System and method for passive collection of atmospheric carbon dioxide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12343674-B2
Application number	US-202318349866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2023
Priority date	Feb 22, 2018
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A system and method for passive collection of atmospheric carbon dioxide is disclosed. The system includes a harvest chamber having a first opening and a sorbent regeneration system. The system also includes a capture body coupled to and movable by a support structure. The capture body includes a sorbent material and is movable by the support structure to be in a collection configuration wherein at least a portion of the capture body is in contact with a natural airflow outside the harvest chamber such that atmospheric carbon dioxide is captured by the sorbent material, and a release configuration wherein at least a portion of the capture body holding captured carbon dioxide is operated upon by the regeneration system inside the harvest chamber such that captured carbon dioxide is released to form an enriched gas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for passive collection of atmospheric carbon dioxide, comprising:
a harvest chamber comprising a first opening and a sorbent regeneration system;
a capture body coupled to the harvest chamber and comprising a sorbent material hanging from at least one collapsible tether, the capture body movable between a collection configuration wherein at least a portion of the capture body is outside the harvest chamber and in contact with an airflow such that atmospheric carbon dioxide is captured by the sorbent material, and a release configuration wherein the capture body is operated upon by the sorbent regeneration system inside the harvest chamber such that captured carbon dioxide is released into the harvest chamber to form an enriched gas; and
a product outlet in fluid communication with the inside of the harvest chamber and configured to receive a product stream of enriched gas.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent material is a moisture swing sorbent material, and the sorbent regeneration system comprises a release medium and a release medium emitter, wherein the release medium is one of liquid water and steam.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent material is a heat swing sorbent material and the sorbent regeneration system comprises a heat source.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the product outlet is configured to receive the product stream of enriched gas as it is displaced by a sweep gas introduced to the harvest chamber.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a control system communicatively coupled to a support structure coupled to the capture structure, the support structure configured to move the capture structure from the collection configuration to the release configuration, and the control system configured to cycle the capture body between the collection configuration and the release configuration.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising:
an external sensor outside the harvest chamber and communicatively coupled to the control system;
wherein the control system is configured to respond to an ambient condition detected by the external sensor.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lid movable between an open position separated from the harvest chamber, and a closed position covering the first opening of the harvest chamber;
wherein the release configuration comprises the lid being in the closed position such that the capture body is completely enclosed inside the harvest chamber.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the capture body is coupled to the lid such that the capture body hangs from the lid when the capture body is in the collection configuration and the capture body is enclosed within the harvest chamber when the capture body is in the release configuration.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the capture body is coupled to the lid through the at least one collapsible tether, and wherein the collapsible tether is collapsed within and contained inside the harvest chamber when the capture structure is in the release configuration.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the support structure is integral with the harvest chamber.

11. A method for passively collecting atmospheric carbon dioxide, comprising:
exposing a capture body to an airflow by moving the capture body into a collection configuration wherein at least a portion of the capture body is outside a harvest chamber, the capture body comprising a sorbent material that captures carbon dioxide, with the sorbent material hanging from at least one collapsible tether;
moving the capture body into a release configuration by moving the capture body into the harvest chamber, with the portion of the capture body holding captured carbon dioxide entering the harvest chamber through a first opening of the harvest chamber;
regenerating the sorbent material and releasing the captured carbon dioxide into the harvest chamber to form an enriched gas by exposing the sorbent material to a release medium introduced to the harvest chamber by a sorbent regeneration system; and
removing a product stream of enriched gas from the harvest chamber through a product outlet.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the capture body is moved using a support structure coupled to the capture body and driven by a control system communicatively coupled to the support structure.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the release medium being one of liquid water and steam.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising extracting the release medium in liquid form from the harvest chamber using a liquid extractor.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the product stream of enriched gas is removed from the harvest chamber by displacing the enriched gas with a sweep gas.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the capture body comprises a plurality of plates, and wherein the plurality of plates are enclosed within the harvest chamber when the capture body is in the release configuration, each plate comprising the sorbent material.

17. A system for passive collection of atmospheric carbon dioxide, comprising:
a harvest chamber comprising a first opening and a sorbent regeneration system;
a capture body coupled to the harvest chamber and comprising a plurality of plates, each plate comprising a sorbent material, the capture body movable between a collection configuration wherein at least a portion of the capture body is outside the harvest chamber and in contact with an airflow such that atmospheric carbon dioxide is captured by the sorbent material, and a release configuration wherein the plurality of plates are enclosed within the harvest chamber and the capture body is operated upon by the sorbent regeneration system inside the harvest chamber such that captured carbon dioxide is released into the harvest chamber to form an enriched gas; and
a product outlet in fluid communication with the inside of the harvest chamber and configured to receive a product stream of enriched gas.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of plates are coupled to and spaced out along a collapsible tether such that the plurality of plates hangs by the tether when the capture body is in the collection configuration.

Assignees

• Univ Arizona State

Inventors

• Lackner Klaus
• Kedia Shreyans
• Carlson Brinton
• Page Robert
• Choodamani Venkatram
• Wright Allen

Classifications

• B01D53/04

  with stationary adsorbents {(B01D53/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B01D2259/40092

  using hot liquid · CPC title

• B01D2259/4009

  using hot gas · CPC title

• B01D2259/40086

  by using a purge gas (B01D2259/4009 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D2257/504

  Carbon dioxide · CPC title