Direct Air Capture Contactor Design: 2026 Patent Landscape
Direct Air Capture Contactor Design: 2026 Landscape
Contactor architecture is the central engineering challenge in removing CO₂ from ambient air at 400–420 ppm. This landscape maps patent and literature signals across fixed-bed, moving-bed, fractal array, and renewable-integrated DAC contactor designs from 2013 to 2026.
DAC Contactor Engineering: From Lab Concepts to Gigaton-Scale Arrays
Direct air capture technology extracts CO₂ from atmospheric air at approximately 400 ppm concentration — a dilution that forces engineers to optimize the trade-off between air throughput, pressure drop, sorbent contact time, and regeneration energy intensity. The core contactor types identified in this dataset span fixed structured beds, moving and rotary beds, liquid solvent towers, and passive or renewable-integrated architectures.
Based on publication dates spanning 2013 to 2026 in this dataset, the field shows three stages: a foundational pre-2020 period establishing techno-economic benchmarks (minimum ~$612/tonne), a 2020–2022 diversification stage introducing radial flow and passive concepts, and a 2023–2026 commercialization stage dominated by modular unit design, array-scale management, and renewable energy coupling.
In this dataset, approximately 30 of ~50 patent records cluster in 2024–2026, indicating a sharp acceleration toward commercial-scale engineering rather than basic research. Shell International Research Maatschappij B.V. has filed the most architecturally detailed patents, specifying pressure drop below 200 Pa across the sorbent section and fractal network layouts for large-scale module arrays.
Chinese institutions account for approximately 35 of ~50 patent records in this dataset, with filings concentrated in 2022–2026 across universities, state-owned research institutes, and startups. Outside China, Shell and Aker Carbon Capture Norway AS represent commercially focused European filers in retrieved records, while the US landscape includes Next Carbon Solutions, LLC, individual inventor Sikka, and UT-Battelle, LLC.
Filing Trends and Technology Cluster Distribution in DAC Contactor Patents
Analysis of patent records in this dataset reveals both a filing timeline acceleration (with roughly 30 of ~50 records dated 2024–2026) and a concentration of innovations across five technology clusters: structured fixed-bed, moving/rotary bed, large-scale array, passive/renewable-integrated, and liquid solvent contactors.
DAC Contactor Patent Records by Technology Cluster (Dataset Snapshot)
Structured fixed-bed and pressure-drop-managed contactors form the most patent-dense cluster in this dataset, followed by moving/rotary bed designs and large-scale array architectures.
↗ Click bars to exploreDAC Contactor Patent Filing Activity by Period (Dataset Snapshot)
Filing activity in this dataset accelerates sharply in 2024–2026, which accounts for approximately 30 of ~50 retrieved records, compared with fewer than 10 records from the pre-2020 foundational period.
↗ Click bars to exploreKey DAC Contactor Application Domains Identified in This Dataset
Patent records in this dataset reveal DAC contactor innovations targeted at six distinct application domains, ranging from industrial waste heat utilization and renewable-chemical production to agriculture, construction materials, and urban distributed capture.
Industrial Energy and Petrochemical Integration
Next Carbon Solutions, LLC (US) filed two patents in 2022 and 2023 covering processes that use exhaust air from air-cooled heat exchangers and industrial waste heat for contactor regeneration. Xi’an Thermal Power Research Institute Co., Ltd. (CN) filed a 2024 patent coupling DAC to compressed air energy storage (CAES), enabling curtailed renewable power to drive both energy storage and CO₂ capture simultaneously.
Industrial IntegrationIntegrated Point-Source and DAC Hybrid Plants
Aker Carbon Capture Norway AS filed patents in NO (2024), WO (2024), CA, and US (2026) for a carbon capture plant integrating point-source CO₂ capture with a DAC module sharing conditioning equipment. This hybrid architecture reduces capital expenditure by consolidating processing infrastructure across both capture streams.
