Photo: University of Delaware
University of Delaware engineers have developed a new 'hyper-efficient method' to effectively capture 99% of carbon dioxide from air. The team was working on hydroxide exchange membrane (HEM) fuel cells, an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional acid-based fuel cells, when they realized the HEM cells were capturing and separating all the carbon dioxide that came into them. Leveraging this built-in self-purging process in a separate device upstream from the fuel cell stack turned it into a carbon dioxide separator. Their soda can-sized prototype device can filter roughly 10 liters of air per minute, scrubbing 98% of the carbon dioxide. As well as being used in transportation, the patented technology could enable lighter, more efficient carbon dioxide removal devices in spacecraft or submarines, where ongoing filtration is critical.
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