Airflow Sciences Awarded $250K to Develop Subterranean CO2 Monitoring

LIVONIA, Mich. - Aug. 17, 2023 - PRLog -- Deep underground, a well the size of a small city fills with compressed carbon dioxide. It's like a prison for carbon emissions, where CO₂ is permanently sequestered, miles away from the world above ground, where it can no longer pose a risk to the climate.

This long-term carbon holding cell raises some significant questions. Can carbon dioxide be stored safely underground? And what happens if it escapes the designated well? That's exactly why the U.S. Department of Energy is investing $72 million in clean energy research. Airflow Sciences Corporation has been awarded $250,000 as part of this initiative, to turn carbon wells into a maximum-security operation. The Michigan-based company has invented a complete solution for the monitoring of underground CO₂ storage – including early leak detection, minute-by-minute monitoring, and maintenance alerts.

Many scientific and industrial leaders agree that carbon storage has a critical role to play in the fight against climate change. As the world races toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, some industries just don't have the available technology to eliminate their reliance on fossil fuels yet. Carbon storage is a bridge that can allow U.S. industries to achieve carbon neutrality in the meantime.

The CO₂ is captured from a smoke stack before it even sees the open air. From there, it is pressurized and begins a mile-long journey past layers of rock and sediment underground. As it descends, tight monitoring ensures that all of the carbon dioxide reaches its destination in the reservoir below. If a leak arises, operators above the surface are notified within minutes, so that environmental damage is prevented and kept under control.

"A key objective of the Airflow Sciences new carbon storage monitoring system is to provide confidence to both industry and society that the stored CO₂ is well-contained, permanently," affirms Rob Mudry, P.E., President of Airflow Sciences. "This will promote adoption and integration of carbon storage to plant sites nationwide. We have teamed up with major industry partners, even in the early stage of the SBIR project, to ensure a successful development, field installation, and demonstration."

The new monitoring system from Airflow Sciences is a positive step toward the future viability of carbon reservoirs. The industry's current monitoring technology is cost-prohibitive and too fragile for the tough subsurface environment. Airflow's turn-key system promises to improve on current technology in terms of accuracy and affordability, with the signature ruggedness that Airflow puts into all of its industrial-grade test equipment, so it is certain to withstand the grueling pressures of the earth's recesses.

Visit Airflow Sciences: https://www.airflowsciences.com/
Visit United States Department of Energy: https://www.energy.gov/