System and Method for Removing Carbon Dioxide From an Atmosphere and Global Thermostat Using the Same

Abstract

A system for removing carbon dioxide from an atmosphere to reduce global warming including an air extraction system that collects carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through a medium and removes carbon dioxide from the medium; a sequestration system that isolates the removed carbon dioxide to a location for at least one of storage and which can increase availability of renewable energy or non-fuel products such as fertilizers and construction materials; and one or more energy sources that supply process heat to the air extraction system to remove the carbon dioxide from the medium and which can regenerate it for continued use.

1 . A system for removing carbon dioxide from an atmosphere to reduce global warming which can increase availability of renewable energy or non-fuel products such as fertilizers and construction materials, comprising:
 an air extraction system that collects carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through a medium and removes carbon dioxide from the medium;   a collection system that isolates the removed carbon dioxide to a location for at least one of sequestration, storage and generation of a renewable carbon fuel or non-fuel products such as fertilizers and construction materials; and   one or more energy sources that supply process heat to the air extraction system to remove the carbon dioxide from the medium and which can regenerate it for continued use.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more energy sources are selected from the group of primary energy sources consisting of: fossil fuel, geothermal, nuclear, solar, biomass and other renewable energy sources and exothermic chemical processes whose use can result in a supply of process heat. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the air extraction system comprises an air contactor that includes the medium to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the air contactor is selected from the group of air contactors consisting of: convection towers, absorption pools, packed scrubbing towers, and separation systems in which the medium is carried by a pancake shaped substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the medium is selected from the group of mediums consisting of: a liquid, a porous solid, a gas and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the medium is an NaOH solution. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the medium comprises an amine attached to the surface of a substrate. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the air extraction system collects carbon dioxide and the sequestration system isolates the removed carbon dioxide using the process heat supplied by the one or more energy sources. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the location is underground. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the location is at a remote site upwind from one or more other components of the system. 
     
     
         11 . A method for removing carbon dioxide from an atmosphere to reduce global warming and increase availability of renewable energy, comprising:
 collecting air from the atmosphere;   removing carbon dioxide from the collected air;   isolating the removed carbon dioxide for at least one of sequestration, storage and generation of a renewable carbon fuel or non-fuel products such as fertilizers and construction materials,   wherein at least one of the collecting, removing and isolating steps is performed using an energy source that comprises process heat.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of removing comprises absorbing the carbon dioxide using an absorber. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the absorber is an NaOH solution. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the absorber comprises an amine. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of isolating comprises at least one of mineral sequestration and injection into geologic formations. 
     
     
         16 . A system for producing a negative carbon dioxide effect on a planet's atmosphere, comprising:
 a system that provides a medium for extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and uses process heat for extracting carbon dioxide from the medium and to regenerate it so it can be reused.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein process heat is obtained from a primary energy source selected from the group of energy sources consisting of: fossil fuel, geothermal, nuclear, solar, biomass and other renewable energy sources and exothermic chemical processes whose use can result in a supply of process heat. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , including
 a collection system that isolates the removed carbon dioxide to a location for at least one of sequestration, storage and generation of a renewable carbon fuel or a non-fuel product such as fertilizer and construction materials.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the air extraction system comprises an air contactor that includes the medium extracts carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the air contactor is selected from the group of air contactors consisting of: convection towers, absorption pools, packed scrubbing towers and separation systems with pancake shaped substrates. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the medium is selected from the group of mediums consisting of: a liquid, a porous solid, a gas and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the medium is an NaOH solution. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the medium comprises an amine. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the air extraction system collects carbon dioxide and the collection system isolates the removed carbon dioxide using the heat supplied by the energy source. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the location is underground. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the location is at a remote site upwind from one or more other components of the system. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a medium for extracting carbon dioxide from the air is provided on a porous relatively large area pancake shaped substrate, and wherein the step of removing carbon dioxide from the air comprises directing the air at the substrate, and removing carbon dioxide from the medium by directing process heat at the substrate and providing a flow of carbon dioxide away from the substrate. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the substrate is in a substantially vertical orientation during the steps of removing carbon dioxide from the air and removing carbon dioxide from the medium. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the substrate is in a substantially horizontal orientation during the steps of removing carbon dioxide from the air and removing carbon dioxide from the medium. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the substrate is moveable in a substantially continuous path during the steps of removing carbon dioxide from the air and removing carbon dioxide from the medium. 
     
     
         31 . The method of any of  claims 11 - 15  and  27 - 30 , wherein removing carbon dioxide from the air is at least partially performed under non equilibrium conditions. 
     
     
         32 . The method of any of  claims 11 - 15  and  27 - 30 , wherein removing carbon dioxide from the air includes the step of using fluid from a solar heating tower as an energy source for directing the air at a medium that is used to remove carbon dioxide from the air. 
     
     
         33 . A global thermostat for controlling average temperature of a planet's atmosphere, comprising a plurality of systems, each of which is capable of producing a negative carbon dioxide effect on a planet's atmosphere by extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and uses process heat for extracting carbon dioxide from the medium, so that the plurality of systems together can effectively extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at a rate that is faster than the rate at which the carbon dioxide is increasing in the atmosphere.