US 11,766,636 B1 · Modular open systems architecture direct air capture platform

Abstract

Systems and methods for modular and adaptable carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, separation, and storage in a variety of disparate site locations are provided. The systems and methods include utilizing a plurality of transportable, mass-producible, and stackable CO2 capture modules locally arranged in a cluster serviced by modular or locally fixed utilities modules that are in turn serviced by centralized plant services facilities, which may be dedicated to the CO2 capture system or may alternatively be shared with other co-located operations. The CO2 capture modules comprise a plurality of sorbent reactors, each comprising removable sorbent cartridges which may be easily exchanged for maintenance or upgrade purposes. The CO2 sorbent reactors are alternatively operated in adsorption and desorption modes and synchronized with each other within the sorbent module and the corresponding cluster to achieve continuous operation.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A modular open architecture Direct Air Capture (DAC) system with multiple levels of modularity for removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, the system comprising:

a) a plant services unit 230 for providing at least one of the group of power distribution, water treatment, steam, and control signals;
b) two or more utilities modules 240 connected to the plant services unit 230 and receiving the at least one of power distribution, water treatment, steam, and control signals;
and
c) two or more DAC capture modules 121 connected to respective utilities modules 240, wherein each DAC capture module 121 comprises two or more sorbent reactors 131, and each sorbent reactor 131 comprises two or more removeable sorbent modules 141.

1 more element

A method to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere using a modular open architecture Direct Air Capture (DAC) system, the method comprising:

a) adsorbing CO2 from ambient air by pulling or pushing a flow of ambient air through a sorbent 151 with one or more fans, wherein the sorbent 151 is housed within one or more sorbent modules 141, and wherein the one or more sorbent modules 141 are modular sorbent support structures is housed within a sorbent reactor 131, and wherein two or more sorbent reactors 131 are housed within a capture module 121;
and two or more capture modules 121 are connected to a utilities module 240 to form a cluster 111;
b) stopping the flow of ambient air through the sorbent 151 by sealing the sorbent reactor 131 to the flow of ambient air;
c) applying a vacuum to the sealed sorbent reactor 131 to remove residual ambient air;
d) repressurizing the sorbent reactor 131 by opening a steam inlet on the sorbent reactor 131 to a flow of steam from the utilities module 240;
e) desorbing CO2 from the sorbent 151 by opening a steam outlet on the sorbent reactor 131 to allow the flow of steam to flow through and heat the sorbent 151 and cause CO2 to be desorbed and carried with the flow of steam through the steam outlet back to the utilities module 240;
f) passing the flow of steam containing desorbed CO2 through a condenser in the utilities module 240 to condense liquid water and pass gaseous CO2 to a plant services unit 230 to be collected;
g) cooling the sorbent 151 by evaporative cooling by stopping the flow of steam through the sorbent reactor 131 by closing the steam inlet and steam outlet and applying a vacuum to the sorbent reactor 131 to evaporate residual moisture and remove residual CO2 to create a moist CO2 stream;
h) passing the moist CO2 steam through a condenser in the utilities module 240 to condense liquid water and pass gaseous CO2 to the plant services unit 230 to be collected;
and
i) restarting the adsorption step a).

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Modular open systems architecture direct air capture platform

Life of this patent

Modular open systems architecture direct air capture platform

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20