Sorbent Recycling and CO2 Separation in Direct Air Capture
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carbon dioxide capture technologies suffer from inefficiencies in capturing carbon dioxide, leading to reduced capture efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A carbon dioxide capture system that includes a supply route, carbon dioxide capture portion, recycle region, and carbon dioxide separator, utilizing sorbents to adsorb and recycle carbon dioxide, with a heat pump unit for efficient heat exchange and separation methods like liquefied, membrane, and sorbent separation to enhance capture efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If Direct Air Capture technology is used to capture carbon dioxide from air, then carbon dioxide can be captured, but the capture efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-cools the air stream before it enters the sorbent contactor, and pre-heats the regeneration gas before it contacts the saturated sorbent. These preliminary thermal preparations optimize the sorbent's adsorption and desorption performance, improving capture efficiency while reducing the energy required during the main capture and regeneration phases
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes temperature parameters throughout the capture cycle - cooling the air stream during capture, heating the sorbent during regeneration, and controlling the temperature of the desorbed CO2 stream. These parameter changes optimize each stage of the process, improving overall capture efficiency while managing energy consumption through thermal integration
2Productivity
If Direct Air Capture technology is used to capture carbon dioxide from air, then carbon dioxide can be captured, but the equipment size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines multiple functions into integrated components - the sorbent contactor serves both as the capture reactor and as part of the thermal exchange system. The heat exchangers are integrated into the process flow to recover thermal energy between streams, reducing the need for separate heating and cooling equipment and thereby reducing overall equipment volume
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers thermal energy from the warm air stream and the desorbed CO2 stream, using it to pre-heat incoming air and regeneration gas. This heat recovery reduces the size of heating equipment needed and improves overall system efficiency, allowing for more compact equipment design
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 carbon dioxide capture efficiency by recycling sorbents and utilizing efficient separation methods, reducing energy consumption and equipment size, thereby enhancing overall energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a processing region (31), which causes a sorbent to adsorb carbon dioxide present in air supplied by the supply route (2)
Implementation Method 2
utilizing sorbents to adsorb and recycle carbon dioxide, with a heat pump unit for efficient heat exchange
Implementation Method 3
separation methods like liquefied, membrane, and sorbent separation to enhance capture efficiency
Implementation Method 4
separation methods like liquefied, membrane, and sorbent separation to enhance capture efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A carbon dioxide capture system according to the present disclosure includes a supply route, a carbon dioxide capture portion that has a processing region and a recycling region, an extraction route, a recycle route, a circulation route, and a carbon dioxide separator. The supply route guides air. The processing region causes a sorbent to adsorb carbon dioxide present in the air. The recycle region recycles the sorbent using a recycle fluid. The extraction route guides the air having a reduced concentration of carbon dioxide using the processing region. The recycle route guides the recycle fluid to the recycle region. The circulation route guides a recycle discharge fluid that is discharged by recycling the sorbent using the recycle fluid. The carbon dioxide separator obtains the recycle fluid by separating at least a portion of the carbon dioxide from the recycle discharge fluid.