WO2025157748A2

WO2025157748A2 - Site-based carbon capture

Info

Publication number: WO2025157748A2
Application number: PCT/EP2025/051327
Authority: WO
Inventors: Maria KOKKINAKI
Original assignee: Global Carbon Solutions Ltd
Current assignee: Global Carbon Solutions Ltd
Priority date: 2024-01-22
Filing date: 2025-01-20
Publication date: 2025-07-31
Anticipated expiration: 2026-07-22
Also published as: WO2025157748A3; WO2025157755A2; WO2025157755A3

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for carbon capture from a heating appliance, wherein the heating appliance; conveys air through the appliance for receipt by the apparatus; and that air is heated when whilst passing through the appliance, the apparatus comprising a casing comprising a housing of at least two parts, the housing having a first (rear) face for communicating with the appliance and a second (front) face comprising an outlets for out letting air having passed through a carbon capture cartridge, the cartridge containing carbon capture material, located within and forming part of the apparatus. The apparatus is particularly suited as a retrofit to an existing appliance.

Description

Site-based carbon capture

The present invention relates to site-based carbon capture and in particular a capture solution to enable the scavenging of carbon dioxide locally, i.e. on site.

Background

Carbon capture is becoming increasingly important, so as to reduce the carbon dioxide load on the atmosphere. Whilst there are many projects for carbon capture in power plants, and separate carbon capture facilities dedicated to that role, around 26 percent of carbon dioxide emissions United Kingdom, for example, comes from households. By way of example, a hydrocarbon fuel domestic boiler may release around 2.2 tons of carbon dioxide annually.

There is therefore a need for a simple and practical solution to enable carbon capture from domestic premises, households and related situations.

These situations provide several challenges; efficient carbon capture substrates and efficient management of the systems given that the average domestic premises does not have a high degree of technical competence or diligence in maintenance.

Many installations also have considerable remaining useable life and therefore the opportunity to retrofit carbon capture to an existing installation would be beneficial.

There is therefore a need to provide a site-based carbon capture apparatus and method, to address these issues.

Carbon capture and systems for carbon capture are known, relevant examples being disclosed in WO2021097425. This discloses carbon capture from the atmosphere and use of the captured carbon in carbonated drinks. WO2014059961 is cited as a representative example of one of the many chemistries available for carbon capture, in this case ammonium and urea carbonate derivatives are used for the capture and processing of carbon dioxide. CA2998917A1 discloses another means for chemical carbon capture using anhydrous metal hydroxides from which the heat evolved in creating metal carbonate is also used to supplement a heating system. A similar process is known using nitrogen doped melamine-based substrates, such as disclosed in CN114345298. LIS11 ,738,301 discloses a regeneratable carbon capture method using zeolites for the absorption and desorption of carbon dioxide.

IIS11 ,766,636 discloses a modular carbon capture system using transportation container type units as the basic module, WO2023235744A1 discloses a similar modular system. US 2012/0304862 discloses a HVAC unit with a carbon capture panel.

As can be seen, there is a plurality of mechanisms for carbon capture, the sequestered carbon dioxide can then be directly re-used, transformed into another chemical substance, or absorbed onto a substrate for subsequent desorption after transport.

The present invention

The present invention in its various aspects is as set out in the appended claims.

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for carbon capture suitable for use in domestic premises, the apparatus and method comprising the provision of a replaceable unit of carbon capture material, monitoring sensors and a notification system for the user.

The apparatus of the present invention is configured for attachment to an external heating system, such as a domestic central heating boiler, an air heater, or an air conditioning system. Preferably the appliance using the claimed system would be a heating appliance such as the boiler or heating system that is configured to take in ambient air from the appliance’s surroundings. The appliance then uses this air in a process that produces heat, that same air that is now considered to be conditioned due to its temperature change. In some cases, the heated air may be ejected back into the surrounding within the domestic setting to spread heat throughout the setting. In other cases, like the boiler, the heated air may be expelled from an exhaust outside the domestic setting as a waste product. In either case, the burning of fuel within the heating appliance will increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the air flowing through the system. The term air and airflow in the context of the invention refers to the gases, which are primarily air, that flow through the heating appliance and the claimed invention. Wherein the invention is configured to receive the air travelling through these systems to be processed by the carbon capture material within the apparatus.

The invention is in the form of a cartridge or attachment that may be coupled to the heating appliance. In some cases, the invention may be inserted into the heating appliance somewhere within the path of the airflow flowing through the appliance at a point downstream from the heating process, in other cases, the invention may be an attachment that couples to the air exhaust or other air outlet wherein the waste gases from the heating process will be released such that the gasses pass through the invention. This way the heating appliance can convey air through its airflow channels and direct the air towards the claimed invention such that the invention receives the heated air from the heating appliance to be processed to gaseous pollutants from the airflow as it travels through the claimed invention.

In either case, the claimed invention would comprise a casing referred to as a cartridge which is an air-permeable housing which contains a chosen carbon capture material. Wherein the casing of the cartridge would comprise outlets to allow the air from the heating appliance to enter the casing and the carbon capture material via a first face, and a second face positioned downstream from the carbon capture material comprising further outlets for outletting the received air, which in the context of the invention refers the term outletting refers to allow the airflow to exit the cartridge housing via suitable outlet(s). The carbon capture material contained within the cartridge is a material configured to chemically and/or physically react with carbon-containing gases, especially carbon dioxide, within the airflow passing through the material wherein the reaction removes the carbon-containing gas from the airflow thereby helping to reduce the amount of carbon pollution produced by the heating appliance. Overtime the cartridge would become saturated as more of the carbon capture material reacts, therefore the user would need to be able to remove the cartridge and replace it with a new cartridge or replace the saturated carbon capture material with a new unreacted sample of the carbon capture material.

The carbon capture material is preferably a regeneratable material, meaning that the reaction with the carbon-containing gas may be reversed. In these cases, the user may remove the cartridge from the appliance to be processed in another location to remove the captured carbon from the carbon capture material thereby allowing the same cartridge to be reused.

The cartridge may be inserted directly into the airflow passing through the heating appliance downstream from the heating processes or may be inserted into a separate housing that attaches to the heating appliance. This housing would comprise an air inlet and air outlet to allow the airflow gases received from the heating appliance to travel through the housing, thereby passing through the carbon capture material contained within.

