C20 -- Modular Carbon Capture from Commercial Building Ventilation Air PDF

Global climate change mitigation depends on reducing the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere, including decreasing new emissions and directly removing existing CO₂. This paper investigates a decentralized direct air capture (DAC) solution, which is a retrofit for commercial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The solution includes a sorbent to filter CO₂, permanent conversion of gaseous CO₂ to a carbonate salt, and automation for moving the byproduct outside of the building. The considerations of this system include improved indoor air quality, permanent CO₂ removal, and energy savings from decreased outdoor air intake. Parameters investigated include technological considerations, system design, and preliminary results of performance including adsorption and models for energy balance and life cycle analysis.