is provided on the second airflow passage 17b and switches the opening and closing of the second airflow passage 17b. The first airflow switching means 13a and the second airflow switching means 13b are, for example, valves, plates, etc. For example, in the case of a valve, it could be a throttle valve, an on / off valve, etc. For example, in the case of a plate, it could be a sliding plate, a damper, etc.

[0018] The first adsorption section 11a is provided on the first air passage 17a. The second adsorption section 11b is provided on the second air passage 17b. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the first adsorption section 11a is provided upstream of the first air intake port 12a. The second adsorption section 11b is provided upstream of the second air intake port 12b. In Figure 1, the adsorption section is provided upstream of the air intake port, but it may also be provided downstream of the air intake port. The adsorption section is not limited to the above, as long as it is provided in a location through which airflow passes.

[0019] The first adsorption section 11a and the second adsorption section 11b contain an adsorbent that adsorbs carbon dioxide contained in the airflow (not shown). Examples of materials for adsorbing carbon dioxide include amines, zeolites, silica gel, diatomaceous earth, alumina, and activated carbon. Multiple materials may be selected from the above and used as the adsorbent, or materials other than those listed above may be used. The adsorbent may be granular (e.g., bead-shaped (spherical), pellet-shaped (cylindrical)). Alternatively, a powdered adsorbent may be used. In this case, the powdered adsorbent may be supported on the surface of the substrate. The substrate may be honeycomb-shaped, for example.

[0020] The first adsorption section 11a and the second adsorption section 11b are containers capable of housing and retaining an adsorbent inside. Furthermore, the first adsorption section 11a and the second adsorption section 11b work by having the airflow generated by the fan 15 pass through the adsorbent contained within the first adsorption section 11a and the second adsorption section 11b while in contact with it, thereby adsorbing carbon dioxide contained in the airflow onto the adsorbent.

[0021] The first adsorption section 11a and the second adsorption section 11b are capable of containing an adsorbent, and openings (such as slits or holes) are provided on the surfaces of the first adsorption section 11a and the second adsorption section 11b to allow airflow to pass through while evenly contacting the adsorbent contained inside. The shape of the first adsorption section 11a and the second adsorption section 11b is not limited as long as it is provided with openings, for example, a cylindrical shape, a hollow rectangular parallelepiped, or a hollow cube.

[0022] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 18 based on the operating status of the blower unit 10 according to Embodiment 1. The control unit 18 acquires information on the switching of the operating status from the blower unit 10 and controls the fan 15 and the airflow switching means 13. The operating status of the blower unit 10 is represented by two states, "operating state of the blower unit 10" and "stopped state of the blower unit 10," as described below.

[0023] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the control of the fan 15, the first air passage 17a, and the second air passage 17b based on the operating status of the blower unit 10 according to Embodiment 1. The control unit 18 acquires information when the operating status of the blower unit 10 is switched (step ST1). Whether the operating status of the blower unit 10 has been switched may be determined, for example, based on the presence or absence of a control signal sent from the control unit 18 to the blower unit 10 when the operating status of the blower unit 10 is switched, or based on the power consumption of the blower unit 10 or the rotational speed of the fan 15. If the blower unit 10 is an outdoor unit or the like, which has a compressor, the determination may be based on the power consumption of the compressor or the rotational speed of the compressor.

[0024] When the blower unit 10 is switched to the operating state, the airflow switching means 13 is controlled by the control unit 18 to open the first airflow passage 17a and close the second airflow passage 17b (step ST2). Specifically, the first airflow switching means 13a opens the first air intake port 12a, and the second airflow switching means 13b closes the second air intake port 12b. When there is no need to distinguish between the first airflow switching means 13a and the second airflow switching means 13b, they are referred to as the airflow switching means 13.

[0025] When the blower unit 10 is switched to a stopped state, the control unit 18 controls the fan 15 to rotate, and the control unit 18 controls the airflow switching means 13 to block the first airflow passage 17a and open the second airflow passage 17b (step ST3). Specifically, the first airflow switching means 13a blocks the first air intake port 12a, and the second airflow switching means 13b opens the second air intake port 12b.

[0026] In other words, when the blower unit 10 is in operation, the airflow flows through the first air passage 17a, and when the blower unit 10 is stopped, the airflow flows through the second air passage 17b.

[0027] The above describes an example in which the airflow switching means 13 is controlled by the control unit 18 to open only one of the first airflow passage 17a and the second airflow passage 17b. However, both the first airflow passage 17a and the second airflow passage 17b may be opened.

[0028] For example, if the opening area of ​​the second adsorption section 11b is considerably smaller than the opening area of ​​the first adsorption section 11a, opening only the second air passage 17b will result in a high pressure loss. Therefore, when the blower 10 is stopped, both the first air passage 17a and the second air passage 17b may be opened. Here, the opening area of ​​the adsorption section refers to the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path through which the airflow passes in the adsorption section.

[0029] Furthermore, by reducing the opening area of ​​the second air intake port 12b, for example, the amount of airflow taken into the second air passage 17b can be reduced, so that both the first air passage 17a and the second air passage 17b are open when the blower unit 10 is in operation.

[0030] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 1 according to Embodiment 1, in which the first air passage 17a and the second air passage 17b are open. Airflow is drawn into the housing from the first air intake port 12a, passes through the airflow resistance member 16, and is discharged outside the housing from the outlet port 14. Furthermore, airflow is drawn into the housing from the second air intake port 12b, and is discharged outside the housing from the outlet port 14 without passing through the airflow resistance member 16.

[0031] In embodiments 2 and 3 described later, both the first ventilation passage 17a and the second ventilation passage 17b may be opened.

[0032] Since the second air passage 17b is a path that does not pass through the airflow resistance member 16, by taking in airflow not only through the first air passage 17a but also through the second air passage 17b, carbon dioxide can be adsorbed with less blowing energy compared to the case where airflow is always taken in through the first air passage 17a, and the carbon dioxide recovery efficiency per unit of power consumption of the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 1 can be increased. Furthermore, by taking in airflow through the first air passage 17a when the blowing unit 10 is in operation, and taking in airflow through the second air passage 17b when the blowing unit 10 is stopped, the performance of the blowing unit 10 of the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 1 can be maintained.

[0033] Embodiment 2. The carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 1 in Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figures 5, 6, and 7. A key feature of Embodiment 2 is that the first adsorption section 11a and the second adsorption section 11b of the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 1 in Embodiment 1 are configured to allow control of the amount of adsorbent. Therefore, the other configurations are the same as or equivalent to those of Embodiment 1. Schematic diagrams of the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 1 in Embodiment 2 are shown in Figures 1 and 4.