The attachment is preferably attached to the outlet of the system wherein the air that travels through the system is expelled, such as the flue of the boiler. This is advantageous as the absorption of carbon dioxide by substrates, including a particularly preferred substrate which is melamine based, generally occurs at elevated temperatures and the presence of the outlet of air conditioning provides this. For example, a boiler unit is preferably configured to provide an outlet temperature in the range of 40 degrees centigrade to 60 degrees centigrade for said activation. In a preferred form of the present invention, the outlet is pre-heat scavenged using a heat exchanger to harvest heat energy, heat which can be provided to raise the temperature of the air entering the invention or the carbon capture material before the carbon capture step and the system may preferably subject to heat scavenged using a heat exchanger to harvest heat energy after the carbon capture step to ensure there is a steady supply of heat to the air travelling through the system. It is noted that the heated air may be too hot for a domestic setting especially when coupled with the additional heat harvesting, thereby providing another reason for the downstream heat harvesting. The downstream air may also be admixed with ambient air to produce an appropriate exit temperature of between 20 and 40 degrees centigrade. This enables the high temperature required for carbon (dioxide) capture to be achieved without loss of energy.

The present invention may be a boiler unit where the apparatus is integral to the unit, or the apparatus may be a retrofit attachment. Preferably, and alternatively, in the case of the boiler, the outlet of the flue gas is used directly with the carbon capture substrate, thereby providing a potential absorption temperature of between 100 and 200 degrees centigrade, followed by the conventional flue gas heat recovery. This provides the benefits of high temperature for absorption already present in the system with the energy efficiency of the subsequent heat scavenging of the flue gas. Alternatively, partial heat scavenging may occur, to provide an intermediate temperature as mentioned above.

As can be seen, there are two main preferred applications of the present invention and a general principle of the present invention covers a boiler as representing an appliance providing forced air flow (so that it is not required to be provided in the apparatus) and increased air temperature (to avoid unnecessary heat generation).

The apparatus of the present invention preferably comprises one or more temperature sensors. The apparatus of the present invention preferably comprises a processor and control electronics so as to enable one or more sensors to be read, actions to be undertaken based upon sensor readings and external communications to be undertaken, such as external communications with a portable computer cell phone or similar. Temperature sensors may be located in the inlet and/or outlets of the apparatus and in particular may be located in a replaceable cartridge of the apparatus. This enables the determination of an action related to the optimum temperatures mentioned above to be monitored and acted upon, such as by the controller of the apparatus and/or the heat exchangers when present. This enables more effective carbon capture to take place based upon the combination of appliance and carbon capture material. This is particularly so when the controller is configured to interact with the appliance to adapt the operating parameters, such as throughput of the appliance for optimisation of carbon capture such as to avoid saturation of carbon capture uptake rate at a given (high) flow rate or to permit back diffusion from the external atmosphere into the Carbon capture material at a given (low) flow rate. An optimum flow rate for the apparatus is such as between 0.1 and 2 metres per second, preferably between 0.2 and one metres per second. This flow rate refers to the flow rate through the device as a whole, whereas an input, such as from a flute may be at a higher flow rate, that flow rate being reduced by means of a manifold, either actual or implicit, as the output of the flue is distributed over a wider area of carbon capture material, such as in the replaceable cartridge. The replaceable cartridge of the present invention therefore preferably has a larger crosssection than the inlet. For optimum flow the outlet of the apparatus has the same cross-section as that of the replaceable cartridge, so as to avoid back pressure. The apparatus of the present invention preferably provides a replaceable unit of carbon capture material. This is preferably in the form of a container which is slotted into the apparatus so that the chemical composition of the carbon capture material is isolated from the user in the form of a readily replaceable unit.

In a preferred form of the present invention and air conditioning unit or boiler comprises two such replaceable units, the appliance outlets (or a divided single outlet) being channelled through both units, with the units being separately and individually replaceable. This enables the staggering of replacement so that even if one unit becomes saturated the other unit can continue to function without interruption of the appliance.

An important option for the present invention is that the apparatus comprises monitoring means for the carbon dioxide.

In the present document, a boiler is referred to as the appliance. The apparatus of the present invention may incorporate the appliance or preferably may be added to the appliance, such as a retrofit.

The present invention may monitor the carbon dioxide output from the appliance. This information may be used to regulate the flow of outlet gas from the appliance so as to avoid saturating the take-up rate of the carbon capture material. This is an aspect which is often been overlooked as whilst complex and high cost very high surface area materials may be used to allow very fast carbon capture it can be more efficient to use lower surface area materials but at lower flow rates, as designing for maximum flow rates may be inefficient.

To perform carbon capture a carbon capture material is required, such as preferably present in a replaceable cartridge, as described above. The preferred form of carbon capture material is a regeneratable carbon capture material. I.e. material which absorbs carbon dioxide and then in a subsequent process, either chemical or physical, evolves carbon dioxide so that it may be otherwise processed such as in a remote facility, which enables this action to be carried out on a larger scale and hence potentially more efficiently.

The replaceable cartridge of the present invention preferably slots into a housing of the apparatus of the invention, whether or not the apparatus of the invention is attached to the appliance. In slotting into the housing, the replaceable cartridge preferably comprises a sealing aperture for sealing the inlet of the cartridge to an outlet of the appliance, either directly or by sealing first to the housing and housing itself sealing to the appliance. Preferably the replaceable cartridge comprises an elastomeric seal for ensuring an efficient sealing process. This is advantageous as the replaceable cartridge can be taken away for processing and the seal can then be inspected and easily renewed removing the requirement to do so locally at individual installations of the apparatus of the invention.

The replaceable cartridge preferably comprises an inbuilt detector for the level of carbon dioxide present in the carbon capture material of the cartridge. Again, this is advantageous as the sensor can be tested, calibrated, or replaced during the processing of the carbon capture material such as in parallel to the regeneration process.

The replaceable cartridge preferably interfaces with a controller of the apparatus of the invention for the purposes of communicating data, or at least electrical signals, representative of the carbon dioxide stored in the cartridge.

In addition to or alternative to sensors providing a measure of the carbon dioxide stored in the cartridge then a sensor detecting the carbon dioxide on the inlet and on the outlet may be provided, again these are interfaceable with the controller of the apparatus so that the efficiency of the cartridge may be evaluated and the cumulative store of carbon dioxide determined.

The interface of the replaceable cartridge preferably comprises a plug and socket combination distributed between the cartridge and the rest of the apparatus and is preferably present on the, in use, the lower side of the cartridge so that in placing the cartridge in the apparatus, the relevant connection is made. The plug is preferably in the cartridge to reduce the potential for damage.

