Patent Application
20230113176
This application relates in general to an article of manufacture for providing an environmental treatment device, and more specifically, to an article of manufacture for providing an O2 Tree for removing CO2 gas from the atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases trap heat and make the planet warmer. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), human activities are responsible for nearly all the increase in greenhouse gases in our atmosphere over the last 150 years. Since 1990, gross U.S. greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 2 percent. The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities in the U.S. is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation. Land areas can act as a sink (absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere) or a source of greenhouse gas emissions. Since 1990 in the U.S., managed forests and other lands are a net sink; they have absorbed more CO2 from the atmosphere than they emit. With this in mind, we can manufacture artificial “trees” to be used in populated areas to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and release O2.
Therefore, a need exists for an article of manufacture for providing an O2 Tree for removing CO2 gas from the atmosphere. The present invention attempts to address the limitations and deficiencies in prior solutions according to the principles and example embodiments disclosed herein.
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other problems are solved by providing an article of manufacture for an O2 Tree for removing CO2 gas from the atmosphere according to the principles and example embodiments disclosed herein.
In one embodiment, the present invention is an article of manufacture for providing an O2 Tree for removing CO2 gas from the atmosphere. The O2 Tree includes a capture chamber having a CO2/O2 processing unit, an intake port into the capture chamber, an exhaust port from the capture chamber, and the CO2/O2 processing unit having a captured CO2 transfer port. The CO2/O2 processing unit includes a fan having a fan motor for moving air into and out of the capture chamber through the intake port and the exhaust port, a filter element for binding with the CO2 within the capture chamber, a heater element for raising the temperature of the filter element to release the bound CO2 from the filter element generating captured CO2, and a controller. The controller being configured to cause the CO2/O2 processing unit to open the intake port and the exhaust port, activate the fan motor to draw atmospheric air into the capture chamber, close the intake port and the exhaust port and deactivate the fan motor after a period of time, activate the heater to raise the filter temperature, and open the captured CO2 transfer port causing the captured CO2 to pass out of the capture chamber.
In another aspect of the present invention, the filter element utilizes graphene to bind the CO2 to the filter element.
In another aspect of the present invention, the O2 Tree further includes a solar power dome having one or more solar power arrays, a power supply for suppling electrical power to the O2 Tree, and one or more rechargeable batteries.
In another aspect of the present invention, the power supply recharges the one or more rechargeable batteries using the solar arrays.
In another aspect of the present invention, the power supply recharges the one or more rechargeable batteries using an external AC power source
In another aspect of the present invention, the power supply uses the rechargeable batteries to provide electrical power to the O2 Tree when the external AC power source is unavailable
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention.
It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features that are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention.
Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout:
This application relates in general to an article of manufacture for providing an environmental treatment device, and more specifically, to an article of manufacture providing an O2 Tree for removing CO2 gas from the atmosphere according to the present invention.
Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the claimed invention.
In describing embodiments of the present invention, the following terminology will be used. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
It further will be understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and “including” specify the presence of stated features, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps or components. It also should be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions and acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality and acts involved.
The terms “individual” and “user” refer to an entity, e.g., a human, using an article of manufacture providing a device for removing CO2 gas from the atmosphere according to the present invention. The term user herein refers to one or more users.
The term “invention” or “present invention” refers to the invention being applied for via the patent application with the title “O2 Tree for Addressing Climate Change.” Invention may be used interchangeably with CO2 device.
In general, the present disclosure relates to an article of manufacture providing an O2 Tree for removing CO2 gas from the atmosphere according to the present invention. To better understand the present invention,
An O2 Tree 101 is a device designed to suck in air containing carbon dioxide (CO2), direct the captured CO2 to the earth, and output oxygen (O2) The O2 Tree 101 is built in a manner pleasing to the eye, and yet able to capture CO2 and output O2 at a far greater volume than real trees. The O2 Tree 101 may operate on AC power and in the event of AC power failure, a rechargeable battery may be used to provide power for continued operation until AC power is restored. In the event of extended AC power loss, the rechargeable battery powers the unit until battery power is depleted to 10%, at which point, the O2 Tree 101 powers down to allow the rechargeable battery to charge to 95%. Once the O2 Tree 101 reaches this threshold, the O2 Tree 101 powers up again. This CO2 extraction processing cycle repeats until AC power is restored. In this manner, the O2 Tree 101 ensures continued daily operation with off periods for battery recharging.
The O2 Tree 101 operates by drawing atmospheric air into the device 101 through an input port 121. The atmospheric air includes both O2 and CO2 gases as well as other elements. The O2 Tree 101 extracts the CO2 from the atmospheric air and passes the CO2 through a captured CO2 output port 123 to be mixed with water 125. The O2 gas and other constituent elements are expelled out a separate exhaust port 122. The water, having dissolved the CO2 gas contained therein, may be stored into rock formations 130 for long term storage. Additional details regarding the O2 Tree 101 are described below in reference to
The internal frame structure 102 supports all of the components within the O2 Tree 101 as well as provides a path through the O2 Tree 101 as the CO2 is extracted from the air and processed for storage underground. The internal frame structure 102 also provides a path for the processed O2 gas to reach the external exhaust ports 112a-b for returning the processed O2 gas to the atmosphere.
