A Multifaceted Approach to CO2 Emissions Reductions and Removals

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Degree type
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Graduate group
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Discipline
Engineering
Subject
Funder
Grant number
License
Copyright date
01/01/2024
Distributor
Related resources
Author
Pisciotta, Maxwell
Contributor
Abstract

The scientific consensus is that climate change is not only actively occurring, but that it is irrevocably due to human activities associated with greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions have been accumulating in the atmosphere since the beginning of the industrial revolution. This thesis specifically focuses on one greenhouse gas in particular, CO2. The continued CO2 emissions from human activity can be quantified with the atmospheric concentration, which amounts to upwards of 420 ppm today. To mitigate the harmful impacts of climate change, these CO2 emissions must be mitigated, through pathways such as reducing their initial generation, capturing them when they are unable to be avoided, and removing them from the atmosphere when they cannot be captured at the source. This thesis investigates different technologies that fit into these broad categories, notably, deploying carbon capture technologies on natural gas combined cycle power plants, decarbonizing industrial sectors, and pairing direct air capture technologies to geothermal energy.To readily address the CO2 emissions from natural gas combined cycle power plants, a novel approach of using thermal energy storage was developed and evaluated to ensure its technological performance and economic viability. By integrating natural gas combined cycle power plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS) and thermal energy storage opportunities, the economic viability of these plants improve. This was measured using the net present value of each of the configurations assessed over real-world locational marginal pricing (LMP) signals from NYISO and CAISO. Of the thermal energy storage options, eight of the 19 thermal energy storage configurations led to an increased net present value on 11.5% - 98% of the LMP signals. Furthermore, industrial sectors, cement, lime, glass, and steelmaking process equipment were investigated to assess decarbonization opportunities that not only address the CO2 emissions from the use of fossil fuels, but the CO2 emissions generated as a byproduct of the process chemistry as well. Mapping the opportunities for low-carbon energy generation potential, local waste biomass production, hydrogen sources, and the downstream infrastructure required for CCS, namely CO2 pipelines and CO2 storage, showcases the opportunities for regional strategies to be developed to achieve industrial decarbonization. These approaches may include newly designed process equipment, the use of low-carbon fuel sources, and CCS. Specifically, case studies focused on California and Pennsylvania have been evaluated and conclusions regarding decarbonization synergies have been identified through a geospatial mapping exercise such as this. In both California and Pennsylvania, CO2 storage opportunities in sedimentary basins make CCS an attractive option for decarbonization. In California specifically, the waste biomass produced from nut shells and fruit pits could replace up to 20% of the coal currently used in these industrial sectors, resulting in 0.5 MtCO2/yr (6.2% of in-state industrial emissions) without making any changes to existing facilities. Furthermore the cement production in both Texas and Florida has been analyzed for decarbonization opportunities, and a technology-agnostic cost model is used to estimate the cost of CCS, including CO2 transportation and storage were estimated. Due to the existing CO2 pipeline infrastructure in the Permian Basin, 90% of the all cement facilities in Texas have a pathway for deploying CCS where the transportation and storage subsidized costs are below $50/tCO2. Additionally, a framework was developed and used to identify opportunities to integrate direct air capture (DAC) systems with geothermal energy resources to maximize the CO2 abatement potential. The Geothermal-DAC Framework can be used with various geothermal resources ranging from 86ºC - 225ºC, using various working fluids, and brine salinity ranging from 0-6%. When the integration of geothermal energy and DAC systems are compared to geothermal energy being used to generate low-carbon electricity, the CO2 abatement potential can increase by 105% to 452%. This illustrates beneficial synergies between the two technologies, namely being able to use geothermal energy as thermal energy rather than solely converting it to electricity. Lastly, the Geothermal-DAC Framework was used to showcase opportunities for integrating DAC with the geothermal resources near Gerlach, NV, in preparation for a community meeting. The community feedback was then incorporated, facilitating updates to the Geothermal-DAC Framework to account for community needs, illustrating that engineering can be community-centered from the start of the project. All of the approaches explored in this thesis highlight the need for a diverse portfolio of solutions to address the ongoing CO2 emissions and abatement required to avoid the most harmful impacts of climate change. Furthermore, the efforts of researchers, scientists, policymakers and frontline communities will be needed in concert to deploy a portfolio that meets the needs to address climate change and protect against further environmental injustices.

Advisor
Wilcox, Jennifer, L
Psarras, Peter, C
Date of degree
2024
Date Range for Data Collection (Start Date)
Date Range for Data Collection (End Date)
Digital Object Identifier
Series name and number
Volume number
Issue number
Publisher
Publisher DOI
Journal Issue
Comments
Recommended citation