# US 2026/0084089 A1 · Method For Controlling A System For Separating Carbon Dioxide From Ambient Air And System

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- Number: US 2026/0084089 A1
- Document ID: US20260084089A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 19/197,408
- Filed: 2025-05-02
- Published: 2026-03-26
- Earliest claimed: 2024-05-03
- Assignees: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft; Everllence SE
- Applicants: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft; Everllence SE
- Inventors: Christian HEIMERMANN; Marcel WIEGEL; Peter KAWELKE; Martin HOFER; Klaus BEHNKE; Stephan WEBER; Holger BUSCHMANN
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260084089A1

## CPC

- B01D 53/0454: {Controlling adsorption (controlling temperature swing adsorption B01D53/0462, controlling pressure swing adsorption B01D53/047)}
- B01D 53/0407: {Constructional details of adsorbing systems}
- B01D 53/0438: {Cooling or heating systems}
- B01D 53/0446: {Means for feeding or distributing gases}
- B01D 53/0462: {Temperature swing adsorption}
- B01D 53/047: Pressure swing adsorption
- B01D 53/261: {by adsorption}
- B01D 2257/504: Carbon dioxide
- B01D 2257/80: Water
- B01D 2258/06: Polluted air
- B01D 2259/40088: by heating
- Y02C 20/40: of CO2
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- Y02C: CAPTURE, STORAGE, SEQUESTRATION OR DISPOSAL OF GREENHOUSE GASES [GHG]

## Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for controlling a system for separating carbon dioxide from the ambient air. The method distinguishes between normal operation, in which carbon dioxide is separated from the ambient air, and special operation, which is not primarily used to separate carbon dioxide. Normal operation comprises conveying a stream of air of ambient air into a first process space of the system, wherein the stream of air is dried in the first process space. The dried stream of air of the ambient air is conducted from the first process space into a second process space, in which adsorption and subsequent desorption of carbon dioxide takes place. In the special operation mode, which takes place before or after normal operation, the system is operated with operating parameters that deviate from normal operation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of controlling a system for separating carbon dioxide from the ambient air, comprising:
operating the system in normal operation, wherein normal operation comprises:
conveying a stream of air of the ambient air into a first process space, wherein the stream of air is dried in the first process space;
conducting the dried ambient air from the first process space to a second process space;
adsorbing carbon dioxide from the dried stream of air with a sorbent material in the second process space;
desorbing the carbon dioxide adsorbed in the sorbent material; and
storing the desorbed carbon dioxide in a storage or conducting the desorbed carbon dioxide for direct use in a subsequent process; wherein
the method further comprises operating the system in a special operation mode, different from normal operation, which special operation mode takes place before or after normal operation, wherein the system is operated in the special operation mode with operating parameters deviating from normal operation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the special operation mode is a start-up of the system after a system downtime.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein an additional regeneration of drying agent and/or a drying of the sorbent material takes place during the start-up of the system before the stream of air of the ambient air is introduced into a dryer or a sorption unit of the system.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein a temperature in one of the process spaces and/or a pressure in one of the process spaces, or the process step duration is changed compared to normal operation in order to regenerate the drying agent and/or for drying the sorbent material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the special operation mode comprises switching off or shutting down the system.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the first process space and/or the second process space are closed in a gas-tight manner when the system is switched off or shut down.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the first process space and/or the second process space are subjected to an overpressure when the system is switched off or shut down, in order to prevent moist ambient air from flowing into one of the process spaces.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the special operation mode comprises a downtime mode of the system.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the first process space and/or the second process space are closed in a gas-tight manner when the system is in downtime mode.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein a stream of air of the ambient air circulates in one of the process spaces.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the first process space and/or the second process space are subjected to an overpressure when the system is in downtime mode, in order to prevent moist ambient air from flowing into one of the process spaces.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the special operation mode comprises an adjustment of the system parameters after a detected malfunction of the system.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A system for separating carbon dioxide from the ambient air, comprising:
a dryer for drying the ambient air;
a conveyor for conveying a stream of air of the ambient air into a first process space in the dryer, wherein the stream of air is dried in the first process space;
a sorption unit for adsorbing carbon dioxide from the dried stream of air with a sorbent material in a second process space, and for subsequently desorbing the carbon dioxide adsorbed in the sorbent material;
a storage for storing the desorbed carbon dioxide or a process unit for using or further processing the separated carbon dioxide; and
a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the method of claim 1.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein a humidity sensor/dew point sensor and/or a temperature sensor is arranged in the dryer or downstream of the dryer and upstream of the sorption unit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a sensor for detecting the carbon dioxide concentration, a sensor for detecting the flow velocity, a mass flow sensor and/or a volume flow sensor is arranged in the sorption unit.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the special operation mode is a start-up of the system after a system downtime.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein an additional regeneration of drying agent and/or a drying of the sorbent material takes place during the start-up of the system before the stream of air of the ambient air is introduced into a dryer or a sorption unit of the system.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein a temperature in one of the process spaces and/or a pressure in one of the process spaces, or the process step duration is changed compared to normal operation in order to regenerate the drying agent and/or for drying the sorbent material.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the special operation mode comprises switching off or shutting down the system.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the first process space and/or the second process space are closed in a gas-tight manner when the system is switched off or shut down.