An air conditioning rotating body including a rotor having a cylindrical shape. The rotor is housed in a casing so as to be freely rotatable. The casing includes a seal member. The air conditioning rotating body treats air passing through the rotor in an axial direction. The seal member extends in a radial direction of the rotor and separates air passages. An end face of the rotor in the axial direction is provided with at least one spoke in contact with the seal member. A contact point of the seal member with the spoke is configured to move in the radial direction as the rotor rotates.

According to various embodiments, a direct air capture system includes: a wind turbine that includes one or more blades and generates electrical energy when first air flows across the one or more blades; a carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) adsorption chamber that includes one or more amine-containing CO.sub.2 adsorbers and receives second air when the first air flows across the one or more blades; and a water reservoir that generates steam using a portion of the electrical energy generated by the wind turbine, wherein the water reservoir is fluidly coupled to and isolated from the CO.sub.2 adsorption chamber via one or more valves.

According to various embodiments, a direct air capture system includes: a wind turbine that includes one or more blades and generates electrical energy when first air flows across the one or more blades; a carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) adsorption chamber that includes one or more amine-containing CO.sub.2 adsorbers and receives second air when the first air flows across the one or more blades; and a water reservoir that generates steam using a portion of the electrical energy generated by the wind turbine, wherein the water reservoir is fluidly coupled to and isolated from the CO.sub.2 adsorption chamber via one or more valves.

An air conditioning rotating body includes a rotor having a cylindrical shape, and a labyrinth seal structure. The rotor is housed in a casing so as to be freely rotatable. The air conditioning rotating body treats air passing through the rotor in an axial direction. The labyrinth seal structure is provided between an outer circumferential portion of the rotor and the casing. The labyrinth seal structure includes a first protrusion protruding in the axial direction from the rotor toward the casing, and a second protrusion protruding in the axial direction from the casing toward the rotor.

An air conditioning rotating body includes a rotor having a cylindrical shape, and a labyrinth seal structure. The rotor is housed in a casing so as to be freely rotatable. The air conditioning rotating body treats air passing through the rotor in an axial direction. The labyrinth seal structure is provided between an outer circumferential portion of the rotor and the casing. The labyrinth seal structure includes a first protrusion protruding in the axial direction from the rotor toward the casing, and a second protrusion protruding in the axial direction from the casing toward the rotor.

A desiccant wheel is provided to be rotatable. Through the body of the wheel or a surface adsorbent, water vapor in humid air flow is adsorbed. By passing a high-temperature air flow through the wheel, the body or surface coating is regenerated with moisture removed. Along a cross-section radial, the wheel is divided into different areas. The body has three-dimensionally inter-connected pores. The pores can be of different types. The wheel is a complete concentric cylinder or a concentric cylinder comprising equal or unequal sectors. The equal or unequal sectors are separated with each other. The wheel can rotate at a fixed speed for continually repeating a process of adsorbing, transiting, and regenerating. Thereby, drying can be carried out without causing physical or chemical change to heat-sensitive material, which also improves drying efficiency, reduces size, lowers power consumption, and helps in carbon reduction for industry.

A desiccant wheel is provided to be rotatable. Through the body of the wheel or a surface adsorbent, water vapor in humid air flow is adsorbed. By passing a high-temperature air flow through the wheel, the body or surface coating is regenerated with moisture removed. Along a cross-section radial, the wheel is divided into different areas. The body has three-dimensionally inter-connected pores. The pores can be of different types. The wheel is a complete concentric cylinder or a concentric cylinder comprising equal or unequal sectors. The equal or unequal sectors are separated with each other. The wheel can rotate at a fixed speed for continually repeating a process of adsorbing, transiting, and regenerating. Thereby, drying can be carried out without causing physical or chemical change to heat-sensitive material, which also improves drying efficiency, reduces size, lowers power consumption, and helps in carbon reduction for industry.

Systems and methods are provided for separating oxygen from air using a sorption/desorption cycle that includes a reduced or minimized difference between the maximum and minimum pressures involved in the sorption/desorption cycle. The reduced or minimized difference in pressures can be achieved in part by using valves that can allow for commercial scale flow rates while avoiding large pressure drops for flows passing through the valves. A rotary wheel adsorbent is an example of a system that can allow for a sorption/desorption cycle with reduced and/or minimized pressure drops across valves associated with the process. Stationary adsorbent beds can also be used in combination with commercially available valves that have reduced and/or minimized pressure drops.

Systems and methods are provided for separating oxygen from air using a sorption/desorption cycle that includes a reduced or minimized difference between the maximum and minimum pressures involved in the sorption/desorption cycle. The reduced or minimized difference in pressures can be achieved in part by using valves that can allow for commercial scale flow rates while avoiding large pressure drops for flows passing through the valves. A rotary wheel adsorbent is an example of a system that can allow for a sorption/desorption cycle with reduced and/or minimized pressure drops across valves associated with the process. Stationary adsorbent beds can also be used in combination with commercially available valves that have reduced and/or minimized pressure drops.

Solar thermal units and methods of operating solar thermal units for the conversion of solar insolation to thermal energy are provided. In some examples, solar thermal units have an inlet, and a split flow of heat absorbing fluid to either side of the solar thermal unit, along a first fluid flow path and a second fluid flow path. Optionally, one or more photovoltaic panels can be provided as part of the solar thermal unit, which may convert solar insolation to electric power that may be used by a system connected to the solar thermal unit.