How Is Industrial Carbon Capture Systems Using Today?

 How Is Industrial Carbon Capture Systems Using Today?

Carbon capture and storage is the process of collecting, storing and capturing carbon dioxide, transporting it into a reservoir or storage facility, and then depositing it into a tight, sealed structure where it won't enter the air. Carbon dioxide is one of the leading greenhouse gases and is believed to be one of the causes for global warming. Carbon emissions are a key factor in climate change, because they trap the heat, keeping the earth warm at night and cooling the earth during hot days. The amount of carbon dioxide released in a given year is known as "carbon cycling", since the amount is set to grow over time. Unfortunately, carbon cycling is one of the primary causes for carbon pollution, because it results in the pollution of millions of tons of CO2 each year.

Because carbon dioxide is a natural resource, it is considered "precious" by many governments. One method that is used to capture, store, and dispose of carbon dioxide is through carbon capture technology. Two methods are commonly used - chemical systems and solar-based systems. Each system has their strengths and weaknesses. Both can reduce or remove a large amount of carbon dioxide from the air, but there are differences between them in effectiveness, costs, and environmental impact.

In a system that captures carbon dioxide from the air using oil field wells, oil is actually captured underground using wells. Oil captured using this method is later transferred to refineries where it undergoes conversion to gasoline. This is a very efficient method that produces low to moderate amounts of pollution. However, it produces byproducts such as benzene, which is a known carcinogen.

Another method that uses carbon capture technology is through the use of electrolysis - capturing CO2 molecules with electricity. This technology is used in water adsorption, which is used to remove trace amounts of hydrogen from natural gases and liquids such as seawater. In addition, it removes carbon dioxide from liquid sodium chloride. While not the most efficient method, it has the least environmental impact.

A modified version of the above method is called Enhanced Oil Recovery. This system includes two separate injections; a first injection containing synthetic gas and carbon dioxide, which is then recovered with oil. During the first injection, the captured carbon dioxide and synthetic gases are heating to produce high temperatures. This then kills the bacteria in the barrels used for Enhanced Oil Recovery, while allowing the flow of natural gas.

During the second injection, carbon capture technology is modified so that the heat and pressure of the first injection are reversed and injected into the second injection. This allows the flow of co2 to be enhanced as opposed to the initial capture. Enhanced oil recovery now reduces the amount of emissions and pollution from power plants, while increasing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of industrial carbon capture systems.

While there are currently several models in development for capturing carbon dioxide in oil fields, this is a very expensive and impractical way to capture the pollutant. Also, these carbon capture projects would need to continuously run for tens of millions of dollars. For this reason, they are not economically feasible in the low-lying or strip-mined areas where the pollutants come from. The only other method that is cost effective and practical is carbon dioxide absorption by vegetation. With this method, a plant absorbs carbon dioxide from the air, with no additional input from human beings.

There are some limitations to this type of carbon capture. For instance, carbon absorption by plants is inefficient if plants do not have the capacity to absorb carbon. Also, this is particularly inefficient with soils that are alkaline in nature, or in highly-fertilized regions. Enhanced Oil Recovery and Carbon Sequestration technologies can improve carbon absorption efficiency of soil-based systems for applications such as fertilizer production, but this type of enhanced carbon capture system cannot be used to remove greenhouse gases from the air and to transform polluted crude oil into usable gasoline or diesel.