Sustainable Carbon Capture and Sequestration System and Methods

• US 20100218507A1
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Adam Cherson
• Original Assignee: Adam Cherson
• Inventors: Cherson, Adam
• Application Number:
  US12/760,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20100218507A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/780
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/34 Chemical or biological purification of waste gases
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0405 Purification by membrane separation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0475 the impurity being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/06 Integration with other chemical processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/062 Hydrocarbon production, e.g. Fischer-Tropsch process
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/068 Ammonia synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/86 Carbon dioxide sequestration
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/12 by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 5/00 Water
• CPC Class Codes: C01C 1/164 Ammonium chloride
• CPC Class Codes: C01D 7/123 by thermal decomposition of solids in the absence of a liquid medium
• CPC Class Codes: C01D 7/18 Preparation by the ammonia-soda process C01D7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C05C 3/00 Fertilisers containing other salts of ammonia or ammonia itself, e.g. gas liquor
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 23/00 Other methods of heating coke ovens
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 53/02 of cellulose-containing material production of pyroligneous acid C10C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0916 Biomass
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0969 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1284 by renewable energy, e.g. solar energy, photovoltaic cells, wind
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1292 mSolar energy
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1612 CO2-separation and sequestration, i.e. long time storage
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1681 : with biological plants, e.g. involving bacteria, algae, fungi
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1815 : for carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 3/00 : Modifying the chemical composition of combustible gases containing carbon monoxide to produce an improved fuel, e.g. one of different calorific value, which may be free from carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 3/04 : reducing the carbon monoxide content , e.g. water-gas shift [WGS]
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/00 : Adaptations of wind motors for special use; Combinations of wind motors with apparatus driven thereby; Wind motors specially adapted for installation in particular locations hybrid wind-photovoltaic energy systems for the generation of electric power H02S10/12
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/62 : for desalination
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/95 : offshore
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/96 : as part of a wind turbine farm
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/61 : Removal of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/141 : Wind power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 : Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/727 : Offshore wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/00 : Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry

Abstract

An apparatus and method for capturing, separating, transforming, and sequestering carbon wherein said apparatus dissociates a carbon containing feedstock material and reacts the resulting gases with a system-produced brine to create four products: 1) a sodium based carbonate or bicarbonate, 2) ammonium chloride, 3) fresh water, and 4) a multi-purpose building material. End product (1) may be sequestered in any of several ways for durable and long term storage. End product (2) may be used for nutrient enrichment. End products (3) and (4) may be distributed to human populations.

Claims

1. A method of carbon capture and sequestration comprising:

(a) capturing of carbon from the natural or man-made environment so that it becomes bound within a carbon containing material;

(b) separating the carbon from the material in step (a) using a thermo-chemical process;

(c) transforming the separated carbon from step (b) into a sodium+carbon, chemically bound substance using a thermo-chemical process;

(d) sequestering the sodium+carbon substance from step (c) by dispersion or deposition into the natural environment; and

(e) using the non-sequestration materials produced in the course of steps (a-d) to make beneficial co-products and by-products.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the capturing of carbon is effected by photosynthetic plants or organisms.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the capturing of carbon is effected by synthetic chemical process.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the capturing of carbon is effected by the collection and introduction into the process of any carbon containing waste product, such as municipal residue biomass, agricultural wastes, sewage sludge, timber milling wastes, refuse derived fuel, paper making wastes, and construction wastes.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the capturing of carbon is effected by the cultivation of free-floating algae.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the capturing of carbon is effected by the cultivation of free-floating algae in a floating enclosure.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the capturing of carbon is effected by the cultivation of free-floating algae in a floating enclosure consisting of moored floating cylinders with weighted netting stretching between the cylinders in the water.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the capturing of carbon is effected by the cultivation of free-floating algae in a floating enclosure consisting of moored floating cylinders topped by wind turbines with weighted netting stretching between the cylinders in the water.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the capturing of carbon is effected by the cultivation of free-floating algae harvested by a vessel that scoops up the algae by means of an inclined plane skimming the surface waters.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the capturing of carbon is effected by the cultivation of free-floating algae harvested by a vessel that scoops up the algae by means of an inclined plane skimming the surface waters and that carries the algae into a compression chamber on board where the algae is dewatered.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the capturing of carbon is effected by the cultivation of free-floating algae harvested by a vessel that simultaneously releases fertilizing nutrients into the water

