Classifications

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  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D53/00—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols
  • B01D53/02—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography
  • B01D53/04—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography with stationary adsorbents
  • B01D53/0462—Temperature swing adsorption
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
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  • B01D53/02—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography
  • B01D53/04—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography with stationary adsorbents
  • B01D53/0407—Constructional details of adsorbing systems
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
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  • B01D53/02—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography
  • B01D53/04—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography with stationary adsorbents
  • B01D53/0407—Constructional details of adsorbing systems
  • B01D53/0446—Means for feeding or distributing gases
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
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  • B01D53/02—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography
  • B01D53/04—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography with stationary adsorbents
  • B01D53/047—Pressure swing adsorption
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  • B01D53/46—Removing components of defined structure
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  • B01D53/34—Chemical or biological purification of waste gases
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• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
  • B60H3/00—Other air-treating devices
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• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
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  • F24F11/30—Control or safety arrangements for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
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  • F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
  • F24F11/70—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
  • F24F11/72—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure
  • F24F11/74—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F13/00—Details common to, or for air-conditioning, air-humidification, ventilation or use of air currents for screening
  • F24F13/28—Arrangement or mounting of filters
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F8/00—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying
  • F24F8/10—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by separation, e.g. by filtering
  • F24F8/108—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by separation, e.g. by filtering using dry filter elements
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
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  • B01D2253/10—Inorganic adsorbents
  • B01D2253/102—Carbon
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
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  • B01D2253/104—Alumina
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
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• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
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• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
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  • B01D2253/20—Organic adsorbents
  • B01D2253/204—Metal organic frameworks (MOF's)
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
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  • B01D2257/504—Carbon dioxide
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
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  • B01D2257/708—Volatile organic compounds V.O.C.'s
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
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• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
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  • B01D2259/40011—Methods relating to the process cycle in pressure or temperature swing adsorption
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• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
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  • B01D2259/45—Gas separation or purification devices adapted for specific applications
  • B01D2259/4508—Gas separation or purification devices adapted for specific applications for cleaning air in buildings
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
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  • B01D2259/4566—Gas separation or purification devices adapted for specific applications for use in transportation means
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
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  • B01D2259/4566—Gas separation or purification devices adapted for specific applications for use in transportation means
  • B01D2259/4575—Gas separation or purification devices adapted for specific applications for use in transportation means in aeroplanes or space ships
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
  • B60H3/00—Other air-treating devices
  • B60H3/06—Filtering
  • B60H2003/0691—Adsorption filters, e.g. activated carbon
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F2110/00—Control inputs relating to air properties
  • F24F2110/10—Temperature
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
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  • F24F2110/00—Control inputs relating to air properties
  • F24F2110/40—Pressure, e.g. wind pressure
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
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• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
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  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F8/00—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying
  • F24F8/10—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by separation, e.g. by filtering
  • F24F8/15—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by separation, e.g. by filtering by chemical means
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F8/00—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying
  • F24F8/10—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by separation, e.g. by filtering
  • F24F8/15—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by separation, e.g. by filtering by chemical means
  • F24F8/158—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by separation, e.g. by filtering by chemical means using active carbon
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F8/00—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying
  • F24F8/90—Cleaning of purification apparatus
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02C—CAPTURE, STORAGE, SEQUESTRATION OR DISPOSAL OF GREENHOUSE GASES [GHG]
  • Y02C20/00—Capture or disposal of greenhouse gases
  • Y02C20/40—Capture or disposal of greenhouse gases of CO2

Definitions

• the subject matter described herein relates to removing contaminants from indoor air using regenerable adsorbent materials included within one or more air treatment modules of a scalable air treatment system.
• HVAC Heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning
• IAQ indoor air quality
• HVAC systems cooperate to maintain thermal comfort, acceptable IAQ levels and pressure relationships between two or more human-occupied spaces within a building or other structure.
• HVAC systems may circulate air through the rooms of a building using an air handling unit, which mechanically forces air to flow through a network of ducts installed within the building, while adjusting air temperature and humidity to maintain comfortable conditions. While these typical HVAC systems have one or more air filters for capturing small particles and/or vapors, more thorough treatment is well-beyond the capability of these conventional filters.
• Customer No. 35437 indoor circulating air with makeup air is done primarily to counteract the accumulation of organic and inorganic contaminants created by human occupants, machines (e.g., computers or copiers), cleaning agents, building materials and/or pesticides, which gradually compromise the quality and safety of the indoor air. Removing such contaminants directly from the indoor air, rather than replacing the indoor air with makeup air from outside a building, may reduce the energy required to cool, dehumidify and/or heat makeup air or eliminate the need to use makeup air altogether.
• Embodiments of the present disclosure may be directed to a practical, modular and scalable system for removing contaminants from the circulating air in an HVAC system, utilizing regenerable adsorbent materials and an adsorption-desorption cycle.
• Treating large volumes of indoor air having low concentrations of organic and inorganic contaminants requires bringing large volumes of adsorbent materials into intimate contact with large volumes of circulating indoor air.
• different buildings may have different air flow requirements and contaminant levels.
