Summary:
SpiralWave introduces a device that transforms carbon dioxide into liquid fuel.
Utilizes pulsing plasma towers to break down CO2, unlike traditional carbon capture methods.
Achieves 75% to 90% energy conversion efficiency into methanol.
Gigabeam system expected to remove 1 million tons of CO2 annually.
Aims to scale production for clean, cost-effective fuel on a commercial level.
The climate technology startup SpiralWave has unveiled a futuristic device that transforms carbon dioxide into liquid fuel, potentially revolutionizing efforts to combat the climate crisis.
As reported by TechCrunch, SpiralWave was co-founded by Abed Bukhari and Adam Amad. Bukhari, who previously worked on spectrometers and semiconductor equipment, recognized the potential of cold plasma technology in carbon capture. He stated, "I needed to build something that can stall the biggest challenge we have on Earth these days, which is removing a huge quantity of CO2."
Unlike traditional carbon capture facilities that store CO2 underground, Bukhari's system employs pulsing plasma towers to break down carbon dioxide. These towers utilize microwave energy to stimulate waves of white plasma, triggering chemical reactions to separate the molecular bonds of CO2.
The process involves three stages:
- Breaking down CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO).
- Breaking down water (H2O) into hydrogen (H) and hydroxyl radicals (OH).
- Combining them to produce methanol, a versatile liquid fuel.
Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, can serve as an alternative fuel and is currently used in various applications, including racing cars and commercial vehicles. SpiralWave's technology can convert 75% to 90% of the system's electrical energy into chemical energy stored as methanol, making it more efficient than other methods, which typically achieve around 50% efficiency.
SpiralWave has developed several prototypes, including the Nanobeam and Microbeam, capable of generating over a ton of methanol from a carbon dioxide concentration of about 90%. They are also planning larger systems, such as the Gigabeam, which could stand nearly 330 feet tall and remove 1 million tons of CO2 annually.
As they work to install smaller systems at customer sites, SpiralWave aims to scale up production to create clean, cost-effective fuel on a commercial level. Amad emphasized, "With ten, 20-foot containers, we would have the largest e-methanol plant to date."
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