Patents by Inventor Jan André Wurzbacher
Jan André Wurzbacher has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11944932Abstract: Separation unit (1) for separating at least one gaseous component from a gas mixture, or arrangement of such separation units, wherein it comprises at least one circumferential wall element(s) (5), said circumferential wall element(s) defining an upstream opening (31) and an opposed downstream opening (32) of at least one cavity (3) containing at least one gas adsorption structure (4) for adsorbing said gaseous component under ambient pressure and/or temperature conditions, or an array of at least two such cavities (3), wherein the separation unit (1) comprises a pair of opposing sliding doors (12) for sealing the openings of a cavity (3) and preferably allowing for evacuating a cavity (3), and wherein the pair of opposing sliding doors (12) can be shifted in a direction essentially parallel to the plane of the respective sliding door (12) and to allow for flow through of gas mixture through the gas adsorption structure (4).Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2020Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Roger Suter, Benjamin Megerle, Nicolas Repond, Christoph Gebald, Jan André Wurzbacher
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Patent number: 11712652Abstract: A process for the production of at least one of amorphous carbon or graphite, preferably of carbon black, from atmospheric air, biogas or flue gas CO2 is given, including at least the following steps: a) isolation of concentrated CO2 of a concentration of at least 50% v/v from atmospheric air, green house air or flue gas preferably by means of a cyclic adsorption/desorption process on amine-functionalized adsorbents; b) conversion of said captured CO2 into a gaseous or liquid saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon by hydrogenation: c) cracking of said saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon to at least one of amorphous carbon or graphite, preferably carbon black, wherein the H2 resulting from step c) is at least partially used in the hydrogenation of step b).Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2017Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Alexander Spiteri, Valentin Gutknecht, Jan Andre Wurzbacher, Christoph Gebald
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Publication number: 20230211276Abstract: A DAC method as well as a unit containing an adsorber structure having an array of adsorber elements with a support layer and on both sides thereof a sorbent layer (1, 2), wherein the adsorber elements are parallel and spaced apart forming parallel fluid passages for flow-through of ambient atmospheric air and steam. The method involves the following sequential and repeating steps: (a) adsorption by flow-through; (b) isolating the sorbent; (c) injecting a stream of saturated steam through the parallel fluid passages and inducing an increase of the temperature; (d) extracting desorbed carbon dioxide from the unit and separating it from steam; (e) bringing the sorbent material to ambient temperature conditions wherein in step (a) the speed of the air is in the range of 2-8 m/s, and wherein at least in step (d) the speed of the steam is at least 0.2 m/s.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2021Publication date: July 6, 2023Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Alexander SPITERI, Benjamin MEGERLE, Adelaide CALBRY-MUZYKA, Nathalie CASAS, Jan André WURZBACHER
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Publication number: 20230201759Abstract: A method for separating gaseous carbon dioxide from a gas mixture by cyclic adsorption/desorption using a sorbent material adsorbing said gaseous carbon dioxide, wherein the method comprises the following sequential and in this sequence repeating steps: (a) an adsorption step; (b) and isolating step; (c) injecting a stream of saturated or superheated steam and thereby inducing an increase in internal pressure of the reactor unit and an increase of the temperature of the sorbent from ambient atmospheric temperature to a temperature between 60 and 110° C.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2021Publication date: June 29, 2023Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Alexander SPITERI, Stefan SCHENK, Anca Elena TIMOFTE, Benjamin MEGERLE, Christoph GEBALD, Jan André WURZBACHER, Adelaide CALBRY-MUZYKA
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Patent number: 11612879Abstract: The invention relates to a method to produce a particulate activated carbon material for capturing CO2 from air, wherein the particulate activated carbon is impregnated with alkali carbonate salt such as K2CO3; and wherein the impregnated particulate activated carbon either has, determined using nitrogen adsorption methods, a pore volume of at least 0.10 cm3/g for pore sizes of at least 5 nm and a pore volume of at most 0.30 cm3/g for pore sizes of less than 2 nm or is based on a mixture of different alkali carbonate salts, or has a particular pore surface for pore sizes in the range of 2 nm-50 nm.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2018Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Christoph Gebald, Jan André Wurzbacher, Angelo Vargas, Aylin Türkan Külür, Mathis Baumann, Alexander Spiteri, Tobias Niebel
