Sometimes less really is more 鈥� at least that is the case when it comes to improving carbon capture systems, according to a team of researchers at the 91破解版.
Led by Mim Rahimi, a professor at 鈥檚 Cullen College of Engineering, the team made two significant breakthroughs that could reduce the cost of capturing harmful emissions from power plants, marking a major step in addressing climate change.
The first breakthrough, , introduces a membraneless electrochemical process that slashes energy requirements for amine-based carbon dioxide (CO鈧�) capture. The second breakthrough, , demonstrates a vanadium redox flow system capable of both capturing carbon and storing renewable energy.
鈥淐limate change mitigation was basically the reason we pursued this research,鈥� Rahimi said. 鈥淲e need solutions, and we wanted to be part of the solution. The biggest suspect out there is CO鈧� emissions, so the low-hanging fruit would be to eliminate those emissions.鈥�
Originally published in a research paper titled 鈥淎 Membraneless Electrochemically Mediated Amine Regeneration for Carbon Capture,鈥� the team first focused on replacing the conventional ion-exchange membrane in the electrochemically mediated amine regeneration process with gas diffusion electrodes.
That proved to be a game-changer. Not only were the membranes the most expensive part of the system, but they were also a primary reason for performance issues and maintenance cost.
By engineering the gas diffusion electrodes, the team was able to achieve more than 90% CO鈧� removal, nearly 50% more than traditional EMAR approaches. That鈥檚 a capture cost of approximately $70 per metric ton of CO鈧�, which makes it competitive with state-of-the-art amine scrubbing methods, according to Ph.D. student Ahmad Hassan.
鈥淏y removing the membrane and the associated hardware, we鈥檝e streamlined the EMAR workflow and dramatically cut energy use,鈥� said Hassan, who was leading author of the paper. 鈥淭his opens the door to retrofitting existing industrial exhaust systems with a compact, low-cost carbon capture module.鈥�
Fellow Ph.D. student Mohsen Afshari built on those advances, publishing his findings in 鈥淎 Vanadium Redox Flow Process for Carbon Capture and Energy Storage.鈥� That paper presented a reversible flow battery architecture that absorbs CO鈧� during charging and releases it upon discharge.
By leveraging the vanadium鈥檚 chemistry, the process displayed strong cycle stability and a high capture capacity, suggesting the technology could provide carbon removal and grid balancing when paired with intermittent renewables.
鈥淚ntegrating carbon capture directly into a redox flow battery lets us tackle two challenges in one device,鈥� Afshari said. 鈥淥ur front-cover feature highlights its potential to smooth out renewable generation while sequestering CO鈧�.鈥�
These discoveries promise to make waves for carbon capture technology and the energy industry going forward, with the ultimate goal being to reduce the carbon footprint associated with everyone.
鈥淭hese publications reflect our group鈥檚 commitment to fundamental electrochemical innovation and real-world applicability,鈥� Rahimi said. 鈥淔rom membraneless systems to scalable flow systems, we鈥檙e charting pathways to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors and support the transition to a low-carbon economy.鈥