Navsari students invent device to check CO2 emissions

SURAT: In an attempt to tackle the problem of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, two second-year mechanical engineering students have devised an instrument that captures the gas from the atmosphere and converts it into solar fuel.
Utsav Soni and Pratibha Rajput of Gujarat Technology University in Navsari won the prestigious Go Green Award-2014 in Paris a few days back that was held by Global Talent Acquisition and Mobility Institute for the world's smallest prototype that helps reduces carbon emission.Soni and Rajput's project was called 'From challenge to opportunity'.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has recommended that CO2 emission must be reduced by 50% by 2050 or else it would be too late.
Over 13,000 students from 159 countries had participated in the contest. The finalists belonged to Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Egypt, France, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Turkey, USA, Vietnam and India.
"Our prototype design is so efficient that wastage created in the entire process is converted into eco-bricks which can be used to develop infrastructure across the city," said Soni.
The pair has created three working prototypes. One prototype will capture CO2 directly from the atmosphere, while another from the various modes of transport and yet another one from power plants.
"Actually, we adopted the process of recycling CO2 to make our prototype. Fuels are generally a form of carbon and when they burn, carbon gets attached to oxygen to form CO2. In this prototype, we have broken the bond between carbon and oxygen, forming hydro-carbon liquids and oxygen again by using solar energy. This is a process of recycling of CO2," explained Soni.
This prototype device when fit directly on the exhaust of any motor vehicle reduces 90% of CO2 emission and increases efficiency by up to 7%.
Kamlesh Yagnik, an IIT graduate doing research in the same field said, "Lots of people are working on the issue but none have been able to convert it into economically and commercially viable project till now. The innovation of these students is commendable."