The IQS Environmental Process Engineering and Simulation Group (GESPA) conducts research on issues related to sustainability. Specifically, its activity focuses on environmental engineering and molecular and process simulation to address the current challenges society faces: climate change, water scarcity, and population growth.
The IQS Environmental Process Engineering and Simulation Group (GESPA) conducts research on issues related to sustainability. Specifically, its activity focuses on environmental engineering and molecular and process simulation to address the current challenges society faces: climate change, water scarcity, and population growth.
The following are some highlights of the group's most noteworthy research:
Research on CO₂ capture and use
The GESPA group has recently published two research articles in the fields of CO₂ capture and use. In the field of CO₂ capture, IQS has been working in collaboration with the company GASN2 since 2015 to develop a new sustainable technology for CO₂ capture from flue gases for use in the food industry. Read the group's latest scientific publication: Parameter screening of a VPSA cycle with automated breakthrough control for carbon captures.
In the field of CO₂ use, the group is working on the use of new plasma and radiofrequency catalytic reactors for the conversion of CO₂ into molecules of industrial interest such as carbon monoxide. Read the group's latest scientific publication: Sustainability Assessment of the Utilization of CO2 in a Dielectric Barrier Discharge Reactor Powered by Photovoltaic Energy
Research projects with the State Research Agency focused on minimizing the environmental impact of fluorinated gases
Fluorinated gases are compounds used in refrigeration systems that have a global warming potential thousands of times greater than CO₂. Funded by the State Research Agency, the Environmental Process Engineering and Simulation Group (GESPA) at IQS has been working since 2019 on two research projects that aim to minimize the environmental impact of these compounds.
The STOP-F-GAS project seeks new sustainable processes that allow fluorinated gases to be recycled to promote the circular economy with these compounds, thus avoiding the impacts of their production and waste treatment. Read the group's latest scientific publication: Life Cycle Assessment of the Separation and Recycling of Fluorinated Gases Using Ionic Liquids in a Circular Economy Framework
In addition, the NEW-F-TECH project is seeking new, more sustainable compounds that can be used in refrigeration systems and do not contribute to global warming. Read the group's latest scientific publication: A computational drop-in assessment of hydrofluoroethers in Organic Rankine Cycles