Mitigation Of Greenhouse Gases: Hydrocarbon Adsorption Through Filtration and Organic Medias

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The goal:

The main goal of this project was to design and construct an all in one system that could reduce the concentrations of hydrocarbon gases and volatile organic compounds. The planet's temperature is at an all time high and greenhouse gases play a large part in the explanation.

What needs to change:

The most influential greenhouse gasses are carbon dioxide and methane. Both of which the system aims to reduce. In large industrial areas where places like factory plants or refineries emit carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons, we wanted there to be a potential solution that could lower their emissions therefore lowering the concentrations of these harmful gases into our atmosphere.

Design and Research:

After doing research about the problem, we designed a model that would be able to reduce this in a safe and controlled way. We hope that this device will have the impact and efficiency to reduce these emissions and make the future world a more habitable place where efforts can be focused towards other growing issues.

History:

This project is a continuation from last years efforts. After we did research and testing with hydrocarbon gases and the adsorbed by zeolites, we decided that we wanted to explore this idea further.

Designing the Prototype:

We decided that we wanted to build a system that could filter out these gasses in an all in one contraption. We use galvanised steel ventilation ducting to build a strong structure to house the system. Within this system, it contained multiple paint cans which would contain the filter materials. Sealed copper pipes connected the system together as well as to the input areas. The products are subjected to significant amounts of heat whilst being under pressure in these areas. After the paint cans, the gases are pumped into the algae where any remaining gases pass through the sensors and will be detected and measured.

Variables and Research:

The variables between last years and this years project were primarily the zeolite minerals, heat, secondary filtration media, and pressure. The biological variables remained the same. We constantly make sure all tests are preformed in a safe matter as well as the final resulting scrubbed gas is working to our liking.

We had sensors and gages measuring different values such as:

Concentration of Butane at the intake sensor compartment(PPM)

Concentration of Butane at the output sensor compartment(PPM)

Temperature of heat being used for zeolite tank (C)

Pressure of the air compressor (PSI)

Carbon Dioxide Concentration (PPM)

How do the butane sensors work?

The MQ series gas sensors we used for this system work by using a heated element. When this element is exposed to gasses, its conductivity changes and sends an analog output value proportionate to the gas concentration. Before we ran tests using these in action, we added code where the sensors would filter out a baseline value for its local atmosphere so we could specifically measure the amount of gas (PPM) which we added.

Our Methodology For Collecting Data:

System is turned on and verified for leaks or possible errors.

Sensors calculate a baseline while pressure and temperature levels rise to desired values.

Butane is added into the input system and measured by gas sensors.

Butane is then measured once again in the output sensor area before being sent out by a fan.

Percentage Reduction:

Using raw values we obtained through testing and the minimum level of detection for our sensors, we calculated that our percentage reduction is greater then or equal to (≥) 75.32%. The reduction value could be more but due to the sensitivity of the sensors, that is the value we could obtain.

Results:

At approximately 400°C, and 25 PSI, the zeolites contribute a significant amount to the reduction of the hydrocarbon gasses. Although the zeolites wont reduce all of the hydrocarbons, the activated carbon and biochar that is located within the second chamber will capture the remaining hydrocarbons, VOC's or other gasses. This chamber also acts as a buffer zone for flow and temperature before the gases get pumped into the algae. The graphical results from both the input and output sensors show a significant decrease to an amount that was undetectable by the sensors. It is important to note that the steel structure remained intact after being exposed to high levels of heat for long periods of time. We have methane sensors at both the input and output areas as well. Although we did not add methane into the system, the sensors exhibited cross sensitivity when butane was added. This means that butane reacted with these sensors. It was lower value compared to the butane indicating it has some ability to filter out background interference but still needs more specific sensitivity testing.

What do the results mean?

Our results are critical because they show that combining multiple aspects; heat, filtration media, and biological processes can significantly improve the removal of hydrocarbon gases and VOCs. Achieving over 75% reduction (limited by our sensors) suggests that our system is highly effective and that integrating different methods is more efficient than relying on a single

technique.

What did our results teach us?

From our results, we can conclude that increasing the temperature to 350-400°C, compressing the gas, and using a combination of zeolites, biochar, and activated carbon all contributed to better performance. Each material played a different role, and together they created a more complete system for breaking down and capturing pollutants.

We also learned that system design is just as important as the materials used. By building an enclosed, continuous-flow system, we improved consistency and made the project more applicable to real-world use. Keeping the same algae allowed us to confirm that the improvements came from the mechanical and chemical changes rather than biological differences.

Conclusion

Overall, our findings suggest that it is possible to design a compact system that not only reduces harmful gases but also connects to a natural process to help recycle carbon dioxide into oxygen. This could have potential applications anywhere from agricultural livestock enclosures  to industrial refineries to residential household use.

Next steps include testing higher concentrations of hydrocarbon gases to better simulate real industrial emissions. Future improvements involve integrating smarter sensors and automation to optimise temperature, pressure, and algae growth in real time. We were unable to acquire the algae and zeolite minerals we were intending on using therefore that would be another step we are ready to take. We also plan to test the system in real-world environments and collaborate with local companies such as Irving Oil to explore practical applications. Further research could examine long-term efficiency, durability, and the feasibility of using this technology.

There are multiple people who we would like to thank for the constant and continuous support over the course of the project.

First, we would like to thank our family and friends for supporting us through our scientific endeavors. We wouldn't have been able to accomplish this if it wasn't for them. They helped us by lending us their basement workshop so we could construct our project or to help us with errors in the coding.

Next, we'd like to thank our teachers at school who helped make this possible. From reading papers to figuring out how to weld steel, they helped us along the way. They gave us much needed guidance for when we lost our way.

Finally, we'd like to thank anyone who made this trip possible. From our school science fair advisor to the delegates who accompanied us. Thank you for helping us make it here.

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