JP2014233690A - Carbon dioxide removal device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a COremoval device for removing carbon dioxide (CO) from air, capable of shortening a COadsorption/desorption cycle, downsizing the device, and reducing the cost.SOLUTION: The COremoval device includes: first and second COadsorption/desorption parts 21, 22 disposed so as to be adjacent to each other; a gas introduction part 12 for selectively introducing gas before purification into the first and second COadsorption/desorption parts; a gas discharge part 13 for, when purified gas is discharged from the first COadsorption/desorption part, discharging COfrom the second COadsorption/desorption part, and when carbon dioxide is discharged from the first COadsorption/desorption part, discharging the purified gas from the second COadsorption/desorption part; a first Peltier element 23 disposed between the first COadsorption/desorption part and the second COadsorption/desorption part; a second Peltier element 24 disposed so as to sandwich the first COadsorption/desorption part between the first and second Peltier elements; and a third Peltier element 25 disposed so as to sandwich the second COadsorption/desorption part between the first and third Peltier elements.

Description

  The present invention relates to a carbon dioxide removal apparatus that removes carbon dioxide, which is an unnecessary gas, from the air.

  Conventionally, the development and operation of the International Space Station (ISS) has attracted attention for next-generation space missions such as lunar manned exploration or lunar base construction. In particular, in the International Space Station, air regeneration is indispensable for life support in the space environment. Specifically, the development of carbon dioxide removal technology for efficiently removing carbon dioxide from the space life environment at the International Space Station and the development of a carbon dioxide removal device using the same are regarded as important.

  As such a carbon dioxide removal apparatus and a carbon dioxide removal method, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a system and a method for removing carbon dioxide from a process air stream. In Patent Document 1, the first adsorption bed and the second adsorption bed that adsorb or desorb carbon dioxide are thermally connected via a heat exchanger such as a heat pipe, and are drawn from one of the adsorption beds. A structure is disclosed in which heat is used as energy to desorb carbon dioxide in the other adsorption bed (that is, the adsorption bed is regenerated). In Patent Document 2, two canisters filled with a solid amine are connected via a common thermoelectric element, and the two canisters are adjusted to the adsorption temperature or desorption temperature alternately. A structure for alternately discharging carbon dioxide is disclosed.

JP 2008-207177 A US Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0160098

  However, in the structure in which desorption of carbon dioxide in the other adsorption bed is performed using heat drawn from one adsorption bed as in Patent Document 1, it takes time to heat the other adsorption bed, and desorption and The adsorption conversion cycle is relatively long. Similarly, in a structure in which a common thermoelectric element is provided at the joint portion of two canisters as in Patent Document 2, it takes time to heat one canister, and the exchange cycle of desorption and adsorption is relatively long (specifically, Is 20 to 30 minutes).

  Further, since the carbon dioxide adsorbent described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 is a solid material such as a solid amine, the contact area with a gas containing carbon dioxide is reduced. Therefore, in order to improve the carbon dioxide removal efficiency, it is necessary to increase the quantity of the adsorbent when trying to expand the contact area with the gas, and the problem is that the carbon dioxide removal apparatus is increased in size and cost. Has occurred.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and its object is to easily reduce the size and cost while shortening the carbon dioxide desorption and adsorption exchange cycle. An object of the present invention is to provide a carbon dioxide removal device that can perform the above-described process.

  In order to achieve the above object, a carbon dioxide removal apparatus of the present invention is a carbon dioxide removal apparatus that removes carbon dioxide from a gas before purification and discharges the purification gas, wherein the carbon dioxide contained in the gas before purification. A first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion and a second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion, which are disposed adjacent to each other to adsorb carbon and desorb the carbon dioxide by heating, and the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion And a gas introduction part for selectively introducing the gas before purification into the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part, and the carbon dioxide and the purified gas are alternately discharged from the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part. In addition, when the carbon dioxide is discharged from the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part, the purified gas is discharged from the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part, and the purification is performed from the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part. Between the first carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing portion and the second carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing portion, when the carbon dioxide is discharged from the second carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing portion, The first Peltier element disposed, the second Peltier element disposed so as to sandwich the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part with the first Peltier element, and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part And a third Peltier element arranged so as to sandwich the Peltier element.

  In the carbon dioxide removal apparatus described above, the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part have a laminated structure formed by applying powdered activated carbon on the surface of a metal material. May be. In this case, each of the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion has a plurality of aluminum plates and an activated carbon thin film made of the activated carbon on each surface of the plurality of aluminum plates. You may do it.

