Projects
Projects: Summary of Projects by RegionProjects in Region East of England involving Molecular Products Limited : InnUK/710763/01 |
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| Reference Number | InnUK/710763/01 | |
| Title | Vortex: A non-powered active CO2 scrubber for mine refuge chambers | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Not Energy Related 50%; Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Coal, Other Coal) 50%; |
|
| Research Types | Applied Research and Development 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Chemistry) 100% | |
| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Project Contact No email address given Molecular Products Limited |
|
| Award Type | Smart - Proof of Concept | |
| Funding Source | Innovate-UK | |
| Start Date | 01 October 2015 | |
| End Date | 31 July 2016 | |
| Duration | 10 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £100,000 | |
| Industrial Sectors | ||
| Region | East of England | |
| Programme | Competition Call: 1505_SmartRd2_POC - Smart - Proof of Concept. Activity Unknown | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Project Contact , Molecular Products Limited (100.000%) |
| Web Site | ||
| Objectives | ||
| Abstract | A mine refuge chamber is an underground shelter used in emergencies where evacuation is no longer safe or practical, & must prevent CO2 build-up that could lead to suffocation or poisoning. Currently, mine refuge chambers use passive CO2 absorbing curtains, as there will often be no means of powering an active CO2 scrubbing system in an emergency. The curtains rely on natural airflow to remove the CO2. In low airflow, typical of enclosed spaces, the morphology of the curtains means that only 60% of the scrubbing compound can react before the end of their lifecycle, reducing their lifetime. Furthermore, they generally use lithium hydroxide (LiOH) which is toxic & can cause burns, & the reaction between CO2 and LiOH often causes the chamber to exceed temperatures of ~35 C which can lead to stress, dehydration, nausea & fainting.The curtains are large & cumbersome & have to be rolled out & hung up which can waste precious time in a life or death situation. To address the problems & take advantage of the mkt opportunity, Molecular Products Limited are proposing a non-powered, active CO2 & CO draft tube reactor system (Vortex). The system will use latent heat from the scrubbing reaction to create its own airflow & actively remove the CO2 from the air. Advantages over curtains: - Lifetime is increased by over 30% - Vortex will use 85-90% of the available reactant & will self-regulate due to the active airflow, increasing lifetime by at least another 6 hours. - Vortex will produce ~25% less heat energy - uses non-toxic, less exothermically reactive Sofnolime , so ambient temperature will be significantly lower. - The forced airflow will allow Vortex to retain a more consistent CO2 removing capability over its lifetime, similar to powered systems. - 1/5 the volume of a curtain making easier storage & saving space when in use. - As well as removing CO2 from the atmosphere, the draft tube will also contain Moleculite , so will remove CO. | |
| Data | No related datasets |
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| Projects | No related projects |
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| Publications | No related publications |
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| Added to Database | 13/02/18 | |
