Patent ID: 8163066

Claim:
A method of removing carbon dioxide from carbon dioxide-laden ambient air, comprising directing a flow of carbon dioxide-laden air through a vertically oriented, monolithic carbon dioxide capture structure that is supporting an amine sorbent that binds carbon dioxide, to remove carbon dioxide from the air by binding carbon dioxide to the sorbent, moving the vertically oriented, monolithic carbon dioxide capture structure into a regeneration enclosure, and directing saturated steam at a temperature of not greater than about 120° C., carrying process heat, at the carbon dioxide capture structure in the regeneration enclosure to separate the carbon dioxide from the sorbent, and regenerate the sorbent, withdrawing the carbon dioxide from the regeneration enclosure together with any remaining steam, and selectively moving the vertically oriented carbon dioxide capture structure out of the regeneration enclosure and back to a position that is in the flow of carbon dioxide-laden ambient air, so that the regenerated sorbent can continue to be used to bind carbon dioxide, to remove carbon dioxide from the flow of carbon dioxide-laden air.