As mentioned, in the apparatus of the invention preferably comprises a controller. The controller is configured to monitor the signals from sensors of the apparatus. The sensors of the apparatus may be in the replaceable cartridge, as previously mentioned, or the equivalent inlet and outlet carbon dioxide level sensors may be present in the inlets and outlets of the apparatus, such as in the form of a housing of the apparatus for an equivalent purpose. Preferably, both sets of sensors are present to provide redundancy and to detect leaks. This is enabled since a mismatch between the inlet and outlet carbon dioxide for the cartridge in the inlet and outlet carbon dioxide for the apparatus may be determinant of a leak bypassing the cartridge.

In addition, the sensors of the present invention located as previously mentioned relevant to carbon dioxide, may also optionally include a carbon monoxide sensor. This may be linked to a warning system of the apparatus and enable the carbon capture material to also capture the carbon monoxide for improved safety.

The controller of the apparatus is preferably configured to be communicable with a further, external, computer means to communicate relevant data, such as usage, capacity remaining, efficiency and temperature. The controller of the apparatus and/or the external computer means may be configured to predict when a replaceable cartridge needs to be replaced and automatically place an order for a replacement. In a configuration of the present invention where a plurality of cartridges, such as two, are used in the usages to be staggered then the controller may be configured to carry out this process.

The carbon capture material may be provided using any suitable material. As mentioned, a regeneratable material is preferred. Suitable regeneratable materials of the present invention are zeolite, melamine, and their derivatives. The preferred material is melamine. The melamine is preferably doped with nitrogen compounds, such as amines, as this enables more effective low-temperature adsorption and desorption. The preferred melamine is melamine doped with (i.e. treated with), DETA (diethylenetriamine), to bind carbon dioxide. In particular, melamine with cyanuric acid added during the polymerization reaction increases the pore size dramatically and radically improves carbon dioxide capture efficiency such that nearly all the carbon dioxide in a simulated flue gas mixture can be absorbed rapidly. The preferred form of melamine carbon capture material of the present invention is therefore a macro porous melamine. Both materials are also environmentally friendly and are both regeneratable carbon capture materials that can re-release the captured carbon when desired this not only allows the carbon to be used in other processes but can also allow the cartridges to be reusable after saturation. The sensors used to monitor the carbon captured by the cartridge may be in the form of CO2 detectors that determine the amount of carbon dioxide in a sample of air upstream and downstream from the carbon capture cartridge to determine a change in the amount of carbon dioxide present in the air which can be extrapolated to determine the amount of carbon dioxide that had been removed. The problem with this approach is that this method may lack accuracy as it needs to make estimates based on the samples taken.

A preferred choice for the sensors would be one or more mass sensors configured to monitor the mass of the carbon capture material. As there would been a known mass difference between the reacted and unreacted material, which in this context refers to the mass of the carbon capture material before and after carbon dioxide has been captured the capturing process being the reaction in this case it is noted that depending on the material chosen the reaction may be chemical or just physical, in either case the captured carbon dioxide would cause a predictable change in the mass of the carbon capture material, and a known starting mass for the cartridge which can be used to accurately determine the saturation of the carbon capture material based on the mass change. When the controller will send an alert indicating that the cartridge is ready to be changed once the mass has met or exceeded a predetermined threshold, this threshold may be different depending on the size and mass of the carbon capture material chosen for the cartridge. These alerts may be communicated to the user using a suitable alert element including LEDs or indicum that change appears to indicate an alert, an audio alert element configured to produce a predetermined sound to indicate an alert, or a transmitter configured to communicate to a remote device to indicate an alert.

It is noted that other factors may affect the mass inside the cartridge such as the accumulation of particulates, such as dust carried by the air flowing through the apparatus, or by water that condensates when the temperature of the air flowing through the apparatus changes.

To address this problem the system may comprise a filter positioned between the point where the air enters the system and either the cartridge or the carbon capture material within said cartridge. The filter would be configured to allow the airflow to pass through the carbon capture material while the particulate will be captured by the filter. To achieve this the filter is preferably made from a fine mesh or an air permeable membrane. It is noted that the carbon capture material may be surrounded by such a filter, especially the air-permeable membrane to prevent the carbon capture material from leaking out of the cartridge.

Further, it is noted that even with such a filter in place there is a risk that the captured particulate may roll down onto the mass sensor, thereby still affecting the mass reading. To address this the mass sensors may be positioned above the carbon capture material, such that the carbon capture material is suspended from the mass sensor for example by using wires. This way any further particulates will fall away from the carbon capture material without contacting the mass sensor and therefore will have a reduced risk of affecting the mass measurements. It is noted that the carbon capture material may be suspended in this manner regardless of whether the system comprises a filter.

Further, the cartridge may comprise one or more draining apertures in its base allowing the particulate and condensation to drain out the bottom of the cartridge. In some cases, the draining apertures may lead to the outside of the apparatus to drain the particulate and condensation from the apparatus housing. However, this may lead to further problems as the collected particulates and moisture may damage the surroundings of the device if the apparatus is not located outside. Therefore, it is preferable for the drain apertures to lead to a capture tank or tray that may store the collected particulate and/or condensation safely until the tank can be emptied into a suitable location, such as a drain or waste bin.

It is noted that in some cases, the apparatus may comprise multiple mass sensors. In some cases, the plurality of sensors may be used to provide an average mass value of the carbon capture material. The use of an average value can provide a more accurate mass reading for the cartridge thereby allowing the saturation to be monitored more accurately.

In other cases, the mass sensors may be configured to monitor the mass in certain portions of the cartridge, such as the mass at different ends or sides of the carbon capture material. This is because the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air flowing through the appliance will decrease as it travels through the carbon capture material, as such the upstream side of the cartridge that initially receives the conditioned air will absorb more carbon dioxide over a given time frame as the rate of carbon dioxide absorption is proportional to the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air. As such the upstream side of the cartridge should saturate first. Using the plurality of sensors in this manner may help to indicate when each section of the cartridge is saturated and provide a more accurate image of the effectiveness of the cartridge at its current saturation.

This may be a problem as once one end of the cartridge is fully saturated the effectiveness of the carbon capture material will decrease as absorption will occur over a smaller area of the cartridge. By knowing the saturation levels for each portion of the cartridge the monitoring system can determine a more accurate measure of the rate or effectiveness of the carbon capture absorption which may be used to determine when best to replace the cartridge.

In some cases the cartridge may be rotated within its housing such that the user can change the orientation of the carbon capture material relative to the air traveling through it. In the simplest case the user may rotate the cartridge 180 degrees before reinstalling into the housing, such that the previously upstream end of the cartridge is down stream and vice versa. This way the user may orientate the cartridge in a manner that ensures the least saturated portion of the cartridge is located upstream proximate the location where conditioned air enters the cartridge. This will help ensure the cartridge’s rate of absorption is maintained at a higher level compared to leaving the cartridge in its original orientation.