[0034] Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 18 based on the operating status of the blower unit 10 according to Embodiment 2. The control unit 18 controls the airflow switching means 13 in the same manner as in Embodiment 1. Furthermore, the control unit 18 controls at least one of the supply amount control means 19 or the discharge amount control means 20.

[0035] The supply amount control means 19 controls the amount of adsorbent supplied to the first adsorption section 11a and the amount of adsorbent supplied to the second adsorption section 11b, respectively. The supply amount control means 19 is, for example, a throttle valve on the supply side provided at both the first adsorption section 11a and the second adsorption section 11b. The discharge amount control means 20 controls the amount of adsorbent discharged from the first adsorption section 11a and the amount of adsorbent discharged from the second adsorption section 11b, respectively. The discharge amount control means 20 is, for example, a throttle valve on the discharge side provided at both the first adsorption section 11a and the second adsorption section 11b. The supply amount control means 19 and the discharge amount control means 20 are not limited to throttle valves, but can be any means that can adjust the amount of adsorbent supplied to and discharged from the adsorption section, such as an on / off valve. In addition, either the supply amount control means 19 or the discharge amount control means 20 may be provided, or both may be provided.

[0036] Figure 6 is a block diagram schematically showing the movement path of the adsorbent according to Embodiment 2. Of the supply amount control means 19, the one that controls the supply amount to the first adsorption unit 11a is called the supply amount control means 19a, and the one that controls the supply amount to the second adsorption unit 11b is called the supply amount control means 19b. Of the discharge amount control means 20, the one that controls the discharge amount to the first adsorption unit 11a is called the discharge amount control means 20a, and the one that controls the discharge amount to the second adsorption unit 11b is called the discharge amount control means 20b. When there is no need to distinguish between the supply amount control means 19a and the supply amount control means 19b, they are referred to as the supply amount control means 19, and when there is no need to distinguish between the discharge amount control means 20a and the discharge amount control means 20b, they are referred to as the discharge amount control means 20.

[0037] The adsorbent is stored in the storage unit 21, and its supply is adjusted by the supply amount control means 19a and 19b before being supplied to the first adsorption unit 11a and the second adsorption unit 11b. The adsorbent in the first adsorption unit 11a and the second adsorption unit 11b is discharged to the separation unit 22 after the discharge amount is adjusted by the discharge amount control means 20a and 20b. After carbon dioxide is separated from the adsorbent in the separation unit 22, the adsorbent is stored again in the storage unit 21.

[0038] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the control of the amount of adsorbent in the first adsorption section 11a and the second adsorption section 11b based on the operating status of the blower section 10 according to Embodiment 2. The control unit 18 acquires information when the operating status of the blower section 10 is switched (step ST4).

[0039] When the blower unit 10 is switched to the operating state, the control unit 18 controls at least one of the supply amount control means 19 or the discharge amount control means 20 to reduce the amount of adsorbent supplied or increase the amount discharged in the first adsorption unit 11a (step ST5).

[0040] For example, when the blower unit 10 is switched to an operating state, the control unit 18 controls the supply amount control means 19 to decrease the amount of adsorbent supplied to the first adsorption unit 11a. For example, when the blower unit 10 is switched to an operating state, the control unit 18 controls the discharge amount control means 20 to increase the discharge amount of adsorbent from the first adsorption unit 11a. For example, when the blower unit 10 is switched to an operating state, the control unit 18 controls the supply amount control means 19 to decrease the amount of adsorbent supplied to the first adsorption unit 11a, and also controls the discharge amount control means 20 to increase the discharge amount of adsorbent from the first adsorption unit 11a.

[0041] When the blower unit 10 is switched to a stopped state, the control unit 18 controls at least one of the supply amount control means 19 or the discharge amount control means 20 to increase the supply amount of adsorbent or decrease the discharge amount in the second adsorption unit 11b (step ST6).

[0042] For example, when the blower unit 10 is switched to a stopped state, the control unit 18 controls the supply amount control means 19 to increase the amount of adsorbent supplied to the second adsorption unit 11b. For example, when the blower unit 10 is switched to a stopped state, the control unit 18 controls the discharge amount control means 20 to decrease the amount of adsorbent discharged from the second adsorption unit 11b. For example, when the blower unit 10 is switched to a stopped state, the control unit 18 controls the supply amount control means 19 to decrease the amount of adsorbent supplied to the second adsorption unit 11b, and also controls the discharge amount control means 20 to increase the amount of adsorbent discharged from the second adsorption unit 11b.

[0043] Note that the control of the fan 15, the first ventilation path 17a, and the second ventilation path 17b based on the operating status of the blower unit 10 is the same as that in the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0044] That is, when the blower unit 10 is in an operating state, the air flow circulates through the first ventilation path 17a, and the supply amount of the adsorbent in the first adsorption part 11a through which the air flow passes is decreased or the discharge amount is increased. When the blower unit 10 is in a stopped state, the air flow circulates through the second ventilation path 17b, and the supply amount of the adsorbent in the second adsorption part 11b through which the air flow passes is increased or the discharge amount is decreased. The adjustment of the supply amount or the discharge amount is performed, for example, by adjusting the opening degree of the throttle valve on the supply side or the discharge side.

[0045] When the blower unit 10 is in an operating state, the pressure loss can be suppressed by decreasing the supply amount of the adsorbent in the first adsorption part 11a or increasing the discharge amount, and the degree of inhibition of the movement of the air flow passing through the first ventilation path 17a of the blower unit 10 can be suppressed to a small level. Further, when the blower unit 10 is in a stopped state, the carbon dioxide recovery efficiency is increased by increasing the supply amount of the adsorbent in the second adsorption part 11b or decreasing the discharge amount.

[0046] Thus, when the blower unit 10 is in an operating state, the degree of inhibition of the movement of the air flow passing through the first ventilation path 17a of the blower unit 10 can be suppressed to a small level, so that the performance of the blower unit 10 can be maintained. When the blower unit 10 is in a stopped state, the air flow does not pass through the ventilation resistance member 16, and the carbon dioxide recovery efficiency per power consumption of the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 1 can be increased.

[0047] Further, the adsorbent that has adsorbed carbon dioxide is discharged from the first adsorption part 11a and the second adsorption part 11b, and after the separation of carbon dioxide, it is supplied again to the first adsorption part 11a and the second adsorption part 11b, so that the carbon dioxide adsorption performance in the first adsorption part 11a and the second adsorption part 11b can be maintained.

