Air collector with functionalized ion exchange membrane for capturing ambient CO2

• US 10,150,112 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2016
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carbon Sink, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Carbon Sink, Inc.
• Inventors: Wright, Allen B., Peters, Eddy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US15/133,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20170043333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/10 Inorganic adsorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/202 Polymeric adsorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/206 Ion exchange resins
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/25 Coated, impregnated or composite adsorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/302 Dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/306 Surface area, e.g. BET-specific surface
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/34 Specific shapes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/3425 Honeycomb shape
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/06 Polluted air
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40083 Regeneration of adsorbents in processes other than pressure or temperature swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4508 for cleaning air in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0407 Constructional details of adsorbing systems
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1493 Selection of liquid materials for use as absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/22 by diffusion manufacturing semi-permeable membranes B01D67/00; form, structure or properties of semi-permeable membranes B01D69/00; material for semi-permeable membranes B01D71/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/62 Carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 41/04 Processes using organic exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 47/00 Ion-exchange processes in general; Apparatus therefor ion-exchange chromatography processes or apparatus B01D15/08
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 1/12 from carbon dioxide with hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 9/04 Methane production by treatment of sewage C02F11/04; natural gas, synthetic natural gas C10L3/06
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/34 : Simultaneous production of alkali metal hydroxides and chlorine, oxyacids or salts of chlorine, e.g. by chlor-alkali electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 15/08 : Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/20 : of methane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 : of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/151 : Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, e.g. CO2

Abstract

An apparatus for capture of CO₂ from the atmosphere comprising an anion exchange material formed in a matrix exposed to a flow of the air.

Claims

1. An apparatus for capture of CO₂ from ambient air, the apparatus comprising:

a) an air capture device comprising a corrugated anion exchange material that captures CO₂ from ambient air upon exposure to the ambient air;

b) a release mechanism for releasing the captured CO₂ and regenerating the corrugated anion exchange material; and

c) a concentrator that concentrates the acidic gas released from said corrugated anion exchange material.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the release mechanism comprises wetting of the corrugated anion exchange material by a liquid bath immersion or spray.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corrugated anion exchange material is formed as a circular disc comprising a spiral wound pattern of the corrugated anion exchange material.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the circular disc is arranged vertically and slowly spins through a trough containing a liquid used to regenerate the corrugated anion exchange material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corrugated anion exchange material is formed as a plurality of polygons.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corrugated anion exchange material is formed as a plurality of squares, rectangles, triangles, trapezoids, pentagons, or hexagons.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corrugated anion exchange material is shaped as a plurality of concentric layers.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corrugated anion exchange material is shaped as a truncated cone.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corrugated anion exchange material is formed as a mesh or honeycomb.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corrugated anion exchange material is formed of an amine-functionalized polystyrene or cellulose-based anion exchange resin.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corrugated anion exchange material comprises a solid phase anion exchange material coated on an inert substrate material.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is installed in a cooling tower.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises either (i) a converter that converts concentrated CO₂ to a useful product, or (ii) an injector that injects the concentrated CO₂ into a deep well or into deep ocean storage.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein liquid used to regenerate the corrugated anion exchange material is a sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate solution.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corrugated anion exchange material comprises an amine.

16. An apparatus for capture of CO₂ from ambient air, the apparatus comprising:

a) an air capture device comprising an anion exchange material capable of absorbing CO₂ from ambient air upon exposure to the ambient air; and

b) a release mechanism for releasing the captured CO₂ and regenerating the anion exchange material,

wherein the geometric configuration of the anion exchange material comprises a 3-dimensional structure of repeating shapes.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said release mechanism comprises a liquid bath immersion or spray.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the anion exchange material comprises functional amine groups.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the anion exchange material is a solid phase anion exchange material or is coated on a substrate.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the anion exchange material comprises a solid phase anion exchange material comprising a functionalized polystyrene.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the anion exchange material comprises a sheet of inert substrate material coated with the anion exchange material.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the repeating shapes comprise regular and/or irregular polygons that may be of varying sizes and shapes.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the repeating shapes comprise one or more of the shapes selected from the group consisting of isosceles triangles, equilateral triangles, trapezoids, squares, and rectangles.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the repeating shapes are of the same size and shape.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the shape, size and distribution of the repeating shapes vary over a length of the anion exchange material in order to optimize the airflow of the ambient air.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the anion exchange material is formed from sheets of anion exchange material.

27. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the anion exchange material is a continuous corrugated layer.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a planar layer that is co-joined with the continuous corrugated layer.

29. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the anion exchange material is formed as a circular disc comprising a spiral wound pattern of the anion exchange material.

30. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the air capture device comprises a plurality of concentric layers of anion exchange material subassemblies that fit snugly together.