By taking part to this project you will become part of a large consortium of 8 partners including SMEs in the renewable technologies, leading EU research institutions and NGOs.

You will be contribute to the ambition of proving an emerging technology for producing technically and economically competitive chemicals from solar energy and air.

If you have an engineering background with interest in CO2 capture from the atmosphere, this is your chance to benefit from a fully funded Scholarship.

The technology you will develop features an innovative low-grade-heat-powered direct air capture unit. The direct air capture unit removes carbon dioxide from the air, concentrates it and compresses it to feed the electrochemical stack. The project will perform all the necessary groundwork for the full deployment of this technology before 2050.

During your studies you will work in the Emerging Sustainable Technologies Laboratory (ESTech Lab), be part of a world leading research group in carbon capture towards the development of a proof-of-concept super-efficient processes for direct air capture, have access to state-of-the-art equipment available including a small scale Direct Air Capture prototype (https://www.carboncapture.eng.ed.ac.uk/acca-atmospheric-carbon-capture) and brainstorm new technological avenues for Direct Air Capture.

Within the ESTEch Lab team, you will design, build, automatize and test a direct air capture laboratory-scale unit. We are looking for a person who can expand and gradually take the lead of the automation area of the ESTech Lab team. Expertise in Mechatronics is essential for this position. Previous knowledge in separation processes is less important since you are supported and supervised by the expertise of other researchers in the team, with the aim of learning the required knowledge by doing during the project development.

Your studies will be carried out at the Institute for Materials and Processes (IMP) and will include coding activities supported by experiments. You will attain skills in modelling, design and testing of negative emission technologies.

Please note, the position will be filled once a suitable candidate has been identified.

References: You find a description of the carbon capture process in G. Santori et. al. Adsorption artificial tree for atmospheric carbon dioxide capture, purification and compression, Energy 162 (2018) 1158-1168.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2018.08.090

or Green Open access: https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/adsorption-artificial-tree-for-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide-capture