[0048] Embodiment 3. The carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 1 in Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 88. In Embodiment 3, it is characterized in that a configuration capable of controlling the amount of adsorbent is adopted for the first adsorption unit 11a and the second adsorption unit 11b of the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 1 in Embodiment 1. In particular, it is characterized in that a configuration for controlling the amount of adsorbent according to the level of the operating load of the blower unit 10 is adopted. Therefore, other configurations are the same as or equivalent to those in Embodiment 1. The schematic diagram of the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 1 in Embodiment 3 is as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

[0049] Hereinafter, the operating load is used as an index indicating how much the blower unit 10 is operating. When the power consumption of the blower unit 10 is large, the operating load is said to be high, and when the power consumption of the blower unit 10 is small, the operating load is said to be low. For example, with respect to the maximum output X kilowatts of the blower unit 10, when the power consumption of the blower unit 10 is 0.8X kilowatts, the operating load is said to be in a high state, and when it is 0.2X kilowatts, the operating load is said to be in a low state. Note that, as a specific example, the case where the power consumption is 0.8X kilowatts has been described as the case where the operating load is high, but it is not limited to this value. Similarly, the case where the power consumption is 0.2X kilowatts is not limited to this value either.

[0050] As a method for confirming the power consumption of the blower unit 10, a known wattmeter or the like may be used. The control unit 18 can grasp the power consumption of the blower unit 10 by being communicably connected to a known wattmeter or the like by wire or wirelessly.

[0051] The following control according to the operating load is to be performed when the blower unit 10 is in an operating state. When the operating load of the blower unit 10 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value D, the control unit 18 may perform at least one of reducing the supply amount or increasing the discharge amount of the adsorbent in the first adsorption unit 11a, and when it is less than the predetermined value D, the control unit 18 may perform at least one of increasing the supply amount or reducing the discharge amount of the adsorbent in the first adsorption unit 11a.

[0052] For example, if the operating load when the power consumption of the blower unit 10 is 0.5X kilowatts is defined as a predetermined value D, then when the power consumption of the blower unit 10 is 0.5X kilowatts or more, i.e., when the operating load of the blower unit 10 is 0.5X kilowatts or more, the first adsorption unit 11a will reduce the amount of adsorbent supplied or increase the amount discharged. This will suppress pressure loss caused by the adsorbent coming into contact with a high-velocity airflow.

[0053] Furthermore, if the power consumption of the air blower 10 is less than 0.5X kilowatts, that is, if the operating load of the air blower 10 is less than the predetermined value D, the first adsorption unit 11a will increase the supply amount of adsorbent or decrease the discharge amount. By doing so, the efficiency of the adsorbent in recovering carbon dioxide contained in the airflow produced by the fan 15 can be increased.

[0054] By configuring the system as described above, the airflow velocity generated by the fan 15 can be reduced, and pressure loss can be kept low even when the adsorbent comes into contact with the airflow. This is because pressure loss is proportional to the square of the airflow velocity.

[0055] The control unit 18 may stop supplying adsorbent to the first adsorption unit 11a if the operating load is greater than or equal to a predetermined upper limit Dmax, and may continue supplying adsorbent to the first adsorption unit 11a if the operating load is less than the predetermined upper limit Dmax. The upper limit Dmax is a value greater than the default value D.

[0056] For example, with respect to the maximum output X kilowatts of the blower unit 10, the operating load when the power consumption of the blower unit 10 is 0.7X kilowatts is set to a predetermined upper limit Dmax. If the power consumption is 0.7X kilowatts or more, the supply of adsorbent to the first adsorption unit 11a may be stopped, and if the power consumption is less than 0.7X kilowatts, the adsorbent may be supplied to the first adsorption unit 11a.

[0057] When the operating load of the blower unit 10 exceeds a predetermined upper limit Dmax, the airflow velocity is high. Therefore, if more adsorbent is supplied to the first adsorption unit 11a than the amount of adsorbent currently available, the packing density of the adsorbent in the first adsorption unit 11a increases, and the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the airflow path decreases. In this case, coupled with the high airflow velocity, the pressure loss increases. This is because the pressure loss is inversely proportional to the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the airflow path, that is, the spacing between the adsorbents; therefore, a decrease in the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the airflow path increases the pressure loss.

[0058] The operation of adjusting the amount of adsorbent supplied or discharged according to the relationship between the operating load and the default value D, and the operation of supplying or stopping the supply of adsorbent according to the relationship between the operating load and the upper limit value Dmax, can be used in combination.

[0059] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the control of the amount of adsorbent in the first adsorption section 11a and the second adsorption section 11b based on the operating status of the blower section 10 according to Embodiment 4. The control unit 18 acquires information when the operating status of the blower section 10 is switched (step ST7).

[0060] When the blower unit 10 is switched to the operating state, the operating load is determined (step ST8). If the operating load is less than a predetermined value D, that is, for example, if the power consumption of the blower unit 10 is less than 0.5X kilowatts, the control unit 18 controls at least one of the supply amount control means 19 or the discharge amount control means 20 to increase the amount of adsorbent supplied or decrease the amount discharged in the first adsorption unit 11a (step ST9).

[0061] When the operating load is greater than or equal to a predetermined value D and less than the upper limit Dmax, that is, for example, when the power consumption of the blower unit 10 is 0.5X kilowatts or more and less than 0.7X kilowatts, the control unit 18 controls at least one of the supply amount control means 19 or the discharge amount control means 20 to reduce the amount of adsorbent supplied or increase the amount discharged in the first adsorption unit 11a (step ST10).

[0062] If the operating load exceeds the upper limit Dmax, that is, if the power consumption of the blower unit 10 is 0.7X kilowatts or more, the supply amount control means 19 is controlled by the control unit 18 to stop the supply of adsorbent to the first adsorption unit 11a (step ST11).

[0063] If the blower unit 10 is operating, the operating load is determined at regular intervals, and when the blower unit 10 stops, the operating load determination is terminated (step ST12). When the blower unit 10 switches to a stopped state, the control unit 18 controls at least one of the supply amount control means 19 or the discharge amount control means 20 to increase the amount of adsorbent supplied or decrease the amount discharged in the second adsorption unit 11b (step ST13).

[0064] Furthermore, the control of the fan 15, the first air passage 17a, and the second air passage 17b based on the operating status of the blower unit 10 is the same as in Embodiment 1 described with reference to Figure 3.

[0065] In the above explanation, the power consumption when the operating load of the blower unit 10 is a predetermined value D is assumed to be 0.5X kilowatts, and the power consumption when the operating load of the blower unit 10 is an upper limit value Dmax is assumed to be 0.7X kilowatts. However, the power consumption is not limited to these values.

[0066] When the blower unit 10 is in operation, the supply or discharge amount of adsorbent from the first adsorption unit 11a is controlled considering the operating load. If the operating load is smaller than a predetermined value D, that is, if the pressure loss can be kept small, the supply or discharge amount of adsorbent from the first adsorption unit 11a can be increased or decreased to improve the carbon dioxide recovery efficiency.