Hybrid Capture PlantAgriculture and Built Environment DAC
China Energy Construction Group Guangdong Province Power Design Research Institute Co., Ltd. (CN, 2022) filed a DAC system coupled to greenhouses, using CO₂-enriched desorption streams as crop fertilizer gas and warm greenhouse air to drive desorption. Sichuan University (CN, 2025) patented a Trombe wall-based system using daytime solar heat for desorption and nighttime natural convection for adsorption — targeting building-integrated DAC for residential and commercial sectors.
Agriculture and BuildingsRenewable-Chemical Production CCU Pathways
Xi’an Thermal Power Research Institute Co., Ltd. (CN, 2024) filed a patent for formic acid production coupled directly to DAC contactor output. Huazhong University of Science and Technology (CN, 2024) described in-situ utilization of DAC-captured CO₂ for chemical synthesis. Marwadi University (India, 2025) patented a DAC unit linked to a carbonation mixer that mineralizes cement aggregates using captured CO₂ for eco-friendly construction material production.
Carbon UtilizationLeading Assignees in DAC Contactor Design — Dataset Snapshot
In this dataset, Shell International Research Maatschappij B.V. accounts for approximately 10 of ~50 retrieved records and holds the most architecturally detailed modular unit design and fractal array patents. Xi’an Thermal Power Research Institute Co., Ltd. accounts for approximately 8 retrieved records in this dataset, focusing on energy-integration configurations including CAES coupling, vortex tube cooling, and renewable-chemical production.
Top DAC Contactor Patent Assignees by Filing Count in Retrieved Records
↗ Click bars to exploreShell International Research Maatschappij B.V.
Shell International Research Maatschappij B.V. has approximately 10 records in this dataset spanning WO, AU, US, and CN jurisdictions, filed between 2023 and 2026. Key patents specify a dual-inlet face contactor with a top outlet enforcing a minimum-to-maximum flow ratio within 0–20% and pressure drop below 200 Pa; a separate family covers fractal network layouts and large-scale array operation methods for gigaton-scale deployment. Multiple AU-jurisdiction filings (2024, 2025, 2026) reflect Australia as a target jurisdiction for large-scale DAC near geological storage sites.
Netherlands / USXi’an Thermal Power Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Xi’an Thermal Power Research Institute Co., Ltd. has approximately 8 records in this dataset, with CN filings concentrated in 2022–2024. Technology focus spans compressed air energy storage (CAES) coupled DAC systems (CN, 2024), vortex tube cooling for contactor temperature management, updraft tower passive airflow contactors, and a formic acid production system directly coupled to DAC output (CN, 2024). The institute also filed a DAC system for agricultural greenhouse CO₂ enrichment, reflecting multi-domain deployment strategy.
China — CNSix Emerging Directions in DAC Contactor Design (2025–2026 Signals)
Based on the most recent filings in this dataset (2025–2026), six directions are clearly accelerating: fractal array management, wind turbine-integrated contactors, high-purity CO₂ output engineering, water-conserving contactors, modular sorbent cassette logistics, and distributed network architectures.
Fractal and Hierarchical Array Management
Shell International Research Maatschappij B.V.’s fractal network layout patents (WO 2024, AU 2025) introduce tree-structured manifolding — hierarchical primary and secondary nodes linking arrays of DAC modules — to minimize CO₂-depleted air recirculation at gigaton scale. The dataset notes this is a novel infrastructure engineering innovation with no prior equivalent in retrieved records. Shell’s Chinese subsidiary filed the large-scale array operating method equivalent in CN 2025.
Wind Turbine-Integrated Contactors
Vishal Inder Sikka filed patents in US (2024, 2026), WO (2024), JP (2025), and CN (2025) claiming turbine blade apertures that channel air into amine sorbent chambers inside the nacelle. This co-location eliminates dedicated fans and uses electricity generated in situ for desorption. Multiple jurisdictional filings in 2025–2026 signal active commercial prosecution across at least five jurisdictions.
