The fight against climate change has entered a new phase, with carbon capture technologies emerging as a potential solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But translating promising lab research into real-world applications has proven a formidable challenge, leaving many innovations languishing in what is known as the "Valley of Death". To bridge this gap, scientists have developed a groundbreaking platform called PrISMa, offering a holistic approach to carbon capture technology development.
PrISMa stands for "Process-Informed design of tailormade Sorbent Materials" and represents a departure from traditional methods. It integrates materials science, process design, techno-economic analysis, and life-cycle assessment, considering multiple stakeholder perspectives from the outset. This collaborative approach seeks to create sustainable and economically viable carbon capture solutions by addressing the needs of researchers, engineers, investors, and environmental managers simultaneously.
Developed by scientists at EPFL and Heriot-Watt University, PrISMa utilises advanced simulations and machine learning to predict the performance of new materials and identify the most effective and sustainable solutions. This powerful tool assesses the viability of carbon capture materials across four key performance indicators, or "layers":
1. Materials Layer: This layer uses experimental data and molecular simulations to predict the adsorption properties of potential sorbent materials. 2. Process Layer: PrISMa computes essential process performance parameters, including purity, recovery, and energy requirements. 3. Techno-Economic Analysis Layer: This layer assesses the economic and technical feasibility of a carbon capture plant. 4. Life-Cycle Assessment Layer: This layer evaluates the environmental impacts over the plant's entire lifespan, ensuring comprehensive sustainability.
To demonstrate its efficacy, the scientists applied PrISMa to over sixty real-world case studies, encompassing COâ capture from various sources across five global regions with different technologies. By considering the diverse perspectives of stakeholders, PrISMa helped identify the most effective and sustainable solutions, showcasing its potential to revolutionise carbon capture technology development.
One of PrISMa's key advantages lies in its ability to predict the performance of new materials using advanced simulations and machine learning. This approach accelerates the discovery of top-performing materials, surpassing traditional trial-and-error methods. For example, the platform integrates density functional theory (DFT) and molecular simulation to predict material properties needed for process design. This allows for the estimation of indirect emissions over the lifespan of a carbon capture plant, coupled with a techno-economic assessment to evaluate the process's cost.
Beyond facilitating the design and assessment of carbon capture technologies, PrISMa also empowers material scientists by providing them with insights into the molecular characteristics that enhance material performance. This information is invaluable for designing new materials with optimal properties for carbon capture.
Furthermore, PrISMa empowers researchers to explore over 1,200 materials, understanding the trade-offs between cost, environmental impact, and technical performance. This comprehensive approach ensures that chosen solutions capture COâ efficiently while minimizing overall environmental impacts.
The platform can also be utilised for the discovery of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), porous materials with a wide range of applications, including carbon capture. Chemists can upload their MOF crystal structures to the platform, which then ranks these materials for various capture processes, providing feedback on the best-performing MOF and the underlying reasons for its success.
PrISMa has the potential to accelerate the development of carbon capture technologies, uniting all stakeholders early in the research process. By providing a comprehensive evaluation of materials and processes, PrISMa enables more informed decision-making, leading to the development of more effective and sustainable carbon capture solutions.
With its groundbreaking approach to carbon capture technology, PrISMa is poised to play a crucial role in the global effort to combat climate change. Its ability to bridge the gap between research and implementation, coupled with its holistic perspective, holds immense promise for the future of sustainable energy and a healthier planet.