[0067] If the operating load is greater than a predetermined value D, that is, if the pressure loss may be large, the supply amount or discharge amount of adsorbent to the first adsorption unit 11a is increased. Furthermore, if the operating load is greater than a predetermined upper limit Dmax, that is, if there is a pressure loss, the supply of adsorbent to the first adsorption unit 11a is stopped to suppress the pressure loss.

[0068] In all of the operations for controlling the supply amount or discharge amount of adsorbent described in Embodiments 2 and 3, the breakthrough adsorbent or adsorbent that has been exposed to the airflow for a predetermined time may be controlled to be discharged from the first adsorption section 11a and the second adsorption section 11b.

[0069] The rotational speed of the fan 15 may be used instead of the power consumption of the blower unit 10 to determine the operating load. This is because the power consumption of the blower unit 10 and the rotational speed of the fan 15 have a positive correlation. In other words, if the rotational speed of the fan 15 is above a certain threshold, it is determined that the operating load is high, and if the rotational speed of the fan 15 is below a certain threshold, it is determined that the operating load is low.

[0070] As a concrete example of the configuration described above, an outdoor unit of an air conditioner or heat pump water heater can be particularly cited as a device in which the air blower 10 has a compressor. The compressor used in such an air conditioner or heat pump water heater controls the temperature by compressing the refrigerant that has received heat from the airflow. For example, when an air conditioner is heating, if the refrigerant absorbs a temperature of, for example, 10 degrees from the airflow taken in from outside, the compressor compresses the refrigerant to release heat into the room, raising the temperature of the refrigerant to, for example, 80 degrees.

[0071] In cases where the air blower 10 has a compressor, such as the outdoor unit of the air conditioner or heat pump water heater described above, the power consumption of the compressor or the rotational speed of the compressor may be used to determine the operating load. This is because the power consumption of the air blower 10, the power consumption of the compressor, and the rotational speed of the compressor all have a positive correlation.

[0072] When such a blower unit 10 is applied to a device having a compressor, the operating load is determined to be high if the compressor's power consumption is higher than a predetermined power consumption, and low if the power consumption is lower than a predetermined power consumption. Furthermore, the operating load is determined to be high if the compressor's rotational speed is greater than a rotational speed threshold, and low if the compressor's rotational speed is less than a rotational speed threshold.

[0073] Embodiment 4. The carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 2 in Embodiment 4 will be described with reference to Figures 9, 10, and 11. The carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 2 in Embodiment 4 is an example in which a ventilation fan is used in the air blowing unit 100. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 2 according to Embodiment 4. The carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 2 comprises an air blowing unit 100, a first adsorption unit 110a, a second adsorption unit 110b, a third adsorption unit 110c, a first airflow switching means 130a, a second airflow switching means 130b, and a third airflow switching means 130c. The air blowing unit 100 comprises a first air intake port 120a, a second air intake port 120b, a third air intake port 120c, a first outlet port 140a, a second outlet port 140b, a first fan 150a, a second fan 150b, and a ventilation resistance member 160. The first airflow switching means 130a, the second airflow switching means 130b, and the third airflow switching means 130c are collectively referred to as the airflow switching means 130, and the first fan 150a and the second fan 150b are collectively referred to as the fan 150.

[0074] The first air intake port 120a, the second air intake port 120b, the third air intake port 120c, the first air outlet port 140a, and the second air outlet port 140b are provided on the side of the housing of the blower unit 100. The first air intake port 120a, the second air intake port 120b, and the third air intake port 120c are all different openings and draw air from the outside to the inside of the blower unit 100.

[0075] The first air outlet 140a is positioned so that air drawn in from the first air intake 120a passes through the ventilation resistance member 160 and is discharged by the airflow generated by the first fan 150a, and air drawn in from the second air intake 120b is discharged by the airflow generated by the first fan 150a without passing through the ventilation resistance member 160. The second air outlet 140b is a different opening from the first air outlet 140a and is positioned so that air drawn in from the third air intake 120c passes through the ventilation resistance member 160 and is discharged by the airflow generated by the second fan 150b.

[0076] The airflow generated by the first fan 150a and the airflow generated by the second fan 150b are different airflows.

[0077] The ventilation resistance member 160 is, for example, a heat exchanger, a dust collection filter, a deodorizing filter, etc. The heat exchanger in the ventilation fan plays a role in reducing changes in room temperature due to ventilation.

[0078] Figure 9(a) shows the state in which the first air passage 170a and the third air passage 170c are open. Figure 9(b) shows the state in which the second air passage 170b is open. As can be seen by referring to Figure 9(a), in the state in which the first air passage 170a and the third air passage 170c are open, the first air passage 170a and the third air passage 170c are open, and the second air passage 170b is blocked. Similarly, as can be seen by referring to Figure 9(b), in the state in which the second air passage 170b is open, the first air passage 170a and the third air passage 170c are blocked, and the second air passage 170b is open.

[0079] The areas enclosed by dashed lines in Figures 9(a) and 9(b) correspond to the configurations shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b).

[0080] The first air passage 170a connects the first air intake 120a to the first air outlet 140a and passes through the air resistance member 160. The second air passage 170b connects the second air intake 120b to the first air outlet 140a and does not pass through the air resistance member 160. The third air passage 170c connects the third air intake 120c to the second air outlet 140b and passes through the air resistance member 160. Furthermore, the first air intake 120a and the second air outlet 140b are located in positions that connect to the outdoors via a duct, while the second air intake 120b, the third air intake 120c, and the first air outlet 140a are located indoors. The first air intake 120a and the second air outlet 140b are connected to the outdoors via a duct. The second air intake port 120b, the third air intake port 120c, and the first air outlet port 140a are connected to the indoors directly or through a duct.

[0081] In other words, when the first ventilation passage 170a is open, outdoor air is drawn in from the first intake port 120a, passes through the ventilation resistance member 160, and is discharged indoors from the first outlet port 140a. When the second ventilation passage 170b is open, indoor air is drawn in from the second intake port 120b, and is discharged indoors from the first outlet port 140a without passing through the ventilation resistance member 160. When the third ventilation passage 170c is open, indoor air is drawn in from the third intake port 120c, passes through the ventilation resistance member 160, and is discharged outdoors from the second outlet port 140b.

[0082] The first airflow switching means 130a switches the opening and closing of the first airflow passage 170a. The second airflow switching means 130b switches the opening and closing of the second airflow passage 170b. The third airflow switching means 130c switches the opening and closing of the third airflow passage 170c.