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the separation of carbon is effected by gasification at a temperature between 300°

C. and 900°

C. of a carbon containing material.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein the separation of carbon is effected by pyrolysis at a temperature greater than 900°

C. of a carbon containing material.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the separation of carbon is effected by a membrane mediated gas separation process.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein the separation of carbon is effected by a thermo-chemical separation process.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein the separation of carbon is effected by thermal reactions taking place within an inert gas medium.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein the separation of carbon is effected by thermal reactions taking place within an air medium.

18. The method according to claim 1 wherein the separation of carbon is effected by thermal reactions taking place within a steam medium.

19. The method according to claim 1 wherein the separation of carbon is effected by thermal reactions taking place within a carbon dioxide medium.

20. The method according to claim 1 wherein the separation of carbon is effected by thermal reactions taking place within any sequential combination of inert gas, air, water steam, and carbon dioxide media.

21. The method according to claim 1 wherein following the separation of carbon the product gas therefrom is subjected to a water-gas-shift reaction.

22. The method according to claim 1 wherein following the separation of carbon the product gas therefrom is used to create energy for process uses.

23. The method according to claim 1 wherein following the separation of carbon the product gas therefrom is used to create a syngas that is then used to power a gas turbine.

24. The method according to claim 1 wherein following the separation of carbon the product gas therefrom is used to create a syngas that is then used to manufacture liquid fuels.

25. The method according to claim 1 wherein following the separation of carbon the product gas therefrom is used to create a syngas that is then used to fuel a power generator.

26. The method according to claim 1 wherein the transformation of carbon is effected by a process comprising the following steps:

(a) the accumulation from product gas of;

N₂, CO₂, and H₂;

(b) an ammonia creation process such that;

N₂(g)+3H₂(g)→

2NH₃(g);

(c) a desalination process producing;

NaCl and H₂O;

(d) a sodium bicarbonate creation process such that;

NaCl+NH₃+H₂O+CO₂→

NaHCO₃+NH₄Cl; and

(e) the separation of NaHCO₃ from NH₄Cl

27. The method according to claim 1 wherein the transformation of carbon is effected by a process comprising the following steps:

(a) the introduction of natural sand into the separation reaction step to form a vitreous slag residue in addition to a product gas;

(b) the separation from the product gas of;

N₂, CO₂, and H₂;

(c) an ammonia creation process such that;

N₂(g)+3H₂(g)→

2NH₃(g);

(d) a desalination process producing;

NaCl and H₂O;

(e) a sodium carbonate creation process such that;

NaCl+NH₃+H₂O+CO₂→

NaHCO₃+NH₄Cl, and

2NaHCO₃+HEAT→

Na₂CO₃+H₂O+CO₂; and

(f) the thermal mixing of Na₂CO₃ with the vitreous slag residue to form a sodium carbonate-slag sequestration matrix

28. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sequestration of carbon is effected by the dispersion of bicarbonate to the unmixed layers of the ocean.

29. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sequestration of carbon is effected by the deposition of bicarbonate to geological formations.

30. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sequestration of carbon is effected by the dispersion of ammonium to the mixed layers of the ocean.

31. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sequestration of carbon is effected by the deposition of the sodium carbonate-slag sequestration matrix to geological formations.

32. The method according to claim 5 wherein product ammonium is applied as a fertilizer to stimulate the growth of free-floating algae.

33. The method according to claim 1 wherein product fresh water is distributed to human populations for human use.

34. The method according to claim 1 wherein product slag residues are used to create building materials.

35. The method according to claim 1 wherein product ammonium is distributed to human populations for human use.

36. The method according to claim 1 wherein product chloride is distributed to human populations for human use.