Patents by Inventor Nicolas REPOND

Nicolas REPOND 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).

  • Patent number: 12268983
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Roger Suter, Artur Tschense, Benjamin Megerle, Nicolas Repond, Christoph Gebald, Jan André Wurzbacher
  • Publication number: 20240335816
    Abstract: Method for the production of amine functionalized polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibres, preferably for direct air capture, wherein pristine polyacrylonitrile fibres are added to a solution of tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) or pentaethylenehexamine (PEHA) at a concentration of tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) or pentaethylenehexamine (PEHA) of at least 80% v/v, and wherein the mixture is kept, preferably stirred, at a temperature in the range of 120-160° C. for a time span of at least 4 hours, as well as uses of corresponding fibres.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Publication date: October 10, 2024
    Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Felix TRAUTNER, Miriam VON HOLST, Nicolas REPOND, Tobias NIEBEL
  • Publication number: 20240189761
    Abstract: Separation unit (1) for separating at least one gaseous component from a gas mixture, or arrangement of such separation units, wherein it has at least one circumferential wall element(s) (5), the 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 the gaseous component under ambient pressure and/or temperature conditions, or an array of at least two such cavities (3). The separation unit (1) has a pair of opposing sliding doors (12) for sealing the openings of a cavity (3) and preferably allowing for evacuating a cavity (3), and 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: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2024
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Roger SUTER, Benjamin MEGERLE, Nicolas REPOND, Christoph GEBALD, Jan Andrè WURZBACHER
  • Patent number: 11944932
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Roger Suter, Benjamin Megerle, Nicolas Repond, Christoph Gebald, Jan André Wurzbacher
  • Publication number: 20230173427
    Abstract: A method for separating gaseous carbon dioxide from a gas mixture having the following steps: (a) contacting the gas mixture with sorbent material to allow gaseous carbon dioxide to adsorb under ambient conditions, using a speed of the adsorption gas flow; (b0) isolating the sorbent with adsorbed carbon dioxide from said flow-through of gas mixture; (b1) injecting a stream of saturated steam at ambient conditions and inducing an increase of the temperature of the sorbent to a temperature between 60 and 110° C., (b2,b3) extracting at least the desorbed gaseous carbon dioxide while still injecting or circulating steam at ambient atmospheric pressure conditions into the unit; and (c) bringing the sorbent material to ambient atmospheric temperature conditions. The speed of steam flow through the unit in step (b1) or on average in steps (b1)-(b3) is in the range of 0.5-10 times the speed of the adsorption in step (a).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Nicolas REPOND, Benjamin MEGERLE
  • Patent number: 11420149
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Christoph Gebald, Nicolas Repond, Jan André Wurzbacher, Anca Elena Timofte, Istvan Meszaros, Benjamin Keusch
  • Publication number: 20220193598
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Roger SUTER, Artur TSCHENSE, Benjamin MEGERLE, Nicolas REPOND, Christoph GEBALD, Jan André WURZBACHER
  • Publication number: 20220176310
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Roger SUTER, Benjamin MEGERLE, Nicolas REPOND, Christoph GEBALD, Jan André WURZBACHER
  • Publication number: 20210187434
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Christoph GEBALD, Nicolas REPOND, Jan André WURZBACHER, Anca Elena TIMOFTE, Istvan MESZAROS, Benjamin KEUSCH
  • Patent number: 11007470
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Jan André Wurzbacher, Nicolas Repond, Tobias Ruesch, Sebastian Sauerbeck, Christoph Gebald
  • Publication number: 20200001224
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Jan André WURZBACHER, Nicolas REPOND, Tobias RUESCH, Sebastian SAUERBECK, Christoph GEBALD
  • Patent number: 10427086
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Christoph Gebald, Nicolas Repond, Tobias Ruesch, Jan André Wurzbacher
  • Publication number: 20190255480
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Jan André WURZBACHER, Nicolas REPOND, Tobias RUESCH, Sebastian SAUERBECK, Christoph GEBALD
  • Patent number: 10279306
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Christoph Gebald, Nicolas Repond, Jan Andre Wurzbacher
  • Patent number: 10232305
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Christoph Gebald, Werner Meier, Nicolas Repond, Tobias Ruesch, Jan André Wurzbacher
  • Publication number: 20170203249
    Abstract: A method for separating gaseous carbon dioxide from a mixture by cyclic adsorption/desorption using a unit containing an adsorber structure withsorbent 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-pressurisation 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: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Christoph GEBALD, Nicolas REPOND, Jan Andre WURZBACHER
  • Publication number: 20170106330
    Abstract: 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) comprising 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: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Applicant: CLIMEWORKS AG
    Inventors: Christoph GEBALD, Werner MEIER, Nicolas REPOND, Tobias RUESCH, Jan André WURZBACHER