[0083] The first adsorption part 110a is provided on the first air passage 170a. The second adsorption part 110b is provided on the second air passage 170b. The third adsorption part 110c is provided on the third air passage 170c. For example, as shown in Figure 9, the first adsorption part 110a is provided on the upstream side of the first air intake port 120a. The second adsorption part 110b is provided on the upstream side of the second air intake port 120b. The third adsorption part 110c is provided on the upstream side of the third air intake port 120c. In Figure 9, the adsorption parts are provided on the upstream side of the air intake ports, but they may also be provided on the downstream side of the air intake ports. The adsorption parts are not limited to the above, as long as they are provided in a location through which airflow passes.

[0084] Figure 10 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 180 based on the operating status of the blower unit 100 according to Embodiment 4. The control unit 180 acquires information on the switching of the operating status from the blower unit 100 and controls the fan 150 and the airflow switching means 130.

[0085] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating the control of the second fan 150b, the first air passage 170a, the second air passage 170b, and the third air passage 170c based on the operating status of the blower unit 100 according to Embodiment 4. The control unit 180 acquires information when the operating status of the blower unit 100 is switched (step ST14). Whether or not the operating status of the blower unit 100 has been switched may be determined, for example, based on the presence or absence of a control signal sent from the control unit 180 to the blower unit 100 when the operating status of the blower unit 100 is switched, or it may be determined based on the power consumption of the blower unit 100 or the rotational speed of the fan 150.

[0086] Whether the operating status of the air blower 100 has been switched may be determined based on the indoor carbon dioxide concentration. Specifically, the air blower 100 is controlled to operate when the indoor carbon dioxide concentration is above a standard value and to stop when it is below the standard value. The standard value is, for example, 1000 ppm.

[0087] Whether the operating status of the air blower 100 has been switched may be determined based on the number of people inside the room. Specifically, the air blower 100 is controlled to detect the number of people inside the room using an infrared sensor, an image sensor, etc., and to operate if the number of people inside the room is above a certain threshold, and to stop if it is below the threshold. The threshold is, for example, 10% of the room's capacity.

[0088] When the blower unit 100 is switched to the operating state, the airflow switching means 130 is controlled by the control unit 180 to open the first airflow passage 170a and the third airflow passage 170c and to block the second airflow passage 170b (step ST15). Specifically, the first airflow switching means 130a and the third airflow switching means 130c open the first air intake port 120a and the third air intake port 120c, respectively, and the second airflow switching means 130b blocks the second air intake port 120b.

[0089] When the blower unit 100 is switched to a stopped state, the control unit 180 controls the first fan 150a to rotate, and the control unit 180 controls the airflow switching means 130 to block the first airflow passage 170a and the third airflow passage 170c and open the second airflow passage 170b (step ST16). Specifically, the first airflow switching means 130a and the third airflow switching means 130c each block the first air intake port 120a and the third air intake port 120c, and the second airflow switching means 130b opens the second air intake port 120b.

[0090] In other words, when the blower unit 100 is in operation, the airflow flows from outdoors to indoors through the first air passage 170a and from indoors to outdoors through the third air passage 170c. When the blower unit 100 is stopped, the airflow flows indoors through the second air passage 170b.

[0091] When the air blower 100 is operating, it ventilates the room by drawing in outside air and expelling indoor air to the outside. When the air blower 100 is stopped, it circulates the air inside the room.

[0092] Since the second air passage 170b is a path that does not pass through the airflow resistance member 160, by taking in airflow not only through the first air passage 170a and the third air passage 170c but also through the second air passage 170b, carbon dioxide can be adsorbed with less blowing energy compared to the case where airflow is always taken in through the first air passage 170a and the third air passage 170c, thereby increasing the carbon dioxide recovery efficiency per unit of power consumption of the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 2. Furthermore, by taking in airflow through the first air passage 170a and the third air passage 170c when the blowing unit 100 is in operation, and taking in airflow through the second air passage 170b when the blowing unit 100 is stopped, the performance of the blowing unit 100 of the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 2 can be maintained.

[0093] Embodiment 5. The carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 2 in Embodiment 5 will be described with reference to Figures 12, 13, and 14. A key feature of Embodiment 5 is the adoption of a configuration that allows control of the amount of adsorbent in the first adsorption section 110a, the second adsorption section 110b, and the third adsorption section 110c of the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 2 in Embodiment 4. Therefore, the other configurations are the same as or equivalent to those in Embodiment 4. A schematic diagram of the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 2 in Embodiment 5 is shown in Figure 9.

[0094] Figure 12 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 180 based on the operating status of the blower unit 100 according to Embodiment 5. The control unit 180 controls the airflow switching means 130 in the same manner as in Embodiment 4. Furthermore, the control unit 180 controls at least one of the supply amount control means 190 or the discharge amount control means 200.

[0095] The supply amount control means 190 controls the amount of adsorbent supplied to the first adsorption section 110a, the amount of adsorbent supplied to the second adsorption section 110b, and the amount of adsorbent supplied to the third adsorption section 110c, respectively. The supply amount control means 190 is, for example, a throttle valve on the supply side provided in each of the first adsorption section 110a, the second adsorption section 110b, and the third adsorption section 110c. The discharge amount control means 200 controls the discharge amount of adsorbent from the first adsorption section 110a, the second adsorption section 110b, and the third adsorption section 110c, respectively. The discharge amount control means 200 is, for example, a throttle valve on the discharge side provided in each of the first adsorption section 110a, the second adsorption section 110b, and the third adsorption section 110c. The supply amount control means 190 and the discharge amount control means 200 are not limited to throttle valves, but can be any means capable of adjusting the supply amount and discharge amount of adsorbent to an adsorption part such as an on / off valve. Furthermore, either the supply amount control means 190 or the discharge amount control means 200 may be provided, or both may be provided.

[0096] Figure 13 is a schematic block diagram showing the movement path of the adsorbent according to Embodiment 5. Of the supply amount control means 190, the one that controls the supply amount to the first adsorption section 110a is designated as supply amount control means 190a, the one that controls the supply amount to the second adsorption section 110b is designated as supply amount control means 190b, and the one that controls the supply amount to the third adsorption section 110c is designated as supply amount control means 190c. Of the discharge amount control means 200, the one that controls the discharge amount to the first adsorption section 110a is designated as discharge amount control means 200a, the one that controls the discharge amount to the second adsorption section 110b is designated as discharge amount control means 200b, and the one that controls the discharge amount to the third adsorption section 110c is designated as discharge amount control means 200c. When there is no need to distinguish between the supply amount control means 190a, supply amount control means 190b, and supply amount control means 190c, they shall be referred to as the supply amount control means 190, and when there is no need to distinguish between the emission control means 200a, emission control means 200b, and emission control means 200c, they shall be referred to as the emission control means 200.

