A New Carbon Capture System for Ships

Project Summary and Abstract Statement of the problem or situation that is being addressed. While technologies to control the emissions from stationary sources are available (these are feasible but expensive), removing CO2 from small generators and transportation systems (e.g., ships, trucks) at the source is much less practical. Capturing CO2 from mobile sources is more difficult; there are problems relating to space and weight requirements, on-board CO2 storage and variable exhaust conditions and operating profiles associated with acceleration and deceleration. General statement of how this problem is being addressed. TDA Research Inc. proposes to develop a new CO2 capture and conversion technology that can effectively remove CO2 from the exhaust streams of mobile systems. The system will stabilize the CO2 into a solid form which can be off-loaded at port and buried for complete sequestration. What is to be done in Phase I? In the Phase I, we will focus on capturing the CO2 from the marine systems. We will carry out limited lab-scale experiments to evaluate our concept. We will then design a system which will include: (a) process flow diagrams and description of the component technology, including operating conditions, (b) heat and mass balances of the process including specifications of energy sources for CO2 regeneration and offtake, (c) proposed scheme for CO2 offtake from the mobile source including CO2 purity and pressure requirements, (d) specifications of size and weight of the capture and onboard storage unit, and (e) evaluation of the CO2 capture rate and of the ability of the capture system to perform in transient operating conditions (i.e.. acceleration and deceleration). Additionally, this effort will involve (f) a technology gap analysis for identification of critical elements that need to be further developed and validated, (g) a detailed life cycle analysis (LCA,) and (h) a technoeconomic analysis (TEA). These analyses will compare the proposed approach with other decarbonization options e.g. electrification (battery electric vehicles) and hydrogen fuel cells. In limited lab-scale experimentation we will conduct proof of concept testing. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits. Maritime shipping is the most efficient mode of transport (due to bulk transportation) and there is increased interest in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. However, the major challenge to shipboard carbon capture is the difficulty of storing CO2 on ships as a gas or liquid. The storage problem renders many conventional carbon capture technologies impractical. We will solve this problem by converting the CO2 to a solid.