Patent ID: 7776295

Claim:
An apparatus for removing a selected gas component from a planetary atmosphere, comprising a lighter-than-air flying craft that is adapted to fly in the planetary atmosphere and that comprises: a housing; a gas containment envelope in said housing containing a buoyant lifting gas; a gas processing system that is arranged in said housing and that includes a gas separation or extraction device and a storage reservoir container connected for gas or liquid communication with said gas separation or extraction device; a gas inlet and a gas outlet respectively passing out of said housing and respectively communicating said gas processing system with the planetary atmosphere outside of said housing; an electrical generation system including at least one of a solar photovoltaic cell or a thermoelectric generator that is mounted to face outwardly on said housing and that has an electrical output that is electrically connected to a power input of said gas separation or extraction device; and a cryogenic closed-loop circulation system connected to at least one of said solar photovoltaic cell or said thermoelectric generator or said gas separation or extraction device; wherein said gas separation or extraction device is arranged and adapted to receive atmospheric gas from the planetary atmosphere through said gas inlet and to remove, in gaseous or liquid form, at least some of the selected gas component from the atmospheric gas to produce a remaining cleaned gas, said storage reservoir container is arranged and adapted to receive and store the selected gas component in gaseous or liquid form, and said gas outlet is arranged and adapted to eject the remaining cleaned gas to the planetary atmosphere.