• the present disclosure is thus directed to air treatment modules for removing contaminants from indoor air that may include one or more air inlets, one or more air outlets and a plurality of inserts that may each include at least one adsorbent material, where the inserts may be arranged separate from each other to form a plurality of substantially parallel air flow paths Attorney Docket No.: 41929-50100] WO
• the at least one adsorbent material may be arranged for regeneration within the air treatment module using at least one of thermal swing desorption and pressure swing desorption.
• the plurality of inserts may be arranged in a sheet-like form. Some embodiments may include a support frame having one or more structural support members for supporting the plurality of inserts, wherein the one or more air inlets and one or more air outlets are formed by the support frame and the plurality of inserts. Some embodiments may include an air intake plenum adjacent an intake side of the air treatment module and in communication with the one or more air inlets and an air outtake plenum adjacent an outtake side of the air treatment module and in communication with the one or more air outlets.
• Embodiments of the air treatment module may also be configured for incorporation within a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning system.
• the air treatment module may include one or more valves that control the amount of indoor air that flows between the air treatment module and the heating, ventilating and/or air conditioning system.
• the one or more valves may substantially stop indoor air from flowing between the air treatment module and the heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning system.
• the one or more valves may be used to divert only a portion of the total amount of indoor within the heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning system into the air treatment module.
• the air treatment module may involve positioning the plurality of inserts within the support frame at an angle relative to the plurality of substantially parallel air flow paths between the one or more air inlets and one or more air outlets.
• the air treatment module may also have one or more air inlets and one or more air outlets of the support frame that are offset from each other to force indoor air flowing between the one or more air inlets and one or more air outlets to flow through the at least one adsorbent material.
• the at least one adsorbent material may be selected from the group consisting of zeolite, activated charcoal, silica gel, porous alumina and metal-organic-framework materials and/or may remove carbon dioxide or volatile organic compounds from the indoor air.
• Embodiments of the air treatment modules of the present disclosure may also include a support frame that includes an inlet side and an outlet side, where one or more air inlets are formed in the inlet side and one or more air outlets are formed in the outlet side.
• a support frame that includes an inlet side and an outlet side, where one or more air inlets are formed in the inlet side and one or more air outlets are formed in the outlet side.
• the air treatment module may be positioned downstream of a central cooling unit of the heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning system.
• the air treatment module may include sensors to measure temperature, pressure, flow rate and/or gas composition.
• the present disclosure may also relate to air treatment systems for removing contaminants from indoor air.
• These systems may include a plurality of air treatment modules which may each have one or more air inlets, one or more air outlets and one or more inserts.
• the inserts may each include at least one adsorbent material, according to some embodiments.
• the at least one adsorbent material may be arranged for regeneration within each of the plurality of air treatment modules using at least one of thermal swing desorption and pressure swing desorption.
• the plurality of air treatment modules may be aligned adjacent to each other and in communication with a common inlet plenum and a common outlet plenum and the one or more inserts of the plurality of air treatment modules may form a plurality of substantially parallel air flow paths.
• the one or more inserts may be arranged in a sheet-like form.
• Some system embodiments may include arranging the plurality of air treatment modules in a vertical stack and/or horizontally.
• the air treatment systems of the present disclosure may be positioned within a commercial, residential, industrial, military or public building, depending on the particular embodiment.
• the present disclosure also contemplates methods for removing contaminants from indoor air.
• the methods may include providing a plurality of air treatment modules, where each air treatment module may have one or more air inlets, one or more air outlets and one or more inserts which may each include at least one adsorbent material.
• the at least one adsorbent material may be arranged for regeneration within each of the plurality of air treatment modules using at least one of thermal swing desorption and pressure swing desorption.
• the methods may also include arranging the plurality of air treatment modules adjacent to each other, wherein the one or more inserts of the plurality of air treatment modules may form a plurality of substantially parallel air flow paths.
• the methods may further include directing the flow of the indoor air from an air intake plenum into the one or more air inlets of the plurality of air treatment modules, through one or more of the plurality of substantially parallel air flow paths, through one or more Attorney Docket No.: 41929-501001WO
• the air inlet plenum and air outlet plenum may be configured for communication with a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning system.
• the one or more inserts may be arranged in a sheet-like form.
• FIG. 1 shows an HVAC system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 2a shows an embodiment of an air treatment module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 2b shows a plurality of the air treatment modules of FIG. 2a stacked vertically according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of an air treatment module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIGS. 4a and 4b show an embodiment of an air treatment module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 4a shows the inlet end of the air treatment module and
• FIG. 4b shows the outlet end of the air treatment module.
• FIGS. 5a and 5b show an embodiment of an air treatment module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 5a shows the inlet end of the air treatment module and
• FIG. 5b shows the outlet end of the air treatment module.
• FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of an air treatment module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 7 shows an arrangement of a plurality of air treatment modules according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG 8 shows an arrangement of a plurality of air treatment modules according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 9 shows a plurality of air treatment modules stacked vertically and in fluid communication with a common inlet plenum and a common outlet plenum, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 10 shows a plurality of air treatment modules stacked vertically and in fluid communication with a common inlet plenum and a common outlet plenum, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 11 shows a plurality of air treatment modules arranged horizontally and in fluid communication with a common inlet plenum and a common outlet plenum, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
• FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of an air treatment module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
• Some embodiments of the present disclosure may be directed to modular and scalable air treatment modules having one or more removable inserts including one or more Attorney Docket No.: 41929-501001WO
• the air treatment modules may be vertically stacked and/or horizontally arranged to form a compact air treatment system for providing a large surface area for removing contaminants from large volumes of circulating indoor air.
• Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide air treatment systems that improve indoor air quality using high-capacity adsorbent materials, such as for example molecular sieves for removing contaminants, like carbon dioxide (C0 2 ).
• FIG. 1 shows a basic configuration of an HVAC system 100.
• the system 100 may be located within a building, vehicle or other structure and configured for heating, ventilating and/or air conditioning a human-occupied space 1 10.
• Some embodiments of the system 100 may be used for heating, ventilating and/or air conditioning a plurality of human- occupied spaces 110 within a building, vehicle or other structure,
• a building according to the present disclosure may include without limitation an office building, residential building, store, mall, hotel, hospital, restaurant, airport, train station and/or school.
• a vehicle according to the present disclosure may include without limitation an automobile, ship, train, plane or submarine.
• the system 100 may include a central air handling unit 120 and an air treatment system 150.
• the air treatment system 150 may be located upstream of the air handling unit 120 or downstream of the unit 120, as shown in FIG. 1.
• the air handling unit 120 and air treatment system 150 may be in fluid communication with each other, as well as human- occupied space 1 10, via a network of ducts 160.
• the amount of indoor air that flows into and out of the air treatment system 150 may be automatically and/or manually controlled by one or more valves.
• the valves may be positioned within the ducts 160 upstream and/or downstream of the air treatment system 150.
• the valves may serve to isolate the air treatment system 150 from the rest of the system 100 such that there is no fluid communication between the system 100 and air treatment system 150 and air flow into and out of the system 150 is substantially stopped.
• indoor air may flow into the ducts 160 as return air received from one or more intakes 170 (e.g., vents and/or ducts) of human-occupied space 1 10 and flow toward air handling unit 120, as indicated by arrow 130.
• Air handling unit 120 may include, among other things, a blower for circulating air through the ducts 160 and into and out of human- Attorney Docket No.: 41 29-501001WO
• Air released from the air handling unit 120 may be referred to as supply air, the flow of which is denoted in FIG. 1 by arrows 140.
• the one or more valves of the system 100 and/or air treatment system 150 may be adjusted to allow some or all of the supply air to be diverted to the air treatment system 150 and thereafter recombined with the main flow of supply air flowing towards human- occupied space 110, as denoted by arrows 140.
• Embodiments of the air treatment system 150 of the present disclosure may be configured to remove unwanted gases, vapors and contamination, including without limitation volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and C0 2 produced within human-occupied space 1 10 by human occupants.
• VOCs volatile organic compounds
• Other contaminant gases found within human- occupied space 1 10 that may be removed by air treatment system 350 may include without limitation carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides and/or nitrous oxides.
• Some embodiments of system 100 may be configured with an air treatment system 150 capable of removing enough contaminants from the circulating air received from human-occupied space 110 so as to reduce or eliminate the need to replace any of the circulating air within system 100 with makeup air from outside the building, vehicle or other structure.
• air treatment system 150 may remove contaminants from the circulating indoor air received from human-occupied space 1 10 by forcing the air to flow through one or more adsorbent materials positioned within air treatment system 150.
• one or more adsorbent materials may be oriented within the air treatment system 150 to provide substantially parallel flow paths through which the air may be directed. As the circulating indoor air flows through the one or more adsorbent materials, molecules of one or more contaminants within the air may be retained and captured by and within the adsorbent material(s).
• Adsorbent materials may include, but are not limited to, zeolites and other molecular sieves, activated charcoal, silica gel, porous alumina and metal-organic-framework materials.
• one or more of the adsorbent materials may be regenerated. More specifically, as contaminants accumulate on the surface of an adsorbent material, that material may eventually become saturated with contaminants such that additional contaminants cannot be adsorbed. The total amount of contaminant(s) captured by an adsorbent material prior to Attorney Docket No.: 41929-501001WO
• Customer No. 35437 saturation may depend on the size, thickness and/or volume of the adsorbent material included within air treatment system 150, as well as many other parameters, including without limitation, the type of adsorbent, the species and concentration of contaminants and the temperature.
• embodiments of the present disclosure may be configured to regenerate or remove the contaminants from the adsorbent material. Some embodiments may regenerate an adsorbent material using thermal swing desorption and/or pressure swing desorption. Such regeneration may cause the adsorbent material to release trapped contaminants by elevating the temperature of the adsorbent material and/or flowing a relatively inert purge gas through the adsorbent material. In some embodiments, the adsorbent materials of the present disclosure may be regenerated within the air treatment system 150 without being removed.
• an adsorbent material may be configured as a sheet of material generally square and/or rectangular in shape.
• the sheet of adsorbent material may be formed entirely of adsorbent material and hardened to provide a rigid sheet of adsorbent material and/or may be included within a rigid support frame.
