Designing and Demonstrating a Master Student Project To Explore Carbon Dioxide Capture Technology

Abstract

The rise in carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the Earth's atmosphere, and the associated strengthening of the greenhouse effect, requires the development of low carbon technologies. New carbon capture processes are being developed to remove CO2 that would otherwise be emitted from industrial processes and fossil fuel power stations. Given the increasing importance of this technology we report on a new educational project which aimed to instill greater awareness of the role of CO2 in climate change, whilst stimulating student interest in science, technology, engineering, and the environment. The project was carried out by master students, i.e., CoolLCap team, who contributed to the design and manufacture of a pilot plant that demonstrates the basic operation of an amine scrubbing plant. The main goal of the project was to develop educational material and presentations for a range of audiences, from primary school to university students and academics. In this article we present the project team's approach to design, commission and deliver the pilot plant and educational material, as well as the feedback received from 267 students from a primary school and a university. We provide supplementary material to enable other educators to recreate our pilot plant design.

Student-led action for sustainability in higher education: a literature review

“…While some articles reported on the development of an initiative, including the drivers and barriers (Elliott and Wright, 2013), others simply outlined what occurred (Asherman et al, 2016). Others still reported specifically on barriers (Zimmerman and Halfacre-Hitchcock, 2006) or highlighted different initiatives that they had encountered (Edwards, 2012).…”

“…Collaborations. Students took a myriad of approaches to ensure the success of their initiatives, including collaborating with student unions/associations [5] or other student groups (Antal, 2013;Bhasin et al, 2003;Block et al, 2016;Bratman et al, 2016;Dautremont-Smith, 2003;Ferneyhough, 2015;Helferty and Clarke, 2009;Krasny and Delia, 2015;Lounsbury, 2001;Marturano et al, 2011), working with local or national environmental and/ or social justice organizations (Bratman et al, 2016;Grady-Benson and Sarathy, 2015;Healy and Debski, 2016;Helferty and Clarke, 2009;Hongyan, 2003;Lounsbury, 2001;Winston, 2013;Xypaki, 2015) and working with faculty to develop a course and/or use course assignments to ensure longevity of their initiative (Asherman et al, 2016;DeYoung et al, 2016;Mitton and Guevin, 2003;Owens and Halfacre-Hitchcock, 2006;Pike et al, 2003;Spira and Baker-Shelley, 2015).…”

“…Another example of collaboration is when students unite with outside local and/or national groups, forming coalitions (Asherman et al, 2016;Beringer, 2006;Bhasin et al, 2003;Bratman et al, 2016;Grady-Benson and Sarathy, 2015;Healy and Debski, 2016;Helferty and Clarke, 2009;Hongyan, 2003). Helferty and Clarke (2009) highlighted the successful partnerships of students on campuses with the Sierra Youth Coalition, a national student organization in Canada.…”

Design of Project-Based Learning Activities for Carbon Dioxide Capture under the Vision of Carbon Neutralization

“…On the other hand, students lack an understanding of CO 2 capture technology and cannot put forward their own opinions. Some laboratory experiments teaching CO 2 emissions and capture have been developed, but there is no curriculum design with carbon neutrality as the theme. Therefore, carbon neutrality is selected as the theme of this work, including taking the destruction and protection of coral reefs as an example to explore the influence mechanism of CO 2 transition emissions, and two common carbon capture technologies as examples to understand the technical principle of carbon capture, so as to provide a real open learning situation for students.…”

Demonstrating CO2 Sequestration Using Olivine and Carbonated Beverages with Secondary School Students To Investigate pH and Electrical Conductivity Concepts

“…Bozlee et al support their findings with academic concepts like ionic strength. Most remarkable in this respect is the work of Asherman et al 5 with their so-called Coo L Cap project. In this project, students have to develop an amine scrubbing plant in order to capture CO 2 .…”