Wind-powered direct air carbon dioxide capture for ocean sequestration
Power generated by a wind turbine is applied to drive reverse osmosis (RO) desalination. Rather than discharging the brine back into the ocean, it is concentrated and modified through industrial-scale processes to produce sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Direct air capture of CO 2 occurs when liquid NaOH, created from the RO desalination brine, is conveyed to the rotor hub and emitted from the wind turbine blades to react with CO 2 in the atmosphere. The power of an offshore wind turbine is used for the onboard production of fresh water to supply shoreside water needs, or water may be electrolyzed to produce hydrogen while adding the vital process of CO 2 sequestration to the ocean.
1 . A method of capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide for ocean sequestration, the method comprising the steps of:
generating electric power via an offshore wind turbine generator comprising a rotor with blades, wherein the offshore wind turbine generator is located in a saltwater environment;
desalinating salt water from the saltwater environment, using the electric power generated via the wind turbine generator, to produce brine;
processing the brine, using the electric power and heat generated via the wind turbine generator, to produce sodium hydroxide, wherein processing the brine comprises preheating the brine using the heat generated via the wind turbine generator;
pumping the sodium hydroxide to the blades, using the electric power generated via the wind turbine generator and centrifugal force provided by rotation of the blades;
emitting, via the blades, the sodium hydroxide solution into an air stream passing through rotor of the wind turbine generator;
permitting the emitted sodium hydroxide solution to react, in Earth's atmosphere, with atmospheric carbon dioxide to form sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate droplets; and
mixing the sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate droplets into the saltwater environment and sequestering the sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate within the saltwater environment.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of desalinating saltwater produces fresh water.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of processing the brine comprises the steps of:
purifying the brine to produce purified brine;
increasing salt concentration of the purified brine to produce concentrated brine; and
performing electrolysis on the concentrated brine to produce the sodium hydroxide solution, hydrogen gas, and chlorine gas.
4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising the steps of compressing and storing the hydrogen gas and converting the chlorine gas into a chlorine-based chemical.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of processing the brine comprises the steps of direct electrosynthesis of the sodium hydroxide solution and hydrochloric acid through electrodialysis.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of emitting the sodium hydroxide solution comprises spraying the sodium hydroxide solution via a plurality of nozzles disposed on the blades of the wind turbine generator.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of desalinating salt water comprises reverse osmosis or evaporation and condensation.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of processing the brine comprises electrosynthesizing the brine to form the sodium hydroxide solution and hydrochloric acid.
9 . A method of capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide for ocean sequestration, the method comprising the steps of:
generating electric power via an offshore wind turbine generator comprising a rotor with blades, wherein the offshore wind turbine generator is located in a saltwater environment;
desalinating salt water from the saltwater environment, using the electric power generated via the wind turbine generator, to produce brine;
processing the brine, using the electric power and heat generated via the wind turbine generator, to produce sodium hydroxide, wherein processing the brine comprises preheating the brine using the heat generated via the wind turbine generator;
pumping the sodium hydroxide to the blades, using the electric power generated via the wind turbine generator and centrifugal force provided by rotation of the blades;
emitting the sodium hydroxide solution into an air stream passing through the rotor of the wind turbine generator, wherein the step of emitting the sodium hydroxide solution comprises spraying the sodium hydroxide solution via a plurality of nozzles disposed on the blades of the wind turbine generator;
permitting the emitted sodium hydroxide solution to react, in Earth's atmosphere, with atmospheric carbon dioxide to form sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate droplets; and
mixing the sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate droplets into the saltwater environment and sequestering the sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate within the saltwater environment.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of desalinating salt water produces fresh water.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of processing the brine comprises the steps of:
purifying the brine to produce purified brine;
increasing salt concentration of the purified brine to produce concentrated brine; and
performing electrolysis on the concentrated brine to produce the sodium hydroxide solution, hydrogen gas, and chlorine gas.
12 . The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of compressing and storing the hydrogen gas and converting the chlorine gas into a chlorine-based chemical.
13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of processing the brine comprises the steps of direct electrosynthesis of the sodium hydroxide solution and hydrochloric acid through electrodialysis.
14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of desalinating salt water comprises reverse osmosis or evaporation and condensation.
15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of processing the brine comprises electrosynthesizing the brine to form the sodium hydroxide solution and hydrochloric acid.
16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein mixing the sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate droplets into the saltwater environment reduces acidity of the saltwater environment enabling additional sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
17 . A method of capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide for sequestration, the method comprising the steps of:
generating electric power via an offshore wind turbine generator comprising a rotor with blades, wherein the offshore wind turbine generator is located in a saltwater environment;
desalinating salt water from the saltwater environment, using the electric power generated via the wind turbine generator, to produce brine;
processing the brine, using the electric power and heat generated via the offshore wind turbine generator, to produce sodium hydroxide, wherein processing the brine comprises preheating the brine using the heat generated via the wind turbine generator;
pumping the sodium hydroxide to the blades of the wind turbine generator using the electric power and centrifugal force provided by rotation of the blades;
emitting a sodium hydroxide solution into an air stream passing through the rotor of the wind turbine generator, wherein the step of emitting the sodium hydroxide solution comprises spraying the sodium hydroxide solution via a plurality of nozzles disposed on the blades of the wind turbine generator;
permitting the emitted sodium hydroxide solution to react, in Earth's atmosphere, with atmospheric carbon dioxide to form sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate droplets; and
mixing the sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate droplets into the saltwater environment and sequestering the sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate within the saltwater environment.