Climate Insider Brief:
- Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University have developed two reactor designs that can mineralize carbon dioxide using fly ash particles, offering a sustainable and lasting solution to greenhouse gas emissions.
- The researchers used computational fluid dynamics to fine-tune the reactor designs and identified optimal ranges for flue gas velocity, carrier gas velocity, and particle velocity, promising to propel reactor performance to new heights and achieve substantial increases in CO2 mineralization efficiency.
- The research has significant implications for coal-fired power plants, offering a transformative use for fly ash and reducing carbon emissions and environmental burden of fly ash disposal.
Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University have developed reactors that can mineralize carbon dioxide using fly ash particles, offering a sustainable and lasting solution to the pressing issue of greenhouse gas emissions. The innovative technique repurposes an industrial by-product, turning waste into a resource and reducing emissions.
The study, published in the Energy Storage and Saving journal, introduces two reactor designs that optimize CO2 mineralization via fly ash, with computational fluid dynamics used to fine-tune the designs. The impinging-type inlet design excels at amplifying interfacial interactions, extending particle dwell times, and increasing mineralization rates. The quadrilateral rotary-style inlet, on the other hand, ensures streamlined flow for comprehensive mixing and reaction efficacy.
Through a rigorous exploration of operational parameters, the researchers identified optimal ranges for flue gas velocity, carrier gas velocity, and particle velocity, promising to propel reactor performance to new heights. The findings mark a significant leap forward in carbon capture and utilization technologies, achieving substantial increases in CO2 mineralization efficiency.
The research has profound implications for coal-fired power plants, offering a transformative use for the fly ash they generate. By channeling this by-product into CO2 mineralization, the study paves the way for diminished carbon emissions and reduced environmental burden of fly ash disposal. The broader applications of this research are expansive, presenting a harmonious solution to waste management and CO2 sequestration that could redefine CCUS technology approaches.
“This work is not only a boon to sustainable waste management but also presents a pragmatic strategy for curtailing industrial carbon emissions, aligning with global climate action initiatives,” said Dr. Liwei Wang, the study’s principal investigator. The development of these reactors offers a promising solution to the pressing issue of greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change.
SOURCE: EurekAlert
Featured Image: Credit: DUOYONG ZHANG, ET AL
