Demonstrator CO2 capture

past

In the scope of Scientastic, EPFL-Valais opens its doors to the general public. In that regard, IPESE is developing a direct air capture (DAC) machine. The goal is to harvest CO2 from air and produce sparkling water.

Currently we are looking for TWO students:

  1. Chemistry/Chemical engineer As air passes through the adsorbent bed, CO2 needs to be retained. Due to its use for a beverage, CO2 needs to be of high-purity. For that we are recruiting a student from chemistry or chemical engineering to functionalize silica beads. Due to previous experience, the lab of prof. Wendy agreed on supervising the procedure in partnership with HES-SO. Therefore the ideal student is/has:
    • highly motivated in the topic
    • background in lab work is a plus
    • collaborative spirit to develop an interdisciplinary project
  2. Mechanical/Chemical/Industrial Engineer The student at this level (from HES-SO or EPFL) needs to design the mechanical engineering project in collaboration with the ‘atelier mechanic’ of EPFL. In particular, the computer-aided design (CAD) needs to ensure adequate air compression and operation to be able to harvest the necessary amount of air for a bottle of 0.75L. This constitutes a challenge and a trade-off that needs simulation. Therefore the ideal student is/has:
    • highly motivated in the topic
    • background in using design software
    • goal-oriented and hands-on approach attitude
    • collaborative spirit to develop an interdisciplinary project

Interested students should send an application attaching CV, transcript of records (bachelor and master) and a motivation letter to rafael.amoedo@epfl.ch. Applications are reviewed on a chronological order and the positions remain open until suitable candidates are found.