The support base 103 is connected to the internal frame structure 102 to orient the O2 Tree 101 into a desired position. The support base 103 also may include connections to external devices including external power and wastewater containing the dissolved CO2 gas for storage.
The solar power dome 104 is a solar array support containing one or more solar array devices as shown in
The pair of treated air exhaust lines 111a-b, each having its own exhaust port 112a-b, is connected to the controllable exhaust valve 114 to permit the processed gas to be vented out of the exhaust ports 112a-b into the surrounding environment.
The pair of rechargeable batteries 113a-b store electrical energy that may be used to power the O2 Tree 101 when external power in not available. The pair of rechargeable batteries 113a-b may be charged using the external power source when it is available and may be charged by the solar arrays 414 coupled to the solar power dome 104.
The controllable exhaust valve 114 opens and closes to permit the processed air to flow to the exhaust ports 112a-b. As disclosed in more detail in reference to
The CO2/O2 processing unit 115 accepts atmospheric air and captures the CO2 contained within the atmospheric air before venting the processed air through the exhaust ports 112a-b. The CO2/O2 processing unit 115 cycles through a set of operating modes as disclosed in detail in regard to
The controllable intake valve 116 controls the intake flow of atmospheric air from the environment through the intake ports 117a-b into the CO2/O2 processing unit 115. The CO2/O2 processing unit 115 cycles through a set of operating modes as disclosed in detail in regard to
The pair of intake ports 117a-b passes atmospheric air into the O2 Tree 101 in order to extract the CO2. The pair of intake ports 117a-b is coupled to the controllable intake valve 116 creating a path to the CO2/O2 processing unit 115. The CO2/O2 processing unit 115 cycles through a set of operating modes as disclosed in detail in regard to
The CO2 storage unit 118 is coupled to the CO2/O2 processing unit 115 to accept the vented CO2 gas for further processing and storage. Disposing of the vented CO2, may be accomplished in several ways. In a preferred embodiment, the vented CO2 gas is dissolved into water where it may be pumped into the ground to a depth of 26,561 feet, or 1.2 miles, where it naturally converts to carbonates. Another option is to capture the CO2 in a container that would be collected at regular intervals; a good option because CO2 is a useful product to other industries.
The filtered air having the CO2 removed is expelled as exhaust out of an exhaust port 413. When the filter element 404 has captured the CO2, the intake port 411 and exhaust port 413 are closed. The CO2 filtering chamber 402 is heated by a heater element 422 to release the CO2 from the filter element 404 into the CO2 filtering chamber 402. A captured CO2 transfer port 412 may be opened and the fan 403 forces the CO2 into a CO2 storage unit 405. The captured CO2 transfer port 412 is closed before the intake port 411 and the exhaust port 413 are opened and the CO2 extraction processing cycle continues.
The O2 Tree 101 is powered by a power supply 420 that is coupled to an external source (not shown), the solar array 414, and one or more rechargeable battery 113a-b. As described above, the power supply 420 will typically operate using the external AC power. When the external source is not available, the rechargeable batteries 113a-b may provide power to operate the O2 Tree 101. The power supply 420 can recharge the batteries 113a-b using the external source when available and the solar array 414 when needed.
A controller 423 commands the operation of the components within the O2 Tree 101. The controller 423 sends control signals to the intake port 411, the exhaust port 413, the captured CO2 transfer port 412, and the fan motor 421 to operate and close as needed. The controller 423 engages the heater 422 during the CO2 extraction processing cycle to extract the captured CO2 from the filter 404. The controller 423 comprises an electronic device configured to control the operating state of the intake port 411, the exhaust port 413, and the captured CO2 transfer port 412, the fan motor 421, and the heater element 422 throughout the CO2 extraction processing cycle described above.
The CO2 storage unit 405 is coupled to the captured CO2 transfer port 412 by a transfer pipe 426 allowing the captured CO2 to pass to a water carbonizer 424. The captured CO2 is dissolved into water by the water carbonizer 424. This wastewater containing the CO2 is pumped by a water pump 425 to an external reservoir location through a number of water pipes 427-428.
After this, the wastewater transports the carbon dioxide to approximately 2,000 meters below the surface of the Earth. The dissolved CO2 is now left there to naturally convert to carbonates through various mineralization processes with the basalt rock.
Even though particular combinations of features are recited in the present application, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of the invention. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in this application. In other words, any of the features mentioned in this application may be included in this new invention in any combination or combinations to allow the functionality required for the desired operations.
No element, act, or instruction used in the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise.