To help manage when the cartridge should be rotated the controller monitoring the data from the sensors may send an alert when the upstream section of the cartridges reaches a predetermined saturated threshold, indicating to the user to change the cartridges orientation. The controller may repeat this process for each orientation. Then when the computer determines that all sides/orientations have reached the threshold saturation the computer may send an alert, which may be different from the previous alert, to indicate that the cartridge is ready to be replaced.

It is noted that in these cases, the cartridge may include indicia, such as numbers, or coloured tabs, indicating each of the different orientations to reduce the risk of the user using the same orientation more than once. In some cases, the indicia may be configured to change colour when the upstream section, referring to the side which faces the air inlet of the apparatus, is saturated so that the user known not to face that side of the cartridge upstream, for example the indica may change colour from green to red to indicate that the side for that indicia is saturated. These changing indicia may also help the user see when the entire cartridge is saturated and needs replacing, especially when the controller does not have a secondary alert to indicate complete cartridge saturation.

In some cases, the system may comprise multiple smaller cartridges rather than one large cartridge. In these systems multiple mass sensors may be used to monitor the mass, and by extension the saturation of each individual cartridge. If multiple cartridges are arranged in a series, meaning the airflow will pass through each of the cartridges sequentially, the controller may be configured to monitor the individual cartridges in the same manner that it monitors individual sections, alerting the user when the upstream cartridge reaches a predetermined threshold saturation so that the user may swap the positions of the cartridges to maximise the absorption rate by keep a cartridge with a relatively low saturation in the upstream position.

As previously stated, the apparatus may require different sizes or shaped cartridges which will each have a different mass for their saturation thresholds, further depending on the carbon capture material used in the cartridge the saturation threshold may need to be further adjusted. As such the cartridge may comprise an indicia that may be scanned or otherwise read by the controller indicating the thresholds and parameters, such as initial mass, number of orientations, number of sensors, to be communicated to the controller to calibrate the controller for that specific cartridge. This effect may also be achieved using a small chip or other digital memory storage system that can communicate the parameters and thresholds to the controller when the cartridge is connected to the controller.

The present invention includes a method of carbon capture comprising retrofitting the apparatus to the boiler appliance.

The present invention includes a kit of parts comprising the apparatus equipped for the fitting of an apparatus of the present invention to the boiler appliance.

Drawings The present invention is illustrated by means of the following drawings in which like features are designated with like numerals. The figures provide: figure 1 shows a schematic in notional cross section of a central heating boiler (appliance) with an outlet passing through a wall and the outlet being fed into a carbon capture apparatus of the present invention; figure 2 shows a schematic in notional cross section of a HVAC (heating ventilation air-conditioning, otherwise stated as air conditioning) appliance fed into a carbon capture apparatus of the present invention; figure 3 shows a side view of a carbon capture apparatus of the present invention; figure 4 shows a perspective view from the front I carbon capture apparatus of the present invention; figure 5 shows a schematic of a base of the housing of the carbon capture units of the present invention; figure 6 shows a carbon capture cartridge of on for use in the present invention; and figure 7 shows the location of the carbon capture cartridge in the housing. figure 8 shows the cross section of the carbon capture cartridge from figures 6 and 7 which includes a mass sensor.

Figure 9 - depicts a blown-up view of a hemicylindrical carbon capture cartridge.

Figure 10 - depicts a cross-section through the cartridge shown in Figure 9 illustrating airflow.

The features of the drawings are listed as follows:

10 carbon capture apparatus of the present invention;

20 outlet for air which has been scrubbed of carbon dioxide;

22 slats of outlet;

24 gauze covered outlet;

30 external inlet to boiler, absent when used with air conditioning; 40 casing of the apparatus of the present invention being a housing of two parts;

42 lower housing;

44 upper housing;

46 joint between housings;

48 strengthening rib;

50 inlet to carbon capture apparatus suitable for accommodating flue 110 of boiler 100 or outlet 160 of HVAC 150;

52 well of housing for accommodating cartridge;

60 inlet to cartridge (detail concealed);

62 upper face of cartridge providing space above in upper housing 44 for the accommodation of control electronics;

64 rear face of cartridge;

66 end face of cartridge;

68 outlet apertures of cartridge;

70 carbon capture cartridge of the present invention;

72 cartridge local located in lower housing;

74 recessed foldable handle of carbon capture cartridge;

76 cartridge nested in lower housing of the casing;

78 arcuate lower (side) face of cartridge;

80 carbon capture material

81 material casing

82 mass sensor

83 processor

90 inlet aperture

91 arrows indicating airflow 100 boiler;

110 flue, outlet of the boiler;

120 wall to which the boiler is attached and with aperture for flue;

150 HVAC;

160 outlets of HVAC;

170 inlet of HVAC; and

180 ceiling to which the HVAC is attached.

Similar features are numbered similarly between the drawings, features of the same type but unnumbered carry the same numbering.

Detailed description

The present invention provides a carbon capture apparatus, particularly for use in combination with a domestic (i.e. appliance associated with a domicile, such as a house or small office) appliance which produces heat and forced air circulation. Two specific examples of such appliance are a domestic boiler and a domestic air conditioning unit.

Figure 1 shows a schematic, in notional cross section, of a central heating boiler 100 (appliance) with an outlet 110 passing through a wall 120 and the outlet 110 being fed into a carbon capture apparatus 10 of the present invention. The apparatus further provides a conduit 30 to provide an external, ambient air, inlet to the boiler such as to accommodate a balanced flue of the boiler. This conduit passes straight to the unit and its function is to facilitate a retrofit to existing appliance, such as a balanced flow in let/outlet of a boiler. This apparatus feature is not required when associated with an air conditioning appliance and so therefore provides more compact apparatus. This conduit also provides a convenient source of ambient air for the cooling of flue gases after and before exiting the apparatus passing through the carbon capture material, as described previously. This is advantageous over using earth from inside the premises as it avoids the issue of potential mixing of combusted gases with air in an occupied environment (with the attendant risks regarding carbon monoxide).

Figure 2 shows a schematic, in notional cross section, of a HVAC (heating ventilation air-conditioning) unit 150, otherwise stated as air conditioning appliance fed into a carbon capture apparatus 10 of the present invention by means of an outlet 160, the year having been taken into the unit our time inlet 170. The air conditioning unit is secured to a surface, such as a ceiling 180.

