In this final project of the school year, our view was broadened and the directions were vague on purpose. We were tasked with doing anything, provided it followed some sort of biological reaction or function, in order to help the world and human society. We went through a couple steps in order to select the topic of our project.
After, we were asked to find three solutions to this problem and peer edit each other's answer. We would then choose the solution that we thought would work best with the new information we received. Our final solution was the storing of carbon inside of depleted oil wells by pumping excess carbon dioxide into the Earth.
- Identify a current biotech issue or problem that needs to be solved
- Areas of challenge
- Who is impacted by the problem
- Previously attempted solutions and their limitations
After, we were asked to find three solutions to this problem and peer edit each other's answer. We would then choose the solution that we thought would work best with the new information we received. Our final solution was the storing of carbon inside of depleted oil wells by pumping excess carbon dioxide into the Earth.
Carbon Capture and Storage
Our detailed description and procedure is as follows:
1.Test best capture methods
Our purpose is to figure out which of the three methods of carbon capture is the most effective. This will be done through research situations that we imagine each of the methods in. Unfortunately, we will not be able to physically test it ourselves, as we don’t have the necessary materials or resources. Therefore we will only be dealing with theoreticals testing the worth of each method.
-Post combustion: Takes in flue gas from factory or other place releasing flue gases, passes through an absorber with liquid solvents which absorbs the CO2 before going into the air, and then separates it from nitrogen and other gases in order to have pure CO2. There are two types of absorption which are chemical absorption and physical absorption. In chemical absorption is when CO2 reacts with certain chemicals in order to be absorbed better, this is better for applications with low CO2 partial pressures. Physical absorption is available with competitions less than 15% on a volumetric basis, this is not a very good opinion. There is also adsorption which is the separating of CO2 from flue gases using a solid medium or membrane, however the CO2 is not pure and usually needs another component to further separate the gases.
-Amount of carbon captured
-Amount of carbon stored
-How much energy can be made from this method.
-Calculate percent of efficiency
-Pre-Combustion: Takes fuel before it is burned in the furnace and converts it to a clean burning gas and strips the co2 out in the process. However this cannot be used with older power plants.
-Amount of carbon captured
-Amount of carbon stored
-How much energy can be made from this method
-Calculate percent of efficiency
-Oxyfuel: Burn fuel in pure oxygen so all the waste gas is CO2 and water vapor that can be captured and stored. However this process takes a lot of energy and can be very inefficient.
-Amount of carbon captured
-Amount of carbon stored
-How much energy can be made from this method
Calculate percent of efficiency
AFTER ALL TEST ARE DONE
-Compare efficiency of all methods
-Compare which one captured and store the most amount of carbon
-Choose best opinion
2. Test the best material to transport the C02
-Test different materials for how well the retain the gases and keep temperature stable
-Purpose: find the most efficient way to transport C02 without polluting and affecting the gases being transported
-Procedure: test different materials and record for each one the temperature inside and how much of the C02 retained in the tube
-Some issues that must be observed during the tests:
-presence of corrosion in pipelines
-effect of aging and long term use
-structural integrity of the materials
-the effect of high pressures on the materials used
-test steel, polymeric materials, and metallic materials for all the different issues above. Analyze the data to find which material is the best.
-to conduct this we would need a lot of money and an actual facility that would be able to conduct these tests
3. Should C02 be transported by truck/ship or pipeline?
-C02 in its liquid form is stored in pressurised and maintained ships and trucks
-Pipelines are used to transport C02 in its gas form
-What is this test? We will test how much money, energy, and time is required for each process and the amount of C02 that escapes into the atmosphere from each process
-What is the purpose? We must investigate the best and most efficient way to move C02 from one location to another
-Procedure:
-1. Investigate the cost for transporting C02 and equal distance by pipe and truck.ship
-2. Investigate the amount of time needed for the same distance
-3. Investigate the amount of energy needed for the same test
-4. Find how much C02 is leaked in each process
-5. Analyze all data and find what is the best form to use
-What is needed: we will need pressurized C02 transportation ships and trucks, a test pipeline with the chosen material, and data from all the different tests we run
-Additionally we would need access to technologies that can measure the amount of C02 present in a certain area… ie: infrared sensors
4. Types of pumps that should be used:
Testing:
-We will determine which methods is capable of using the least amount of energy and money. Additionally we will determine which method is the most green and clean for our environment. Another factor is how fast each method takes, the speed at which it can insert carbon dioxide into the Earth.