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Patent number: 11420149Abstract: A method for separating carbon dioxide and water from a gas mixture by cyclic adsorption/desorption, using a unit containing an adsorber structure, comprising the following repeating steps: (a) contacting said mixture with sorbent material; (b) at least one of evacuating said unit and heating said sorbent material and extracting the gaseous carbon dioxide and water vapour and separating gaseous carbon dioxide from water vapour; (c) cooling the adsorber structure and re-pressurisation; wherein (i) in step (c) the heat released is stored in a first heat storage device; (ii) during step (b) the sensible and latent heat of gaseous carbon dioxide and water vapour as product gases is stored in second heat storage device; and (iii) during step (b) the heat required for heating said sorbent material is supplied from heat recovered in at least one of step actions (i) and (ii) of previous sequence(s).Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2019Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Christoph Gebald, Nicolas Repond, Jan André Wurzbacher, Anca Elena Timofte, Istvan Meszaros, Benjamin Keusch
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Publication number: 20220193598Abstract: A device for the separation of a carbon dioxide of a gas stream by using a bed of particulate adsorber particles contained in a sorbent particle volume, comprising at least two inlet channels and at least two outlet channels in said sorbent particle volume, the inlet channels and outlet channels mutually intertwining at least partly to form a nested structure and being arranged parallel to each other. The inlet channels and outlet channels are alternatingly arranged in both lateral dimensions so that the sorbent particle volume is confined by the interspace defined by adjacent side walls of inlet and outlet channels. Further, the sorbent particle volume surrounds the channels circumferentially.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2020Publication date: June 23, 2022Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Roger SUTER, Artur TSCHENSE, Benjamin MEGERLE, Nicolas REPOND, Christoph GEBALD, Jan André WURZBACHER
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Publication number: 20220176310Abstract: Separation unit (1) for separating at least one gaseous component from a gas mixture, or arrangement of such separation units, wherein it comprises at least one circumferential wall element(s) (5), said circumferential wall element(s) defining an upstream opening (31) and an opposed downstream opening (32) of at least one cavity (3) containing at least one gas adsorption structure (4) for adsorbing said gaseous component under ambient pressure and/or temperature conditions, or an array of at least two such cavities (3), wherein the separation unit (1) comprises a pair of opposing sliding doors (12) for sealing the openings of a cavity (3) and preferably allowing for evacuating a cavity (3), and wherein the pair of opposing sliding doors (12) can be shifted in a direction essentially parallel to the plane of the respective sliding door (12) and to allow for flow through of gas mixture through the gas adsorption structure (4).Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2020Publication date: June 9, 2022Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Roger SUTER, Benjamin MEGERLE, Nicolas REPOND, Christoph GEBALD, Jan André WURZBACHER
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Patent number: 11285425Abstract: A gas separation unit for the separation of a first gas, carbon dioxide, from a mixture, by using an adsorption/desorption process using a loose particulate sorbent material arranged in at least two stacked layers. The primary heat exchange piping is arranged on the two outer edges of the layer within the cavity extending along a longitudinal direction. Further, an essentially parallel array of secondary heat exchange pipes is provided, the secondary heat exchange pipes extending along a transverse direction. The first diameter of the secondary heat exchange pipes is at least twice as large as the second outer diameter of the secondary heat exchange pipes and the secondary heat exchange pipes are in thermal contact with sheets of metal which extend oscillating between pairwise adjacent secondary heat exchange pipes.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2018Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Sebastian Sauerbeck, Christoph Gebald, Jan André Wurzbacher
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Publication number: 20210187480Abstract: The invention relates to a method to produce a particulate activated carbon material for capturing CO2 from air, wherein the particulate activated carbon is impregnated with alkali carbonate salt such as K2CO3; and wherein the impregnated particulate activated carbon either has, determined using nitrogen adsorption methods, a pore volume of at least 0.10 cm3/g for pore sizes of at least 5 nm and a pore volume of at most 0.30 cm3/g for pore sizes of less than 2 nm or is based on a mixture of different alkali carbonate salts, or has a particular pore surface for pore sizes in the range of 2 nm-50 nm.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2018Publication date: June 24, 2021Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Christoph GEBALD, Jan André WURZBACHER, Angelo VARGAS, Aylin Türkan KÜLÜR, Mathis BAUMANN, Alexander SPITERI, Tobias NIEBEL