The present invention also encompasses the combination of boiler and/or air conditioning with the carbon capture units to provide a broader meaning of the apparatus of the present invention. However, the present invention is preferably a separate unit for retrofit onto an existing appliance. This is particularly useful as a large number of boilers are installed and it is not environmentally acceptable to simply replace them during their operational lifetime. The presence apparatus allows a retrofit by attaching the apparatus of the present invention to an existing appliance.

Figure 3 shows a side view of a carbon capture apparatus 10 of the present invention. The apparatus 10 comprises a casing 40 in the form of a housing having a lower portion 42 and an upper portion 44. The lower portion 42 is preferably configured for securing either to a wall as a means of support or to the appliance. The lower portion 42 also comprises an inlet, a sealing member for sealing the apparatus inlet to the outlet of the appliance for conveying of air/gas/flue gas, such as containing carbon dioxide for capture using the apparatus of the invention.

An important and common feature of the appliance to which the apparatus is intended to be connected, or is connected in use is that it provides forced air movement (such as by means of a fan). This obviates the need for creating forced air movement within the apparatus itself. This provides a more efficient and practical apparatus for use in domestic premises.

An important and common feature of the appliance to which the apparatus is intended to be connected, or is connected in use, is that it provides a source of air at elevated temperature (such as in conjunction with a heat exchanger). Most recyclable carbon capture materials, such as melamine, require air to be at elevated temperature, such as a greater than 40 degrees centigrade so as to activate the carbon capture process. This enables the carbon capture to occur locally upon activation rather than being a passive ambient process not associated with a given activity. This is important in terms of attributing environmental responsibility which is a key element in improving the environment. Creating an elevated temperature locally solely for the purpose of carbon capture is inefficient in itself, and may give rise, either directly or indirectly, to a carbon footprint from the activity. Therefore, the present invention utilises the elevated temperature already obtained from the flue outlet of a boiler or from the outlet temperature of an air-conditioner.

Referring again to figure 3, the upper housing 44 is configured to be removable so as to access inside the apparatus for the purposes of maintenance and to replace the carbon capture material. This has enabled by a joint 46 between the housings enabling lifting off of the upper housing. As mentioned, air is inlet on one side of the housing and on a side remote from the inlet side is outlet through feature 20. This outlet is preferably equipped with flaps to produce a one-way flow so as to prevent back flow from the environment, such as externally on a windy day, which would serve to cool the carbon capture material and thus inhibit its activity.

When the apparatus of the present invention is used in conjunction with the boiler then a boiler will typically have a plurality of heat exchangers. The first heat exchanger is configured to extract heat from a flame source, such as burning gas, and then a subsequent heat exchanger to extract further heat so as to provide a cool outlet stream of high energy efficiency. In the present invention, the apparatus is preferably juxtaposed in an apparatus comprising the boiler between the primary and secondary heat exchangers so as to use the elevated heat after first heat exchange to activate the carbon capture source and to recoup the remaining heat energy afterwards by means of the secondary heat exchanger. Such boilers with multiple heat exchangers are typically termed condenser boilers.

When the apparatus of the present invention is used in conjunction with an air conditioning unit the apparatus may preferably comprise the appliance, for the purposes of providing an inlet stream of air at elevated temperature such as in the range 40 to 60 degrees centigrade. This air is then admixed with ambient air to provide a final outlet below 30 degrees centigrade. This provides effective activation of carbon capture material in combination with a safe and comfortable outlet temperature suitable for conditioning the ambient are in a room. Figure 4 shows a perspective view from the front of a carbon capture apparatus of the present invention. This view is to contextualise the previous information and to note that the housing, particularly upper housing preferably comprises a plurality of strengthening ribs 48 so that the housing may be made of a relatively thin and flexible material, such as an injection moulded plastics material so that it is light and readily detached. Such attachment gives rise to the image shown in -

Figure 5 which shows the lower housing 42 were the rear of the housing 54 for abutting, and attaching to the appliance or a building surface for support comprises an inlet aperture for the forced air movement from the boiler or air conditioning unit. This enters a well of the housing, or more preferably parts, such as the cartridge placed in the well of the housing. As can be seen from the cross section (the end plate of the lower housing is omitted) an arcuate basis provided as this enables parts such as the aforementioned cartridge 70 to be readily and accurately slotted into the housing for rapid and simple exchange of a cartridge to renew the carbon capture material.

Figure 6 shows the aforementioned carbon capture cartridge. The cartridge 70 comprises a rear face 64 with an inlet aperture 60 (not visible), but see corresponding aperture 50, and a front face with outlet apertures 68. Exit air from the appliance is pushed through aperture 50 which is in communication with aperture 60, preferably sealed by means of a sealing member to convey inlet her into the cartridge 70, the air then passes through the carbon capture medium (not shown) and exits through a plurality of apertures 68 distributed over the whole of the front face of the cartridge. This enables the air to diffuse over the whole internal volume of the cartridge. The cartridge is generally an elongate cuboid with a lower front side face 78 being arcuate, this enables the cartridge to be readily lowered into the housing such as when placing a replacement cartridge in the apparatus by means of removing the upper housing 44, lifting out the cartridge 70 and replacing a further cartridge 70 as a replacement. The aforementioned shape enables the cartridge to be largely self-locating with the large rear face enabling optimum use of space and the arcuate portion providing a self-locating action were the vertical force/weight of the cartridge serves to push the cartridge rearward so that the apertures 50/60 becoming communication, as preferably sealed by elastomeric sealing member. This enables accurate her tight sealing of the cartridge into the apparatus for use with the appliance without the need for any further clips et cetera. The cartridge preferably comprises recessed handle 74 in the centre of the upper face 62 of the cartridge 70. This both provides an ergonomic means to lift out the cartridge but also enables the self-centring and self-locating of the cartridge in the lower housing 42. The cartridge 70 has a flat upper face 62 above this in conjunction with the arcuate upper housing 44 a space is created for the provision of control electronics such as for the aforementioned monitoring and alerting of usage. Sensors for the carbon dioxide in the earth are preferably present adjacent the rear and front faces of the cartridge such that they interface with the aforementioned control electronics by means of a plug and socket arrangement engaged when the cartridge is placed in the housing. This enables the sensors to be recalibrated when the cartridge is refurbished and for sensors to be updated and/or tailored to the particular composition of the carbon capture material. This makes the approach of the present invention potentially carbon capture material agnostic.

In addition to the common outside sensors are preferably temperature sensors included and more preferably feedback from the temperature sensors to the control electronics and more preferably to the appliance so as to enable an inlet of the appropriate temperature for effective carbon capture.

