“MODULAR CARBON CAPTURE FROM COMMERCIAL BUILDING VENTILATION AIR”
Global climate change mitigation depends on reducing the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, including decreasing new emissions and directly removing existing CO2. This paper investigates a decentralized direct air capture (DAC) solution, which is a retrofit for commercial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The solution includes a sorbent to filter CO2, permanent conversion of gaseous CO2 to a carbonate salt, and automation for moving the byproduct outside of the building. The considerations of this system include improved indoor air quality, permanent CO2 removal, and energy savings from decreased outdoor air intake. Parameters investigated include technological considerations, system design, and preliminary results of performance including adsorption and models for energy balance and life cycle analysis.
“CURRICULUM VITAE”
Jo Norris has a background in materials science, climate science, and sustainability, including 3 years of PhD research on bio-based polymer systems for environmental remediation. She co-founded Carbon Reform in 2020 to build applications of technological climate change mitigation.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Student, Materials Science and Engineering
Columbia University (Sep 2016-Aug 2017)
M.A. Climate and Society, Environmental Engineering concentration
Hofstra University Honors College (Sep 2012-May 2016)
B.S. Sustainability Studies, B.A. Economics, Minor Geology. Minor Fine Art
EXPERIENCE
Co-Founder and CEO (Feb 2020-Present)
Carbon Reform, Inc., Wilmington DE
Graduate Environmental Fellow (Aug 2020-Sep 2021)
Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN), Newark, DE
Research Assistant (Oct 2018-Sep 2021)
J. F. Rabolt/D. B. Chase Research Group, L. Korley Research Group, Newark DE
Climate Scientist in Residence (Nov 2019-May 2020)
The Capture App, Singapore
Research and Development Projects Lead (May 2018-Oct 2018)
Prosper Technologies, New Lab, Brooklyn NY
Teaching/Research Assistant (Sep 2016-May 2018)
Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, New York NY
PUBLICATIONS
Aromatics from Lignocellulosic Biomass: A Platform for High-Performance Thermosets. Jignesh S. Mahajan, Robert M. O’Dea, Joanne B. Norris, LaShanda T.J. Korley, and Thomas H. Epps III. ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2020, 8, 40, 15072–15096. Cover artwork also created by APPLICANT.
Sustainability Initiatives in Professional Soccer. Taiyo Francis, Joanne B. Norris, and Robert Brinkmann. Soccer & Society 18.2-3, (2016): 396-406.