Latest Invention: Synthetic Tree to Collect Huge Amounts of CO2
The latest invention of researchers from Columbia University is an artificial tree that is able to capture carbon dioxide a thousand times faster that a real tree. The lead researcher and a professor of geophysics at Columbia University, Klaus Lackner, has been developing the project for over 10 years and holds hope that the artificial tree will be a very important tool for tackling climate change.
Scientists will use their latest invention to trap greenhouse gas emitted by vehicles or airplanes. The synthetic tree, which resembles a cylinder, will not require direct sunlight, water of branches to work properly. According to Lackner, the tree is flexible in size and can be placed almost anywhere.
Here's how it works: the synthetic tree gathers the greenhouse gas on a sorbent, cleans and pressures the carbon dioxide and then releases it. The technique of gas absorption resembles that of a sponge that collects water.
During a whole day one artificial tree will be able to collect one ton of CO2, which equals to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by 20 cars. The technology is currently in the development stage at Global Research Technologies, a company based in Tucson, Arizona, co-founded by Lackner, who at the moment is its chairman. Such invention might serve well for the environment by it is quite costly - each synthetic tree requires $30,000 to make, reports CNN.
Data presented by the U.S. Department of Transportation shows that currently in the United States there are about 135,932,930 vehicles, which means that in order to absorb the amount of carbon emitted by these cars, the country would need to "plant" 6.8 million synthetic trees (that's $204 billion). With the current global economic crisis the project will probably remain in the development stage for some time. Still, Lackner and his team look forward to push their latest invention full-force. The researcher managed to arrange a meeting with U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu to talk about the concept.
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Powered by www.infoniac.comComments:
- 0 votes
//10 Feb 19, 2010 02:51 AM | posted by:
abhi - this is the very good invention we can also some new thing like we can produce the more clouds with the help of the seawater and dust so we can reflect the sunlighte more efficiently just thing about it???????????????????????????????????????????????
- 0 votes
//9 Jan 25, 2010 01:04 AM | posted by: vbt - i have one que!!!!! what it will do after collecting the co2!!!!! i mean we all know that natural trees uses co2 for production of glucoz!!!!! what abt artificial tree???!!!!
- 0 votes
//8 Jan 20, 2010 05:07 AM | posted by: Parv - It means we play With Nature........
- 0 votes
//7 Dec 15, 2009 08:53 PM | posted by: kaii - This invention sounds like it has potential, but I think a better understanding of global warming is needed before it is put into action.
- 1 votes
//6 Dec 04, 2009 04:33 AM | posted by: leet1337 - It is not co2 that couse the problem, with global warming. Actually just the sea prduces more than 10 times more co2 than humanity, and this is because of the sun. The sun varies heat, for the amount of sunspots on the sun.
All through history the temperature has vaired alot. The earth have had hot times like these before, and the planet didn't collapse of that. Also when the sea is cold, it stores the co2 in the water, while when it's hot, it releases the co2 again. The glaciers melt down, but they will rebuild, when the environment gets warmer. - 0 votes
//5 Oct 03, 2009 04:02 AM | posted by: marium - a very good invention
yes we will celan the enviroment - 1 votes
//4 Sep 20, 2009 03:35 AM | posted by: malvika - good invention
- 1 votes
//3 Sep 19, 2009 10:30 PM | posted by: harshil - this invetion is really very good.
it help to save from global worming and green house efffect. - 1 votes
//2 Sep 02, 2009 03:22 AM | posted by: PRANSHU DWIVEDI - it's good.idea ...to collect huge ammount of co2.........by this we can also decrease......a tonnes of co2
- 2 votes
//1 Jul 26, 2009 01:34 AM | posted by:
rohit manoj arey [InfoKID]
- its quite nice to know about this its an really gud invention to hear about this kind of inventions to decrease the co2 content in environment
