Energy and Process Systems Engineering LaboratoryOpen OpportunitiesDirect Air Capture (DAC) of carbon dioxide (CO2) is a promising technology to combat climate change by removing CO2 directly from the atmosphere. One approach to DAC involves the accelerated weathering of calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), a process where CO2 exothermically reacts with Ca(OH)2 to form calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and water. A two-step regeneration allows for a cyclic process. In the first regeneration step, CaCO3 is sent into a high-temperature reactor. Inside this reactor, the CaCO3 decomposes into calcium oxide (CaO) and CO2 at temperatures near 900 ºC at atmospheric conditions. The calcium oxide is then hydrated in the second stage to form Ca(OH)2. The hydration reaction is exothermic and presents a suitable opportunity for heat recovery. The resulting Ca(OH)2 is newly used as the sorbent material in the capture step.
Understanding the behavior and sensitivity of this process to key operating conditions is crucial for optimizing its performance and energy efficiency. Moreover, the influence of water on the porous calcium oxide (CaO) sorbent material for CO2 adsorption represents a crucial aspect of process optimization.
- Process Control and Simulation
- ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Master Thesis
| For a carbon-neutral energy system, it is key to achieve a high electrification of heat and transport and, at the same time, a high increase in energy supply from photovoltaics. However, energy supply and demand have to match every minute, and for example, photovoltaic power does not produce energy in the hours when power for heat pumps is in the most demand.
As a result, flexible power supply technologies like gas turbines have gained attention as a potential solution to balance energy demand (or to be used in case of emergency) [1]. In the first case, a carbon capture process is necessary to fit the definition of “net-zero” if natural gas is used. Alternatively, other promising fuels are emerging to reduce environmental impacts while phasing out other fossil fuels e.g. green ammonia and green hydrogen. Furthermore, the recent energy crisis boosted research on multi-fuel turbines [2], including bio-fuels [3].
While literature already investigated different multi-fuel gas turbines from a techno-economic perspective, a comparative prospective environmental assessment remains untapped.
- Engineering and Technology
- Master Thesis
| This thesis focuses on fully automating the evaluation of Raman spectra in a self-driven thermodynamics lab to accelerate the development of sustainable chemical processes or novel heat pump concepts. By integrating Machine Learning (ML) with advanced spectral evaluation algorithms, the aim is to achieve complete lab autonomy. The methodology combines data-driven and physically-based approaches, including synthetic spectrum generation for ML training. - Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Physical Chemistry, Physics
- Master Thesis
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