Solar Atmospheric CO2 Cleaner

• US 20080196581A1
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Warren Lynn Cooley
• Original Assignee: Warren Lynn Cooley
• Inventors: Cooley, Warren Lynn
• Application Number:
  US11/934,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20080196581A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 95/28
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4558 for being employed as mobile cleaners for ambient air, i.e. the earth's atmosphere
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4591 Construction elements containing cleaning material, e.g. catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/804 UV light
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/007 by irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/62 Carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 20/20 Solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g. receivers for solar power plants
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers

Abstract

An increasing level of carbon dioxide gas in the earth'"'"'s atmosphere has been determined and is generally accepted by the scientific community. The human contribution to increases in the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been identified as a driving force of global climate change.

The impact of global climate change might be mitigated by means to reduce or stabilize the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The invention provides a means for cleaning the atmosphere of carbon dioxide molecules by dissociation and refining the by-products into valuable fuels and other substances. It is taught that solar energy can be used to energize a photonic crystal producing the power and specific frequency required for localized excitation of CO2 molecules in a specific vibration mode and to the majority exclusion molecular structures comprising atmospheric gases sufficient to break covalent bonds of CO2, thereby producing reactant by-product that can be collected and refined into valuable substances and fuel.

Claims

1. Apparatus for cleaning carbon dioxide from the atmosphere comprising:

a) a thermally powered photonic crystal producing radiation

b) a mixing cavity attached to said photonic crystal for intersecting a flux of radiation energy with a stream of atmospheric matter

c) a plurality of atmospheric inlet ports in said mixing cavity

d) an exhaust nozzle attached to said mixing cavity

e) an exhaust cowling for directing an exhaust stream from said nozzle

f) a filter membrane for holding reactant elements in said exhaust steam

g) a fan for pulling atmospheric gases through said apparatus

h) means to collect reactant by-products from said filter

i) means to power said apparatus with solar energy.

2. A method for cleaning carbon dioxide from the atmosphere comprising the steps in the order named:

a) producing a flux field of radiation energy of a specific frequency and power sufficient to excite carbon dioxide molecules

b) powering a gas stream of atmospheric matter

c) intersecting said energy flux and said matter stream, whereby said carbon dioxide molecules dissociate into neutral fragments of carbon monoxide and oxygen to the exclusion of other molecules in said gas stream

d) exhausting said gas stream containing neutral fragments

e) reacting the neutral fragment carbon monoxide in said gas stream with combining elements producing metal carbonyls

f) capturing metal carbonyl by-products from said gas stream

g) collecting and storing said by-products

h) exhausting a gas stream without carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

3. A method for using thermally power photonic crystals producing terahertz radiation for dissociating diatomic and polyatomic gas molecules comprising to steps:

a) producing a flux of radiation of specific frequency and power to dissociate said molecules

b) intersecting said gas molecules with said radiation field

c) cooling said dissociated gas molecules, whereby recombination is substantially prevented.

4. An apparatus for cleaning carbon dioxide from the atmosphere comprising:

a) a means for producing a flux field of radiation energy of a specific frequency and power sufficient to excite carbon dioxide molecules

b) a means for powering a gas stream of atmospheric matter

c) a means for intersecting said energy flux and said matter stream, whereby said carbon dioxide molecules dissociate into neutral fragments of carbon monoxide and oxygen to the exclusion of other molecules in said gas stream

d) a means for exhausting said gas stream containing neutral fragments

e) a means for reacting the neutral fragment carbon monoxide in said gas stream with combining elements producing metal carbonyls

f) a means for capturing metal carbonyl by-products from said gas stream

g) a means for collecting said by-products

h) a means for exhausting a gas stream without carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

5. Apparatus for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to produce a metal carbonyl substance comprising:

a) a thermally powered photonic crystal producing radiation

b) a mixing cavity attached to said photonic crystal for intersecting a flux of radiation energy with a stream of atmospheric matter, whereby carbon dioxide molecules dissociate to carbon monoxide and oxygen molecules

c) a plurality of atmospheric inlet ports in said mixing cavity

d) an exhaust nozzle attached to said mixing cavity

e) an exhaust cowling for directing an exhaust stream from said nozzle

f) a filter membrane for holding reactant metal elements in said exhaust steam, whereby said metal elements react with said carbon monoxide producing said metal carbonyl

g) a fan for pulling atmospheric gases through said apparatus

h) means to collect said metal carbonyl from said filter

i) means to power said apparatus with solar energy.

6. A method for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to produce metal carbonyl substances comprising the steps in the order named:

a) producing a flux field of radiation energy of a specific frequency and power sufficient to excite carbon dioxide molecules

b) powering a gas stream of atmospheric matter containing carbon dioxide

c) intersecting said energy flux and said matter stream, whereby said carbon dioxide molecules dissociate into neutral fragments of carbon monoxide and oxygen to the exclusion of other molecules in said gas stream

d) exhausting said gas stream containing said neutral fragment carbon monoxide

e) reacting the neutral fragment carbon monoxide in said gas stream with combining metal elements producing metal carbonyls

f) capturing metal carbonyl substances from said gas stream

g) collecting said metal carbonyl substances

h) exhausting said gas stream without carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

7. An apparatus for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to produce a metal carbonyl substance comprising:

a) a means for producing a flux field of radiation energy of a specific frequency and power sufficient to excite carbon dioxide molecules

b) a means for powering a gas stream of atmospheric matter containing said carbon dioxide

c) a means for intersecting said energy flux and said matter stream, whereby said carbon dioxide molecules dissociate into neutral fragments of carbon monoxide and oxygen to the exclusion of other molecules in said gas stream

d) a means for exhausting said gas stream containing the neutral fragment carbon monoxide

e) a means for reacting the neutral fragment carbon monoxide in said gas stream with combining metal elements to produce said metal carbonyls

f) a means for capturing metal carbonyl substances from said gas stream

g) a means for collecting said metal carbonyl substances

h) a means for exhausting said gas stream to the atmosphere.