Carbon Dioxide Separation Modules for Oxygen-Tolerant Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carbon dioxide separation systems face challenges in expanding membrane modules due to production constraints and oxygen interference, which hinders the conversion of carbon dioxide with hydrogen into products like methane and carbon monoxide.
Innovation Solution
A carbon dioxide separation/conversion device with expandable separation membrane modules, including a pressure difference formation unit and gas switching units, allows for the separation and conversion of carbon dioxide even in the presence of oxygen, using a catalyst to react with hydrogen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a separation membrane module is expanded to increase carbon dioxide separation capacity, then the separation performance is improved, but production constraints and defects in large-area membranes make expansion difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The separation membrane module is divided into multiple independent membrane elements (hollow fiber bundles) that can be manufactured separately and then assembled together. Each membrane element maintains the advantages of small-area membrane manufacturing while the overall module achieves large separation capacity through modular assembly of multiple elements in series or parallel configurations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If oxygen is present in the carbon dioxide-enriched gas, then the gas composition reflects atmospheric composition, but oxygen preferentially reacts with hydrogen over carbon dioxide, preventing effective carbon dioxide conversion
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes oxygen from the carbon dioxide-enriched gas stream before the gas enters the conversion reactor. This is achieved through selective absorption or adsorption processes that separate oxygen from carbon dioxide, ensuring that the conversion process receives oxygen-free or low-oxygen carbon dioxide-rich gas, thereby enabling efficient carbon dioxide-to-fuel conversion without oxygen interference.
3Reliability
If a spiral-type separation membrane module is used to maintain no defects in large area, then separation reliability is improved, but the system requires large area membrane and becomes difficult to expand
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single large-area spiral membrane module that is difficult to manufacture without defects and hard to expand, the system segments the membrane into multiple smaller hollow fiber bundles. Each bundle contains numerous individual hollow fiber membranes that are manufactured separately with controlled sizes, ensuring high reliability through proven manufacturing processes. The bundles are then assembled into a modular configuration that achieves the required total membrane area and can be easily expanded by adding more bundles.
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 device effectively converts carbon dioxide into products like methane and carbon monoxide despite the presence of oxygen, with improved expandability and efficiency through modular design and gas switching mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
one or more separation membrane modules including a separation membrane which separates the carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide-containing gas
Implementation Method 2
a reaction unit including a catalyst which absorbs and converts the carbon dioxide in the carbon dioxide-enriched gas
Implementation Method 3
a pressure difference formation unit configured to form a pressure difference between an outside of each separation membrane module and the separation membrane module connection unit and an inside of each separation membrane module and the separation membrane module connection unit
Data Source
AI summary
The carbon dioxide separation/conversion device includes: one or more separation units (10) configured to separate carbon dioxide from a carbon dioxide-containing gas to obtain a carbon dioxide-enriched gas; a reaction unit (30) including a catalyst which absorbs and converts the carbon dioxide in the carbon dioxide-enriched gas, and configured to allow the catalyst to absorb the carbon dioxide in the carbon dioxide-enriched gas to obtain a converted gas containing a conversion product formed of the carbon dioxide absorbed by the catalyst and hydrogen; and a hydrogen delivery unit (40) configured to deliver the hydrogen to the reaction unit (30), in which the separation unit (10) includes: one or more separation membrane modules including a separation membrane which separates the carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide-containing gas; and a separation membrane module connection unit connected to each separation membrane module and including a carbon dioxide delivery port through which the carbon dioxide-enriched gas is discharged.