Previous Article in Journal
Transitioning Ammonia Production: Green Hydrogen-Based Haber–Bosch and Emerging Nitrogen Reduction Technologies
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Clean Technol.
Volume 7
Issue 2
10.3390/cleantechnol7020050
cleantechnol-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

A Bench-Scale Demonstration of Direct Air Capture Using an Enhanced Electrochemical System

by
Jinwen Wang
1,
Xin Gao
1,*,
Adam Berger
2,
Ayokunle Omosebi
1,
Tingfei Chen
1,
Aron Patrick
3 and
Kunlei Liu
1,4,*
1
Institute for Decarbonization and Energy Advancement, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40507, USA
2
Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
3
PPL Corporation, Allentown, PA 18101, USA
4
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Clean Technol. 2025, 7(2), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol7020050
Submission received: 7 April 2025 / Revised: 18 May 2025 / Accepted: 10 June 2025 / Published: 16 June 2025
Versions Notes

Abstract

The bench-scale demonstration of the UKy-IDEA process for direct air capture (DAC) technology combines solvent-aided CO2 capture with electrochemical regeneration (ER) through a pH swing process, enabling efficient CO2 capture and simultaneous solvent regeneration, producing high-purity hydrogen as a valuable co-product. The system shows stable performance with over 90% CO2 capture efficiency and approximately 80% CO2 recovery, handling ambient air at 280 L/min. During testing, the unit captured 1 kg of CO2 over 100 h, with a concentrated CO2 output purity of around 70%. Operating efficiently at low voltage (<3 V), the system supports flexible and remote operation without AC/DC converters when using intermittent renewable energy. Techno-economic analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) highlight its minimized required footprint and cost-effectiveness. Marketable hydrogen offsets capture costs, and compatibility with renewable DC power enhances appeal. Hydrogen production displacing CO2 produced via electrolysis achieves 0.94 kg CO2 abated per kg CO2 captured. The project would be economic, with USD 26 per ton of CO2 from the federal 45Q tax credit for carbon utilization, and USD 5 to USD 12 per kg for H2.
Keywords: direct air capture; proton-exchange membrane alkaline water electrolyzer; hydrogen production direct air capture; proton-exchange membrane alkaline water electrolyzer; hydrogen production

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Wang, J.; Gao, X.; Berger, A.; Omosebi, A.; Chen, T.; Patrick, A.; Liu, K. A Bench-Scale Demonstration of Direct Air Capture Using an Enhanced Electrochemical System. Clean Technol. 2025, 7, 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol7020050

AMA Style

Wang J, Gao X, Berger A, Omosebi A, Chen T, Patrick A, Liu K. A Bench-Scale Demonstration of Direct Air Capture Using an Enhanced Electrochemical System. Clean Technologies. 2025; 7(2):50. https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol7020050

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wang, Jinwen, Xin Gao, Adam Berger, Ayokunle Omosebi, Tingfei Chen, Aron Patrick, and Kunlei Liu. 2025. "A Bench-Scale Demonstration of Direct Air Capture Using an Enhanced Electrochemical System" Clean Technologies 7, no. 2: 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol7020050

APA Style

Wang, J., Gao, X., Berger, A., Omosebi, A., Chen, T., Patrick, A., & Liu, K. (2025). A Bench-Scale Demonstration of Direct Air Capture Using an Enhanced Electrochemical System. Clean Technologies, 7(2), 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol7020050

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop