Hollow fiber membrane contactor scrubber/stripper for cabin carbon dioxide and humidity control
An environmental control system includes an air conditioning subsystem and a contaminant removal subsystem downstream of the environment to be conditioned. The contaminant removal subsystem includes: a first gas-liquid contactor-separator; a second gas-liquid contactor-separator; and a dehumidifier disposed either upstream of the first gas-liquid contactor-separator or downstream of the second gas-liquid contactor-separator.
1. An environmental control system, comprising:
an air conditioning subsystem;
a contaminant removal subsystem downstream of the environment to be conditioned;
wherein the contaminant removal subsystem includes:
a first gas-liquid contactor-separator;
a second gas-liquid contactor-separator; and
a dehumidifier disposed upstream of the first gas-liquid contactor-separator to produce a sweep gas to the first gas-liquid contactor-separator.
2. The contaminant removal subsystem of claim 1 , further comprising a condenser downstream of the second gas-liquid contactor separator.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second gas-liquid contactor-separators comprise a hollow fiber membrane bundle.
4. The contaminant removal subsystem of claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum pump downstream of the second gas-liquid contactor-separator.
5. A contaminant removal subsystem, comprising:
a first gas-liquid contactor-separator;
a second gas-liquid contactor-separator downstream of the first gas-liquid contactor-separator; and
a dehumidifier disposed upstream of the first gas-liquid contactor-separator to produce a sweep gas to the first gas-liquid contactor-separator.
6. The subsystem of claim 5 , further comprising a condenser downstream of the second gas-liquid contactor-separator.
7. The subsystem of claim 5 , further comprising a compressor downstream of the second gas-liquid contactor-separator.
8. The subsystem of claim 5 , wherein the liquid in the gas-liquid contactor-separator is an ionic liquid.
9. The subsystem of claim 5 , wherein the first and the second gas-liquid contactor-separators comprise hollow fiber membrane bundles.
10. A contaminant removal subsystem, comprising:
a first gas-liquid contactor-separator;
a second gas-liquid contactor-separator downstream of the first gas-liquid contactor-separator;
a dehumidifier upstream of the first gas-liquid contactor-separator and configured to produce a sweep gas to the second first gas-liquid contactor-separator; and
a condenser downstream of the gas-liquid contactor-separator;
wherein the condenser is configured to:
discharge liquid water for recovery and reuse;
discharge a contaminant for recovery and reuse.
11. The subsystem of claim 10 , further comprising a vacuum pump downstream of the second gas-liquid contactor-separator.
12. The subsystem of claim 10 , wherein the condenser is further configured to discharge contaminants that include CO2.
13. The subsystem of claim 10 , wherein the condenser is further configured to discharge contaminants that include water.
14. The subsystem of claim 10 , further comprising a water extractor downstream of the condenser.
15. The subsystem of claim 10 , wherein the discharged contaminant is CO2.