• the adsorbent material be sprayed, sprinkled or otherwise attached to a porous rigid support sheet of material such as a screen. Specific dimensions of the adsorbent material may depend upon and vary according to the requirements of the HVAC system within which the air treatment system 150 is incorporated.
• one or more inserts of adsorbent material within air treatment system 150 may be relatively thin to eliminate the need to use large pressures to force air through the adsorbent material.
• those same embodiments may also require that the adsorbent material not be too thin so as to reduce its ability to sufficiently capture and retain contaminants.
• an insert of adsorbent material is too thin there may also be insufficient adsorbent material mass to collect the required amount of contaminants over extended periods of time, especially if one of the targeted contaminants (like C0 2 ) occurs in relatively large amounts.
• the size, shape and number of inserts of adsorbent material used with an embodiment of the air treatment system 150 may be determined based on Attorney Docket No.: 41929-501001WO
• Embodiments of the present disclosure may achieve desired flow throughput and impedance requirements by arranging two or more inserts of adsorbent material in a substantially parallel flow configuration.
• air streams through the two or more inserts may contribute additively to produce the overall flow of air through the air treatment system.
• the size of the one or more inserts which include adsorbent material may be configured for easy transport and manual installation by human operators.
• Some embodiments of the inserts may be configured in a sheet-like form.
• the present disclosure provides for generally rectangular inserts of adsorbent material which may be less than 1.5 meters in length per side and weigh no more than a few tens of kilograms.
• insert thickness may be no more than a few centimeters, according to some embodiments.
• Inserts according to the present disclosure may also weigh approximately 10 kg each. In the case of packed zeolite, which has an approximate density of 1 g/cm 3 , a 10 kg insert could be approximately 70 cm x 70 cm x 2 cm. Forty inserts of this size may represent a total surface area of 20 m 2 and the need to have air flowing through forty inserts in a substantially parallel configuration may require an extremely efficient arrangement, as explained in more detail below.
• Embodiments of the air treatment system 150 may include two or more air treatment modules (see, e.g., FIG. 2) arranged vertically and/or horizontally for accommodating higher throughputs of circulating indoor air by providing two or more inserts of adsorbent material in parallel. Each air treatment module may have one or more inserts of adsorbent material. Embodiments of the present disclosure may configure the geometric layout of the inserts of adsorbent material in a highly compact arrangement to provide numerous, possibly hundreds, of inserts of adsorbent material in a scalable and relatively discreet footprint.
• Customer No. 35437 average human may produce approximately 40-50 grams of C0 2 per hour.
• an air treatment system of an HVAC system for a 200-person human- occupied space may be designed to adsorb and remove approximately 10 kg of C0 2 per hour. Because the density of C0 2 is about 2 kg/m 3 , the volume of C0 2 in this example would equal 5 m 3 . Thus, if the percentage of C0 2 in the air is to be kept below 0.1%, the air treatment system would have to scrub the equivalent of at least 5,000 m 3 of indoor air every hour to remove the 5 m 3 of C0 2 from the human-occupied space.
• FIG. 2a shows an embodiment of an air treatment module 200 according to the present disclosure.
• the air treatment module 200 may include a support frame 240 and, in some embodiments, be generally configured as a rectangular prism, as shown in FIG. 2a.
• the support frame 240 may have side walls 242, an inlet end wall 244, outlet end wall 245, a top panel 246 and a bottom panel 248.
• the support frame 240, as well as the support frames for any air treatment module of the present disclosure may be formed out of a single monolithic panel of material or by rigidly joining the various panels (242, 244, 245, 246, 248) together.
• the support frame 240 may be made from any one or more suitable materials, including without limitation, metal, fiberglass or plastic.
• the support frame 240 may also include one or more air inlets 210.
• Air inlet 210 may be formed within inlet end wall 244 or, in some embodiments, may be formed by and between inlet end wall 244, side walls 242 and top panel 246 or bottom panel 248. That is, inlet end wall 244 may extend only partially along the height, H, of the support Attorney Docket No.: 1929-501001 WO
• the support frame 240 may also include one or more air outlets 220.
• Air outlet 220 may be formed within outlet end wall 245 or, in some embodiments, may be formed by and between outlet end wall 245, side walls 242 and top panel 246 or bottom panel 248. That is, outlet end wall 245 may extend only partially along the height, H, of the support frame 240.
• the embodiment of the air treatment module 200 shown in FIG. 2a includes one air inlet 210 formed (e.g., machined) in inlet end wall 244 and one air outlet 220 formed (e.g., machined) in outlet end wall 245. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG.
• the air inlet 210 may be formed in the inlet end wall 244 toward the top panel 246 and the air outlet 220 may be formed in the outlet end wall 245 toward the bottom panel 248, such that the air inlet 210 and air outlet 220 are offset from each other.
• Embodiments of the air treatment module 200 may also include an insert 230.
• the insert 230 may be positioned partially or entirely within the support frame 240 and, in some embodiments, may be arranged in a sheet-like form. In some embodiments, the insert 230 may traverse the entirely length, L, of the support frame 240 and/or the entire width, W, of the support frame 240. In some embodiments, the insert 230 may be positioned substantially at the midpoint of the height, H, of the support frame 240, as shown in FIG. 2a. While FIG.