  In any one of the carbon dioxide removal devices described above, a heat sink may be installed in each of the second Peltier element and the third Peltier element.

  Furthermore, in any one of the carbon dioxide removal devices described above, the gas introduction unit and the gas discharge unit are controlled, and the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit are selectively used. You may have a control part which controls the polarity of the electric current supplied to the said 1st Peltier element, the said 2nd Peltier element, and the said 3rd Peltier element so that it may heat.

  In the carbon dioxide removal apparatus of the present invention, since each carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part is sandwiched between Peltier elements, each carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part can be efficiently heated and cooled. In addition, the carbon dioxide removal apparatus of the present invention shortens the cycle of carbon dioxide desorption and adsorption compared to a conventional carbon dioxide removal apparatus that does not have a structure in which the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part is sandwiched between two Peltier elements. can do.

  Moreover, in the carbon dioxide removal apparatus of this invention, since a powdery activated carbon is used for a carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part, the contact area of a carbon dioxide and activated carbon can be increased. Thereby, size reduction of a carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part can be achieved, and the cost reduction of a carbon dioxide removal apparatus itself can be implement | achieved.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the outline of the whole structure of the carbon dioxide removal apparatus which concerns on an Example. It is a side view of the carbon dioxide removal part of the carbon dioxide removal apparatus which concerns on an Example. It is sectional drawing along the III-III line of FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a region surrounded by a broken line IV in FIG. 3. It is an operation | movement flowchart of the carbon dioxide removal apparatus which concerns on an Example. It is an expanded sectional view of the carbon dioxide adsorption-desorption part of the carbon dioxide removal apparatus which concerns on the modification shown similarly to FIG. It is an expanded sectional view of the carbon dioxide adsorption-desorption part of the carbon dioxide removal apparatus which concerns on the other modification shown similarly to FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on examples and modifications with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited to the content demonstrated below, In the range which does not change the summary, it can change arbitrarily and can implement. In addition, the drawings used for the description of the embodiment and the modification schematically show the carbon dioxide removal device and its constituent members according to the present invention, and are partially emphasized, enlarged, reduced, Or the omission etc. are performed and it may not represent correctly the reduced scale, the shape, etc. of each structural member. Furthermore, the various numerical values used in the embodiments and the modifications are only examples, and can be variously changed as necessary.

<Example>
(Overall configuration of carbon dioxide removal device)
First, the configuration of a carbon dioxide removing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an overview of the overall configuration of a carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 according to an embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 includes a carbon dioxide removal unit 11 that removes carbon dioxide from air containing carbon dioxide (that is, a gas before purification), and a carbon dioxide removal unit 11 that is before the purification. A gas introduction unit 12 that introduces gas, an air from which carbon dioxide has been removed (that is, purified gas), a gas discharge unit 13 that discharges carbon dioxide, and a control unit 14 that controls each unit are configured.

  The carbon dioxide removing unit 11 includes a first carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing unit 21 and a second carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing unit 22 that can freely adsorb and desorb carbon dioxide according to a temperature change, and a first carbon dioxide. Three Peltier elements (a first Peltier element 23, a second Peltier element 24, and a third Peltier element 25) that heat and cool the adsorption / desorption part 21 and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22, and a second Peltier element 24 And heat sinks 26 and 27 for cooling the third Peltier element 25. As a specific arrangement configuration, two first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portions 21 and second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portions 22 are arranged adjacent to each other with the first Peltier element 23 interposed therebetween, and the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portions 22 are arranged. A second Peltier element 24 is disposed so as to sandwich the desorption part 21 with the first Peltier element 23, and a third Peltier element 25 is disposed so as to sandwich the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22 with the first Peltier element 23. Yes. A heat sink 26 is installed on the side of the second Peltier element 24 where the first carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing part 21 is not arranged, and a second carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing part 22 of the third Peltier element 25 is arranged. A heat sink 27 is installed on the non-side.

