AeroHarvest: Atmospheric Carbon-Driven Biofuel Production Using Algae-Based Systems
Abstract
The carbon in the atmosphere is a leading cause of climate change. Therefore, solutions are urgently sought that not only capture the excess carbon but also can make use of it to produce sustainable power sources. The conventional methods of carbon capture are commonly energy-intensive and inefficient, and the production of biofuels remains constrained by resource shortages. To address the issue, we introduce AeroHarvest, a graphene-based electrocatalystenabled CO2 extraction system, combined with cyanobacteria-engineered biomass, to generate a biofuelfueled carbon capture and biofuel production system. The system incorporates autonomous platforms to carry out realtime carbon capture and production of fuel, given the IoT. Unlike the current methodologies for producing biofuels, AeroHarvest operates on a self-sustaining cycle, thereby reducing land and freshwater use. Additionally, the lawfulness of a framework that conforms to environmental policies, carbon credit laws, and GMO laws, and which is instrumental in mitigating climate change, is also established. The biofuel obtained is a carbon-negative substitute for fossil fuels to create a cleaner transportation sector. AeroHarvest will convert CO2 into an energy asset, a promising and scalable sustainable technological solution that promotes the world’s decarbonization agenda and takes a step towards a circular carbon economy.