Scrubber system with moving adsorbent bed

• US 9,341,408 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2012
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Fleming, Malcolm N. Jr., Thibaud-Erkey, Catherine
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US14/233,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20140137598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/148 in a controlled atmosphere, e.g. partial vacuum, comprising only CO2, N2, O2 or H2O
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/3418 in a controlled atmosphere, e.g. partial vacuum, comprising only CO2, N2, O2 or H2O
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/102 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/108 Zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/204 Metal organic frameworks (MOF's)
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/7022 Aliphatic hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4566 for use in transportation means
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0462 Temperature swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/047 Pressure swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/06 with moving adsorbents, e.g. rotating beds B01D53/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/042 Air treating means within refrigerated spaces air conditioning in general F24F
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/041 by purification
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/08 Separating gaseous impurities from gases or gaseous mixtures or from liquefied gases or liquefied gaseous mixturescold traps B01D8/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2

Abstract

A regenerative carbon dioxide removal system (38) is provided onboard the container (10) through which air from within the cargo box (12) may be circulated for removing at least a portion of the carbon dioxide present in the air. The regenerative carbon dioxide removal system (38) includes a scrubber module (40) containing a carbon dioxide absorbent material (42), and an actuator (50) for moving the scrubber module (40) to pass the carbon dioxide absorbent material (42) alternately between a first flow of air (32) to be cleaned drawn by the evaporator fan (30) from within the cargo box (12), and a second flow of air (44) drawn from an environment outside the cargo box for regenerating the carbon dioxide adsorbent material (42) by removing collected carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide adsorbent material (42).

Claims

1. A refrigerated transport container comprising:

a cargo box;

a compressor and a condenser/gas cooler module isolated from the cargo box by a partition panel;

an evaporator module including an evaporator heat exchanger and an associated evaporator fan disposed in air flow communication with the cargo box;

a regenerative scrubber system for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere within the cargo box, the regenerative scrubber system comprising;

a scrubber module containing a carbon dioxide adsorbent material; and

an actuator for moving the scrubber module to pass the carbon dioxide adsorbent material alternately between a first flow of air to be cleaned drawn by the evaporator fan from within the cargo box from which carbon dioxide is removed and a second flow of air from an environment outside the cargo box for regenerating the carbon dioxide adsorbent material by removing collected carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide adsorbent material.

2. The refrigerated transport container as set forth in claim 1 wherein the actuator comprises a rotary actuator for rotating the scrubber module about an axis of rotation through the first flow of air and the second flow of air in sequence.

3. The refrigerated transport container as set forth in claim 2 wherein the scrubber module is mounted in the partition panel separating the condenser/gas cooler module from the evaporator module;

and the actuator rotates the scrubber module through the evaporator module and the condenser/gas cooler module.

4. The refrigerated transport container as set forth in claim 2 wherein the scrubber module is disposed in the evaporator module of the refrigeration unit on a high pressure side of the evaporator fan.

5. The refrigerated transport container as set forth in claim 2 wherein the actuator comprises a rotary actuator for rotating the scrubber module about an axis of rotation through the first flow of air and the second flow of air and a third flow of air in sequence, the third flow of air comprising a flow of cooling air.

6. The refrigerated transport container as set forth in claim 1 wherein the scrubber module comprises a rotating wheel mounted to a shaft driven by the rotary actuator and having a body with a screened floor for housing the carbon dioxide adsorbent material.

7. The refrigerated transport container as set forth in claim 6 wherein the carbon dioxide adsorbent material comprises a porous mass of carbon dioxide adsorbent material in the form of a packed bed of particles or extruded pellets.

8. The refrigerated transport container as set forth in claim 6 wherein the carbon dioxide adsorbent material comprises a spiral winding or concentric rings of a fabric made from or coated with the carbon dioxide adsorbent material.

9. The refrigerated transport container as set forth in claim 6 wherein the carbon dioxide adsorbent material further comprises an ethylene adsorbent material.

10. The refrigerated transport container as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a heater for heating the second flow of air.

11. The refrigerated transport container as set forth in claim 10 wherein the heater comprises a heat exchanger wherein the second flow of air passes in heat exchange relationship with a flow of engine exhaust gases.

12. The refrigerated transport container as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a cooling coil for cooling the first flow of air prior to the first flow of air passing through the carbon dioxide adsorbent material.

13. The refrigerated transport container as set forth in claim 1 wherein the actuator comprises a push-pull actuator for translating the scrubber module back and forth between the first flow of air and the second flow of air.

14. The refrigerated transport container as set forth in claim 13 wherein the scrubber module comprises a sliding drawer translatable within a stationary housing and having a first compartment and a second compartment, each compartment housing carbon dioxide adsorbent material, the push-pull actuator operative for translating the sliding drawer to either a forward position or a rearward position within the stationary housing.