Joule-heated regenerable carbon dioxide capture filter for demand-controlled ventilation in indoor applications

Carbon dioxide (CO2) plays a key role in indoor air quality and is traditionally managed through ventilation, which often increases energy consumption. This work proposes a demand-controlled ventilation system integrated with a CO2 filter to reduce both indoor CO2 levels and ventilation-related energy use. The modular CO2 capture filter was manufactured by spray-coating an amine-functionalized solid sorbent onto a carbon fiber substrate, enabling rapid thermal regeneration via Joule heating within 15 min at 100 °C. System-scale operation was optimized using Differential Evolution, and a deep neural network was employed as a surrogate model to rapidly approximate the optimized control parameters across varying indoor conditions. Simulation-based analysis indicates the proposed system could lower energy loads by about 14.9–25% compared to conventional systems, while maintaining indoor CO2 at 600 ppm under various outdoor conditions. This work establishes an implementation pathway spanning material characterization, lab-scale tests, and model-based system-level analysis. The study develops a carbon fiber carbon dioxide filter coated with amine-functionalized silica and regenerates it by electrical Joule heating (95% desorption in 15 minutes at 100 degrees Celsius). Simulations optimize control and estimate 14.9–25% ventilation energy savings.