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Publication number: 20210187434Abstract: A method for separating carbon dioxide and water from a gas mixture by cyclic adsorption/desorption, using a unit containing an adsorber structure, comprising the following repeating steps: (a) contacting said mixture with sorbent material; (b) at least one of evacuating said unit and heating said sorbent material and extracting the gaseous carbon dioxide and water vapour and separating gaseous carbon dioxide from water vapour; (c) cooling the adsorber structure and re-pressurisation; wherein (i) in step (c) the heat released is stored in a first heat storage device; (ii) during step (b) the sensible and latent heat of gaseous carbon dioxide and water vapour as product gases is stored in second heat storage device; and (iii) during step (b) the heat required for heating said sorbent material is supplied from heat recovered in at least one of step actions (i) and (ii) of previous sequence(s).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2019Publication date: June 24, 2021Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Christoph GEBALD, Nicolas REPOND, Jan André WURZBACHER, Anca Elena TIMOFTE, Istvan MESZAROS, Benjamin KEUSCH
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Low-pressure drop structure of particle adsorbent bed for improved adsorption gas separation process
Patent number: 11007470Abstract: A gas separation unit for the separation of a first gas from a mixture containing said first gas as well as further gases by a cyclic adsorption/desorption process using a loose particulate sorbent material for gas adsorption. The particulate sorbent material is arranged in at least two stacked layers (5) that are mounted on a stiff rectangular circumferential frame (7). A plurality of tubes (11) is provided for a heat exchange fluid within the frame (7). The tubes (11) are in thermal contact with a plurality of sheets (9) of metal which are arranged essentially perpendicular to a main plane of the frame (7) and perpendicular to the tubes (11). The sheets (9) extend in a continuous manner between a first pair of mutually parallel metal profiles (7?) and are provided with a plurality of holes (10) through which the plurality of tubes (11) penetrate.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2017Date of Patent: May 18, 2021Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Jan André Wurzbacher, Nicolas Repond, Tobias Ruesch, Sebastian Sauerbeck, Christoph Gebald -
IMPROVED LOW-PRESSURE DROP STRUCTURE OF PARTICLE ADSORBENT BED FOR ADSORPTION GAS SEPARATION PROCESS
Publication number: 20200391153Abstract: A gas separation unit for the separation of a first gas, carbon dioxide, from a mixture, by using an adsorption/desorption process using a loose particulate sorbent material arranged in at least two stacked layers. The primary heat exchange piping is arranged on the two outer edges of the layer within the cavity extending along a longitudinal direction. Further, an essentially parallel array of secondary heat exchange pipes is provided, the secondary heat exchange pipes extending along a transverse direction. The first diameter of the secondary heat exchange pipes is at least twice as large as the second outer diameter of the secondary heat exchange pipes and the secondary heat exchange pipes are in thermal contact with sheets of metal which extend oscillating between pairwise adjacent secondary heat exchange pipes.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2018Publication date: December 17, 2020Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Sebastian SAUERBECK, Christoph GEBALD, Jan André WURZBACHER -
Publication number: 20200061519Abstract: A process for the production of at least one of amorphous carbon or graphite, preferably of carbon black, from atmospheric air, biogas or flue gas CO2 is given, including at least the following steps: a) isolation of concentrated CO2 of a concentration of at least 50% v/v from atmospheric air, green house air or flue gas preferably by means of a cyclic adsorption/desorption process on amine-functionalized adsorbents; b) conversion of said captured CO2 into a gaseous or liquid saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon by hydrogenation: c) cracking of said saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon to at least one of amorphous carbon or graphite, preferably carbon black, wherein the H2 resulting from step c) is at least partially used in the hydrogenation of step b).Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2017Publication date: February 27, 2020Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Alexander SPITERI, Valentin GUTKNECHT, Jan Andre WURZBACHER, Christoph GEBALD
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LOW-PRESSURE DROP STRUCTURE OF PARTICLE ADSORBENT BED FOR IMPROVED ADSORPTION GAS SEPARATION PROCESS
Publication number: 20200001224Abstract: A gas separation unit for the separation of a first gas from a mixture containing said first gas as well as further gases by a cyclic adsorption/desorption process using a loose particulate sorbent material for gas adsorption. The particulate sorbent material is arranged in at least two stacked layers (5) that are mounted on a stiff rectangular circumferential frame (7). A plurality of tubes (11) is provided for a heat exchange fluid within the frame (7). The tubes (11) are in thermal contact with a plurality of sheets (9) of metal which are arranged essentially perpendicular to a main plane of the frame (7) and perpendicular to the tubes (11). The sheets (9) extend in a continuous manner between a first pair of mutually parallel metal profiles (7?) and are provided with a plurality of holes (10) through which the plurality of tubes (11) penetrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2017Publication date: January 2, 2020Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Jan André WURZBACHER, Nicolas REPOND, Tobias RUESCH, Sebastian SAUERBECK, Christoph GEBALD -
