Challenge
CEAD needed reliable and low-cost sorbent performance evaluation as part of the ongoing research and development of CoERCe technology. The system requires pressurisation up to 5 bar, accurate pressure measurement and precise thermal control.
Solution
An elegant two-reservoir system was developed that enables vacuuming of the system before a series of step-increases in pressure to determine sorbent performance. A fluid jacket around the reservoirs provides effective thermal control. This low-cost and simple solution enabled rapid prototyping and continues to be used for gas sorbent evaluation and performance characterisation.
Details
CEAD has developed solid sorbents for gas adsorption as part of its CoERCe technology. The quantity of gas a sorbent can adsorb at a given pressure and temperature is of critical importance. High-quality research type test instruments are available from the industry leaders. However, utilising these was prohibitively slow and expensive for the rate of testing and turn-round time required by CEAD.
Consequently, there was an urgent compelling need for a low-cost and reliable sorbent gas absorption performance test equipment. CEAD used its in-house talent, technology development expertise and consultancy heritage to great effect to create a solution. Ideas generation and desk-based research were carried out to create the theoretical basis for the system. Major essential components were identified, calculated and size determined. All non-essential components and functions of existing commercial systems were modified or discarded.
Following design review, purchase of components the first working prototype was constructed and commissioned. It produced highly repeatable data. The new CEAD design system results were validated against two of the leading sorbent gas analysis machines. The CEAD design system results compared very well, thus confidence in the new measurement system was established. (Refer to fig. XX isotherm results).
CEAD continues to use its sorbent performance measurement system to evaluate the development of novel sorbents for the CoERCe technology. The availability of a reliable and cheap performance data enables rapid feedback into the research and development process, thus rapidly accelerating the research program.