3D Printed CO2 Sorbent Structure for Hydrogen Gas Purification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for shaping carbon dioxide sorbents are limited in their ability to control CO2 absorption efficacy from gas mixtures containing hydrogen, and they often require complex shaping techniques that restrict shape flexibility.
Innovation Solution
The use of photopolymerization additive-layer manufacture (ALM) to create shaped sorbents with molecular sieve carbon dioxide sorbent materials encapsulated in photopolymerized resin, allowing for tailored geometries and enhanced CO2 absorption capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional shaping techniques are used for carbon dioxide sorbents, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but shape flexibility and CO2 absorption efficacy control are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical shaping techniques (extrusion, molding, cutting) with a photopolymerization-based additive manufacturing system. This substitution enables complex 3D geometries to be created directly from digital models through layer-by-layer photocuring, achieving unlimited shape flexibility without the constraints and complexity of traditional mechanical shaping methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes photopolymerization to change the physical state of the sorbent material from liquid resin to solid polymer structure. By controlling photopolymerization parameters (light intensity, exposure time, resin composition), the system achieves precise control over the final sorbent geometry and properties, enabling complex shapes that would be impossible with conventional mechanical shaping
2Reliability
If conventional shaping techniques are used, then manufacturing process simplicity is maintained, but CO2 absorption efficacy control is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by enabling different regions of the sorbent structure to have different properties through spatially controlled photopolymerization. The additive manufacturing process allows variation in layer thickness, infill density, and material composition across different zones of the sorbent, optimizing CO2 absorption efficacy for specific application requirements while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through digital control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by designing and simulating the sorbent geometry digitally before manufacturing. The 3D modeling and slicing software allow optimization of the sorbent structure for maximum CO2 absorption efficacy before the actual manufacturing process, ensuring reliable performance without requiring complex trial-and-error physical shaping processes
3Adaptability or versatility
If photopolymerization additive-layer manufacture is used, then shape flexibility and CO2 absorption efficacy are improved, but manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves universality by creating a single additive manufacturing system that can produce a wide variety of sorbent geometries and configurations for different CO2 absorption applications. The photopolymerization-based ALM system serves multiple functions: it creates complex 3D shapes, controls material distribution, optimizes surface area-to-volume ratios, and enables customization for specific gas mixture compositions, all through a single integrated manufacturing process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies copying by using digital 3D models as precise templates for manufacturing. The CAD-CAM software creates accurate digital representations of the desired sorbent geometry, which are then sliced into layers and reproduced through photopolymerization. This digital copying approach ensures high manufacturing precision and repeatability, offsetting the increased process complexity with automated digital control
4Strength
If photopolymerized resin encapsulates molecular sieve particles, then sorbent structural integrity is improved, but CO2 diffusion to sorbent particles may be restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes porous materials by incorporating molecular sieve particles with controlled porosity into the photopolymerized resin matrix. The molecular sieves provide internal porous structures that facilitate CO2 diffusion and adsorption, while the resin encapsulation provides external structural integrity. This combination maintains high CO2 absorption rates by ensuring efficient mass transfer through the porous molecular sieve structure while the resin provides mechanical strength and shape stability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The shaped sorbents effectively capture carbon dioxide from gas mixtures containing hydrogen, offering improved absorption efficacy and flexibility in shape design, reducing cycle times in adsorption processes.
Implementation Method 1
a shaped sorbent comprising one or more layers of photopolymerized resin containing particles of a molecular sieve carbon dioxide sorbent material
Implementation Method 2
The molecular sieves function at least in part by physically trapping the carbon dioxide and so removing it from the gas mixture
Data Source
AI summary
A process is described for the removal of carbon dioxide from a gas mixture containing hydrogen by contacting the gas mixture with a shaped sorbent comprising a plurality of layers of photopolymerized resin containing particles of a molecular sieve carbon dioxide sorbent material.