Epiphyte

Sorbent Chamber + Vacuum Epiphyte’s sorbent chamber is the metal enclosure that isolates the CO2-laden air drawn into it with the fan so that it comes into contact with the sorbent panel. It is tightly air-sealed with dampers, and it must be designed to withstand vacuum pressure during the desorption phase. Sorbent The chemical material that does the work of absorbing CO2 is called sorbent. For our first Epiphyt build in Philadelphia we used a zeolite-based variety, because it was cheap and available. But it didn‘t perform well, and absorbed more H2O than CO2. So we are seeking alternatives. And in the longterm we see Epiphyte as a platform for testing and deploying novel sorbents. Sensors Epiphyte’s CO2 sensors at the air input and within the chamber are critical to measuring if and how much CO2 absorption has occurred per cycle. With our first build the product we used was very difficult to calibrate. To address this problem, we anticipate a sensor swap, but also need to design the chamber for more optimal air flow. Sorbent Panel Epiphyte’s sorbent panel is the internal structure that holds and heats up the sorbent to activate CO2 absorption and desorption. Build Log This category serves as an active log with which to track progress and updates for all Epiphyte builds.