Thread: Product Design - Carbon collecting idea

Hi

My names jake and I'm going into my 3rd and final year of a Product Design Course and I need the advice of all you clever scientists

I would like to know about carbon dioxide and how it an be collected. My science knowledge is limited so I hope I don't sound like to much of a moron!

Can you collect carbon dioxide from the atmosphere without photosynthesis? I had an idea of a product which could be used within garages and connected to the exhaust of the car. The product would then convert the carbon dioxide into oxygen. Or similarly if you could collect the carbon?

Is there anyway this could be done?

Thanks!

Jake

Originally Posted by j5-bond

Can you collect carbon dioxide from the atmosphere without photosynthesis? I had an idea of a product which could be used within garages and connected to the exhaust of the car. The product would then convert the carbon dioxide into oxygen. Or similarly if you could collect the carbon?

Is there anyway this could be done?

Thanks!

Jake

Hi Jake, you don't at all sound like a moron. Yes it is possible to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, there have been plans for such machines in existence for a while though I'm not conversant with any that maybe operational.

I personally like your car CO2 collection idea and think if it's feasable would be a great new product.

The link below gives details on plans for CO2 extraction from the atmosphere.

http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications...on_seq/7b1.pdf

Several days ago I come across this news:
Panasonic Photosynthesis System converts carbon dioxide to organic material with plant-like efficiency -- Engadget
Panasonic develops efficient artificial photosynthesis system generating organic materials from carbon dioxide, water

Panasonic says they developed a system which consume CO2 and convert it into Formic Acid. It capture CO2!

EDIT: after reading it a 2nd time it says the system also produce Oxygen! (it produce Oxygen and eat CO2!!!)

Sorry, Jake. Jeremy Clarkson already solved the problem by attaching a greenhouse to the tailpipe of his Range Rover.

greenhouse.jpg

All joking aside, what you're looking to do is fairly common. Carbon scrubber have been around for decades. They even used regenerative ones on the space shuttle for extended Moon missions. I'm not sure how complex a device you're interested in creating. Are you actually building this yourself or just mocking up a design?

Haha this is true he has! I was hoping for something a bit more refined than a trailer mounted green house though.

Well I have around 7 months to complete the project. By that time I need a finalised design. It may well be that I'll have two models- one working model and one aesthetic model.

Its very early days but in just wanted to know if the concept could be justified? In my head imagining a system which would probably be portable, which would connect to the exhaust of the car and then convert the carbon dioxide into oxygen. I'm no scientist so I'm in need of a bit of guidance.

Does my product proposal sound like it could be possible? From what i've read its been done on a large scale but nothing small and portable which would be used for relatively short amounts of time.

Thanks for all the help I really appreciate it.

Cheers

Jake

Haha this is true he has! I was hoping for something a bit more refined than a trailer mounted green house though.

Why? I think many if not most of the future solutions will be amazing high tech with a relatively low tech appearance, such as modifying microbes to do things we need such as scrub carbon from the air. We're just getting started with biotech; it holds huge potential.

I'm by no means an engineer so the construction of such a device is well beyond my capacity to determine. 7 months seems like it might not be enough time to construct a working model of the more cutting-edge technology. If you're building a conceptual piece on computer software like CAD or Max then creating a non-functioning mockup, I think you could pull that off. If it only has to function in theory, you could go over the top and create something like a flying carbon scrubber which could hover like a blimp over polluted cities like Beijing or LA and scrub the atmosphere. That could be fun, too, if impractical.

Either way, it sounds like a really cool project. Best of luck with it.

Hi Guys

Thanks again for all the replies, Its really got the ideas rolling so thanks very much!

Lynx_Fox You're right jeremy was on to something! I shouldn't write of the use of plants within this product. I have a few more questions now: If I had a system which connected to the exhaust and contained the Carbon Dioxide. The container could then be transported to a larger system which consists of plants which would then convert the carbon? Also can you provide a plant with to much carbon dioxide? How much can they handle?

Maybe there should be a holding tank which intravenously feeds the carbon dioxide to maintain a manageable level for the plants? How does that sound? Do certain plants manage co2 better than others?

Flick Montana: You're 7 months isn't that long. But maybe if the system was a low technology system then it may be achievable. I will be using CAD so a non functioning mock up will definitely be achievable.

Thanks again all the feedback is great!

Cheers

Jake

Post it up as you go. You could probbly get ome good feedback and I'm kind of curious.