New device captures carbon dioxide by pumping it across a battery

What happened

The design requires less energy to capture CO 2 than current systems. Equipment to capture carbon dioxide from ambient air or smokestacks generally works through a sort of reversible filter.

Air is passed through granules or a liquid that absorbs the CO 2 , then that CO 2 -loaded substance undergoes a process (usually heating) that causes it to let go of all that CO 2 . The resulting gas can be collected in a separated stream.

It’s also possible to do a similar sort of operation on a smaller scale—like inside a battery. It has the potential to require less energy—and therefore be cheaper—than the reversible-filter designs that currently dominate.

Key facts

• The design — requires: less energy to capture CO 2 than current systems