Direct air capture (DAC), or air carbon capture and storage (ACCS), is the technology behind the world’s largest vacuum, dubbed as the Orca facility, built by the Swiss start-up, Climeworks. It aims to pull carbon dioxide (CO2) directly out of atmospheric air and store it underground to combat climate change. Here’s a simplified explanation of how it works:
1. Fans Blow Air: The first step in this process involves fans that blow air into the system.
2. Carbon Dioxide Capture: As the air passes through, it comes into contact with a specially designed filter material within the “CO2 collectors”. This material chemically binds only with CO2 and allows other gases to pass through.
3. Heating Process: Once the filter is saturated with CO2, it is then heated to between 80-100 degrees Celsius. The high temperature causes the CO2 to detach from the material.
4. Carbon Dioxide Collection: Following this, the collected CO2 is mixed with water and pumped deep underground where it eventually turns into rock through a process called mineralization, thereby permanently stored and prevented from re-entering the atmosphere.
5. Clean Air Release: Finally, the cleaned air is released back into the atmosphere.
The Orca facility is powered by renewable energy and waste heat to minimize its environmental impact. The concept is akin to an artificial tree that absorbs CO2, albeit at a much faster rate. However, it’s worth noting that
The ‘world’s largest’ vacuum to suck climate pollution out of the air just opened. Here’s how it works
Direct air capture (DAC), or air carbon capture and storage (ACCS), is the technology behind the world’s largest vacuum, dubbed as the Orca facility, built by the Swiss start-up, Climeworks. It aims to pull carbon dioxide (CO2) directly out of atmospheric air and store it underground to combat climate change. Here’s a simplified explanation of how it works:
1. Fans Blow Air: The first step in this process involves fans that blow air into the system.
2. Carbon Dioxide Capture: As the air passes through, it comes into contact with a specially designed filter material within the “CO2 collectors”. This material chemically binds only with CO2 and allows other gases to pass through.
3. Heating Process: Once the filter is saturated with CO2, it is then heated to between 80-100 degrees Celsius. The high temperature causes the CO2 to detach from the material.
4. Carbon Dioxide Collection: Following this, the collected CO2 is mixed with water and pumped deep underground where it eventually turns into rock through a process called mineralization, thereby permanently stored and prevented from re-entering the atmosphere.
5. Clean Air Release: Finally, the cleaned air is released back into the atmosphere.
The Orca facility is powered by renewable energy and waste heat to minimize its environmental impact. The concept is akin to an artificial tree that absorbs CO2, albeit at a much faster rate. However, it’s worth noting that
