This direct air capture process can be deployed virtually anywhere, according to project lead and university professor Joo-Youp Lee.
The system uses electricity to separate carbon dioxide. Lee is further enhancing the system by using hot water instead of electricity and steam - making it more energy efficient and robust compared to other systems.
Lee built a pool noodle sized benchtop model that contains a canister and a honeycomb-like block wrapped with carbon fibre. Air from outside the building is pumped through the cannister and into the honeycomb block that is coated with special absorbent materials designed by the team
Gauges on the air intake and exit measure the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. When the readings on the outlet of the block begin to climb, the researchers heat the structure to remove the trapped carbon dioxide with a vacuum pump and begin the process again.
The process has been repeated by the team over 2,000 times with no decline in efficiency or degradation of materials. Experiments were conducted in a sealed, environmentally-controlled room to manage any variables.
The machine could potentially reach 10,000 cycles, according to Lee.
The team believe that the systems could be vital in addressing climate change as demand for electricity is predicted to surge in the next several years. Lee hopes that the US Department of Energy will continue supporting his plans to develop an industrial scale prototype.
“Our technology has proven to reduce the heat required for the desorption by 50%. That’s a really big improvement,” he said. “By using half of the energy, we can separate out carbon dioxide more efficiently. And we can make the cycle longer and longer.”
He concluded: “I’m pretty proud of the progress of our technology development."