[0097] The adsorbent is stored in the storage unit 210, and its supply is adjusted by supply amount control means 190a, 190b, and 190c before being supplied to the first adsorption unit 110a, the second adsorption unit 110b, and the third adsorption unit 110c. The adsorbent in the first adsorption unit 110a, the second adsorption unit 110b, and the third adsorption unit 110c is discharged to the separation unit 220 after the discharge amount is adjusted by discharge amount control means 200a and 200b. After carbon dioxide is separated from the adsorbent in the separation unit 220, the adsorbent is stored again in the storage unit 210.

[0098] Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating the control of the amount of adsorbent in the first adsorption section 110a, the second adsorption section 110b, and the third adsorption section 110c based on the operating status of the blower section 100 according to Embodiment 5. The control unit 180 acquires information when the operating status of the blower section 100 is switched (step ST17).

[0099] When the blower unit 100 is switched to the operating state, the control unit 180 controls at least one of the supply amount control means 190 or the discharge amount control means 200 in the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c to either decrease the supply amount of adsorbent or increase the discharge amount (step ST18).

[0100] For example, when the blower unit 100 is switched to an operating state, the control unit 180 controls the supply amount control means 190 to decrease the amount of adsorbent supplied to the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c. For example, when the blower unit 100 is switched to an operating state, the control unit 180 controls the discharge amount control means 200 to increase the discharge amount of adsorbent to the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c. For example, when the blower unit 100 is switched to an operating state, the control unit 180 controls the supply amount control means 190 to decrease the amount of adsorbent supplied to the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c, and the control unit 180 controls the discharge amount control means 200 to increase the discharge amount of adsorbent to the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c.

[0101] When the blower unit 100 is switched to a stopped state, the control unit 180 controls at least one of the supply amount control means 190 or the discharge amount control means 200 in the second adsorption unit 110b to increase the supply amount of adsorbent or decrease the discharge amount (step ST19).

[0102] For example, when the blower unit 100 is switched to a stopped state, the control unit 180 controls the supply amount control means 190 to increase the amount of adsorbent supplied to the second adsorption unit 110b. For example, when the blower unit 100 is switched to a stopped state, the control unit 180 controls the discharge amount control means 200 to decrease the amount of adsorbent discharged from the second adsorption unit 110b. For example, when the blower unit 100 is switched to a stopped state, the control unit 180 controls the supply amount control means 190 to decrease the amount of adsorbent supplied to the second adsorption unit 110b, and also controls the discharge amount control means 200 to increase the amount of adsorbent discharged from the second adsorption unit 110b.

[0103] Furthermore, the control of the fan 150, the first air passage 170a, the second air passage 170b, and the third air passage 170c based on the operating status of the blower unit 100 is the same as in Embodiment 4 described with reference to Figure 11.

[0104] In other words, when the blower unit 100 is in operation, airflow flows through the first air passage 170a and the third air passage 170c, and the supply amount of adsorbent to the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c through which the airflow passes is reduced or the discharge amount is increased. When the blower unit 100 is stopped, airflow flows through the second air passage 170b, and the supply amount of adsorbent to the second adsorption unit 110b through which the airflow passes is increased or the discharge amount is decreased. The adjustment of the supply amount or discharge amount is performed, for example, by adjusting the opening and closing of the throttle valve on the supply side or the discharge side.

[0105] When the blower unit 100 is in operation, pressure loss can be suppressed by reducing the supply amount or increasing the discharge amount of adsorbent in the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c, thereby minimizing the degree of obstruction to the airflow movement through the first air passage 170a and the third adsorption unit 110c of the blower unit 100. Furthermore, when the blower unit 100 is stopped, the carbon dioxide recovery efficiency can be increased by increasing the supply amount or decreasing the discharge amount of adsorbent in the second adsorption unit 110b.

[0106] Thus, when the blower unit 100 is in operation, the degree of obstruction to the movement of the airflow circulating through the first air passage 170a and the third air passage 170c of the blower unit 100 can be kept to a minimum, thereby maintaining the performance of the blower unit 100. When the blower unit 100 is stopped, the airflow does not pass through the airflow resistance member 160, which increases the carbon dioxide recovery efficiency per unit of power consumption of the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 2.

[0107] Furthermore, the adsorbent that has adsorbed carbon dioxide is discharged from the first adsorption section 110a, the second adsorption section 110b, and the third adsorption section 110c, and after the separation of carbon dioxide, it is supplied again to the first adsorption section 110a, the second adsorption section 110b, and the third adsorption section 110c, thereby maintaining the carbon dioxide adsorption performance of the first adsorption section 110a, the second adsorption section 110b, and the third adsorption section 110c.

[0108] Embodiment 6. The carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 2 in Embodiment 6 will be described with reference to Figure 15. Embodiment 6 is characterized by the adoption of a configuration that allows control of the amount of adsorbent in the first adsorption section 110a, the second adsorption section 110b, and the third adsorption section 110c of the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 2 in Embodiment 4. In particular, it is characterized by the adoption of a configuration that controls the amount of adsorbent according to the operating load of the air blower section 100. Therefore, other configurations are the same as or equivalent to those in Embodiment 4. A schematic diagram of the carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device) 2 in Embodiment 6 is shown in Figure 9.

[0109] In the following, the operating load is used as an indicator to show how much the air blower 100 is operating. When the power consumption of the air blower 100 is high, the operating load is said to be high, and when the power consumption of the air blower 100 is low, the operating load is said to be low. For example, when the power consumption of the air blower 100 is 0.8X kilowatts relative to the maximum output of the air blower 100, the operating load is said to be high, and when it is 0.2X kilowatts, the operating load is said to be low. Note that, as a specific example, the case of a power consumption of 0.8X kilowatts was explained as a case of a high operating load, but it is not limited to this value. Similarly, when the power consumption is 0.2X kilowatts, it is not limited to this value.

[0110] A known wattmeter or the like can be used to check the power consumption of the blower unit 100. The control unit 180 can determine the power consumption of the blower unit 100 by being connected to the known wattmeter or the like via wired or wireless communication.

[0111] The following control according to the operating load shall be performed when the blower unit 100 is in operation. The control unit 180 may reduce the supply amount of adsorbent or increase the discharge amount in the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c if the operating load of the blower unit 100 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value D, and may increase the supply amount of adsorbent or decrease the discharge amount in the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c if the operating load is less than the predetermined value D.

[0112] For example, if the operating load when the power consumption of the blower unit 100 is 0.5X kilowatts is defined as a predetermined value D, then when the power consumption of the blower unit 100 is 0.5X kilowatts or more, i.e., when the operating load of the blower unit 100 is 0.5X kilowatts or more, at least one of the following is performed in the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c: the supply amount of adsorbent is reduced or the discharge amount is increased. This suppresses pressure loss caused by the adsorbent coming into contact with a high-velocity airflow.