  The gas introduction unit 12 connects a gas introduction valve 31 for introducing the gas before purification in a predetermined space into the carbon dioxide removal device 10, and the gas introduction valve 31 and the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 21. And an inflow passage 33 that connects the gas introduction valve 31 and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 22. The gas introduction valve 31 can change the opening state of the valve in accordance with a control signal transmitted from the control unit 14, and introduces the gas before purification into either the inflow path 32 or the inflow path 33. It has a structure that can. That is, the gas introduction valve 31 selectively communicates the outside of the carbon dioxide removing device 10 with the inflow path 32 and the inflow path 33, and introduces the gas before purification into the selected flow path. In other words, the gas introduction unit 12 supplies the gas before purification to the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 21 and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 22 in accordance with the control signal transmitted from the control unit 14. Selectively introduce.

  The gas discharge unit 13 includes a purified gas discharge valve 41 that discharges purified gas that is air from which carbon dioxide has been removed, a carbon dioxide discharge valve 42 that discharges carbon dioxide, and carbon dioxide through the carbon dioxide discharge valve 42. A pump 43 for efficiently discharging carbon dioxide to the outside of the carbon removal device 10; an outflow passage 44 connecting the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21, the purified gas discharge valve 41, and the carbon dioxide discharge valve 42; An outflow passage 45 connecting the second carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing section 22 with the purified gas discharge valve 41 and the carbon dioxide discharge valve 42; and an outflow passage 46 connecting the carbon dioxide discharge valve 42 and the pump 43. Yes.

  The purified gas discharge valve 41 can change the open state of the valve in accordance with a control signal transmitted from the control unit 14, and either the outflow path 44 or the outflow path 45 and the outside of the carbon dioxide removal device 10. It has the structure which can communicate with. That is, the purified gas discharge valve 41 selects from the outflow path 44 and the outflow path 45 and discharges the purified gas.

  The carbon dioxide discharge valve 42 can change the opening state of the valve according to a control signal transmitted from the control unit 14, and communicates either the outflow path 44 or the outflow path 45 with the pump 43. It has a structure that can. That is, the carbon dioxide discharge valve 42 is selected from the outflow path 44 and the outflow path 45, and discharges carbon dioxide from the selected flow path toward the pump 43.

  Various general pumps such as a rotary pump, a diffusion pump, or a turbo molecular pump can be used as the pump 43. For example, when the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is installed in a predetermined space such as the international space station, the pump 43 discharges carbon dioxide from the international space station to the outer space.

  From the configuration of the gas discharge unit 13 as described above, the gas discharge unit 13 alternately discharges carbon dioxide and purified gas from the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 21 and from the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 21. When discharging carbon dioxide, the purified gas is discharged from the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 22, and when the purified gas is discharged from the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 21, the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption is performed. It can be discharged from the part 22. In other words, the gas discharge unit 13 alternately discharges various gases from the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 21 and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 22.

  The control unit 14 is a general central processing unit that controls the operations of the first to third Peltier elements 23, 24, 25, the gas introduction valve 31, the purified gas discharge valve 41, the carbon dioxide discharge valve 42, and the pump 43. It is comprised from the control apparatus containing CPU: Central Processing Unit). Specifically, the control unit 14 determines the direction of the current supplied to the first to third Peltier elements 23, 24, and 25, and corresponds to the direction of the current, so that the first to third Peltier elements 23, 24 are determined. , 25 is supplied with current. In addition, the control unit 14 determines the opening states of the gas introduction valve 31, the purified gas discharge valve 41, and the carbon dioxide discharge valve 42, transmits a control signal corresponding to the opening state to each valve, and opens each valve. Control the state. Further, the control unit 14 transmits a control signal for controlling the driving of the pump 43 to drive the pump 43 on and off.

  Next, the configuration of the carbon dioxide removal unit 11 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 is a side view of the carbon dioxide removing unit 11, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III (shown by a one-dot chain line) in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is surrounded by a broken line IV in FIG. It is an enlarged view of an area. 2 to 4, the extending direction of the inflow channel and the outflow channel is defined as the X direction, and the directions orthogonal to the X direction are defined as the Y direction and the Z direction, respectively.

  As can be seen from FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the carbon dioxide removal unit 11 includes a casing 51 made of a relatively hard material such as metal or plastic, and the first to third Peltiers inside the casing 51. Elements 23, 24, and 25 are arranged, and a first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 and a second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 22 are formed. More specifically, two cavities 52 and 53 for forming the first carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing portion 21 and the second carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing portion 22 are provided adjacent to each other inside the casing 51. A cavity 54 for embedding the first Peltier element 23 is formed between the cavities 52 and 53. A cavity 55 is provided on the + Z direction side (one side) so as to sandwich the cavity 52 with the cavity 54, and a cavity 56 is provided on the −Z direction side (the other side) so as to sandwich the cavity 53 with the cavity 54. .