• FIG. 2a shows insert 230 oriented substantially parallel to the top panel 246 and/or bottom panel 248 of the support frame 240
• embodiments of the present disclosure contemplate various orientations of the insert 230 within the support frame 240.
• the insert 230 may be formed as an integral portion of the support frame 240 or may be removably inserted into the support frame 240, such as by sliding the insert 230 into the support frame 240 from a side or an end of the frame 240.
• a side wall 242, inlet end wall 244 and/or outlet end wall 245 may be removable to provide an opening for insert 230 to be inserted and/or removed as needed.
• the insert 230 may be held within support frame 240 by any suitable means, including without limitation, clips attached to, or channels or tracks formed in, the side walls 242, inlet end wall 244 and/or outlet end wall 245. Such configurations may also apply to any inserts and support frames of any embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the insert 230 may be and/or include one or more adsorbent materials through which circulating indoor air passes, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
• the insert 230 may be a porous material, such as a rigid screen or tray, to which Attorney Docket No.: 41929-501001 WO
• the insert 230 may be a rigid body of one or more adsorbent materials.
• circulating indoor air from a human-occupied space may be caused to enter the air treatment module 200 at air inlet 210 from a duct (see FIG. 1), flow through insert 230 and exit air treatment module 200 at air outlet 220.
• the outlet end wall 245 is closed above the insert 230, the circulating indoor air entering the air inlet 210 is forced to flow through the insert 230 to reach the air outlet 220.
• the circulating indoor air flows through insert 230, it intimately contacts the one or more adsorbent materials and one or more targeted contaminants are removed from the circulating indoor air by the adsorbent material.
• FIG. 2b shows an air treatment system 285 having a configuration of eleven air treatment modules 200 stacked vertically.
• the air treatment modules 200 may be arranged to create parallel air flow paths or channels.
• the air outlets 220 of each air treatment module 200 may feed into a common outlet plenum 270.
• a common inlet plenum (not shown) may be provided at the air inlets 210 to feed each air treatment module 200 with circulating indoor air.
• Some embodiments of the air treatment system 285 may include connectors 290 which extend between the air inlets 210 and air outlets 220 and the common inlet plenum (not shown) and common outlet plenum 270, respectively.
• FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of an air treatment module 300 having a support frame 340 and an insert 330 positioned within support frame 340.
• the support frame 340 may have side walls 342, an inlet end channel 344, an outlet end channel 345, a top panel 346 and a bottom panel 348.
• An air inlet 310 may be formed directly below the inlet end channel 344 by and between the side walls 342, inlet end channel 344 and the bottom panel 348.
• An air outlet 320 may be formed directly above the outlet end channel 345 by and between the side walls 342, outlet end channel 345 and the top panel 346.
• the inlet end channel 344 may be configured as part of the top panel 346 or as a separate component rigidly attached to the top panel 346.
• the outlet end channel 345 may be configured as part of the bottom panel 348 or as a separate component rigidly attached to the bottom panel 348.
• a side wall 342 is removed for purposes of illustrating the arrangement of insert 330 within the support frame 340. As shown in Attorney Docket No.: 41929-501001 WO
• the insert 330 may be positioned on an angle relative to the top panel 346 and/or bottom panel 348. In some embodiments, the insert 330 may be removably inserted into the support frame 340 and sized appropriately so as to be held in place within the support frame 340 by inlet end channel 344 and outlet end channel 345, as FIG. 3 illustrates. Insert 330 may be arranged in a sheet- like form.
• circulating indoor air from a human-occupied space may be caused to enter the air treatment module 300 at air inlet 310 from a duct (see FIG. 1), flow through insert 330 and exit the air treatment module 300 at the air outlet 320.
• the orientation of the insert 330 within the support frame 340 blocks the flow path of the circulating indoor air entering the air inlet 310 to cause the air to flow through the insert 330 to reach the air outlet 320.
• the air flows through insert 330 it intimately contacts one or more adsorbent materials included within or on insert 330 and one or more targeted contaminants are removed from the air.
• FIG. 1 circulating indoor air from a human-occupied space
• the air inlet 310 and the air outlet 320 are not offset vertically from each other as in the embodiment of FIG 2a.
• the height, H, of each air treatment module 300 may be minimized by adjusting the angle of the insert 330 within the support frame 340.
• the insert 330 may be inserted and/or removed through an opening in one or both of the side walls 342 or by removing a side wall 342, an inlet end channel 344 or an outlet end channel 345.
• FIGS. 4a and 4b show an embodiment of an air treatment module 400 according to the present disclosure.
• the air treatment module 400 may include a support frame 440 having side walls 442, a top panel 446 and a bottom panel 448.
• the air treatment module 400 may have two or more inserts 430 positioned partially or entirely within the support frame 440 and traversing substantially the entire length, L, and width, W, of the support frame 440.
• Inserts 430 may be arranged, according to some embodiments, in a sheet-like form, as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b.
• the two or more inserts 430 may be substantially parallel to each other and include one or more adsorbent materials.
