Construction and Testing of a Gas Centrifuge for Carbon Capture
Session Number
1
Advisor(s)
Dr. Eric Hawker, IMSA
Location
B108
Discipline
Engineering
Start Date
15-4-2026 10:15 AM
End Date
15-4-2026 11:00 AM
Abstract
Increasing levels of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere have significantly hastened the process of global warming and are causing extreme climate alteration. (Ripple 2025) Many methods of Carbon Dioxide capture have been tested such as cryogenic storage, biochemical membranes, and liquid scrubbers of specifically coal emissions. (Bouaboula 2024) Gas centrifuges are also usable for carbon sequestration, modifying the original design used for uranium separation, through high-speed rotation taking advantage of the mass difference between CO2 and the rest of the air. (Golombok 2005) In previous studies, gas centrifuges have been able to separate statistically significant amounts of CO2 from natural gas streams. (Golombok 2005) In this study, we focused on construction and testing of a model gas centrifuge to extract CO2 from ambient air, based on existing designs alongside multiple alterations to work on a low-tech scale, with two chambers meant to separate CO2-enriched air in a statistically significant way from the rest of the gas. The centrifuge is designed on a central turntable and has specific exits for monitoring Carbon Dioxide levels, using Vernier sensors attached to the outside
Construction and Testing of a Gas Centrifuge for Carbon Capture
B108
Increasing levels of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere have significantly hastened the process of global warming and are causing extreme climate alteration. (Ripple 2025) Many methods of Carbon Dioxide capture have been tested such as cryogenic storage, biochemical membranes, and liquid scrubbers of specifically coal emissions. (Bouaboula 2024) Gas centrifuges are also usable for carbon sequestration, modifying the original design used for uranium separation, through high-speed rotation taking advantage of the mass difference between CO2 and the rest of the air. (Golombok 2005) In previous studies, gas centrifuges have been able to separate statistically significant amounts of CO2 from natural gas streams. (Golombok 2005) In this study, we focused on construction and testing of a model gas centrifuge to extract CO2 from ambient air, based on existing designs alongside multiple alterations to work on a low-tech scale, with two chambers meant to separate CO2-enriched air in a statistically significant way from the rest of the gas. The centrifuge is designed on a central turntable and has specific exits for monitoring Carbon Dioxide levels, using Vernier sensors attached to the outside