Regenerable carbon dioxide scrubber
A regenerable carbon dioxide scrubber includes at least a first housing compartment including an inlet, an outlet, and an interior region. A sorbent material is located within the interior region of the first housing compartment, in which the sorbent material (a) attracts and/or retains carbon dioxide from an air supply passing through the sorbent material at an operating temperature below about 100° C. and (b) releases carbon dioxide at a regenerating temperature above about 150° C. A rebreather including the regenerable carbon dioxide scrubber may be used to scrub carbon dioxide from a user's exhaled air.
1 . A regenerable carbon dioxide scrubber, comprising:
at least one housing compartment comprising an inlet, an outlet, and an interior region fluidly coupling the inlet and the outlet, wherein the at least one housing compartment is defined by a drop-stitch fabric comprising:
a first exterior wall,
a second exterior wall, wherein the first exterior wall is configured to be user-facing and the second exterior wall is configured to be environment-facing, and
a plurality of drop-stitches mechanically connecting the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall, the plurality of drop-stitches defining a maximum gap between the first and second exterior walls to form an interior region having a substantially uniform maximum thickness, and to resist expansion or deformation of the housing compartment due to changes in internal pressure,
an inlet manifold fully coupled to the inlet of the housing compartment, wherein the inlet manifold is configured to distribute airflow into the housing compartment such that the airflow is substantially uniform across substantially an entire cross-section of the housing compartment, and
a sorbent material located within the interior region of the housing compartment,
wherein the sorbent material (a) attracts and/or retains carbon dioxide from an air supply passing through the sorbent material at an operating temperature below about 100° C., and (b) releases carbon dioxide at a regenerating temperature above about 150° C.
2 . The scrubber of claim 1 , wherein the at least one housing compartment comprises a gas-tight structure.
3 . The scrubber of claim 1 , wherein the at least one housing compartment comprises a substantially rectangular cross-section for an air supply passing through the at least one housing compartment.
4 . The scrubber of claim 1 , wherein the drop-stich stitch fabric comprises a plurality of fibers, yarns, or both; and wherein the plurality of fibers, yams yarns, or both are formed from a high-temperature resistant materials that withstand temperatures above at least about 150° C.
5 . The scrubber of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of exterior walls include a polymer coating positioned thereon.
6 . The scrubber of claim 5 , wherein the polymer coating defines a gas-tight barrier and withstands temperatures of at least about 150° C.
7 . The scrubber of claim 6 , wherein the polymer comprises a silicone.
8 . The scrubber of claim 1 , wherein the at least one housing compartment comprises a plurality of separate and distinct individual housing compartments, and each of the individual housing compartments comprises a respective inlet, a respective outlet, and a respective interior region; wherein each respective interior region is filled at least partially with the sorbent material.
9 . The scrubber of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of separate and distinct individual housing compartments are operatively coupled in a parallel configuration through an inlet manifold.
10 . The scrubber of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent material comprises a plurality of individual porous substrates, and wherein the sorbent material absorbs and/or adsorbs carbon dioxide at the operating temperature and releases carbon dioxide at the regenerating temperature.
11 . The scrubber of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of individual porous substrates comprise a zeolite, a metal-organic framework (MOF), a silica, an amine-functional resin, or any combination thereof.
12 . A method of performing a task in an oxygen gas-reduced environment using a regenerable carbon dioxide scrubber according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
receiving exhaled air by a user and directing the exhaled air into that at least one housing compartment, wherein the exhaled air has a first carbon dioxide concentration; and
allowing the exhaled air to pass through the sorbent material and exit the at least one housing compartment via the outlet of the at least one housing compartment to provide a stream of carbon dioxide-scrubbed air; wherein the stream of carbon dioxide-scrubbed air has a second carbon dioxide concentration that is less than the first carbon dioxide concentration,
wherein the task comprises underwater diving, spacewalks, extinguishing a fire, or cleaning a chemical spill.
13 . The scrubber of claim 1 , wherein the at least one housing compartment is capable of wrapping around a torso of a user.
14 . The scrubber of claim 1 , wherein the at least one housing compartment is incorporated within or part of an article of clothing or a component of an article of clothing and the article of clothing is capable of being worn inside of an outer article of clothing.
