Advanced technologies for carbon capture and utilization have the potential to transform a cause of global warming into an energy-efficient resource.
Another day, another influx of doomsday data about the consequences of global warming. In a recent article, The New York Times reported how close we are to the planet’s climate tipping points, from the breakup of West Antarctic ice (causing a rapid rise in sea levels and the disappearance of coastal settlements) to the loss of Amazon Rainforest (resulting in the decline of millions of animal and plant species, as well as impacting global weather patterns).
K. Leslie Gilliard-AbdulAziz, Pasqual and Adelina Arpea Early Career Chair in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are a significant cause of the increase in global surface temperature, acting to trap the heat that would otherwise be radiated out into space. That’s why new technologies for carbon capture and utilization are so important. Scientists and engineers are discovering new ways to capture and store carbon (so-called “mining the sky”), and to transform the much-maligned gas into useful products. It’s a type of carbon ju-jitsu: using a threat to our advantage, converting an enemy into a friend.
K. Leslie Gilliard-AbdulAziz, director of the USC Sustainable Lab and the Pasqual and Adelina Arpea Early Career Chair in Civil and Environmental Engineering, is a recognized leader in the field. In recent months, her work has been awarded multiple research grants, including funding for two distinct but complementary projects supported by the Pratt & Whitney Institute for Collaborative Engineering (PWICE) and the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT). Both grants represent USC’s collaboration with research institutes in Korea, combining the knowledge and resources of some of the world’s primary innovators in the domain of carbon capture and utilization.
“The goal of both projects is to simplify the process of converting carbon dioxide into chemicals or fuels, while reducing the amount of carbon-free energy required,” explained Gilliard-AbdulAziz.
The PWICE project is a collaboration with Inha University in Korea, and focuses on converting captured carbon dioxide into jet fuel. “If we’re successful, this could have major implications for the aerospace industry,” said Gilliard-AbdulAziz. “It’s a sustainable way of leveraging a readily usable commodity, making carbon dioxide valuable for our economy.”
The USC team of researchers led by Gilliard-AbdulAziz
The SAIT project is equally ambitious, seeking to take advantage of inexpensive renewable electricity for greater energy-efficiency. “In our lab, we use reactors to develop catalysts and adsorbents that have the special ability to capture and transform carbon dioxide,” she explained. “This project involves developing a more technologically-advanced reactor that uses renewable energy to produce the necessary heat for reactions.”
The two projects are as much about optimizing the process as the product. For Gilliard-AbdulAziz, the goal is always to reach beyond the lab and see her research applied by decision-makers in industry and public policy.
“There are a lot of researchers interested in this area, but we have to make critical progress if we’re going to make an impact. The research and development that takes place at the USC Sustainable Lab has to be something that can be implemented and scaled – otherwise it’s just an academic exercise.”
When it comes to climate change, we’re up against the clock. By using an interdisciplinary toolkit combining chemistry, material science, chemical and environmental engineering, Gilliard-AbdulAziz is determined to advance the readiness of carbon capture technology to meet the challenges ahead.
Diagram of the electrothermal carbon capture and utilization process, produced as part of the SAIT project
“Living in Los Angeles, I’m constantly reminded that droughts and wildfires will exacerbate if we fail to curb CO2 emissions and the rapid increase of global surface temperature,” she reflects. “Working on these two projects, among others, proves that positive impact is possible if we pool our resources and apply our knowledge to speed up the rate of technological development.”
Force and speed are not the only criteria to continually outrun the pace of climate change. Engineers are also trained in the art of slowing down, stepping back and identifying how present conditions can be used for beneficial ends. A successful move in carbon ju-jitsu, the transformation of a risk into a resource, is determined by its efficiency and sustainability – and there’s a certain thrill to the process.
“These projects are high-risk, high-reward,” said Gilliard-AbdulAziz. To defeat the doomsday data, these are the stakes of the game.
Published on September 12th, 2024
Last updated on September 12th, 2024