Figure 7 shows the location of the carbon capture cartridge in the housing, during the aforementioned self-locating action as the rear faces of the cartridge and housing are brought into contact.

Figure 8 depicts a cross-section of the carbon capture cartridge 70 as depicted in Figures 6 and 7. This cross-section depicts the carbon capture material 80 housed within the cartridge housing 81 that is inserted into the outer housing of the cartridge 70 to safely contain the carbon capture material and to allow the material 80 to be replaced more easily. The outer housing and cartridge housing 81 comprise apertures, or perforations, that allow air to flow through the housings such that the airflow contacts the carbon capture material 80. It is noted that the system may comprise a filter or air permeable membrane positioned between the cartridge housing 81 and the outer housing such that the filter will prevent particulates in the airflow, such as dust and water droplets from reaching the carbon capture material 80. In some cases the cartridge housing 81 may contain the carbon capture material 80 within an air permeable membrane to not only prevent particulates reaching the material 80 but also to prevent the material 80 from leaking out of the cartridge housing 81 and/or outer housing 70. As such particulates may increase the readings of the mass sensor or coat the surface of the carbon capture material preventing it from reacting. Therefore, the filter may comprise a sufficiently fine mesh or air- permeable membrane would be positioned to capture such particulates. It is noted that the particulate would eventually build to a point where it will fall from the surface of the filter, therefore it is preferable for the filter or the outer housing to comprise a tray, tank or other area configured to collect and contain the falling particulate in a portion of the housing where it may be collected away from the carbon capture material 80 and mass sensor 82, this area may be configured to open or be removable such that the user may remove the collected particulate from the housing.

The figure also depicts an example of the mass sensing system, in this case, there is a mass sensor 82 positioned below the cartridge housing to measure the mass of the carbon capture material 80 contained within, and at the top of the housing there is a processor 83 that would be in communication with the sensor 82. In some cases, the mass senor 82 and processor 83 may be contained in a single unit rather than being two separate elements. The processor 83 is configured to analyse the data from the mass sensor 82 to determine the saturation of the carbon capture material 80 and to send alerts to the user when the saturation reaches the pre-determined threshold. In some cases the processor 83 may be in communication with the apparatus controller to allow the controller to perform the necessary analysis and subsequent alerting to the user when the threshold has been met.

In some cases, the cartridge 70 would be standardised using a specific volume of a chosen carbon capture material 80 for the specific housing, wherein the mass sensing system will be calibrated for the standardised cartridges. In other cases, there may be different types of cartridges that can be inserted into the housing, such as scented cartridges or cartridges that use different carbon capture materials that are optimised for different climate conditions, such as different temperatures and humidities. In such cases, the cartridge housing 81 may include an indicium such as a bar code, which can be scanned or otherwise detected by the processor 83 to determine the metrics of the inserted carbon capture material 80, the metrics including data such as the type of carbon capture material, the volume and starting mass of the material and the expected mass when the material is saturated, using the metrics the processor can recalibrate the stored thresholds. The cartridge 70 may comprise a communication element, such as a chip or microprocessor, which can communicate with the processor 83 to communicate the cartridge metrics and allow the processor 83 to recalibrate the threshold to the specific material and volume used in the inserted cartridge. In either case the processor 83 mat also be configured to communicate the metrics and/or thresholds to the controller to allow the controller to adjust the thresholds stored within its memory for the cartridge 70.

In the depicted example the sensor 82 and processor 83 are part of the outer housing, however, in some cases, the elements may be part of the inner cartridge housing 81 . By making the sensor system part of the cartridge the sensor can be configured for the specific type and volume of carbon capture material 80 used in the cartridge housing 81 to ensure the sensor 82 provides an accurate reading of the cartridge’s saturation. This may also be useful in cases wherein the cartridge can be recycled by using a further process to desaturate the carbon capture material 80 in a safe location away from the domestic setting. When such processes are performed the mass sensor 82 can be used to determine the desaturation rate without the need to recalibrate the sensor 82 to the specific cartridge.

It is noted that when using a mass sensor 82 as depicted in the example there is a risk that moisture or another particulate within the cartridge may fall onto the sensor 82. This particulate may build up on the sensor affecting the sensor’s reading. As previously noted, the system may use filters to try and remove such particulate but when the sensor 82 is part of the outer housing, there may still be a risk of the particulate in the filter falling onto the sensor 82 additionally such particulates may enter the housing when the carbon capture material 80 is being replaced.

To prevent this in the preferred embodiment of the claimed system the mass sensor 82 would be located above the carbon capture material 80. In these cases, the cartridge housing 81 or carbon capture material 80 may be coupled to the mass sensor via a suspending element, such as a spring or wire, wherein the mass sensor is configured to determine the mass of the carbon capture material 80 based on the downward force exerted onto the suspension element. This would allow any particulate that enters the cartridge to fall to the bottom of the housing 11 without affecting the mass readings thereby providing a more accurate reading for the cartridge saturation.

Figure 9 depicts a blown-up view of an example carbon capture cartridge 70. In this example, the carbon capture material 80 is a solid block thereby removing the need for a separate cartridge housing 81 to contain the material. It is noted that when the carbon capture material is solid, the block of material is preferably air permeable or would comprise channels or perforations through the block to increase the surface area in contact with the airflow passing through the system. This may make it easier for the user to remove the carbon capture material 80 as they would not need to align and decouple the inner cartridge housing 81 there would also be little to no risk of the carbon capture material 80 leaking from the housing 81 . The depicted example also shows how the outer cartridge housing 70 may be opened when changing the carbon capture material 80 or inner housing 81 containing said material 80 by opening one side of the housing 70 to allow access to the interior of the system. In this case, an entire side of the housing 64 opens in some cases a side of the housing may partially open rather than be complexly removed to create an opening for inserting and extracting the carbon capture material 80. Additionally, the opening side of the housing may comprise hinges or similar rotatable joints to allow the side of the housing to open while still being coupled to the rest of the housing to reduce the risk of the user losing the removable side.