Patent number: 10427086Abstract: A gas separation unit for the separation of carbon dioxide from air is proposed for use in a cyclic adsorption/desorption process and using a loose particulate sorbent material. Sorbent material is arranged in at least two stacked layers, and each layer comprises two sheets of a flexible fabric material which is gas permeable but impermeable to the loose sorbent material. The sheets are arranged parallel defining an inlet face and an outlet face, are arranged with a distance in the range of 0.5-2.5 cm, and are enclosing a cavity in which the sorbent material is located. Said layers are arranged in the unit such that the inflow passes through the inlet face, subsequently through the particular sorbent material located in the cavity of the respective layer, subsequently to exit the layer through the outlet face to form the gas outflow.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2017Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Christoph Gebald, Nicolas Repond, Tobias Ruesch, Jan André Wurzbacher
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Patent number: 10421913Abstract: A process for the production of synthetically produced methane (57)/gaseous and/or liquid hydrocarbons (114, 115, 116, 117). For this purpose, hydrogen (44, 84, 150) from an electrolytic arrangement (41, 81, 151, 159) which is operated by means of regeneratively generated electric energy and carbon dioxide (19, 46, 86) are synthesized in a methane synthesis (FIGS. 2-48) or Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FIGS. 3-96) or other suitable hydrocarbon synthesis, the carbon dioxide (19, 46, 86) being produced from an air/gas flow (3, 134) by means of a carbon dioxide recovery system (FIG. 1). The carbon dioxide (19, 46, 86) is obtained from the air/gas flow (3, 134) in the carbon dioxide recovery system (FIG. 1) by way of a reversible adsorption process.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2016Date of Patent: September 24, 2019Assignees: SunFire GmbH, Climeworks AGInventors: Christian von Olshausen, Dietmar Rueger, Jan Andre Wurzbacher, Christoph Gebald
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LOW-PRESSURE DROP STRUCTURE OF PARTICLE ADSORBENT BED FOR IMPROVED ADSORPTION GAS SEPARATION PROCESS
Publication number: 20190255480Abstract: A gas separation unit for the separation of a first gas from a mixture containing said first gas as well as further gases by a cyclic adsorption/desorption process using a loose particulate sorbent material for gas adsorption. The particulate sorbent material is arranged in at least two stacked layers (5) that are mounted on a stiff rectangular circumferential frame (7). A plurality of tubes (11) is provided for a heat exchange fluid within the frame (7). The tubes (11) are in thermal contact with a plurality of sheets (9) of metal which are arranged essentially perpendicular to a main plane of the frame (7) and perpendicular to the tubes (11). The sheets (9) extend in a continuous manner between a first pair of mutually parallel metal profiles (7?) and are provided with a plurality of holes (10) through which the plurality of tubes (11) penetrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2017Publication date: August 22, 2019Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Jan André WURZBACHER, Nicolas REPOND, Tobias RUESCH, Sebastian SAUERBECK, Christoph GEBALD -
Patent number: 10279306Abstract: A method for separating gaseous carbon dioxide from a mixture by cyclic adsorption/desorption using a unit containing an adsorber structure with sorbent material, wherein the method comprises the following steps: (a) contacting said mixture with the sorbent material to allow said gaseous carbon dioxide to adsorb under ambient conditions; (b) evacuating said unit to a pressure in the range of 20-400 mbarabs and heating said sorbent material to a temperature in the range of 80-130° C.; and (c) re-pressurization of the unit to ambient atmospheric pressure conditions and actively cooling the sorbent material to a temperature larger or equal to ambient temperature; wherein in step (b) steam is injected into the unit to flow-through and contact the sorbent material under saturated steam conditions, and wherein the molar ratio of steam that is injected to the gaseous carbon dioxide released is less than 20:1.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2015Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Christoph Gebald, Nicolas Repond, Jan Andre Wurzbacher
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Patent number: 10232305Abstract: A vacuum chamber (2) for a direct air capture process and enclosing an interior space (13) for housing an adsorber structure (1) is given comprising a contiguous circumferential wall structure (115) along an axis (15), which circumferential wall structure (115) in an axial direction is closed by an inlet and an outlet axial wall (116), respectively. Both axial walls (116) comprise at least one closing stainless steel lid (6) allowing for, in an open position, gas to be circulated through the vacuum chamber (2) for passing an adsorber structure (1), and, in a closed position, to close the interior space (13) and to allow evacuation of the interior space (13) down to pressure of 500 mbarabs or less.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2015Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AGInventors: Christoph Gebald, Werner Meier, Nicolas Repond, Tobias Ruesch, Jan André Wurzbacher