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Welsh “GreenBox”: Carbon Capture and Algae-to-Biodiesel Scheme
20 July 2007
A Reuters report on a device the Welsh inventors claim can trap mobile source CO2 emissions for subsequent removal and processing in a algae-to-biodiesel operation has generated a great amount of interest.
The three inventors say they devised the notion for the “Greenbox” while experimenting with carbon dioxide to boost algae growth for fish farming.
The Greenbox concept is to place a removable device inline with the vehicle exhaust system, where it captures the CO2. Although the prototype is “about the size of a bar stool”, the three say they can build one small enough to fit under a car with sufficient capacity to hold the emissions from a full tank of gasoline.
When the car refuels, the Greenbox would be replaced. The full Greenbox would then be sent to a centralized algae processing plant, where the CO2 would be removed and used as a feed for algae growth. The algae subsequently would be processed into biodiesel.
The three—organic chemist Derek Palmer and engineers Ian Houston and John Jones—say they have carried out more than 130 tests over two years at several testing centers, resulting in a capture rate between 85 and 95 percent.
Accompanying the Reuters story is a short demonstration video featuring a handkerchief test showing the difference in soot accumulation pre- and post-Greenbox—although nothing specific to carbon capture or release.
According to the Reuters story, the inventors say they have spent nearly £170,000 ($348,500) over two years developing the “three distinct technologies” involved and are hoping to secure more funding for health and safety testing.
With the backing of their local member of parliament they are now seeking extra risk capital either from government or industry: the only emissions they are not sure their box can handle are those from aviation.
...Not surprisingly, the trio won’t show anyone—not even their wives—what’s inside the box.
After every demonstration they hide its individual components in various locations across North Wales and the technology is divided into three parts, with each inventor being custodian of one section.
“Our three minds hold the three keys and we can only unlock it together,” said Houston.
July 20, 2007 in Brief | Permalink | Comments (34) | TrackBack (0)
Comments
Posted by: TokyoJoe | July 22, 2007 at 07:13 PM
I'm not sure where the advance is here, as it's really easy to temporarily sequester CO2 chemically from flue gases.
Industrially, an ammonia based process is used, but you could equally just bubble it through lime water and reprocess the chalk!
Posted by: clett | July 23, 2007 at 04:38 AM
Nice to see people thinking algae. Even though this solution looks fairly impractical - at least it's another look at algal reactions to scrub exhaust/flu gases. What we are really looking for is a significant program to develop algal species with high lipid yield, resistant to invasive species, fresh and salt water nutrient systems, and effective bioreactor designs.
We need to take a step toward cleaning up fixed site exhaust (coal power plants) and learning more about algal applications for fuel, nutrients and carbon reduction. The potential seems enormous.
Posted by: gr | July 23, 2007 at 09:40 AM
Maes Anturio Ltd.
Thank you all for joining the debate on our system/device.
To clear up some points I will endeavour to explain the whole process.
The cartridge is totally recyclable, so the cartridge you fill on monday could be back in your vehicle on wednesday.
The CO2 is released in our algae bio reactor and 0% is allowed into the atmosphere.
We then formulate Bio-oil/Methane Gas/Fertiliser.
In effect your car will fuel your life, from travel to the electricity for your home/work to the food grown you eat, it is a closed loop system.
The Co2 is constantly recycled and never allowed to enter the atmosphere.
As for price we can fit this to any vehicle for under $1000.00 so need to buy a $100,000.00 EV.
The whole point is to make it affordable for everyone, what is the point if only 1% of the world population can afford it.
The Bio-oil will go to make products and replace our dependance on Fossil fuels.
The Methane Gas can power the power stations.
The fertiliser can feed the world and help the 3rd world to grow their own harvest.
At each point any emissions made will be recycled and the whole process will start again.
I hope this clarifies our process.
Ian Houston
Maes Anturio Ltd.
Posted by: Maes Anturio Ltd | July 31, 2007 at 06:30 AM
Sounds like a cool idea. There will always be people who want to fix up old cars and this is a way to make any vehicle clean. It also seems like a great way to promote the algae biofuel industry. I really like electric vehicles and phevs and hope they catch on huge but carbon capture from flue gas in its many forms is also important and using alge to contiuously recycle what Co2 remains is very important. Im sure if this catches on they will vastly improve the technology and make it applicable for planes. Also it will probably become far more easy to use. Maybe someday you'll stick a hose on this this at the fuel station and they'll end up paying you.
Posted by: Sim | September 11, 2007 at 01:02 PM
Why not file a patent, submit details to the scientific community for confirmation and collect a Billion Dollar Paycheck just in time for Christmas?
Answer: Louis Enricht (Wiki it...)
Posted by: david shaw | November 13, 2007 at 01:20 PM
To all concered, please be aware that Mr, Ian Houston was removed as a Director of Maes Anturio on the 10 . 11. 07. There fore does not represent the company or its views.
Mr J D Jones (Director)
Posted by: J D Jones | March 03, 2008 at 12:28 PM
watch this....
Posted by: atul | September 13, 2008 at 03:00 AM
I feel dismayed that that the obvious short term green car solution has been largely overlooked. Consider a small engine(petrol,diesel,gas,gasturbine)running at constant speed(most efficient)driving a generator chargeing a small complement of batteries. This allows the engine to be sized for average insted of max. required power. Now cosider an electric motor on/in each wheel. No gearbox,driveshafts,diff.& max. regenerative braking. This arrangement also transforms the architecture of the vehicle amng many other things, allowing the power unit to be effectively a plug in unit. The only examles of anything approching this concept of which I am aware are powerful high performance machines, the advantages of small & efficient being lost.
Posted by: Ian Stephens | October 23, 2008 at 03:10 AM
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This doesnt sound legit to me. More like an Odd Spot article to fill the pages on a no news day. A couple of part-time, self appointed "inventors" big noting themselves with a view to getting some suckers to invest money. Unless they have specific, independently verified scientific data, don't waste time
even dreaming about the benefits. Reuters should be more discerning about what they publish.