The depicted example also shows the housing 70 containing a pair of mass sensors 82. It is noted that the system may comprise a plurality of mass sensors. In some cases, when there are multiple sensors 82, the processor 83 is configured to average the readings from each sensor to provide a more accurate reading for the carbon capture material mass, as the averaged value would help to remove noise from the measured value, this may also reduce any errors in the measured value such as zero set error and other equipment errors in the sensor devices. In other cases, each sensor would be configured to monitor the mass of different sections of the carbon capture material 80. For example, in the depicted embodiment the block of carbon capture material is relatively large, therefore multiple sensors may be required to determine the mass due to the relatively small size of the sensors, in this case, the processor may combine the sensor reading to provide a value for the total mass of the carbon capture material 80. In cases wherein the outer cartridge housing 70 contains multiple smaller cartridges or blocks of carbon capture material 80 inside. In such cases, the housing 70 may comprise a separate mass sensor 82 for each of the cartridges. In some cases, the inner cartridges 81 or blocks of carbon capture material 80 may be configured to be inserted into the housing 70 in different orientations. For example, the carbon capture material 80 may be inserted in a first orientation with a first face directed towards the air inlet 90 and a second face directed towards the outlet 68, then the user may remove the inner cartridge housing 81 or carbon capture material 80 and flip it over before reinserting it into the outer housing 70, such that the location of the first and second faces are inverted, such that the second face is now directed towards the inlet 90. In some cases the inner cartridge 81 may be configured to be rotatable within the outer cartridge housing 70 again to change the side of the carbon capture material 80 facing the inlet 90. It is noted that the cartridge may comprise additional faces and be configured to have further orientations in which different faces are directed towards the inlet 90. This feature is useful as the concentration of carbon dioxide in the airflow should be higher at the system inlet 90 than at the system outlet 68. As such the side of the carbon capture material 80 facing the inlet may saturate at a faster rate than the rest of the material 80 and when one side has become saturated the efficiency of the carbon capture system is reduced as there would now be a smaller volume over which the carbon dioxide is being absorbed. Therefore, by regularly rotating the cartridge housing 81 or material 80 the user can more evenly distribute the carbon within the material 80 thereby allowing all sections of the material 80 to saturate at a similar rate to improve the consistency of the carbon removal rate.

In cases where the cartridge 81 or material 80 can be reorientated, the system may comprise separate mass sensors 82 configured to monitor the mass and saturation of specific sections of the material 80 such as the area around each face that would be directed towards the inlet for each orientation. In this system, the processor would be configured to monitor each sensor reading to determine the saturation of each section of the material 80. This way the processor can determine when the user should rotate or reorientate the carbon capture material 80 by sending an alert to the user whenever one of the sides becomes saturated above a predetermined threshold. It is noted that the alert indicating that a section has become saturated may be different to the alert indicating that the whole material 80 is saturated above a second predetermined threshold. It is also noted that the cartridge 81 containing the carbon capture material 80 may include a visual indicator such as a light or indicium that will change to indicate which sections are now considered saturated so that the user can ensure they reorientate the material 80 correctly to place an unsaturated section closest to the housing inlet 90.

Figure 10 depicts a cross-section of the hemicylindrical housing 70 shown in Figure 9, the image comprises arrow 92 indicating the direction of the airflow through the system. It is noted that the example system shown is preferable to use in combination with other appliances, such as dehumidifiers, HVACs or boilers, wherein the inlet 90 comprises an aperture that would be coupled to the exhaust of the appliance receiving warmed processed air from the appliance. It is noted that the depicted example would be scaled down to more easily couple to such appliances in a domestic setting, for example, the depicted system may comprise a housing 70 with a radius typically no more than 45 cm, preferably between 15 and 30 cm. provides carbon capture scavenging with optimal efficiency.

The importance of these general dimensions and the warming of the air is that as the air inlets the cartridge through the inlet 90 by means of an aperture the air is high in carbon dioxide and is warm. Therefore, in portion A of carbon capture material 80 there is a relatively high airflow and warm temperature. Carbon dioxide absorption is therefore relatively high. As this initial region becomes saturated then absorption takes place more significantly in portion B of the carbon capture material 80. Here the air is cooler and is travelling less quickly and this combination together with a larger volume of carbon capture material means that carbon capture remains effective even though the air is cooler as the flow is lower and a larger volume is present. Similarly, when portion B is becoming used portion C becomes active and here, yet again, airflow is lower, yet more carbon capture material is present and temperature is again lower. The reduction temperature is relevant because domestic appliances exiting warm air are doing just that, exiting warm are not particularly hot air and do so with a relatively high surface area, because of the size of the cartridge therefore there is a significant potential for cooling of the air as it goes through the cartridge, which affects absorption efficiency, without the need to reorientate the carbon capture material. This feature of the invention is combinable with weight sensor 82 with optional feedback such that the airflow is moderated through the Hemi cylindrical cartridge in proportion to its usage. I.e. airflow is reduced as the cartridge becomes saturated. However, the hemi cylindrical cartridge reduces the need for this even though it can further improve efficiency. It is also noted that the hemi cylindrical cartridge is more space effective than a hemispherical cartridge, which in principle would make the effect even greater but in that instance the surface area for heat loss is lower and, in domestic environments the service area is typically not available to be placing large hemispherical objects. For example, with HVAC this would lead to a reduction in ceiling height, with the boiler this would require a large external surface wall area and with the dehumidifier, it would lead to a device which would be difficult to accommodate, as a shape, in the norm of conventional domestic equipment (absent a large external box which would defeat the space efficiency). This feature of the present invention/invention in its own right is therefore of improved efficiency and optimal use in presenting, in particular, a cartridge for carbon capture.

As mentioned, the temperature of the airflow through the carbon capture material 80 can affect the rate of carbon capture, similarly, the temperature of the carbon capture material itself can also change the reaction rate of the material. Typically, the optimum temperature to provide the highest rate of reaction for the carbon capture process is above room temperature but may be different for different materials as sufficiently high temperatures may break down the chemical structure of the chosen material. Therefore, the system may be configured to control the temperature of the airflow and or material 80 to optimise the carbon capture rate. In particular, the system may comprise a heating element such as a simple heater within the housing configured to heat the carbon capture material 80 or the air entering the material 80 to a desired temperature to increase the rate of reaction in the carbon capture process. It is noted to optimise the effects of the heating the air is preferably heated before entering the material 80 therefore the heating element may be placed between the inlet 90 and the material 80. It is also noted that as the air travels through the material it may lose heat reducing the temperature of both the air and the surrounding material 80 therefore the system may comprise a heater positioned proximate to the centre of the material 80 or cartridge 70 to evenly heat the material 80 and ensure the airflow maintains a desired temperature as it travels through the system. In the preferred embodiment, the system may comprise a large heating element or multiple smaller heating elements such that the system can heat both the air entering the material 80 and the material 80 itself.