  In the cavities 52 and 53, a plurality of thin plate-like aluminum plates 57 extending in the XZ plane (that is, the gas flow direction) are arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other. The number of aluminum plates 57 arranged in each cavity is not limited to seven as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, but more (for example, ten) or less (for example, five). Also good. From the viewpoint of improving the adsorption efficiency of carbon dioxide, it is preferable to increase the number as much as possible. The material of the thin plate disposed in the cavities 52 and 53 is not limited to aluminum, but other metal materials (for example, gold, silver, copper) or other materials having a relatively high thermal conductivity (for example, , Plastic made of resin).

  As shown in FIG. 4, an activated carbon thin film 58 is formed on the surface of the aluminum plate 57 by applying activated carbon powder that adsorbs and desorbs carbon dioxide. Here, the activated carbon powder is applied to the aluminum plate 57 using an adhesive. The activated carbon thin film 58 has a characteristic of adsorbing carbon dioxide when the temperature is in the range of about 15 ° C. to 25 ° C. and desorbing carbon dioxide when the temperature is in the range of about 35 ° C. to 85 ° C.

  As described above, the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 22 are composed of the plurality of aluminum plates 57 and the activated carbon thin film 58 formed on the surface thereof. And a laminated structure of two layers made of the activated carbon thin film 58.

  As can be seen from FIG. 3, the first to third Peltier elements 23, 24, 25 are close to the aluminum plate 57 constituting the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 22. Therefore, the aluminum plate 57 can be efficiently heated or cooled by the first to third Peltier elements 23, 24, 25. Since the aluminum plate 57 has a relatively high thermal conductivity, the activated carbon thin film 58 can also be efficiently heated or cooled. In the present embodiment, when the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 is cooled, a current flowing in the same direction is supplied to the first Peltier element 23 and the second Peltier element 24. At this time, the side surface opposite to the surface adjacent to the first carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing portion 21 of the first Peltier element 23 (that is, the cooling surface) is heated. By supplying an electric current, the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22 can be heated at the same time. In this case, the direction of the current supplied to the third Peltier element 25 is opposite to the direction of the current supplied to the first Peltier element 23 and the second Peltier element 24. In order to establish the above-described current direction relationship, it is assumed that the arrangement directions of the first to third Peltier elements 23, 24, and 25 are the same.

  Further, as can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the inflow path 32 and the outflow path 44 are communicated with the cavity 52 in which the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 made of the aluminum plate 57 and the activated carbon thin film 58 is disposed. Yes. Similarly, the inflow path 33 and the outflow path 45 are communicated with the cavity 53 in which the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 22 made of the aluminum plate 57 and the activated carbon thin film 58 is disposed. With such a communication structure, the gas before purification is introduced into the cavities 52 and 53 via the inflow channels 32 and 33, and the first and second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portions 21 provided in the cavities 52 and 53, 22 removes carbon dioxide contained in the gas before purification, and the purified gas and carbon dioxide are discharged from the cavities 52 and 53 to the outside of the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 via the outflow passages 44, 45 and 46 (that is, the purified gas). Is discharged into the installation space of the carbon dioxide removing device 10 and carbon dioxide is discharged into outer space).

  Further, as can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, a heat sink 26 is disposed on the opposite side of the second Peltier element 24 where the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 is disposed, and the second Peltier element 25 has the second Peltier element 25. A heat sink 27 is disposed on the opposite side of the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 22. The heat sinks 26 and 27 include a plurality of fins 26a and 27a, and can efficiently cool the heat generated in the second Peltier element 24 and the third Peltier element 25.

(Operation of carbon dioxide removal device)
Next, the operation of the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5. FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart for explaining a series of operations of the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. In the state before the start of this operation, it is assumed that no carbon dioxide is present in either the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 21 or the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 22 of the carbon dioxide removal device 10. .

  First, the control part 14 controls the opening state of the gas introduction valve 31, and connects the outside of the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 and the inflow path 32 (step S1). Thereby, the gas before purification, which is air containing carbon dioxide, is introduced into the inflow path 32 from the outside of the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10, and the gas before purification is introduced into the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 via the inflow path 32. Will be supplied. At this time, the inflow path 33 and the outside of the carbon dioxide removing device 10 are not in communication, and the gas before purification is not introduced into the inflow path 33.

