Reading, Learning, Building
Tanay N -
For those of you who’ve stuck around since my last post—welcome back! And if you’re new here, you’re in for a ride. I’m beyond excited that you’re following along on this journey with me!
Last time, I introduced my project, why I chose it, and the basics of carbon capture. Today? I’ll be explaining the nitty-gritty science behind the technology.
Before I get into science, though, I’d like to take a moment to thank BASIS.ed and my school for the opportunity to conduct this project! I’ve never been so engrossed in learning a new topic. It’s one thing to study science—it’s another to build something with it.
Progress Update
Lately, I’ve been knee-deep in technical documentation and learning Arduino systems. Why? Because an aspect of my project involves creating an at-home Direct Air Capture (DAC) unit! The past few days have been all about research and coding, but next week, the real fun begins: construction! Expect some behind-the-scenes photos of my build in the next update.
Once the DAC is up and running, I’ll shift gears to some lab work, experimenting with various sorbents, hopefully employing those same sorbents in my DAC unit as well. It’s going to be a challenge, but honestly, that’s what makes it exciting.
The Science
Now, let’s discuss what you’ve all been waiting for: the deep science behind DAC.
To recap, sorbents are like the “glue” that CO2 binds to. DAC has two key stages: capture and regeneration.
The process of capture uses either solid sorbents (insolubles) or liquid sorbents. CO2 sticks selectively to the surface of these solid sorbents (these are pretty efficient, so I’ll likely use these for my DAC unit because they are easier to handle at the consumer level). Liquid sorbents are also used in capture mediums as they require less energy to maintain. The biggest problem, however, lies in the regeneration stage.
Once you trap CO₂, you need to get it off the sorbent so you can reuse the material. From there, the CO2 is either stored under-ground or is used in other processes. The two main techniques for regeneration are Thermal-Swing (TS) and Moisture-Swing (MS) techniques. TS involves heating the capture medium (sorbent + CO2) to such a temperature that the specific sorbents desorb CO2. MS involves adsorbing (adhesion of particles onto the surface of a substance) CO2 in dry conditions and releasing it in humid conditions. This method is gaining popularity, thanks to clever chemistry involving phosphate, carbonate, silicate, and borate ions.
What’s Next? My Research Plan
I’ll be testing different sorbents—both the well-known ones and some under-researched ones—to see how they perform in both TS and MS systems. And, of course, I’ll incorporate the best ones into my DAC unit.
Whew! I know that was a lot, but hopefully by next week, I’ll be able to update you with photos of my DAC unit. If all goes well, we’ll be one step closer to making CO₂ capture more accessible and efficient. Thank you for reading and I hope you tune in for the next one!
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