BACKGROUND

Various methods and apparatuses have been developed for removing carbon dioxide from the air. Although these methods have been shown to be efficient in removing carbon dioxide, they often result in disadvantages such as the air often having to be at a fairly high pressure. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a device that can efficiently remove carbon dioxide from air.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Disclosed herein is an electrochemical carbon dioxide recovery system and a method for recovering carbon dioxide.

In an embodiment, a method for recovering carbon dioxide comprises introducing a carbon dioxide rich stream to a scrubber comprising a metal hydroxide and allowing the carbon dioxide to react with the metal hydroxide to form a metal carbonate; directing a metal carbonate stream from the scrubber to an electrochemical concentrator and applying a potential to the electrochemical concentrator to form a metal hydroxide stream and a separated carbon dioxide stream; directing the metal hydroxide stream comprising a recovered metal hydroxide and hydrogen to an electrochemical separator and applying a potential to the electrochemical separator to separate the hydrogen forming a hydrogen recycle stream from the recovered metal hydroxide forming a metal hydroxide recycle stream; and directing the separated carbon dioxide stream to a gas liquid separator and separating the separated carbon dioxide stream into a recycled water stream and a concentrated carbon dioxide stream.

In another embodiment, an electrochemical carbon dioxide collection system comprises a scrubber comprising a metal hydroxide capable of reacting carbon dioxide in a carbon dioxide rich stream to form a metal carbonate stream comprising a metal carbonate; an electrochemical concentrator in fluid communication with the scrubber via the metal carbonate stream, wherein the electrochemical concentrator is capable of separating the metal carbonate into carbon dioxide and the metal hydroxide; an electrochemical separator in fluid communication with the electrochemical concentrator via a metal hydroxide stream comprising the metal hydroxide, wherein the electrochemical separator is capable of separating the metal hydroxide forming a metal hydroxide recycle stream from hydrogen forming a hydrogen recycle stream; and a gas liquid separator in fluid communication with the electrochemical concentrator via a separated carbon dioxide stream, wherein the gas liquid separator is capable of separating carbon dioxide forming a concentrated carbon dioxide stream from water forming a recycled water stream, wherein the recycled water stream is in fluid communication with the electrochemical concentrator.

The above described and other features are exemplified by the following figures, detailed description, and claims.

