Using moving trains to sequester Carbon Dioxide

 Researchers  from the University of Toronto have come up with a novel way to help sequester Carbon Dioxide. One of the most expensive parts of the Carbon Sequestration process is pumping the air into the machine. The team have come up with a rail mounted system on a train, so as the train travels around the country, the carbon sequestration unit will have the moving air forced into it thus getting all the required air without a pump. All the other CO2 direct air capture systems, compression equipment, and ancillary gear can use the substantial sustainable energy generated on-board the train through regenerative braking as well as from solar panels mounted on compatible railcars. The units could be equipped with large intakes that extend up into the slipstream of the moving train and collect CO2 feedstock air by fluidic, ramjet-type processes thus obviating the need for the fans required by land-based systems and places no demand on energy or land resources. Current technologies to capture CO2 from air employ liquid or solid adsorbents based on amines, oxides, hydroxides, carbons, zeolites, and metal organic frameworks. No matter the material class, however, all require substantial amounts of energy to coax the captured CO2 from the sorbent and to regenerate it for cyclic use. After capture, additional energy is required to collect, compress, and liquefy the carbon dioxide for efficient transportation, geological sequestration, or commercial utilization. This energy is provided by the already moving train.

Photo Joule E Bachman et al https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2022.06.025



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