How Climeworks' direct air capture technology works

[@Chengmaster]

Questions: 1. What energy source is the fan powered by? 2. is this special filter made of sustainable or recyclable material? How often does it need to be replaced? 3. What energy source is used to heat this captured CO2 to 100C? 4. Where is that pumped water from? Is it wasting fresh water or just using any sea/ocean salt water?

[@tiagoloureiro3302]

Chat GPT says: Energy Source for the Fan: Climeworks typically uses renewable energy sources to power their operations, including the fans. This often includes a combination of solar, wind, and geothermal energy. The specific energy mix can vary depending on the location and availability of renewable resources. Material of the Special Filter: The filters used by Climeworks are designed to be both effective and environmentally friendly. They are made from materials that are recyclable and designed to minimize environmental impact. The filters typically need to be replaced every few years, depending on the operational conditions and efficiency over time. Energy Source for Heating Captured CO2: Climeworks often uses renewable energy sources for the heating process as well. Geothermal energy is commonly utilized, especially in locations where it is readily available. This approach not only aligns with sustainability goals but also ensures that the process has a low carbon footprint. Source of Pumped Water: The water used in the DAC process can vary based on the specific technology and location. Climeworks aims to use sustainable water sources and often employs a closed-loop system to minimize water usage. In some instances, they can use brackish water or even sea water, ensuring that fresh water resources are not unduly strained. The goal is to use water efficiently and responsibly, often recycling it within the system. Overall, Climeworks is committed to sustainable practices throughout their operations, from energy use to material selection and water management.

[@kotaowens6978]

Hopefully this technology gets used more in the future!

[@YogaBallzHuge]

How does the filter selectively remove just CO2?

[@davidbl1770]

Probably with a filter made of graphene.

[@JusticeAlways]

What is the highly selective filter material made of?

[@shanefitzgerald2614]

I think it is amine-based nano-fibrillated cellulose

[@ItsKhurram_2812]

May be cotton

[@user-qc4zk5qi4t]

Why cotton

[@Rallyman240]

Wouldn't it be way easier to capture the CO2 directly where it is produced? (At the exhaust of a large ships' engine, for example)

[@sanjith.b5292]

What is the filter or collector material used in this process

[@benjaminliu1266]

zeolite filter

[@abbbz999]

what is this app?

[@rbc812]

Amazing.

[@erichop822]

Cool story, bro. Now explain how ridiculously much energy it takes to extract how ridiculously little CO2 and how this ever can be scalable or even come close to extracting the levels of emissions we collectively put out there. Oh, and explain the madness of fanning the ridiculous amount of SAME air you just expelled over and over again through those filters only to capture 450ppm of it. Also, what happens when the storage areas are full? We have been generating CO2 from its most condensed form for centuries and it's now dispersed into its most difficult to capture gaseous form. It will take MUCH more energy to take it back out than it has generated in the first place. So where are we going to get that amount of energy, when it has already been shown that all the 'green' energy systems we have built have only been added to the pile of energy we use as a species, which is easy to see because our emissions have only gone up despite all this new green energy.

[@chels8412]

well if you have a better solution, let's hear it🤨

[@erichop822]

@@chels8412 project MEER. They turn this difficult 3D problem into a 2D problem with a solution that could immediately stop warming because they attack the cause: the excess energy input.

[@WhamBang]

based

[@gabrielboyd941]

They only build capture locations where there is ample carbon-free electricity available, I.e. Iceland

[@erichop822]

@@gabrielboyd941 I suggest you read up on how much they actually capture and then do a calculation of how many of those installations we would need to make even a dent in our yearly emissions.