Project description
Scalable electrified reactor for cost reduction in CO2 capture
The chemical industry that relies on fossil fuels contributes to CO2 emissions. Current technologies for CO2 capture, including packed column and rotating bed technologies, still face limitations. The ERC-funded e-CAPTURE project aims to develop an electrified, scalable reactor which will use the kinetic energy of flowing fluids to produce centrifugal forces that will enhance mass transfer, mixing, and heat transfer. This reactor will be designed to be more efficient than current systems while reducing energy consumption. The project will use advanced imaging techniques and multi-scale modelling platform to investigate CO2 mass transfer and reactor performance in order to develop a new, transformative technology.
Objective
The fossil fuel-driven chemical industry is notorious for its massive CO2 emissions and energy consumption, demanding an urgent shift toward cleaner, more efficient technologies, with CO2 capture as a critical component. Existing gas-liquid reactive absorption/solvent regeneration technologies, relying on bulky packed columns or motor-driven rotating packed beds, fall short due to transport limitations and scale-up challenges. e-CAPTURE seeks to revolutionize the field with a scalable and electrified reactor that uses flow kinetic energy to generate powerful centrifugal forces without mechanical rotation, overcoming transport limitations in interphase mass transfer, mixing, and heat transfer, pushing reaction rates to theoretical limits while slashing energy demands.
My objective is to build and demonstrate the e-CAPTURE reactor, aiming for at least a tenfold increase in transport-reaction efficiency and a 50% reduction in energy demand over existing systems. To achieve this, I will:
1) unlock a deep understanding of transport-reaction fundamentals under extreme centrifugal forces and shear rates, observed with cutting-edge temporal (0.1 µs) and spatial (0.1 µm/pixel) resolutions, via innovative techniques like ultra-high speed imaging and infrared planar laser-induced fluorescence.
2) develop a computational fluid dynamics-driven multiscale modeling platform to unravel CO2 interphase mass transfer, turbulence-chemistry interaction, and heat dynamics.
3) address design-performance relation of the e-CAPTURE reactor by multi-objective optimization and conduct reactive demonstration for impurities removal, CO2 absorption, and solvent regeneration with integrated Joule heating.
Through a synergy of advanced visualization, state-of-the-art simulation, and real-world testing, I will deliver a transformative reactor technology—not only making CO2 capture scalable and economically viable but also serving as a general gas-liquid reactor for sustainable chemical engineering.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
9000 GENT
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.