CHE.09 Baby Got DAC: Direct Air Capture

• Salama Alyassi
• Alexander Boskov
• Becca Ellington
• Jordan Flanigan
• Jazmine Samano

This project aims to design a plant that utilizes direct air carbon capture (DAC) technology to capture 1 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year from the air, thereby achieving net-zero emissions. The DAC process is a promising approach for mitigating CO2 emissions by capturing the greenhouse gas directly from the air. The design utilizes Carbon Engineering’s liquid-solvent based direct air carbon capture (DAC) technology to capture carbon dioxide. The DAC works by passing ambient air through a series of fans in the air contactor. Inside the air contactor, liquid KOH falls and absorbs the CO2 to form K2CO3. The K2CO3 is then sent to the causticizer to regenerate KOH by reacting with Ca(OH)2 and form and grow CaCO3 pellets. The KOH is returned to the air contactor and the CaCO3 pellets are sent to the calciner. The calciner heats the pellet up through an oxy-fired combustion releasing the CO2 that was captured and forming CaO. The remaining CaO is sent to the steam slaker to be hydrated to reform Ca(OH)2. The carbon dioxide is sent to a drum to separate carbon dioxide from water. The carbon dioxide is then compressed and stored for use or underground. To achieve the desired amount of product, the plant design will incorporate several technologies, including large-scale absorbers, high-efficiency reactors, advanced heat exchangers, and compression systems. The liquid-solvent based DAC technology is particularly attractive due to its scalability, high selectivity, and low energy requirements. The project will explore the technical feasibility and economic viability of the plant design, as well as its potential environmental and social impacts. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop a sustainable and scalable solution to reduce the carbon footprint of industrial processes and contribute to global efforts to address climate change.