A group of engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a new way to fight air pollution. According to MIT, this new method of removing carbon dioxide from air can work at almost any concentration level, from open-air in the streets to power plant emissions.
Most other methods are only able to work with a high concentration of carbon dioxide in the air. This new method is not only able to work with low concentrations, but is also less expensive and more energy-efficient, the researchers said.
The device is a specialized battery that absorbs air (or other gas streams) and passes it over electrodes. As air is passing through, the device gets charged up and separates carbon dioxide from the air using a process called “carbon capture”. The clean air is then released and the carbon dioxide is blown out separately as the battery discharges.
The video from MIT shows how the process works.
Professor T. Alan Hatton from MIT commented on their research, saying:
In my laboratories, we have been striving to develop new technologies to tackle a range of environmental issues that avoid the need for thermal energy sources, changes in system pressure or addition of chemicals to complete the separation and release cycles. This carbon dioxide capture technology is a clear demonstration of the power of electrochemical approaches that require only small swings in voltage to drive the separations.
The research team has already launched a company called Verdox to commercialize their project, meaning that we will get to see it in commercial applications very soon.
Via MIT News
