Bench-Scale Testing of Structured Material Systems or Component Designs (TRL 3) for Optimized Direct Air Capture

Advanced Integrated Reticular Sorbent-Coated System to Capture CO₂ using an Additively Manufactured Contactor (AIR2CO₂ Contactor) — GE Research (Niskayuna, New York) and partners University of California–Berkeley and University of South Alabama seek to overcome challenges to DAC by developing an advanced integrated reticular sorbent-coated system to capture CO₂ using an additively manufactured contactor. The team’s key objective will be to demonstrate the feasibility of a 1 kg CO₂/day, bench-scale system that integrates a low-pressure drop, additively manufactured contactor and an advanced metal-organic framework sorbent to capture and release atmospheric CO₂.

DOE Funding: $1,499,998; Non-DOE Funding: $500,000; Total:  $1,999,998

Hybridizing heat-integrated 3D printed modules with mass manufacturable, low pressure drop fiber sorbents — Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia) seeks to partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Reactwell Inc. and Trimeric Inc. to research, develop and evaluate a modular DAC system that is simple and scalable. This system will be based on the adsorption of CO₂ into commercial polyamines supported by porous fiber sorbents, which can be produced at kilometer-per-hour scales using a pre-pilot spinning line.

DOE Funding: $1,466,770; Non-DOE Funding: $366,706; Total: $1,833,476

Energy-Efficient Direct Air Capture System for High Purity CO₂ Separation — University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio) researchers plan to collaborate with researchers from the University of Michigan to demonstrate DAC sorbent technology using a robust, energy-efficient and cost-effective sorbent in a monolith structure and evaluate the techno-economic feasibility of the DAC process.  The proposed project will also demonstrate a proof-of-concept novel passive air contactor design to reduce operating costs.

DOE Funding: $1,499,998; Non-DOE Funding: $375,050; Total: $1,875,048

Electrochemically Regenerated Solvent for Direct Air Capture with Cogeneration of Hydrogen at Bench-Scale — University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (Lexington, Kentucky) plans to partner with Vanderbilt University and Electric Power Research Institute to create an intensified, cost-effective and easily scalable process using aqueous potassium hydroxide as a capture solvent for DAC. The process will employ a hybrid membrane absorber coupled with an electrochemical solvent regenerator that extracts CO₂ from air, which will enrich carbon content in the solution after capture and simultaneously refresh the capture solvent while producing hydrogen to offset the cost of DAC.

DOE Funding: $1,263,887; Non-DOE Funding: $316,517; Total: $1,580,404