  Next, a current is supplied to the first Peltier element 23 and the second Peltier element 24 to cool the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 21, and the activated carbon thin film 58 constituting the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 21 is subjected to carbon dioxide. Carbon is adsorbed (step S2). At this time, the control unit 14 adjusts the direction and amount of current so that the temperature of the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 21 is 15 ° C. to 25 ° C. Here, when the portion adjacent to the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 of the second Peltier element 24 is cooled, the portion not adjacent to the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 of the second Peltier element 24 (that is, opposite to the cooling surface). However, since the heat sink 26 is installed on the heating surface side, the heat of the second Peltier element 24 is dissipated from the heat sink 26, so that the carbon dioxide is absorbed by the heating surface of the second Peltier element 24. The detachable part 21 is not affected.

  Next, the control part 14 controls the opening state of the purification gas discharge valve 41, and connects the outside of the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 and the outflow path 44 (step S3). As a result, the purified gas, which is the air in which carbon dioxide has been removed in the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21, is discharged to the outside of the carbon dioxide removal device 10. That is, carbon dioxide is removed from the gas before purification, and the purified gas is returned to the installation space of the carbon dioxide removal device 10. At this time, the outflow passage 45 and the outside of the carbon dioxide removing device 10 (inside the installation space) are not in communication.

  The operations from step S1 to step S3 described above need not be performed sequentially but may be performed simultaneously. That is, the gas before purification introduced from the gas introduction valve 31 passes through the inflow path 32, the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21, and the outflow path 44 from the purified gas discharge valve 41 to the outside of the carbon dioxide removal device 10. The first carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing portion 21 may be cooled and simultaneously adsorbed with carbon dioxide while forming a flow path for discharging to the outside.

  Next, the control part 14 controls the opening state of the gas introduction valve 31, and connects the outside of the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 and the inflow path 33 (step S4). As a result, the supply of the gas before purification to the inflow path 32 is stopped, and the gas before purification, which is air containing carbon dioxide, is introduced from the outside of the carbon dioxide removing device 10 into the inflow path 33 and passes through the inflow path 33. Thus, the gas before purification is supplied to the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22.

  Next, the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 21 is heated by supplying a current flowing in the direction opposite to that in step S2 to the first Peltier element 23 and the second Peltier element 24, and the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption is performed. The carbon dioxide adsorbed on the activated carbon thin film 58 of the unit 21 is desorbed and a current flowing in the opposite direction to the current flowing in the first Peltier element 23 and the second Peltier element 24 is supplied to the third Peltier element 25. The second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22 is cooled, and carbon dioxide is adsorbed to the activated carbon thin film 58 constituting the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22 (step S5). At this time, the control unit 14 adjusts the temperature of the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 21 to 35 ° C. to 85 ° C. and the temperature of the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 22 to 15 ° C. to 25 ° C. The amount of current supplied to each Peltier element is adjusted.

  Here, when the portion adjacent to the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 of the first Peltier element 23 is heated, the portion not adjacent to the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 of the first Peltier element 23 (that is, opposite to the heating surface). However, since the cooling surface of the first Peltier element 23 is close to the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22, the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22 can be cooled at the same time. Further, when the portion of the third Peltier element 25 adjacent to the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 22 is cooled, the portion of the third Peltier element 25 not adjacent to the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 22 (that is, the surface opposite to the cooling surface). ) Is heated, but since the heat sink 27 is installed on the heating surface side, the heat of the third Peltier element 25 is dissipated from the heat sink 27, so that the heating surface of the third Peltier element 25 absorbs and desorbs carbon dioxide. The part 22 is not affected.

  Next, the control unit 14 controls the opening state of the purified gas discharge valve 41 to connect the outside of the carbon dioxide removing device 10 and the outflow passage 45, and controls the opening state of the carbon dioxide discharge valve 42 to control the first state. The carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing portion 21 to the pump 43 are communicated with each other and the driving of the pump 43 is started (step S6). As a result, the purified gas, which is the air from which carbon dioxide has been removed in the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 22, is discharged to the outside of the carbon dioxide removal device 10, and the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 21. The carbon dioxide desorbed from the activated carbon thin film 58 is discharged from the pump 43 to the outside of the space where the carbon dioxide removing device 10 is installed (for example, outer space).