[0113] Furthermore, if the power consumption of the blower unit 100 is less than 0.5X kilowatts, that is, if the operating load of the blower unit 100 is less than the predetermined value D, at least one of the following is performed: the supply amount of adsorbent is increased or the discharge amount is decreased in the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c. By doing so, the efficiency of the adsorbent in recovering carbon dioxide contained in the airflow produced by the fan 150 can be increased.

[0114] By configuring the system as described above, the airflow velocity generated by the fan 150 can be reduced, and pressure loss can be kept low even when the adsorbent comes into contact with the airflow. This is because pressure loss is proportional to the square of the airflow velocity.

[0115] The control unit 180 may stop supplying adsorbent to the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c if the operating load is greater than or equal to a predetermined upper limit Dmax, and may supply adsorbent to the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c if the operating load is less than the predetermined upper limit Dmax. The upper limit Dmax is a value greater than the default value D.

[0116] For example, with respect to the maximum output X kilowatts of the blower unit 100, the operating load when the power consumption of the blower unit 100 is 0.7X kilowatts is set to a predetermined upper limit Dmax. If the power consumption is 0.7X kilowatts or more, the supply of adsorbent to the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c may be stopped, and if the power consumption is less than 0.7X kilowatts, the adsorbent may be supplied to the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c.

[0117] When the operating load of the blower unit 100 exceeds a predetermined upper limit Dmax, the airflow velocity is high. Therefore, if adsorbent is supplied to the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c in an amount exceeding the adsorbent supply amount at that time, the packing density of the adsorbent in the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c increases, and the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path through which the airflow passes decreases. In this case, coupled with the high airflow velocity, the pressure loss increases. This is because the pressure loss is inversely proportional to the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path, that is, the distance between the adsorbents, so a decrease in the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path increases the pressure loss.

[0118] The operation of adjusting the amount of adsorbent supplied or discharged according to the relationship between the operating load and the default value D, and the operation of supplying or stopping the supply of adsorbent according to the relationship between the operating load and the upper limit value Dmax, can be used in combination.

[0119] Figure 15 is a flowchart illustrating the control of the amount of adsorbent in the first adsorption section 110a, the second adsorption section 110b, and the third adsorption section 110c based on the operating status of the blower section 100 according to Embodiment 6. The control unit 180 acquires information when the operating status of the blower section 100 is switched (step ST20).

[0120] When the blower unit 100 is switched to the operating state, the operating load is determined (step ST21). If the operating load is less than a predetermined value D, that is, for example, if the power consumption of the blower unit 100 is less than 0.5X kilowatts, the control unit 180 controls at least one of the supply amount control means 190 or the discharge amount control means 200 to increase the supply amount of adsorbent or decrease the discharge amount in the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c (step ST22).

[0121] When the operating load is greater than or equal to a predetermined value D and less than the upper limit Dmax, that is, for example, when the power consumption of the blower unit 100 is 0.5X kilowatts or more and less than 0.7X kilowatts, the control unit 180 controls at least one of the supply amount control means 190 or the discharge amount control means 200 to reduce the supply amount of adsorbent or increase the discharge amount in the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c (step ST23).

[0122] If the operating load exceeds the upper limit Dmax, that is, if the power consumption of the blower unit 100 is 0.7X kilowatts or more, the supply amount control means 190 is controlled by the control unit 180 to stop the supply of adsorbent to the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c (step ST24).

[0123] If the blower unit 100 is in operation, the operating load is determined at regular intervals, and when the blower unit 100 stops, the operating load determination is terminated (step ST25). When the blower unit 100 switches to a stopped state, the control unit 180 controls at least one of the supply amount control means 190 or the discharge amount control means 200 to increase the amount of adsorbent supplied or decrease the amount discharged in the second adsorption unit 110b (step ST26).

[0124] Furthermore, the control of the fan 150, the first air passage 170a, the second air passage 170b, and the third air passage 170c based on the operating status of the blower unit 100 is the same as in Embodiment 4 described with reference to Figure 11.

[0125] In the above explanation, the power consumption when the operating load of the blower unit 100 is a predetermined value D is assumed to be 0.5X kilowatts, and the power consumption when the operating load of the blower unit 100 is an upper limit value Dmax is assumed to be 0.7X kilowatts. However, the power consumption is not limited to these values.

[0126] When the blower unit 100 is in operation, the supply or discharge amount of adsorbent from the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c is controlled considering the operating load. If the operating load is smaller than a predetermined value D, that is, if the pressure loss can be kept small, the supply or discharge amount of adsorbent from the first adsorption unit 110a and the third adsorption unit 110c can be increased or decreased to improve the carbon dioxide recovery efficiency.

[0127] If the operating load is greater than a predetermined value D, that is, if the pressure loss may be large, the supply amount or discharge amount of adsorbent to the first adsorption section 110a and the third adsorption section 110c is increased. Furthermore, if the operating load is greater than a predetermined upper limit Dmax, that is, if there is a pressure loss, the supply of adsorbent to the first adsorption section 110a and the third adsorption section 110c is stopped to suppress the pressure loss.

[0128] In all of the operations for controlling the supply amount or discharge amount of adsorbent described in Embodiments 4 and 5, the breakthrough adsorbent or adsorbent that has been exposed to the airflow for a predetermined time may be controlled to be discharged from the first adsorption section 110a, the second adsorption section 110b, and the third adsorption section 110c.

[0129] To determine the operating load, the rotational speed of the fan 150 may be used instead of the power consumption of the blower unit 100. This is because, when the blower unit 100 is operating, there is a positive correlation between the power consumption of the blower unit 100 and the rotational speed of the fan 150. The rotational speed of the fan 150 here may be the sum of the rotational speeds of the first fan 150a and the second fan 150b, or the average value. Alternatively, the rotational speed of either the first fan 150a or the second fan 150b may be used. If the rotational speed of the fan 150 is above a certain threshold, it is determined that the operating load is high, and if the rotational speed of the fan 150 is below a certain threshold, it is determined that the operating load is low.

[0130] In the above, the control of the amount of adsorbent in the first adsorption section 110a and the third adsorption section 110c is determined by the same operating load value, but different values ​​may be used. If different values ​​are used, the control of the amount of adsorbent in the first adsorption section 110a is determined by the operating load using, for example, the rotation speed of the first fan 150a, and the control of the amount of adsorbent in the third adsorption section 110c is determined by the operating load using, for example, the rotation speed of the second fan 150b.

