System and Method for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Sequestration

Abstract

A method and a system capable of removing carbon dioxide directly from ambient air, and obtaining relatively pure CO2. The method comprises the steps of generating usable and process heat from a primary production process, applying the process heat from said primary process to co-generate substantially saturated steam, alternately repeatedly exposing a sorbent to removal and to capture regeneration system phases, wherein said sorbent is alternately exposed to a flow of ambient air during said removal phase, to sorb, and therefore remove, carbon dioxide from said ambient air, and to a flow of the process steam during the regeneration and capture phase, to remove the sorbed carbon dioxide, thus regenerating such sorbent, and capturing in relatively pure form the removed carbon dioxide. The sorbent can be carried on a porous thin flexible sheet constantly in motion between the removal location and the regeneration location

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method for controlling average temperature of a planet's atmosphere by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to reduce global warming, the method comprising:
 siting a plurality of a CO 2 -extraction systems distributed on each of the inhabited continents of the Earth, at least near to fossil fuel power sources of CO 2 , each of said CO 2 -extraction systems comprising an amine adsorbent supported on a solid substrate for adsorbing CO 2  from atmospheric air;   a closed regenerating system for regenerating the solid sorbent by driving off the CO 2  from the sorbent into the closed system;   a sequestration system that isolates the carbon dioxide removed from the sorbent for storage or use in other processes;   the CO 2 -extraction systems being open to the atmosphere so that air can circulate over the supported amine sorbent;   the closed regenerating system comprising a closed chamber, a source of steam at a temperature of less than about 120° C., and a conduit for directing the steam at the supported sorbent in the closed chamber to separate CO 2  from the sorbent and regenerate the sorbent; and   the sequestration system comprising removal means to remove the separated CO 2  from the closed chamber for sequestration or further use;   the fossil fuel power sources of CO 2  being sufficiently near to the CO 2 -extraction system to allow for use of the process heat from the fossil fuel power sources of CO 2  for the regeneration of the solid sorbent;   wherein the plurality of the systems are jointly controlled so that the plurality of systems acting together can effectively extract sufficient carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to have an effect on global warming and climate change.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  for controlling average temperature of a planet's atmosphere wherein the plurality of systems are distributed on each of the inhabited continents of the Earth, at least near to sources of significant CO 2  production. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the CO 2  from the regenerating system contains condensed steam and the method further comprises compressing the CO 2  to separate the water, and to form a liquid form of CO 2 . 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the source of the steam for the CO 2  generating system comprises a source of process heat. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the process heat provided by the fossil fuel plant is used by the closed regenerating system to remove the carbon dioxide from the medium at a temperature in the range of from about 100-120° C. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the air extraction system collects carbon dioxide and the closed regeneration system isolates the removed carbon dioxide using the heat supplied by the fossil fuel plant, in the form of steam. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the location of at least one of the plurality of a CO 2 -extraction systems is underground.