15 . A rebreather, comprising:
a mouthpiece operatively connected to an inlet of a regenerable carbon dioxide scrubber; and
an inhalation counter-lung (ICL) including an ICL-inlet and an ICL-outlet, the ICL-inlet is operatively connected to an outlet of the carbon dioxide scrubber and the ICL-outlet is operatively connected to the mouthpiece,
wherein the regenerable carbon dioxide scrubber comprises:
at least one housing compartment comprising an inlet, an outlet, and an interior region fluidly coupling the inlet and the outlet, wherein the at least one housing compartment is defined by a drop-stitch fabric comprising:
a first exterior wall,
a second exterior wall, wherein the first exterior wall is configured to be user-facing and the second exterior wall is configured to be environment-facing, and
a plurality of drop-stitches mechanically connecting the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall, the plurality of drop-stitches defining a maximum gap between the first and second exterior walls to form an interior region having a substantially uniform maximum thickness, and to resist expansion or deformation of the housing compartment due to changes in internal pressure,
an inlet manifold fully coupled to the inlet of the housing compartment, wherein the inlet manifold is configured to distribute airflow into the housing compartment such that the airflow is substantially uniform across substantially an entire cross-section of the housing compartment,
a sorbent material located within the interior region of the first housing compartment; wherein the sorbent material attracts and/or retains carbon dioxide from an air supply passing through the sorbent material at an operating temperature below about 100° C., and releases carbon dioxide at a regenerating temperature above about 150° C.
16 . The rebreather of claim 15 , further comprising an exhalation counter-lung (ECL) including an ECL-inlet and an ECL-outlet, the ECL-inlet is operatively connected to the mouthpiece and the ECL-outlet is operatively connected to the inlet of the carbon dioxide scrubber.
17 . A method of scrubbing carbon dioxide from a user's exhaled air using a regenerable carbon dioxide scrubber, the regenerable carbon dioxide scrubber comprising:
at least one housing compartment comprising an inlet, an outlet, and an interior region fluidly coupling the inlet and the outlet, the at least one housing compartment is defined by a drop-stitch fabric comprising:
a first exterior wall,
a second exterior wall, wherein the first exterior wall is configured to be facing a user and the second exterior wall is configured to be environment-facing, and
a plurality of drop-stitches mechanically connecting the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall, the plurality of drop-stitches defining a maximum gap between the first and second exterior walls to form an interior region having a substantially uniform maximum thickness, and to resist expansion or deformation of the housing compartment due to changes in internal pressure,
an inlet manifold fully coupled to the inlet of the housing compartment, wherein the inlet manifold is configured to distribute airflow into the housing compartment such that the airflow is substantially uniform across substantially an entire cross-section of the housing compartment,
wherein the at least one housing compartment is incorporated within or part of an article of clothing proximate or adjacent to the user, wherein the article of clothing is configured to be worn at least on one of a side of a torso of a user, a front of the torso of the user, a leg of the user, or a head of the user; and
a sorbent material located within the interior region of the housing compartment; wherein
the sorbent material attracts and/or retains carbon dioxide from an air supply passing through the sorbent material at an operating temperature below about 100° C., and releases carbon dioxide at a regenerating temperature above about 150° C.;
the method comprising:
receiving the user's exhaled air and directing the user's exhaled air into the at least one housing compartment, wherein the user's exhaled air has a first carbon dioxide concentration; and
allowing the user's exhaled air to pass through the sorbent material and exit the at least one housing compartment via the outlet of the at least one housing compartment to provide a stream of carbon dioxide-scrubbed air, wherein the stream of carbon dioxide-scrubbed air has a second carbon dioxide concentration that is less than the first carbon dioxide concentration.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising providing heat to the user associated with retention of carbon dioxide by the sorbent material.
19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising monitoring the second carbon dioxide concentration in the stream of carbon dioxide-scrubbed air and providing an indication in response to detection of a predetermined threshold of carbon dioxide in the stream of carbon dioxide-scrubbed air.
20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the article of clothing comprises a first article of clothing, and wherein the first article of clothing is configured to be worn inside of a second article of clothing.