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Engineering Solutions for Limiting the Increase of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Author(s) -
Arlt W.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
chemical engineering and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-4125
pISSN - 0930-7516
DOI - 10.1002/ceat.200306130
Subject(s) - carbon sequestration , carbon dioxide , environmental science , carbon dioxide in earth's atmosphere , fossil fuel , limiting , current (fluid) , negative carbon dioxide emission , environmental engineering , environmental protection , natural resource economics , waste management , engineering , chemistry , oceanography , geology , economics , mechanical engineering , organic chemistry
The article describes possible engineering solutions that can reduce the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) content of the air. To demonstrate the point fossil fuel power plants will be taken as a model for the source of CO 2 . The global mass balance shows that the oceans play a major role in storing CO 2 . The hypothesis presented states that the real problem is not the absolute CO 2 content, rather its change. Consequently, present emissions should be stored for future release. Under the current worldwide measures to reduce power consumption CO 2 emissions are unlikely to decrease. A number of strategies for the maritime sequestration of CO 2 are reported in the contribution. One proposal for sequestration is the use of shallow waters which form a thermohaline current: the dissolved gas will travel for hundreds of years in deep sea currents. In the latter case, CO 2 injection is easily achieved. Several scenarios are considered for the fate of this CO 2 ‐enriched current. The environmental impact is briefly reported. The article will describe current research requirements, demonstrating that similar research in the US and Japan is presently more advanced in comparison to that in Europe. The sequestration of carbon dioxide on land will be the subject of a second publication. It is obvious that the sequestration of CO 2 is the method after all rational chances to save energy.