carbon dioxide (CO2A new technology developed at the University of Waterloo that can be converted into fuels and other valuable chemicals on an industrial scale and at an affordable price could make an important difference in the fight against climate change.
left: Schematic diagram showing major components of the reactor and actuation mechanism. right: CO’s photo2 Stack, a demonstration of a commercial nuclear reactor.Image Credit: University of Waterloo
The system produces 10 times more carbon monoxide (CO), which can be used to produce methane, ethanol, and other useful elements than currently produced by small-scale technology.This was outlined in a study published in the journal natural energy.
Also, individual cells can be stacked to create reactors of any size, making this technology a tailor-made and economically viable solution that can be implemented on-site, for example in large-scale CO2 factories.2 emissions.
This is an important bridge connecting CO2 From lab technology to industrial applications. Without it, it would be very difficult to use materials-based technology commercially..
Dr. Zhongwei Chen, Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo
This system is equipped with a device called an electrolyser that converts CO2is an important greenhouse gas produced by burning fossil fuels and converted to CO using electricity and water.
The electrolytic cell built by scientists has modern electrodes and a new type of liquid-based electrolyte saturated with CO.2 Converts to CO through an electrochemical reaction.
Essentially, their electrolyser is a 10 X 10 cm cell, several times larger than current devices, and can be configured or stacked with reactors of any size.
This is a completely new model for CO.2 Reactor.This makes the entire process economically viable for industrialization and can be customized to meet specific requirements.
Dr. Zhongwei Chen, Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo
Dr. Cheng is also the Canadian Research Chair for Advanced Materials for Clean Energy at the University of Waterloo.
Scientists foresee CO2 feeding on-site reactors in coal-fired factories and power plants.2 Costs can be further reduced by not having to collect and capture CO.2 first time.
To contribute to the ecological benefits, they also plan to charge the reactors with on-site renewable energy sources like solar panels.
“Excited about the possibilities of this technologysaid Chen. “If you really want to make a difference by reducing your emissions, you need to focus on reducing costs and making it affordable.“
Postdoctoral fellow Guobin Wen, Ph.D., and chemical engineering professors, Dr. Aiping Yu and Dr. Jeff Gostick, are among Chen’s collaborators at Waterloo. Many scientists from South China Normal University also contributed.
Journal references
Wen. G., others(2022) Continuous CO2 Electrolysis using CO2 Detachment induction flow cell. natural energydoi.org/10.1038/s41560-022-01130-6.
Source: https://uwaterloo.ca/
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