"The discussion of energy consumption for cryogenic & combined #DirectAirCapture systems is explored in the newly published thesis."ποΈ
Details are discussed in aπ§΅β¬οΈ
1/10
In this novel approach, "a thermodynamic model was constructed using psychometric theories to model the #desublimation of CO2 in a #DAC system. The system was modeled
to include a precooling heat exchanger & a deposition chamber where the desublimation
of CO2 occurs."
2/10
3οΈβ£ base systems studied:
πΈ NC (no precompression/turbine recovery)
πΈPC (precompression only)
πΈTR (precompression & turbine recovery)
at 3οΈβ£ different compression ratios, n=400, 800 & 2000.
Then, a combination #DAC system, PSA, was modeled."
3/10
"A dual-column, 4οΈβ£-step Skarstrom Cycle PSA (pressure swing adsorption & cryogenic distillation) unit was analyzed using Extended Langmuir Models & the
ideal gas law to simulate a CO2 conc. prior to the deposition chamber. The NC & PSA systems were assessed at Tamb= -50β¦C."
4/10
This study finds that "while increasing the compression ratio of the system, there is no net energy benefit when capturing CO2 given the current state-of-the-art in commercial compressor & #cryocooler capabilities."
5/10
"The assessment of the efficiency of a precooler versus TR finds that it is more advantageous to utilize a heat exchanger precooler than precompression with turbine recovery in a #DAC system. Combining DAC systems may yield a more efficient system."
6/10
"PSA combined with cryogenic capture is less energy intensive than cryogenic capture alone. In a combined #DAC system with PSA and cryogenic distillation,
the PSA unit has a significantly lower energy consumption than the #cryocooler."
7/10
"Increasing the concentration of CO2 entering the deposition chamber significantly decreases the required energy consumption of the #cryocooler."
8/10
Read the complete #Doctoral#Thesis entitled: "Atmospheric Carbon Capture: A Review on Current Technologies and Analysis of Energy Consumption for Various Direct Air Capture (DAC) Systems" here β¬οΈ commons.erau.edu/edt/728/
π¨A new study details that the climate value of algae & cyanobacteria lies not in COβ uptake alone, but in their capacity to generate long-lived, chemically recalcitrant C compounds, such as algaenan & carbonates that may contribute to durable sequestration pathways.
π§΅1/11
2/ The study adopts a conceptual synthesis framework, integrating biochemical & geochemical evidence to examine carbon fate post-photosynthetic fixation, moving beyond uptake rates to study the thermodynamic and structural persistence of biogenic carbon.
3/ It constructs a functional distinction between:
1) Labile carbon fractions, which are rapidly cycled through microbial respiration
2) Recalcitrant fractions, which resist degradation & contribute to long-term carbon storage across terrestrial & marine systems.
π¨ποΈMonthly Solar Geoengineering Updates (March'26 Edition)ποΈπ¨
From UN review of #SRM tech & its human rights impacts, to US organizations resisting SRM bans, plus new tools & research awards β SRM headlines you need to know from the past month:π§΅1/13
1οΈβ£ @OHCHR_MENA seeks input on climate technologies - The UN Human Rights Office is collecting submissions on how SRM & CDR may impact human rights, with a report due later this year.
2/13
2οΈβ£ US National Security Framing β ACCF report urges federal research and international governance to prevent rivals from gaining strategic advantage.
π¨Direct air capture (#DAC) using amine-based sorbents is one of the "most promising ways" to remove COβ, but a core challenge remains: the materials degrade over time, raising costs and limiting scale.
A new study examines why that happens and how to fix it.π§΅1/12
2/ Degradation here means any chemical or physical change that reduces COβ uptake or increases energy needed for regeneration.
Over time, even small losses compound, turning a promising material into a costly bottleneck.
3/ The paper highlights that degradation is not a single process.
It emerges from a combination of oxidative, thermal, and environmental pathways, each interacting with the sorbentβs molecular structure in different ways.
π¨New research from WashU shows that diamond dust, long proposed as an ideal solar geoengineering (#SRM) material for #SAI, may lose much of its cooling potential when real-world chemistry & manufacturing constraints are taken into account.
DETAILSπ§΅1/11
2/ Solar geoengineering, particularly stratospheric aerosol injection (#SAI), seeks to mimic volcanic cooling by dispersing reflective particles into the upper atmosphere, reducing incoming solar radiation and temporarily offsetting warming.
3/ Sulfate aerosols (from volcano-like approaches) can cool the planet, but they come with risks: acid rain, ozone damage, and health impacts.
π¨Where should Direct Air Capture (#DAC) be deployed to scale carbon removal?
New research shows: costs are driven less by the technology itself and more by location, climate, and energy systems, making DAC a fundamentally geo-dependent solution.
Detailsπ§΅1/10
2/ DAC needs to scale to 0.5β5 GtCOβ/year by 2050, yet current capacity is ~0.00004 Gt.
Scaling requires massive cost reductions, and smart siting.
3/ The study evaluates two leading approaches:
β’ Solid sorbent DAC (S-DAC)
β’ Liquid solvent DAC (L-DAC)
Using global, high-resolution data on weather and renewable energy availability.
New study suggests that during the Emeishan supervolcanic eruptions (~260M yrs ago), enhanced weathering of uplifted rocks removed huge amounts of atm COβ, cutting levels nearly in half.
How?π§΅1/11
2/ Large igneous provinces (LIPs) are among the largest volcanic events in Earthβs history, typically releasing huge volumes of lava over 1-5 million years.
Theyβre widely thought to drive COβ spikes, warming, and environmental crises through massive volcanic degassing.
3/ To test this assumption, researchers reconstructed atmospheric COβ levels across the Emeishan volcanic episode using carbon isotopes from chlorophyll-derived biomarkers preserved in marine sediments from the Shangsi section in China.