MATERIALS
NEEDED FOR TESTING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE CARBON DIOXIDE-TO-OXYGEN CONVERSION
|
Carbon Dioxide Tank Loaned by Dr.
Waring in the Dept. of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering
|
A pure
carbon dioxide tank will needed to release carbon dioxide into the mechanism to
see the conversion rate and the efficiency of the carbon dioxide-to-oxygen
conversion. The initial idea was to expose the carbon dioxide meters directly
to the car exhaust fumes but the meters are not strong enough to handle such a
strong concentration of carbon dioxide, and they will not be able to detect
small fluctuations in carbon dioxide levels. For these reasons, pure carbon
dioxide seemed to be a good option.
Carbon
Dioxide Meters Loaned by Dr. Waring in the Dept. of Civil, Architectural, and
Environmental Engineering
These are
Telaire carbon dioxide meters that could register up to 4000 ppm of carbon
dioxide (the readings are very accurate up until 2000 ppm). The carbon dioxide
read the amount of carbon dioxide and register the values into a data logger
whose data can be accessed and used in Microsoft Excel. The meters also read
the temperature so a correlation could possibly be made between the temperature
and the amount of carbon dioxide converted to oxygen by the plants.
These
links below were used to learn how to use the product and how to calibrate the
carbon dioxide meters to each other to get accurate readings:
Telaire
Carbon Dioxide Monitor Manual for Start-Up and Usage:
Telaire
Carbon Dioxide Monitor Manual for Calibration:
English
Ivy Hanging Plant
The
English Ivy is the plant that will be tested on for converting the carbon dioxide
to oxygen. The carbon dioxide meters will be placed into the compartment with
the plants and as the carbon dioxide is released into the device, the carbon
dioxide meters will take readings of how much these plants are converting and
at what rate the plants are converting carbon dioxide to oxygen.
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Concept Ideas for the
Design in the Future
The current design for the device completes the task it was built to do but is
inconvenient for buyers who would prefer a less bulky structure that would
filter the carbon dioxide into oxygen before releasing it back into the
atmosphere. The concept ideas are here to show the development of the product
several years from now when it can go on the market for purchase by customers.
There are two ideas for the evolution of this product and its
incorporation into the car.
IDEA #1
The concept design was making a small and compact
see-through pod which conforms to the bottom frame of the car. It is divided
into two compartments, with the gas compartment being smaller than the other.
It would have tubes which connect to the exhaust system, allowing gases
to diffuse into one compartment of the pod. The compartment is separated by a
porous membrane which not only monitors the concentration and rate of carbon
dioxide but also prevents too much from coming in by allowing another opening
to open if too much gas builds up. In the other compartment, genetically
engineered plants will be stored which complete photosynthesis more efficiently
and are able to withstand high temperatures. The pod also has a portion at the
end which allows it to open or be connected to another exact pods. The pods can
be connected to span the length of the frame of the car.
IDEA #2
This concept idea would involve the use of
current research that is being done with artificial photosynthesis, a process
achieved through biomimetics (modeling engineering processes after processes
that occur in nature; modeling nature with technology) [1]. Artificial
photosynthesis could replace plant life altogether, which would increase the
length of time before the product has to be replaced.
Photosynthesis consists of three steps:
harvesting the energy from light, moving protons across the thylakoid membrane
in plant cells to transfer electrons down the electron transport chain, and
transferring electrons to oxidize water. These steps result in the input of
carbon dioxide and the byproduct of oxygen that will be released into the
atmosphere. These three steps are currently being modeled with
photoelectrochemistry and modified enzymes [2]. The first step is still the use
of solar energy to run the processes but the second and third steps are varied.
In order to move the electrons and protons, there is NADP+ which serves as an
electron carrier in natural photosynthesis [3]. A method using a
ruthenium-based complex has been found and will act as the basis for moving the
proton and two electrons. The third step has been mimicked in several ways but
the most efficient way would be through photocatalytic water splitting [4].
Photocatalytic cells are essentially solar cells that electrolize water to
hydrogen and oxygen, or just electrical energy. If it electrolizes water to
oxygen, then that can be used in order to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen [4].
These processes will have to be combined and
connected in a chain like they are in photosynthesis, and would have to be
attached to the side of the car or right underneath it. Since the
photocatalytic water splitting process requires light, that part would protrude
slightly to get direct sunlight, and the rest can be built underneath the car
or even within the engine if the connection between the photocatalytic cells
and the rest of the artificial photosynthesis can be done. Then, a tube would
be attached to the photocatalytic cells that would merge with the tailpipe
underneath the car, and release only oxygen instead of carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere.
Though much of the research for artificial
photosynthesis is still in progress and the stability is not maximized, this
filtering system would be possible several years from now and would make many
cars more environment-friendly.
[1] Biomimetic Robotics. [Online].
Available: http://www-cdr.stanford.edu/biomimetics/
[2] J. Layton. How Artificial
Photosynthesis Works. [Online]. Available: http://science.
howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-tech/energy-production/artificial-photosynthesis.htm
[3] Artificial Photosynthesis Will Replace Oil. [Online].
Available: http://news.softpedia.com/news/
Artificial-Photosynthesis-Will-Replace-Oil-50629.shtml
[4] F. Osterloh, B. Parkinson. (2011, January). Recent
developments in solar water-splitting photocatalysis. [Online].
Available: http://chemgroups.ucdavis.edu/~osterloh/pubs/ref_47.pdf