Purpose:
-We will do this test so we are able to create the best solution that will bring forward the most benefits for the environment and be the most efficient in that process.
Procedure:
-1. Test each individual pump for its efficiencies, cost, waste amount, and pollution
-2. Analyze data and find which method is the best for each individual factor
Materials:
-Different pumps we are testing (shown below)
-Technologies to measure C02 levels in water
-Data relating to prices and amount of energy consumed
Solubility Pump:
-Relying on the difference in concentration between liquid carbon dioxide and either the soil and the ocean. This will result in the carbon dioxide sinking to the ocean floor or depleted oil wells. Normally used in combination with the biological “pump” of living species. This process takes quite a while to take into effect as the carbon dioxide must sink. There are also dangers that it would contaminate nearby structures (living and nonliving)
Geological Storage
-Storing carbon dioxide gas into natural geologically created structures such as deep caves underground. These structures are able to hold the gas in, with their location being away from any contamination danger and minerals inside keeping the gas secure. Formations such as stalactites keep carbon dioxide inside with their unique mineral deposit, preventing many dangers of exposure. Limitations include the discovery of such natural structures and the limited amount of carbon dioxide that can be stored within each one.
Direct Pipelines
-The traditional method of directly piping liquid or gaseous carbon dioxide into depleted oil deposits. Generally using steel pipes, this drastically reduces the amount of time needed to deposit carbon dioxide. However, this comes with drawbacks, including need for constant supervision, failsafe measures (pressure build up and backlog problems), and the cost of pipes deep into the Earth. Besides that, the pressure when going to deep may rupture some pipelines. Sturdier material would have to be used, thus raising the costs.
Our purpose is to figure out which of the three methods of carbon capture is the most effective. This will be done through research situations that we imagine each of the methods in. Unfortunately, we will not be able to physically test it ourselves, as we don’t have the necessary materials or resources. Therefore we will only be dealing with theoreticals testing the worth of each method.
-Post combustion: Takes in flue gas from factory or other place releasing flue gases, passes through an absorber with liquid solvents which absorbs the CO2 before going into the air, and then separates it from nitrogen and other gases in order to have pure CO2. There are two types of absorption which are chemical absorption and physical absorption. In chemical absorption is when CO2 reacts with certain chemicals in order to be absorbed better, this is better for applications with low CO2 partial pressures. Physical absorption is available with competitions less than 15% on a volumetric basis, this is not a very good opinion. There is also adsorption which is the separating of CO2 from flue gases using a solid medium or membrane, however the CO2 is not pure and usually needs another component to further separate the gases.
- Set up a post combustion machine at factory that has steady amount of carbon emissions on a daily basis.
- Capture and Store Carbon for 7 days
- Record all data
-Amount of carbon captured
-Amount of carbon stored
-How much energy can be made from this method.
-Calculate percent of efficiency
-Pre-Combustion: Takes fuel before it is burned in the furnace and converts it to a clean burning gas and strips the co2 out in the process. However this cannot be used with older power plants.
- Find power plant or some other factory with a similar carbon emissions for the post combustion location and set up a pre combustion system
- Capture and store carbon for 7 days
- Record all data
-Amount of carbon captured
-Amount of carbon stored
-How much energy can be made from this method
-Calculate percent of efficiency
-Oxyfuel: Burn fuel in pure oxygen so all the waste gas is CO2 and water vapor that can be captured and stored. However this process takes a lot of energy and can be very inefficient.
- Find a power plant or some other factory with similar carbon emissions as the first two locations and set up an oxy fuel system
- Capture and story carbon for 7 days
- Record all data
-Amount of carbon captured
-Amount of carbon stored
-How much energy can be made from this method
Calculate percent of efficiency
AFTER ALL TEST ARE DONE
-Compare efficiency of all methods
-Compare which one captured and store the most amount of carbon
-Choose best opinion
2. Test the best material to transport the C02
-Test different materials for how well the retain the gases and keep temperature stable
-Purpose: find the most efficient way to transport C02 without polluting and affecting the gases being transported
-Procedure: test different materials and record for each one the temperature inside and how much of the C02 retained in the tube
-Some issues that must be observed during the tests:
-presence of corrosion in pipelines
-effect of aging and long term use
-structural integrity of the materials
-the effect of high pressures on the materials used
-test steel, polymeric materials, and metallic materials for all the different issues above. Analyze the data to find which material is the best.
