GabyThe device, created by researchers at the University of Cambridge, is powered by solar panels. Therefore, this invention will protect the environment not only by absorbing pollutants.
How does it work?
Cambridge scientists have developed a solar reactor that extracts carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air. It converts those CO2 emissions directly into fuel for cars and airplanes. Researchers say the invention could also meet the energy needs of other industries.
The team was inspired by photosynthesis when designing the device. It needs no cables or batteries to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuel.
Researchers say the reactor offers a new way to tackle the climate crisis, providing an alternative to carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. Critics argue that CCS requires large financial investments, often relies on nonrenewable energy sources, and can be too energy‑intensive. CCS also does not recycle the captured CO2, which raises environmental concerns about how safely it can be stored, for example deep underground.
“What if, instead of pumping carbon dioxide underground, we made something useful out of it?” the scientists from the Yusuf Hamid Chemical Faculty at Cambridge asked.
“CO2 is a harmful greenhouse gas, but it can also be converted into useful chemicals without contributing to global warming. If these devices could be produced on an industrial scale, they would simultaneously solve two problems — removing CO2 from the atmosphere and creating an alternative clean fuel,” said Dr. Sayan Kar, co-author of the study.
The device absorbs CO2 from the air at night through special filters, and then during the day uses sunlight to initiate a chemical reaction that converts it into syngas, which can serve as a substitute for gasoline.
The system can also be used to make industrial chemicals and pharmaceutical ingredients, the publication reported. The device’s simplicity could let residents of remote areas produce their own alternative fuel, researchers say.
“Instead of continuing to extract and burn fossil fuels to produce the products we have come to rely on, we can obtain all the CO2 we need directly from the air and use it again,” said Professor Erwin Reisner, head of the research.
According to Professor Reisner, the team’s invention will help build a circular, sustainable economy. The operation of the reactor has been detailed in an article published by the journal Nature Energy.