• the inserts 430 may be held in position within the support frame 440 by tabs 450 formed on the side walls 442 of the support frame 440 and/or by inlet end baffles 411 and outlet end baffles 421. Some embodiments of the module 400 may position two or more inserts 430 within the support frame Attorney Docket No.: 4I929-501001WO
• An air inlet 410 may be formed by and between the side walls 442 and the inserts 430, as shown in FIG. 4a.
• Two or more air outlets 420 may be formed by and between the side walls 442, top panel 446, bottom panel 448 and inserts 430, as shown in FIG. 4b.
• one or more inlet end baffles 41 1 may be configured between the inserts 430 and the top panel 446 and bottom panel 448 and the side walls 442, as shown in FIG. 4a.
• one or more outlet end baffles 421 may be configured between the inserts 430 and the top panel 446 and bottom panel 448 and the side walls 442, as shown in FIG. 4b.
• the baffles (41 1, 421) may be integrally formed as part of the side walls 442, top panel 446 and/or bottom panel 448 or may be separate components rigidly attached to the side walls 442, top panel 446 and/or bottom panel 448.
• circulating indoor air from a human-occupied space may be caused to enter the air treatment module 400 at air inlet 410 from a duct (see FIG. 1), flow through inserts 430 and exit the air treatment module 400 at air outlets 420.
• the side walls 442 and outlet end baffle 421 cooperate to provide a closed flow path into which the circulating air enters after passing through air inlet 410.
• the circulating indoor air is forced to flow upward or downward through the inserts 430 to reach the air outlets 420.
• the air is only allowed to flow into the space between the inserts 430 where a common inlet plenum (not shown) may be placed but cannot exit the air treatment module 400 between the inserts 430 because the other end is blocked by outlet end baffle 421.
• the air is forced to flow through the inserts 430, whereby contaminants in the air are captured and retained by the adsorbent material(s) of inserts 430.
• the air flow paths within the air treatment module 400 may be substantially parallel to each other.
• FIGS. 5a and 5b show an embodiment of an air treatment module 500 according to the present disclosure.
• the air treatment module 500 may include a support frame 540 having side walls 542, a top panel 546 and a bottom panel 548.
• the air treatment module 500 may have two or more inserts 530 positioned partially or entirely within the support frame 540 and traversing substantially the entire length, L, and width, W, of the support frame Attorney Docket No.: 41929-501001 WO
• Inserts 530 may be arranged, according to some embodiments, in a sheet-like form, in some embodiments, the two or more inserts 530 may be substantially parallel to each other and include one or more adsorbent materials.
• the inserts 530 may be held in position within the support frame 540 by and between tabs 550 (see FIG. 5b) formed on the side walls 542 of the support frame 540 and inlet end baffles 511 and outlet end baffles 521.
• Some embodiments of the module 500 may position two or more inserts 530 within the support frame 540 in an orientation substantially parallel to the top panel 546 and/or bottom panel 548 of the air treatment module 500.
• Two or more air inlets 510 may be formed by and between the side walls 542, top panel 546, bottom panel 548 and inserts 530, as shown in FIG. 5a.
• Two or more air outlets 520 may be formed by and between the side walls 542, top panel 546, bottom panel 548 and inserts 530, as shown in FIG. 5b.
• two or more inlet end baffles 51 1 may be configured between the side walls 542, top panel 546, bottom panel 548 and inserts 530, as shown in FIG. 5a.
• one or more outlet end baffles 521 may be configured between the side walls 542, top panel 546, bottom panel 548 and inserts 530, as shown in FIG. 5b.
• the baffles (51 1, 521) may be integrally formed as part of the side walls 542, top panel 546 and/or bottom panel 548 or may be separate components rigidly attached to the side walls 542, top panel 546 and/or bottom panel 548.
• circulating indoor air from a human-occupied space may be caused to enter the air treatment module 500 at air inlet 510 from a duct (see FIG. 1), flow through inserts 530 and exit the air treatment module 500 at air outlets 520.
• the side walls 542 and outlet end baffle 521 may cooperate to provide a closed flow path into which the circulating indoor air enters after passing through air inlet 510.
• the air is forced to flow upward or downward through at least the inserts 530 directly above and below the closed flow path to reach one or more of the air outlets 520.
• FIGS. 5a and 5b a large number of inserts including one or more adsorbent materials for removing contaminants can be provided within a compact space, creating a large number of parallel flow paths with a large total effective cross-sectional area of adsorbent material through which large volumes of circulating air can pass.
• FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of an air treatment module 600 according to the present disclosure.
• Air treatment module 600 may include a support frame 640 having side walls 642, a top panel 646, a bottom panel 648 and a back panel (not shown).
• the support frame 640 may be divided by a partition 670 located at approximately the midpoint of the width, W, of the support frame 640 or at some other position along the width, W, of the support frame 640.
• Some embodiments of the air treatment module 600 may be configured with one or more air inlets 610 and one or more air outlets 620 located on the same side of the module 600, as shown in FIG. 6.
• the air treatment module 600 may have two or more inserts 630 positioned partially or entirely within the support frame 640 and to one side of partition 670 to form the one or more air inlets 610.