-to conduct this we would need a lot of money and an actual facility that would be able to conduct these tests
3. Should C02 be transported by truck/ship or pipeline?
-C02 in its liquid form is stored in pressurised and maintained ships and trucks
-Pipelines are used to transport C02 in its gas form
-What is this test? We will test how much money, energy, and time is required for each process and the amount of C02 that escapes into the atmosphere from each process
-What is the purpose? We must investigate the best and most efficient way to move C02 from one location to another
-Procedure:
-1. Investigate the cost for transporting C02 and equal distance by pipe and truck.ship
-2. Investigate the amount of time needed for the same distance
-3. Investigate the amount of energy needed for the same test
-4. Find how much C02 is leaked in each process
-5. Analyze all data and find what is the best form to use
-What is needed: we will need pressurized C02 transportation ships and trucks, a test pipeline with the chosen material, and data from all the different tests we run
-Additionally we would need access to technologies that can measure the amount of C02 present in a certain area… ie: infrared sensors
4. Types of pumps that should be used:
Testing:
-We will determine which methods is capable of using the least amount of energy and money. Additionally we will determine which method is the most green and clean for our environment. Another factor is how fast each method takes, the speed at which it can insert carbon dioxide into the Earth.
Purpose:
-We will do this test so we are able to create the best solution that will bring forward the most benefits for the environment and be the most efficient in that process.
Procedure:
-1. Test each individual pump for its efficiencies, cost, waste amount, and pollution
-2. Analyze data and find which method is the best for each individual factor
Materials:
-Different pumps we are testing (shown below)
-Technologies to measure C02 levels in water
-Data relating to prices and amount of energy consumed
Solubility Pump:
-Relying on the difference in concentration between liquid carbon dioxide and either the soil and the ocean. This will result in the carbon dioxide sinking to the ocean floor or depleted oil wells. Normally used in combination with the biological “pump” of living species. This process takes quite a while to take into effect as the carbon dioxide must sink. There are also dangers that it would contaminate nearby structures (living and nonliving)
Geological Storage
-Storing carbon dioxide gas into natural geologically created structures such as deep caves underground. These structures are able to hold the gas in, with their location being away from any contamination danger and minerals inside keeping the gas secure. Formations such as stalactites keep carbon dioxide inside with their unique mineral deposit, preventing many dangers of exposure. Limitations include the discovery of such natural structures and the limited amount of carbon dioxide that can be stored within each one.
Direct Pipelines
-The traditional method of directly piping liquid or gaseous carbon dioxide into depleted oil deposits. Generally using steel pipes, this drastically reduces the amount of time needed to deposit carbon dioxide. However, this comes with drawbacks, including need for constant supervision, failsafe measures (pressure build up and backlog problems), and the cost of pipes deep into the Earth. Besides that, the pressure when going to deep may rupture some pipelines. Sturdier material would have to be used, thus raising the costs.
Final Project
Includes the finished blueprint within the presentation
Reflection
In this project we were allowed to make our own groups. This boosted our productivity by a large margin, as our group was generally always on task and worked well together. I personally worked decently well and did my fair share of the work. We all did our own portion and knew what we were talking about in the final project. The best parts of our project were probably our focus on the materials used, which gives a more realistic aspect to what we were thinking about. Also, by using depleted oil wells, it reduces the cost of finding locations and ensures lack of leakage. Some things we could have done better is give ourselves more time to practice our presentations. We finished quite late into the project work time, so we didn't have very much time to actually practice our final presentation. However, our group still banded together and practiced on our own time, speaking together quite well. I learned a bit about the fact that as we get closer and closer to the end of school, I start to get lazy in my work effort. I plan to stop this and focus more on my work and providing more help to my group. I also plan to do my homework beforehand and not use our project time to finish up my assignments that I was supposed to do on my own time.