Removal of carbon dioxide from air
First Claim
1. A method for capturing carbon dioxide from air, which comprises exposing solvent covered surfaces to air streams where the air streams have a flow that is kept laminar, or close to a laminar regime.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to methods for removing carbon dioxide from air, which comprises exposing solvent covered surfaces to air streams where the airflow is kept laminar, or close to the laminar regime. The invention also provides for an apparatus, which is a laminar scrubber, comprising solvent covered surfaces situated such that they can be exposed to air stream. In another aspect, the invention provides a method and apparatus for separating carbon dioxide (CO2) bound in a solvent. The invention is particularly useful in processing hydroxide solvents containing CO2 captured from air.
295 Citations
38 Claims
- 1. A method for capturing carbon dioxide from air, which comprises exposing solvent covered surfaces to air streams where the air streams have a flow that is kept laminar, or close to a laminar regime.
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6. A laminar wind scrubber that utilizes pressure drops created by natural air flows comprising:
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(a) wind stagnation in front of the scrubber;
(b) a pressure drop created by flows substantially orthogonal to the entrance and/or exit into the scrubbers;
or(c) a pressure drop created by thermal convection. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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- 14. A method of creating tradable carbon credits which comprises extracting carbon dioxide from ambient air at a location remote from where the carbon dioxide was generated, using an absorbent, and selling, trading or transferring the resulting carbon credits to a third party.
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19. A method for separating a hydroxide/carbonate brine into hydroxide and CO2, wherein the brine is first concentrated to approach the carbonate saturation point;
- the concentrated hydroxide carbonate brine is subsequently separated through thermal swing precipitation of the carbonate from the brine;
the carbonate is electrochemically separated into sodium hydroxide solution and sodium bicarbonate solution in a first electrochemical process step;
the bicarbonate is mixed with an acid to release carbon dioxide and the acid is recovered from its salt in a second electrochemical process step. - View Dependent Claims (20, 25, 26, 35, 36)
- the concentrated hydroxide carbonate brine is subsequently separated through thermal swing precipitation of the carbonate from the brine;
- 21. A method for partially separating a hydroxide/carbonate brine into a hydroxide solution and a carbonate solution in a device that separates a volume into cells by means of membranes which alternate between bipolar membranes and cationic membranes, and fluid flowing in every other chamber is a concentrated hydroxide/carbonate brine whereas in the alternating chamber flows a dilute NaOH solution with sodium ions transferring across the cationic membranes and the bipolar membranes providing the necessary hydroxide ions and protons to maintain charge neutrality.
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23. A method for separating a hydroxide/carbonate brine into a hydroxide solution and CO2 which uses an electrochemical process to separate the hydroxide solution from the carbonate solution;
- and the carbonate is electrochemically separated into sodium hydroxide solution and sodium bicarbonate solution in a first electrochemical process step;
the bicarbonate is mixed with an acid to release carbon dioxide; and
the acid is recovered from its salt through a second electrochemical process step.
- and the carbonate is electrochemically separated into sodium hydroxide solution and sodium bicarbonate solution in a first electrochemical process step;
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29. A device for generating CO2 by mixing acid and bicarbonate comprising in combination:
- a reservoir for holding an acid, a reservoir for holding a base, and a reservoir for holding a product salt;
a line in fluid communication with the acid and base reservoirs, said line having a structure for enhancing mixing;
a gas separation unit for feeding CO2 under pressure to an exit pressure valve, said gas separation unit being connected to the salt reservoir; and
an exit line from the salt brine reservoir mechanically coupled to pumps feeding acid and base into the acid and base holding reservoirs, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (30)
- a reservoir for holding an acid, a reservoir for holding a base, and a reservoir for holding a product salt;
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31. A device for generating CO2 by mixing an acid and a bicarbonate, which comprises:
- three reservoirs, one for holding an acid, one for holding a base, and one for holding a product salt, said reservoirs being separated from one another by membranes, said device being operated in a batch mode where fresh fluid is loaded at ambient pressure and the fluid is pressurized during the production of CO2.
- 32. A device for separating an alkaline carbonate brine into a cation and bicarbonate, said device including an anode and a cathode to which power is delivered whereupon the cation is moved across the cationic membrane whereby to convert the initial brine to bicarbonate while the brine gradually accumulates as a pure hydroxide solution.
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34. A device for separating CO2 from a bicarbonate brine containing CO2, which device comprises:
- a reservoir having acidic cells and basic cells separated by anionic membranes alternating with bipolar membranes for producing in a stream bicarbonate ions which is mixed with acid in the acidic cells which produces CO2, and leaving behind in the basic cells a residual brine enriched in carbonate ions.
Specification