• Inserts 630 may be arranged, according to some embodiments, in a sheet-like form. Inserts 630 may traverse substantially the entire length, L, and width, if, of the support frame 640. In such embodiments, the inserts 630 may have a notch or cut-out to accommodate the partition 670. In some embodiments, the inserts 630 may traverse the entire length, L, but extend only from a side wall 642 to the partition 670. In some embodiments, one insert may extend the entire width, W, of the support frame 640 and one insert may extend only between a side wall 642 and the partition 670.
• the two or more inserts 630 may be substantially parallel to each other and/or the top panel 646 and/or bottom panel 648 of the module 600 and include one or more adsorbent materials. Inserts 630 may be maintained within position in the support frame 640 by and between tabs 650 formed on the side walls 642 of the support frame 640 and inlet end baffles 61 1 and outlet end baffles 621 , as shown in FIG. 6. Some embodiments of the module 600 may position two or more inserts 630 within the support frame 640 in a substantially horizontal orientation relative to the length, L, of the air treatment module 600.
• Two or more air inlets 610 may be formed by and between a side wall 642, partition 670, top panel 646, bottom panel 648 and/or inserts 630, as shown in FIG. 6.
• Two or more air outlets 620 may be formed by and between a side wall 642, partition 670, top panel 646, bottom panel 648 and/or inserts 630, as Attorney Docket No.: 41 29-501001WO
• two or more inlet end baffles 61 1 may be positioned between a side wall 642, the partition 670, top panel 646, bottom panel 648 and/or inserts 630, as shown in FIG. 6.
• one or more outlet end baffles 621 may be configured between a side wall 642, the partition 670, top panel 646, bottom panel 648 and/or inserts 630, as shown in FIG. 6.
• the baffles (611, 621) may be integrally formed as part of the side walls 642, top panel 646 and/or bottom panel 648 or may be separate components rigidly attached to the side walls 642, top panel 646, partition 670 and/or bottom panel 648.
• circulating indoor air from a human-occupied space may be caused to enter the air treatment module 600 at air inlet 610 from a duct (see FIG. 1), flow through inserts 630 and exit the air treatment module 600 at air outlets 620.
• the side walls 642 and outlet baffle 621 cooperate to provide a closed flow path between the inserts 630 into which the circulating indoor air enters after passing through air inlet 610.
• the air is forced to flow upward or downward through the inserts 630 at least directly above and below the closed flow path.
• inlet end baffles 61 1 may be positioned on the inlet side between partition 670 and a side wall 642, the air that has passed through the inserts 630 is directed toward and out of the air outlets 620.
• This configuration and other similar embodiments may be useful in various circumstances, including but not limited to when the overall system layout requires a common inlet plenum and common outlet plenum to be adjacent to each other along the same side of an arrangement of air treatment modules.
• placing the plenums together on the same side of the air treatment module may make the inlets and/or outlets on the opposite side of the air treatment module 600 available to be used for regeneration or provides access for service and/or maintenance.
• embodiments of the air treatment modules 300, 400, 500 and 600 may also be arranged vertically and/or horizontally.
• FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of a hybrid arrangement 700 of air treatment modules where the inserts are oriented vertically rather than horizontally. While the principle of operation and air flow patterns are substantially the same as modules employing horizontally- oriented inserts, the vertical orientation may differ from a mechanical standpoint. That is, vertical inserts may have several potential advantages, including that the inserts are less likely to bow in the middle due to their own weight and, because vertical inserts stand side-by-side rather Attorney Docket No.: 41929-501001WO
• a tall vertical stack has several mechanical drawbacks, including but not limited, difficult access to the upper modules for service and maintenance and a large weight load on the lower modules in the stack due to cumulative weight. There may also be less temperature and pressure variations in a horizontal arrangement. On the other hand, horizontal arrangements require a larger footprint which may not be available or desirable,
• FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of a hybrid arrangement 800 of air treatment modules where the inserts are oriented horizontally but stacked in vertical columns joined to each other side-by-side.
• the choice between vertically or horizontally oriented inserts may be made with respect to any of the air treatment module embodiments discussed herein.
• an air treatment module and/or arrangement of air treatment modules may have at least three modes of operation including (1) active adsorption mode, (2) desorption/regeneration mode and/or (3) shutdown or disconnect.
• mode (1) indoor air may flow from the ducts (see FIG. 1 ) into the air treatment system, through the air treatment modules and back into the ducts.
• contaminants may be captured and retained by the adsorbent materials within the air treatment modules and the treated air may be returned to the ducts of the HVAC system.
• the air treatment modules may be arranged for regeneration by heat or another form of energy or by pressure swing desorption, to cause the release of contaminants captured and retained within the adsorbent material.
• contaminants that are released through regeneration may be removed from the air treatment system by flowing purge gas or by pumping away the released gases and disposing of the contaminants outside the building, vehicle or other structure.
• Some embodiments may heat the adsorbent materials by flowing heated purge gas through the air treatment system and subsequently directing the heated purge gas to flow outside.
