Researchers at the University of Houston (UH) have announced two new innovative breakthroughs in carbon capture technologies that enhance sustainable practices in industrial sectors.
For the first breakthrough, the researchers created a new method to capture carbon from power plant emissions that offers improvements in cost and efficiency. UH Professor Mim Rahimi and PhD student Mohsen Afshari focused on finding alternatives to the traditional use of membranes or the energy intensive amine scrubbing process.
Their innovation removes the membrane and uses gas diffusion electrodes instead. Tests show the new design removes more than 90% of carbon dioxide and performs about 50% better than older methods. The cost of capture is about $70 per metric ton, which is competitive with the best current technology. The system is also designed to be compact and could be retrofitted into existing exhaust systems with minimal changes.
A second breakthrough adds a vanadium redox flow battery to the system. In that design the device captures carbon dioxide while charging and releases carbon dioxide during discharge. The system also stores renewable energy in the same unit.
The goal of these advances is to make carbon removal less expensive, more durable and more efficient. The membrane-free system is closer to practical use. The battery-based system is more experimental but shows promise for clean energy applications in the future.
Innovative strategies to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of energy generation are at the utmost of importance of public and private sector businesses, especially as the federal government disincentivizes sustainable energy development and research.
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