  Note that the operations from step S4 to step S6 described above do not have to be performed sequentially, and may be performed simultaneously. That is, the gas before purification introduced from the gas introduction valve 31 passes from the purified gas discharge valve 41 to the outside of the carbon dioxide removal device 10 via the inflow path 33, the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 22, and the outflow path 45. And the carbon dioxide desorbed in the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 from the pump 43 via the outflow path 44, the carbon dioxide exhaust valve 42, and the outflow path 46. Formation of a flow path for discharging to the outside of the installation space of the carbon dioxide removing device 10, desorption of carbon dioxide by heating of the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 21, and a second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit The adsorption of carbon dioxide by the cooling of 22 may be performed simultaneously.

  Next, the control part 14 controls the opening state of the gas introduction valve 31, and connects the outside of the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 and the inflow path 32 (step S7). As a result, the supply of the gas before purification to the inflow path 33 is stopped, and the gas before purification, which is air containing carbon dioxide, is introduced into the inflow path 32 from the outside of the carbon dioxide removing device 10 and passes through the inflow path 32. Thus, the gas before purification is supplied to the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21.

  Next, a current flowing in the same direction as step S2 is supplied to the first Peltier element 23 and the second Peltier element 24 to cool the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21, and the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption is performed. Carbon dioxide is adsorbed on the activated carbon thin film 58 of the section 21 and a current flowing in the opposite direction to the current flowing in the first Peltier element 23 and the second Peltier element 24 is supplied to the third Peltier element 25 to generate a second The carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22 is heated, and carbon dioxide is desorbed from the activated carbon thin film 58 constituting the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22 (step S8). At this time, the control unit 14 is configured so that the temperature of the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 22 is 35 ° C. to 85 ° C. and the temperature of the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 21 is 15 ° C. to 25 ° C. The amount of current supplied to each Peltier element is adjusted.

  Next, the control unit 14 controls the opening state of the purified gas discharge valve 41 to connect the outside of the carbon dioxide removing device 10 and the outflow passage 44, and controls the opening state of the carbon dioxide discharge valve 42 to control the second state. The carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing part 22 is connected to the pump 43 (step S9). As a result, the purified gas, which is the air in which carbon dioxide has been removed in the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 21, is discharged to the outside of the carbon dioxide removal device 10, and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 22. The carbon dioxide desorbed from the activated carbon thin film 58 is discharged from the pump 43 to the outside of the space where the carbon dioxide removing device 10 is installed.

  After step S9, steps S4 to S9 are repeated to intermittently remove carbon dioxide, discharge carbon dioxide, and discharge purified gas from the gas before purification. That is, the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 21 and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part are performed while alternately adsorbing carbon dioxide in the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 21 and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22. The desorption of carbon dioxide in 22 is also performed alternately, and the purified gas and carbon dioxide are intermittently discharged from the carbon dioxide removing device 10.

(Effect of Example)
In the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, Peltier elements are arranged on both sides of each carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part (that is, each carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part is sandwiched between Peltier elements in the Z direction). The first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 21 and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22 can be efficiently heated and cooled. Further, since the heat sinks 26 and 27 are provided close to the second Peltier element 24 and the third Peltier element 25 located on the + Z side and the −Z side, respectively, the second Peltier element 24 and the third Peltier element 25. Heat transfer can be promoted, and heating and cooling can be performed efficiently.

  And in the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 of a present Example, compared with the conventional carbon dioxide removal apparatus which does not have the structure which pinches | interposes a carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part with two Peltier elements, the cycle of a carbon dioxide desorption and adsorption | suction Can be shortened. Specifically, in the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 of the embodiment, the cycle can be set to about 5 to 10 minutes.

  Furthermore, in the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, since the aluminum plate 57 is used for the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 22, The heat transfer between the activated carbon thin film 58 and the first to third Peltier elements 23, 24, 25 can be efficiently performed, and the adsorption and desorption of carbon dioxide can be performed easily and quickly. .

  Moreover, in the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, since the powdered activated carbon is used for the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 21 and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit 22, The contact area with the activated carbon can be further increased. Thereby, size reduction of the 1st carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 21 and the 2nd carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22 can be achieved, and the cost reduction of the carbon dioxide removal apparatus 10 itself can be implement | achieved.