In these embodiments, the processor 83 would be configured to control the one or more heating elements, ensuring that the heating elements are at a sufficient temperature to heat the air to the desired temperature. In these cases, the processor may comprise one or more temperature sensors to ensure that the airflow and/or the carbon capture material 80 is at the desired temperature. The temperature sensors can also provide feedback allowing the processor 83 to monitor the temperature such that the heating elements may be adjusted to provide more or less heat to reach the desired temperature inside the housing 70. It is noted that in cases where the metrics of the material are known the processor may be configured to recalibrate the heating elements to provide the optimal temperature for the specific type and volume of material 80.

However, it is noted that the user would want to cool the air before it leaves the apparatus. As the warm air may make the surroundings less comfortable for the user, therefore the system may further utilise a cooling element located between the material 80 and the outlet 68 configured to cool the airflow exiting the material to match the ambient temperature surrounding the system or to a temperature set by the user via the processor 83 or controller. In these cases, the housing may comprise controls or the processor may be in communication with a remote device through which the user may input their desired temperature for the airflow exiting the system. In some cases, the heating and cooling elements may be replaced with one or more heat exchange devices which can perform both processes, heating the upstream airflow and cooling the downstream airflow, with a single element.

Claims

1 . An apparatus for carbon capture from a heating appliance, wherein the heating appliance: a. conveys air through the appliance for receipt by the apparatus b. that air is heated when whilst passing through the appliance the apparatus comprising a casing comprising a housing of at least two parts, the housing having a first (rear) face for communicating air exiting from the appliance into the apparatus and a second (front) face comprising outlets for outletting air having passed through a carbon capture cartridge, the cartridge containing carbon capture material, located within and forming part of the apparatus wherein the appliance is a boiler.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 when the apparatus is configured for direct attachment to the heating appliance and heating appliance is a domestic heating appliance.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2 wherein the cartridge is a replaceable cartridge.

4. The apparatus of any of claims 1 , 2 or 3 wherein the cartridge locates in and substantially fills a lower, in use, housing of said two parts of the housing.

5. The apparatus of any preceding claim wherein the cartridge is an elongate cuboid having an, in use, lower side face which is arcuate for slotting into a lower portion of the housing.

6. The apparatus of any preceding claim wherein the apparatus is configured to receive, in use, the heated air the appliance to activate a carbon capture material located within the cartridge.

7. The apparatus of any preceding claim wherein the cartridge is a plurality of independently replaceable cartridges simultaneously locatable in the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the apparatus is configured to selectively use the cartridges so as to stagger use thus configuring the apparatus so that the cartridges will not become simultaneously saturated.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 or claim 8 where the independently replaceable cartridges comprise different carbon capture materials having different optimal temperatures for carbon capture, the apparatus being configured to selectively convey incoming air to one or other of the cartridges to optimise carbon capture efficiency, such as based on air temperature.

10. The apparatus of any preceding claim wherein the carbon capture material is a regeneratable carbon capture material for the capture of carbon and subsequent release to regenerate the material, such as for reuse.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the carbon capture material is melamine or a melamine derivative or a zeolite or zeolite derivative.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the melamine derivative is a nitrogen doped melamine derivative.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the carbon capture material is a macro porous carbon capture material.

14. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus further comprises one or more mass sensor housed within the housing configured to monitor the mass of the carbon capture material; wherein the one or more mass sensors are coupled to a processor configured to provide an alert when the mass of the carbon capture material matches or exceeds a predetermined threshold using a suitable alert element.

15. the apparatus of claim 14, comprising a plurality of mass sensors, wherein the processor is configured to send an alert when each of the mass sensors measures a mass at or above a predetermined threshold.

16. the apparatus of claim 14, comprising a plurality of mass sensors, wherein the processor is configured to average the values measured by the plurality of sensors; and is configured to send the alert when the averaged value meets or exceeds the predetermine threshold.

17. The apparatus of claims 14 to 16, wherein the mass sensors are positioned above the carbon capture material, and wherein the mass sensors comprise a suspension element coupled to the carbon capture material, configured to determine the mass of the material based on the force exerted onto the suspension element.

18. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the carbon capture material is contained within a cartridge housing which is configured to be inserted into the housing; wherein the cartridge housing comprises perforations to allow air to flow through the cartridge housing.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the cartridge comprises an air-permeable membrane to contain the carbon capture material

20. The apparatus of claim 18 or 19, wherein the cartridge housing is configured to rotate within the housing.

21 . The apparatus of claim 18 or 19, wherein the cartridge housing is configured to be inserted into the housing in two or more different orientations.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the system comprises a mass sensor for each inlet-facing section of the cartridge housing for each orientation of the cartridge housing within the housing; wherein the processor is configured to send an alert when any section of the cartridge housing is saturated at or above a predetermined threshold.

23. The apparatus of claims 18 to 22, wherein the cartridge comprises an indicium scanned by the processor, or communication element in communication with the processor, configured to communicate the metrics of the carbon capture material within the cartridge to the processor; and wherein the processor is configured to adjust the predetermined thresholds based on the carbon capture material metrics, such as the type of volume of the material.

24. The apparatus of claims 18 to 23 wherein the housing contains a plurality of cartridge housings.

25. The apparatus of claims 14 to 24 wherein the alert element comprises one or more of a visual alert element, including LEDs or indicum that change appears to indicate an alert, audio alert element configured to produce a predetermined sound to indicate an alert, or a transmitter configured to communicate to a remote device to indicate an alert.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the system comprises a first one or more alert elements configured to indicate when each section of the material is saturated, and a second one or more alert elements configured to produce a different alert when the entire carbon capture material is saturated.

27. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the system further comprises a filter located between the housing inlet and the carbon capture material, configured to remove particulate from the airflow.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the housing comprises a tray or container below the filter configured to capture any particulate that falls from the filter.

29. The apparatus of any preceding claim wherein the system comprises a heating element located between the inlet and the carbon capture material configured to heat the airflow to a desired temperature before entering the carbon capture material, wherein the processor comprises a heat sensor and is configured to control the heating element to heat the airflow to a desired temperature.

30. The carbon capture system of any preceding claim wherein the system comprises a heating element located proximate to the carbon capture material configured to heat the carbon capture material to a desired temperature, wherein the processor comprises a heat sensor and is configured to control the heating element to heat the carbon capture material to a desired temperature.

31 . The carbon capture system of claims 29 and 30, wherein the system comprises a cooling element after the carbon capture material is configured to cool the air to a desired temperature before leaving the housing.

32. A method of carbon capture comprising retrofitting an apparatus of any of clams 1 to 31 to the boiler appliance.

33. A kit of parts comprising an apparatus of any of claims 1 to 31 equipped for the fitting of an apparatus of the present invention to the boiler appliance.