Moving Sorbent Panels for Passive Atmospheric CO2 Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing atmospheric CO2 capture technologies face challenges in increasing capture capacity and speed while reducing costs, as they require large amounts of energy and struggle with dilute CO2 concentrations.
Innovation Solution
A moving sorbent panel system with a track and pivotable panels that capture CO2 using passive air flows, transitioning through a harvest house for regeneration, optimizing capture and release phases to enhance efficiency and reduce infrastructure costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If passive direct air capture is used to capture dilute atmospheric CO2 in an energy efficient manner, then energy consumption is reduced, but capture capacity and speed are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the CO2 capture process into multiple panels distributed along a track, each panel independently capturing CO2 from air flows. This segmentation allows parallel processing of air streams across multiple panels, increasing overall capture capacity while each panel operates passively with low energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-location capture system to a distributed linear system along a track. By arranging panels in a linear dimension and utilizing air flows from multiple directions (including vertical wind components), the system increases capture capacity without proportionally increasing energy requirements at each panel.
2Productivity
If the number of panels is increased to increase capture capacity, then more CO2 can be captured, but the cost to build and operate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The harvest house serves multiple functions: it regenerates sorbent material, stores captured CO2, and potentially preconditions air flows. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate infrastructure components, lowering overall system costs while supporting increased panel numbers and capture capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers and regenerates sorbent material in the harvest house rather than replacing it. This recovery process reduces operational costs and material expenses, allowing the system to scale with more panels without proportionally increasing material costs.
3Volume of moving object
If panels are made larger to increase capture volume, then more CO2 can be captured per panel, but infrastructure costs and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The panels utilize thin-film sorbent materials coated on lightweight substrates. This approach provides large surface area for CO2 capture without the weight and structural support costs of solid bulk materials, increasing capture volume per panel while minimizing infrastructure requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system leverages natural air flows and wind forces to move panels and drive air through sorbent materials without requiring mechanical pumps or fans. This pneumatic approach reduces infrastructure complexity and costs while maintaining effective air-sorbent contact for CO2 capture.
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 system increases capture volume and speed with minimal setup and operational costs by leveraging natural air currents and efficient sorbent regeneration, allowing for a larger CO2 capture footprint with reduced energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
Air contactor surfaces that comprise sorbent materials are exposed to passive atmospheric air flows, capturing carbon dioxide with the sorbent material
Implementation Method 2
the sorbent regeneration system may operate on the sorbent material to release captured carbon dioxide from the sorbent material and form an enriched gas within the harvest house
Implementation Method 3
a propulsion system coupled to the track and configured to move each panel of the plurality of panels in a circuit including a collection phase and a release phase
Data Source
AI summary
A system for capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide is disclosed, including a track and a plurality of panels moveably coupled to the track, each panel having a sorbent material. The system also includes a harvest house having a sorbent regeneration system and at least one aperture, and a propulsion system coupled to the track and configured to move each panel in a circuit having a collection phase and a release phase. For each panel, the collection phase of the circuit includes the panel moving along the track to expose the sorbent material to an airflow and allow the sorbent material to capture carbon dioxide. For each panel, the release phase of the circuit includes the panel being sufficiently enclosed inside the harvest house that the sorbent regeneration system may operate on the sorbent material to release captured carbon dioxide from the sorbent material and form an enriched gas.