• the purge gas may be heated inside the plenum or externally using Attorney Docket No.: 41929-501001 WO
• Customer No. 35437 any available heat source, including without limitation solar energy, electric, gas, oil, hot water and/or so-called waste heat, for example heat from compressors or engines.
• a combination of two or more such heat sources may be used to achieve the required performance and economic objectives under changing conditions.
• the air treatment modules may be disconnected from the HVAC system and from the source of purge gas, by closing any interconnecting valves or shutters. Disconnection and/or isolation of the air treatment system from the HVAC system may be necessary, for example, when the air treatment system is undergoing maintenance and/or repair.
• mode (4) Another possible mode of operation, mode (4), may exist in some embodiments and be referred to as a "cool down" mode, where a regenerated air treatment system is allowed to cool down, e.g., with or without external air flow, before being reconnected to the HVAC system to prevent unwanted heating of internal air by the still-warm, regenerated air treatment system.
• FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of an air treatment system 900 configured with a stack of air treatment modules 950, a common inlet plenum 975 and a common outlet plenum 995.
• the common inlet plenum 975 and common outlet plenum 995 may be arranged on opposite sides of the vertical stack formed by the air treatment modules 950.
• the common inlet plenum 975 and common outlet plenum 995 may each be sealed off at the top of the vertical stack.
• circulating indoor air 902 may enter at the bottom of the common inlet plenum 975 and flow into the air inlets (not shown) of each of the air treatment modules 950.
• the circulating indoor air 902 may be caused to pass through one or more inserts included within each of the modules 950, exit the air outlets (not shown) in each of the air treatment modules 950 and flow into the common outlet plenum 995 as supply air 904.
• the supply air 904 is directed downwardly to the bottom of the common outlet plenum 995 and rejoins the main air flow of the HVAC system.
• the velocity and amount of air flow 902 entering the common inlet plenum 975 and supply air 904 exiting the common outlet plenum 995 may be managed by a central air handling unit (not shown here) having fans, valves, shutters and other controls that govern the operation of the unit.
• some embodiments of the present disclosure may arrange the common inlet plenum 1075 and common outlet plenum 1095 on the same side of the stack, for Attorney Docket No.: 41929-501001WO
• some embodiments of the present disclosure may involve a horizontal air treatment system having a multiple vertically-oriented air treatment modules 1 150 joined together.
• common inlet plenum 1 175 and common outlet plenum 1 195 may be positioned horizontally as well.
• Some embodiments of the present disclosure may be directed to an air treatment module 1200 that includes a support frame 1240 having side walls 1242, a top panel 1246 and a bottom panel 1248.
• the module 1200 may also include two or more inserts 1230 oriented at angles within the support frame 1240 relative to the top panel 1246 and/or bottom panel 1248. In some embodiments, adjacent inserts 1230 may contact each other along an edge of the insert 1230. Some embodiments of inserts 1230 may be arranged in a sheet-like form. Inserts 1230 may be held in place within the support frame 1240 by tabs or channels (not shown).
• the support frame 1240 may have an inlet end 1270 that is completely open and an outlet end 1280 that is completely open.
• the orientation of the inserts 1230 may form air inlets 1210 and air outlets 1220, as shown in FIG. 10.
• the inserts 1230 may be removably inserted into the support frame 1240 from one of the ends of the support frame 1240 or from a side by removing a side wall 1242.
• circulating indoor air from a human-occupied space may be caused to enter the air treatment module 1200 at the air inlets 1210 from a duct ⁇ see FIG. 1), flow through the inserts 1230 which form each air inlet 1210 and exit the air treatment module 1200 at the air outlets 1220.
• each pair of angled inserts 1230 within the support frame 1240 form an air inlet 1210 and, at the same time, blocks the flow path of the circulating indoor air entering that air inlet 1210.
• the air is caused to flow either upward or downward through one of the two inserts 1230 which form the air inlet 1210 through which the air entered the air treatment module 1200.
• embodiments of air treatment module 1200 may be arranged to form an air treatment system of multiple air treatment modules.
• Some embodiments of the air treatment systems described herein according to the present disclosure may comprise two or more separate vertical stacks or horizontal arrangements that may be connected to a common plenum but operated and shuttered independently. Such embodiments allow one (or more) air treatment systems to undergo regeneration or shutdown while another air treatment system is still actively treating the air flow, thus providing uninterrupted service.
• the common plenum may be designed to automatically switch between vertical stacks or horizontal arrangements by opening and closing the appropriate valves, shutters and/or blowers, as well as any other elements used to control air flow and temperature.
• Some embodiments of the air treatment systems according to the present disclosure may have sensors and gauges, including but not limited to C0 2 meters, thermometers, flow meters and pressure gauges used to monitor system functionality and trigger automatic switching between modes of operation. One of switching function include without limitation turning an air treatment system from active mode to regeneration mode when elevated levels of contaminants are detected at the air outlets or in the common outlet plenum.

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• Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
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• 2011
  • 2011-02-09 US US13/024,214 patent/US8690999B2/en active Active
• 2012
  • 2012-02-08 WO PCT/US2012/024333 patent/WO2012109358A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2012-02-08 CN CN201280017543.3A patent/CN103534535B/zh active Active
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