[0131] The default value D in Embodiment 3 and the default value D in Embodiment 6 may be the same value or different values. The upper limit value Dmax in Embodiment 3 and the upper limit value Dmax in Embodiment 6 may be the same value or different values.

[0132] Furthermore, indoors where people are present, the carbon dioxide concentration is higher than outdoors due to human exhalation, so the second adsorption section 110b and the third adsorption section 110c have higher carbon dioxide recovery efficiency than the first adsorption section 110a. For this reason, in embodiments 4 to 6, the first adsorption section 110a may be omitted, and only the third adsorption section 110c and the second adsorption section 110b may be present.

[0133] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are examples and can be combined with other known technologies. Furthermore, it is possible to omit or modify parts of the configuration without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0134] 1, 2 Carbon dioxide recovery device (gas recovery device), 10, 100 Air blower, 11a, 110a First adsorption unit, 11b, 110b Second adsorption unit, 110c Third adsorption unit, 12a, 120b First air intake, 12b, 120b Second air intake, 120c Third air intake, 13, 130 Air path switching means, 14, 140a First outlet, 140b Second outlet, 15, 150a First fan, 150b Second fan, 16, 160 Air resistance member, 17a, 170a First air passage, 17b, 170b Second air passage, 170c Third air passage, 18, 180 Control unit.

Claims

1. A gas recovery device comprising: a blower having a first fan for generating airflow and a ventilation resistance member that generates ventilation resistance when the airflow passes through it; and at least two adsorption units for housing an adsorbent that adsorbs gas contained in the airflow, wherein the blower has a first intake port for drawing air in from outside to inside the blower; a second intake port provided separately from the first intake port for drawing air in from outside to inside the blower; and a first outlet located at a position where the air drawn in from the first intake port passes through the ventilation resistance member by the airflow generated by the first fan and is discharged, and the air drawn in from the second intake port is discharged without passing through the ventilation resistance member by the airflow generated by the first fan; and the adsorption unit includes at least a first adsorption unit located at a position through which the air drawn in from the first intake port flows, and a second adsorption unit located at a position through which the air drawn in from the second intake port flows.

2. The gas recovery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation resistance member includes at least one of a heat exchanger, a dust collection filter, or a deodorizing filter.

3. The gas recovery device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: an airflow switching means for switching a first air passage connecting the first air intake to the first air outlet and a second air passage connecting the second air intake to the first air outlet, to either open or closed; and a control unit that controls the airflow switching means to open the first air passage and close the second air passage when the airflow unit is switched to an operating state, and to rotate the first fan, close the first air passage and open the second air passage when the airflow unit is switched to a stopped state.

4. The gas recovery device according to claim 3, wherein the airflow switching means includes at least one of a valve or a plate, and the valve and the plate perform the opening of the first intake port and the shielding of the second intake port, or the shielding of the first intake port and the opening of the second intake port.

5. The gas recovery apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the control unit controls the blower to reduce the supply amount of adsorbent in the first adsorption unit or increase the discharge amount when the blower is switched to an operating state, and controls the blower to increase the supply amount of adsorbent in the second adsorption unit or decrease the discharge amount when the blower is switched to a stopped state.

6. The gas recovery apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the operating load of the blower is determined from the power consumption of the blower or the rotational speed of the first fan of the blower, and the control unit controls at least one of the amount of adsorbent supplied to the first adsorption unit, the amount of adsorbent discharged from the first adsorption unit, the amount of adsorbent supplied to the second adsorption unit, or the amount of adsorbent discharged from the second adsorption unit according to the operating load of the blower.

7. The gas recovery apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the blowing unit has a compressor for compressing a refrigerant, the operating load of the blowing unit is determined from the power consumption of the compressor or the rotational speed of the compressor, and the control unit controls at least one of the amount of adsorbent supplied to the first adsorption unit, the amount of adsorbent discharged from the first adsorption unit, the amount of adsorbent supplied to the second adsorption unit, or the amount of adsorbent discharged from the second adsorption unit, according to the operating load of the blowing unit.

8. The gas recovery apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the control unit controls the following: when the blower is in operation and the operating load is less than a predetermined value, it increases the supply amount of the adsorbent in the first adsorption unit or decreases the discharge amount; when the blower is in operation and the operating load is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, it decreases the supply amount of the adsorbent in the first adsorption unit or increases the discharge amount; and when the blower is stopped, it increases the supply amount of the adsorbent in the second adsorption unit or decreases the discharge amount.

9. The gas recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the control unit supplies the adsorbent to the first adsorption unit when the blower unit is in operation and the operating load is less than a predetermined upper limit, stops supplying the adsorbent to the first adsorption unit when the blower unit is in operation and the operating load is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit, and controls the second adsorption unit to increase the amount of adsorbent supplied or decrease the amount of adsorbent discharged when the blower unit is stopped.

10. The gas recovery device according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the blowing unit has a second fan that generates an airflow different from the airflow generated by the first fan, and further comprises a third intake port provided separately from the first intake port and the second intake port for drawing air from the outside to the inside of the blowing unit, and a second outlet provided separately from the first outlet port, located at a position through which the air drawn in from the third intake port passes through the ventilation resistance member by the airflow generated by the second fan and is discharged, and the adsorption unit includes a third adsorption unit provided at a position through which the air drawn in from the third intake port flows.

11. The gas recovery apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the airflow switching means switches the third air passage connecting the third air intake to the second air outlet to either open or close, and the control unit controls the airflow switching means to open the third air passage when the blower is switched to an operating state.

12. The gas recovery apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit controls the supply amount of the adsorbent of the third adsorption unit to decrease or increase the discharge amount when the blowing unit is switched to an operating state.

13. The gas recovery apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit controls the following: when the blower is in operation, if the operating load of the blower is less than a predetermined value, it increases the supply amount of adsorbent to the first adsorption unit and the third adsorption unit or decreases the discharge amount of adsorbent to the third adsorption unit; when the blower is in operation, if the operating load of the blower is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, it decreases the supply amount of adsorbent to the first adsorption unit and the third adsorption unit or increases the discharge amount of adsorbent to the second adsorption unit; and when the blower is stopped, it increases the supply amount of adsorbent to the second adsorption unit or decreases the discharge amount of adsorbent to the second adsorption unit.

14. The gas recovery apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit supplies adsorbent to the first adsorption unit and the third adsorption unit when the blower unit is in operation and the operating load of the blower unit is less than a predetermined upper limit; stops supplying adsorbent to the first adsorption unit and the third adsorption unit when the blower unit is in operation and the operating load of the blower unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit; and controls the blower unit to increase the amount of adsorbent supplied to the second adsorption unit or decrease the amount of adsorbent discharged from the second adsorption unit when the blower unit is stopped.

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