The Put it Back Course consists of several lessons to help you explore carbon capture, utilization, and storage technology. The National Academy of Engineering recruited an international group of leading technological thinkers and asked them to identify the Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st century. One of their 14 game-changing goals for improving life on the planet is Develop Carbon Sequestration Methods. In this course you will have an opportunity to take an excursion through the rationale, history, current research, and technology of this grand challenge. You can even take on the challenge of designing a carbon storage project yourself!
In this course you will look at patterns of energy used globally and locally and gain insight on the main producers of various energy resources, globally, in the United States, and specifically in Texas. You will also explore patterns of emissions across the globe and specifically in Texas. The course presents various sources of CO2 emissions and the technologies for capturing, utilizing, and storing this greenhouse gas, with particular examples of projects in Texas. You will learn about CO2 enhanced oil recovery, its impact on the longevity of an oil and gas field, and the technology’s ability to contribute to negative carbon emissions as part of a carbon capture, utilization and storage project.
You will explore the collaborative contributions of the scientific community to establishing wells specifically for the injection of CO2, as well as the safeguards in place for protecting groundwater, health and safety. You will apply your newfound knowledge by designing a project for storing CO2 captured at the Fayeteville Power Plant in Texas. The course highlights the various technologies that allow scientists and engineers to monitor carbon storage projects and ensure they protect underground sources of drinking water and public health and safety. You will explore a storage project case study where a team of scientists used an innovative monitoring tool to investigate concerns of a family that CO2 might be leaking on their farm. Finally, you will explore the global role of carbon capture and storage technology, the impact of cost and policy support on deployment, and the ability to integrate projects with renewables.