Solid Sorbent vs. Liquid Solvent DAC Contactors: Key Dimensions
Click any row to explore further.
| Dimension | Solid Sorbent Contactor | Liquid Solvent Contactor |
|---|---|---|
| Primary mechanism | Adsorption onto structured or particulate solid sorbent beds (monolith, honeycomb, fluidized) | Absorption into hydroxide-carbonate liquid loop (e.g. KOH/K₂CO₃) |
| Maturity in dataset | Most patent-dense cluster in this dataset; dominant in 2024–2026 filings | Identified as one of the two most mature technology classes alongside adsorption per 2022 literature review |
| Regeneration method | Temperature-swing (TSA), vacuum-swing (VSA), or combined — requires halting adsorption in fixed beds | Calciner/slaker loop requiring high-temperature (800–900°C) calcination |
| Pressure drop target | Below 200 Pa across sorbent section (Shell 2023–2026 patent specifications) | Packed Sulzer-type column; countercurrent air-liquid flow (canonical 2013 literature study) |
| Continuous operation | Addressed via rotary, moving, or multi-unit vacuum-swing cycling (National Energy Group patents, 2024) | Inherently continuous as liquid loop circulates independently of gas flow |
| Energy-integration patents | CAES coupling, wind turbine-integrated, Trombe wall, vortex tube (Xi’an Thermal Power, Sikka, Sichuan University) | Waste heat utilization from industrial air-cooled heat exchangers (Next Carbon Solutions, LLC, US 2022–2023) |
| CO₂ purity target | Greater than 99% targeted in newest filings (Huazhong University 2026, Shanghai Carbon Life 2025) | High purity achievable after calcination but requires further processing |
| Cost benchmark (literature) | No single bottom-up figure in this dataset for solid sorbent alone | Minimum ~$612/tonne established in 2019 technoeconomic evaluation literature |
Frequently Asked Questions: DAC Contactor Design Patents
Structured fixed-bed and pressure-drop-managed solid sorbent contactors form the most patent-dense cluster in this dataset, with approximately 18 of ~50 retrieved records. Shell International Research Maatschappij B.V. holds the most architecturally detailed patents in this cluster, specifying dual-inlet face contactors with pressure drop below 200 Pa.
A 2019 technoeconomic evaluation in this dataset established a minimum cost of approximately $612 per tonne for a process capturing CO₂ directly from air using a liquid-solvent system. The 2013 canonical study optimized a two-loop hydroxide carbonate system using a countercurrent air-liquid contactor with Sulzer structured packing.
Shell International Research Maatschappij B.V. filed WO patents in 2024 (and an AU equivalent in 2025) claiming a fractal network layout using hierarchical primary and secondary nodes to interconnect arrays of DAC modules. The stated purpose is to minimize re-ingestion of CO₂-depleted exhaust air into fresh-air inlets and to optimize fluid distribution at gigaton scale.
Vishal Inder Sikka’s patents (US 2024, US 2026, WO 2024, JP 2025, CN 2025) claim turbine blade apertures that channel ambient air into amine sorbent chambers co-located in the nacelle. This eliminates the need for dedicated fans, uses electricity generated in situ for desorption, and reduces system footprint compared with standalone DAC units.
Only a single patent record in this dataset covers membrane-based DAC contactors — filed by Shanghai COSCO Shipping Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. (CN, 2025) — despite a 2021 literature review identifying membrane processes as a technically viable separation route for direct CO₂ capture from air. This represents a relatively open IP landscape for material developers and engineering firms with membrane expertise.
Approximately 35 of ~50 patent records in this dataset originate from Chinese assignees, including universities (Sichuan, Tianjin, Huazhong), state-owned research institutes (Xi’an Thermal Power, National Energy Group, China Huaneng Group), and startups. Few CN filings are PCT-extended. Outside China, Shell and Aker Carbon Capture Norway AS represent commercially focused European filers, while the US landscape is more fragmented across Next Carbon Solutions, UT-Battelle, and individual inventors.
Data and insights on this page are based on a limited patent and literature dataset and are for reference only. Figures may not represent the complete technology landscape.