DEVICE FOR CLEANING AIR LADEN WITH CO2

Abstract

A device for cleaning air laden with CO2 present in an enclosed space, including at least one adsorption device for adsorbing CO2 from the air supplied to the adsorption device, a desorption device associated with the adsorption device for desorbing adsorbed CO2, and a removal device for removing the desorbed CO2.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A device for cleaning air laden with CO.sub.2 present in an enclosed space, comprising: two adsorption devices for the adsorbing of CO.sub.2 from the air supplied to the adsorption devices, desorption devices each of which is associated with a respective one of the adsorption devices for desorbing adsorbed CO.sub.2, and respective removal devices for removing the desorbed CO.sub.2, wherein the one adsorption device is adsorbed while the other one is desorbed, and vice versa, characterized in that a filter device is connected upstream or downstream from each of the adsorption devices, by means of which pollutants contained in the air to be supplied or the cleaned air be supplied again to the space can be filtered out and a fan is connected upstream from each adsorption device.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein each of the adsorption devices comprises a housing filled with an adsorption agent, to which the CO.sub.2 laden air can be supplied, transported via a conveying device, across a respective air supply line.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein a transport gas can be delivered to the adsorption devices by means of the removal device and the mixture of transport gas and CO.sub.2 can be removed via a respective exhaust air line.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein each of the removal devices further comprises a conveying device for the delivery of the transport gas from a transport gas reservoir or from outside or inside the enclosed space.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein an opening valve device is provided in each of the exhaust air lines for removing the mixture, or that such a valve device is provided upstream from each of the exhaust air lines.

16. The device according to claim 11, wherein each of the desorption devices comprises a heating device for heating the adsorption agent and/or a device for reducing the pressure in the adsorption devices and/or a device for supplying and conveying a gas causing the desorption through the adsorption devices.

17. The device according to claim 11, wherein the filter devices are designed for filtering NO, NO.sub.2, CO, particulates, hydrocarbons, and/or volatile organic substances.

18. The device according to claim 11, wherein a valve device is connected upstream from the two adsorption devices, by which the air to be supplied can be supplied to either the one or the other adsorption device.

19. A motor vehicle, comprising a passenger compartment forming an enclosed space and a device for cleaning air laden with CO.sub.2 present in an enclosed space according to one of the preceding claims.

20. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, wherein a ventilation device is provided, especially comprising an air conditioning system, which can be operated in a recirculation mode, and which is connected to the device for cleaning the air in such a way that air withdrawn from the passenger compartment can be supplied to the device and cleaned air can be returned to the passenger compartment.

21. The device according to claim 12, wherein a transport gas can be delivered to the adsorption devices by means of the removal device and the mixture of transport gas and CO.sub.2 can be removed via a respective exhaust air line.

22. The device according to claim 14, wherein an opening valve device is provided in each of the exhaust air lines for removing the mixture, or that such a valve device is provided upstream from each of the exhaust air lines.

23. The device according to claim 12, wherein each of the desorption devices comprises a heating device for heating the adsorption agent and/or a device for reducing the pressure in the adsorption devices and/or a device for supplying and conveying a gas causing the desorption through the adsorption devices.

24. The device according to claim 13, wherein each of the desorption devices comprises a heating device for heating the adsorption agent and/or a device for reducing the pressure in the adsorption devices and/or a device for supplying and conveying a gas causing the desorption through the adsorption devices.

25. The device according to claim 14, wherein each of the desorption devices comprises a heating device for heating the adsorption agent and/or a device for reducing the pressure in the adsorption devices and/or a device for supplying and conveying a gas causing the desorption through the adsorption devices.

26. The device according to claim 15, wherein each of the desorption devices comprises a heating device for heating the adsorption agent and/or a device for reducing the pressure in the adsorption devices and/or a device for supplying and conveying a gas causing the desorption through the adsorption devices.

27. The device according to claim 12, wherein the filter devices are designed for filtering NO, NO.sub.2, CO, particulates, hydrocarbons, and/or volatile organic substances.

28. The device according to claim 13, wherein the filter devices are designed for filtering NO, NO.sub.2, CO, particulates, hydrocarbons, and/or volatile organic substances.

29. The device according to claim 14, wherein the filter devices are designed for filtering NO, NO.sub.2, CO, particulates, hydrocarbons, and/or volatile organic substances.

30. The device according to claim 15, wherein the filter devices are designed for filtering NO, NO.sub.2, CO, particulates, hydrocarbons, and/or volatile organic substances.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Further benefits and details of the present disclosure will emerge from the following exemplary embodiments, as well as the drawings. There are shown:

[0027] FIG. 1 a schematic diagram of a motor vehicle with an air cleaning device of a first embodiment, and

[0028] FIG. 2 a schematic diagram of an air cleaning device of a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 1, comprising a passenger compartment 2 forming an enclosed space with coordinated ventilation device 3, such as one in the form of or comprising an air conditioning system. In normal operation, outside air is drawn in through one or more air supply lines 4 and, optionally after air conditioning, it is delivered through one or more air outlets 5 to the passenger compartment 2, as shown by the arrow A.

[0030] However, the ventilation device 3 may also be operated in a recirculation mode, in which case the air supply line 4 is closed by a valve device 6. By the ventilation device 3, which naturally has one or more suitable fans or blowers or the like, air is drawn in from the space 2, as shown by arrow B. The intake occurs through one or more intake inlets 7.

