Compensation of Atmospheric CO2 Buildup through Engineered Chemical Sinkage

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Read Full Article Cited by GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 28, NO. 7, PAGES 1235–1238, 2001 Compensation of Atmospheric CO₂ Buildup through Engineered Chemical Sinkage S. Elliott Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico K. S. Lackner Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico H. J. Ziock Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico M. K. Dubey Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico H. P. Hanson Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico S. Barr Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico N. A. Ciszkowski Chemistry Department, University of California, Irvine, California D. R. Blake Chemistry Department, University of California, Irvine, California Abstract Retrieval of background carbon dioxide into regional chemical extractors would counter anthropogenic inputs in a manner friendly to established industries. We demonstrate via atmospheric transport/scaling calculations that for idealized flat removal units, global coverage could be less than two hundred thousand square kilometers. The disrupted area drops to a small fraction of this with engineering into the vertical to bypass laminarity. Fence structures and artificial roughness elements can both be conceived. Sink thermodynamics are analyzed by taking calcium hydroxide as a sample reactant. Energy costs could be minimized at near the endothermicity of binding reversal. In the calcium case the value is 25 kcal mole⁻¹, as against a fuel carbon content of 150 in the same units. Aqueous kinetics are less than favorable for the hydroxide, but misting could counteract slow liquid phase transfer. Properties of superior scrubbers are outlined. Received 9 March 2000; accepted 11 January 2001. Read Full Article Cited by Citation: Elliott, S., K. S. Lackner, H. J. Ziock, M. K. Dubey, H. P. Hanson, S. Barr, N. A. Ciszkowski, and D. R. Blake (2001), Compensation of Atmospheric CO₂ Buildup through Engineered Chemical Sinkage, Geophys. Res. Lett., 28(7), 1235–1238. Copyright 2001 by the American Geophysical Union.

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