<Modification>
In the embodiment described above, the first carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing portion 21 and the second carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing portion 22 are composed of the flat aluminum plate 57 and the activated carbon thin film 58. FIG. 6 or FIG. You may form the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part which has a structure as shown. Below, the modification of a carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part is demonstrated, referring FIG.6 and FIG.7. Here, FIG.6 and FIG.7 is an expanded sectional view of the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part shown similarly to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 ′ according to the modification includes an aluminum member 62 in which a plurality of through holes 61 regularly arranged in the Y direction and the Z direction are formed, and a through hole The activated carbon thin film 58 is laminated on the surface of the aluminum member 62 on the side surface 61. Further, the shape of the through hole 61 in the YZ plane is a square, and the shape of the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 ′ in the YZ plane is a lattice shape. And as for the shape of the activated carbon thin film 58, the whole shape is a cylinder shape and the cross-sectional shape in a YZ plane is a square.

  In such a configuration, carbon dioxide is removed by the activated carbon thin film 58 when the pre-purification gas introduced from the gas introduction unit 12 passes through the through hole 61. Then, the purified gas from which carbon dioxide has been removed passes through the through hole 61 and reaches the outflow path 44 or the outflow path 45.

  Note that the aluminum member 62 constituting the first carbon dioxide adsorbing / desorbing portion 21 ′ may further have a through hole extending in the Y direction so that the cross-sectional shape in the XZ plane is also a lattice shape.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion 21 ″ according to another modification includes an aluminum member 72 in which a plurality of through holes 71 arranged randomly in the Y direction and the Z direction are formed, An active carbon thin film 58 laminated on the surface of the aluminum member 72 on the side surface of the through hole 71. The shape of the through hole 71 in the YZ plane is circular, and the shape of the activated carbon thin film 58 is the whole. The shape is cylindrical, and the cross-sectional shape in the YZ plane is circular.

  Even in such a configuration, when the pre-purification gas introduced from the gas introduction part 12 passes through the through hole 71, carbon dioxide is removed by the activated carbon thin film 58. Then, the purified gas from which the carbon dioxide has been removed passes through the through hole 71 and reaches the outflow path 44 or the outflow path 45.

  In the modification described above, the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 21 ′ and the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 21 ″ have been described as modifications of the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 21. Similarly, the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22 may have the same shape as the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 21 ′ or the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 21 ″. Moreover, as a shape of the further modification of the 1st carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 21 and the 2nd carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22, 2 or more shapes selected from FIG.4, FIG.6 and FIG.7 are combined. Also good.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Carbon dioxide removal apparatus 11 Carbon dioxide removal part 12 Gas introduction part 13 Gas discharge part 14 Control part 21 1st carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 22 2nd carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part 23 1st Peltier element 24 2nd Peltier element 25 Third Peltier element 26, 27 Heat sink 31 Gas introduction valve 32, 33 Inflow path 41 Purified gas discharge valve 42 Carbon dioxide discharge valve 43 Pump 44, 45, 46 Outflow path 51 Housing 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 Cavity 57 Aluminum plate 58 Activated carbon thin film 61, 71 Through hole 62, 72 Aluminum member

Claims (5)

A carbon dioxide removing device that removes carbon dioxide from the gas before purification and discharges the purified gas,
A first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit and a second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit, which are disposed adjacent to each other and adsorb the carbon dioxide contained in the gas before purification and desorb the carbon dioxide by heating; ,
A gas introduction part for selectively introducing the gas before the purification with respect to the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part;
The carbon dioxide and the purified gas are alternately discharged from the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit, and the purified gas is discharged from the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit when the carbon dioxide is discharged from the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit. A gas discharge unit for discharging the carbon dioxide from the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit when discharging from the carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit and discharging the purified gas from the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption unit;
A first Peltier element disposed between the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion;
A second Peltier element disposed so as to sandwich the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion with the first Peltier element;
A carbon dioxide removing apparatus comprising: a third Peltier element disposed so as to sandwich the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption portion with the first Peltier element.   The said 1st carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part and the said 2nd carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part have a laminated structure formed by apply | coating powdery activated carbon on the surface of a metal material, The feature of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Carbon dioxide removal equipment.   The first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part have a plurality of aluminum plates and an activated carbon thin film made of the activated carbon on each surface of the plurality of aluminum plates. The carbon dioxide removing apparatus according to claim 2.   4. The carbon dioxide removing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a heat sink is installed in each of the second Peltier element and the third Peltier element. 5.   The first Peltier element and the second Peltier element are configured to control the gas introduction part and the gas discharge part, and to selectively heat the first carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part and the second carbon dioxide adsorption / desorption part. 5. The carbon dioxide removing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls a polarity of a current supplied to the Peltier element and the third Peltier element.

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