[0031] The air taken in and laden with CO.sub.2 is supplied to a device 8 for the cleaning of CO.sub.2 from the air. The device 8 comprises an adsorption device 9, such as one in the form of an adsorption cartridge comprising a housing 10 with an adsorption agent 11 located therein. By a supply line 12, the air laden with CO.sub.2 and delivered by means of a fan or the like is supplied to the housing 10. In housing 10 a filter device 13 is provided which filters out other pollutants contained in the supplied air, such as NO, NO.sub.2, CO or particulates or the like. The air laden with CO.sub.2 then goes to the housing 10 and makes contact with the adsorption agent 11, on which the CO.sub.2 contained in the air is adsorbed. The cleaned air is again delivered via a return line 14 across the ventilation device 3 and the air outlet or outlets 5 to the interior space. Thus, a circulation of air occurs here, no outside air is delivered to the passenger compartment 2, only the interior air is circulated during the cleaning.

[0032] Over time, the adsorption agent becomes laden with CO.sub.2. In order to regenerate its adsorption properties once more, a desorption device 15 is provided, being in the form of a heating device 16 here, which makes it possible to heat the adsorption agent 11 to a temperature at which the adsorptively bound CO.sub.2 again becomes desorbed, i.e., it is released from the adsorption agent 11 and evaporates into the surroundings. In order to export this CO.sub.2 from the adsorption device 9, a transport gas is conveyed into the housing 10, which may be air of the interior space, for example, being supplied via the supply line 12 or of the exterior space being supplied via the supply line 17. This supply line 17 is coordinated with a valve device 18, which is only opened when air from the outside needs to be supplied in order to export the desorbed CO.sub.2. The return line 14 in this case is closed by a valve element 19 in order to prevent desorbed CO.sub.2 from getting into the interior space.

[0033] A removal device 20 is provided for removing, comprising a drain line 21, which is coordinated with a valve device 22. This drain line 21 is only opened by the valve device 22 when desorbed CO.sub.2 needs to be taken away. The air to be taken away, and laden with desorbed CO.sub.2, is conveyed to the outside as shown by the arrow C.

[0034] As soon as the regeneration is ended, i.e., the desorption device 15 or the heating device 16 has been switched off, the supply of the transport gas, whether interior air or outside air, is ended and the drain line 21 is closed. The adsorption agent 11 is regenerated, i.e., it can once again capture CO.sub.2 from the circulating interior air in the now continuing recirculation mode, and this until such time as the next desorption cycle occurs. The degree of the CO.sub.2 loading of the adsorption agent 11 can either be measured by a suitable measurement device, not otherwise shown, or ascertained with the aid of the period during which the vehicle is operated in the recirculation mode and therefore an adsorption is taking place.

[0035] FIG. 1 shows, as described, a motor vehicle having only one adsorption device 9. FIG. 2, on the other hand, shows a device 8 for cleaning air that has two separate adsorption devices 9a, 9b, associated with separate desorption devices 15a, 15b, and for example heating devices 16a, 16b, and also associated with corresponding removal devices 20a, 20b. Thus, two redundant systems are provided here, yet they work basically in the same manner as that described in FIG. 1. Consequently, as regards the basic principle one may refer to the embodiment in FIG. 1, including the supply of any transport gas, etc., even though not otherwise shown here.

[0036] Thus, in this embodiment, air from the interior space is drawn in through the ventilation device 3, possibly through its air conditioning system, in recirculation mode, as shown by the arrow B. Downstream from this is a valve device 23, which serves for conveying the air taken in and delivered respectively through the supply lines 12a, 12b either to the cleaning branch I or the cleaning branch II. The further delivery occurs, for example, through corresponding fans 24a, 24b, which are coordinated with the respective cleaning branches I, II. Since each adsorption device 9a, 9b has an upstream filter device 13a, 13b, once again a filtration of any pollutants occurs. Corresponding valve devices 25a, 25b are provided at the outlets of the respective adsorption devices 9a, 9b or their housings 10a, 10b, which depending on the operating mode either convey the outgoing air to the return line 14a or 14b, when it involves cleaned air, or convey the desorbed CO.sub.2 containing air to the drain lines 21a, 21b and remove it (see arrow C). The return lines 14a, 14b are merged, and the cleaned air, as shown by arrow A, can be returned to the interior space. Of course, the two drain lines 21a, 21b may also be coupled together afterwards and lead to a common outlet.

[0037] In operation, either the cleaning branch I or the cleaning branch II works in adsorption mode while the other respective cleaning branch II or I works in desorption mode. That is, adsorbing done in one branch, while desorbing thus regenerating is done in the other one. Therefore, in each case a fully functional adsorption device is available with a regenerated or CO.sub.2 capturing adsorption agent 11a or 11b.

[0038] The control of the individual components occurs via one or more control devices, not otherwise shown here. These control the corresponding operation of the desorption devices 15, 15a, 15b or the different valve devices 18, 19, 22, 23, 25a, 25b, for example. Possibly the various fans or blowers or the operation of the ventilation device 3 are also controlled in this way.

[0039] The adsorption devices 9, 9a, 9b are preferably designed in the form of compact cartridges, having corresponding inlets and outlets at which the corresponding lines can be attached. The corresponding filter devices 13, 13a, 13b may be present inside the cartridges or situated outside them. Preferably, these filter devices are disposable filters, which can be replaced during the normal vehicle maintenance. However, these filter devices are not absolutely necessary.