Rotating Direct Air Capture Cylinders with Velocity Stack
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are costly and inefficient, failing to make a significant impact on reducing emissions due to high resource and energy requirements, and limited capacity compared to annual emissions.
Innovation Solution
A direct air capture structure featuring sorbent media filled cylinders, fans for air advection, and a regeneration station for carbon dioxide removal, which includes a rotating hoop structure, air diverter, and velocity stack to enhance airflow and carbon dioxide extraction, and a regeneration process using vacuum, water, and heat to release carbon dioxide from the sorbent media.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If current direct air capture systems are implemented, then carbon dioxide removal capacity is achieved, but operational costs and resource requirements become excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the air capture process into multiple cylindrical modules arranged in a rotating hoop structure. Each cylinder contains sorbent media and can be independently rotated into position for air intake or regeneration, allowing parallel processing and reducing the energy burden on any single unit while maintaining high overall CO2 removal capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic rotation of cylinders between air intake position and regeneration position. This periodic action allows sorbent media to be cyclically regenerated using vacuum and heat, enabling continuous operation without requiring all components to be active simultaneously, thereby reducing peak energy consumption while maintaining high productivity
2Productivity
If current direct air capture systems are implemented, then carbon dioxide removal capacity is achieved, but operational costs and resource requirements become excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes physical parameters during operation by applying vacuum pressure and heat to the sorbent media during regeneration. These parameter changes enable efficient desorption of CO2 from the sorbent, allowing the system to maintain high removal capacity while reducing the energy required compared to continuous high-energy operation
Solution Approach 2:
Periodic rotation of cylinders between capture and regeneration modes allows the system to concentrate energy input during specific regeneration intervals rather than continuous operation, reducing overall stationary energy consumption while maintaining high CO2 removal productivity through cyclic sorbent regeneration
3Quantity of substance
If current direct air capture systems are implemented, then some carbon dioxide removal is achieved, but the quantity removed is insufficient compared to annual emissions
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple identical cylindrical modules that can be added or removed from the rotating hoop structure. This segmentation allows the system to be scaled up in discrete units to increase total CO2 removal quantity while keeping each individual module relatively simple, managing overall device complexity through modular replication
Solution Approach 2:
Each cylindrical module serves multiple functions: CO2 capture during air intake, rotation to regeneration position, sorbent regeneration via vacuum and heat, and rotation back to capture position. This multi-functionality allows a single modular design to handle both capture and regeneration, increasing total CO2 removal capacity without proportionally increasing system complexity
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 achieves improved performance and lower costs for carbon dioxide capture, increasing the quantity of CO2 removed from the atmosphere while reducing operational expenses and resource usage.
Implementation Method 1
the sorbent media may collect carbon dioxide from bulk air flow advection through the cylinder
Implementation Method 2
a regeneration process using vacuum, water, and heat to release carbon dioxide from the sorbent media
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for an atmospheric carbon dioxide removal system that includes a plurality of carbon capture containers, a plurality of fans, an air diverter, and a velocity stack. Each of the carbon capture containers has an outwardly facing side and an inwardly facing side with the inwardly facing side facing an enclosed space. The fans are disposed adjacent to the carbon capture containers. The fans are arranged to move air through the carbon capture containers in a first direction from the outwardly facing side into the enclosed space. The air diverter is disposed within the enclosed space and receives the air flowing in the first direction and redirects the air to flow in a second direction that is angled upwardly from the first direction. The velocity stack is disposed on top of the enclosed space and is configured to accelerate the flow of the air in the second direction.