Thesis worker

MSc thesis. Hollow Fiber Membrane Contactor for Mobile Carbon Capture

Scania is one of the leading European manufacturers of heavy-duty vehicles. The 2024 global sales were 96'400 trucks, 11'200 engines and 5'600 buses, with 45 % of the total outside Europe. When it comes to global warming, we already contribute to the necessary reduction of fossil CO2 emissions with a portfolio of solutions for electrification, biofuels and hydrogen fuel, to serve different customer needs in different sales regions.

 

Background:

Mobile Carbon Capture (MCC) means the separation of the CO2 emissions from the engine exhaust of a ship, locomotive or road vehicle, for disposal or further usage. For heavy mobile applications, MCC enables the usage of energy-dense hydrocarbon fuels at clearly less tailpipe CO2. Options in the future CO2 economy are to (i) operate as transitional solution with fossil fuels and safe geologic carbon sequestration (ii) go carbon-negative with biofuels and carbon sequestration, and enter the business of carbon offsetting e. g. for airlines (iii) establish a closed carbon cycle for synthetic fuels, for which the feedstocks are CO2 and renewable, nuclear or natural hydrogen.

In Europe and worldwide, the CO2 taxes for stationary emitters will increase further, thus Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is already or will be cheaper than paying the CO2 taxes. Hence the roll-out of infrastructure for CO2 transport will continue by market forces, and it is possible to use this infrastructure also for CO2 from mobile emitters.

CO2 has favourable properties for gas transport, e. g. at +15 °C and 51 bar it is liquid with a density of 0.82 kg/litre. In comparison to the fuel gases methane and hydrogen, the handling, storage and transport of CO2 is simpler, safer and cheaper. The principle of mobile pressurised combi-tanks for "fuel outwards" and "CO2 backwards" gives additional on-board storage space and reduces the dead mileage with tank-trailers.

 

Hollow Fiber Membrane Contactors (HFMC) could become well-suited CO2-absorbers for MCC with solvents like e. g. amines and diluents like water or alcohols. With present engines, the coolant waste heat at max. 98 °C is available for energy-efficient solvent regeneration in a small stripping tower. To do so, a diluent with a boiling point less than 90 °C is needed like e. g. ethanol, to generate stripping vapor. However, in a CO2-absorber with direct exhaust-liquid contact like e. g. packed or spray towers, too much ethanol would evaporate to keep the hydrocarbon limits of the emission standards EURO VII and EPA27. HFMC would solve this problem due to the membrane between the liquid and exhaust side.

 

In this M.Sc. thesis project for one or two students, the suitability of HFMC CO2-absorbers for MCC shall be investigated in detail. Especially the problem of accelerated pore wetting by alcohol diluents of low surface tension needs to be solved. Promising approaches are e. g. superomniphobic membranes and regular backwashing with pressurized air, which is available on trucks. More info on these approaches can be found at DOIs 10.1021/acsomega.4c08269 and 10.1039/C7EW00085E. For practical applications also the long-term CO2 mass transfer coefficient across suited membranes is very important. Finally, the possible CO2 capture rates with a suited HFMC onboard European long-haul tractors shall be calculated. Sufficient installation space behind the sleeper cabs and generic diesel exhaust data are available.

 

Target:

The outcome shall be a public English thesis on HFMC CO2-absorbers for MCC with alcohol diluents. The thesis shall also serve as technical report for Traton, thus for the companies International, MAN T&B, Scania and Volkswagen T&B.

 

Assignment:

Thorough literature research on (i) HFMC for carbon capture in general (ii) approaches to prevent and reverse pore wetting from alcohols (iii) the long-term stability and CO2 mass transfer coefficient of suited membranes with an appropriate operation strategy.

Identification of the most promising approaches to prevent and reverse HFMC pore wetting from alcohols.

Preliminary design of a HFMC CO2-absorber for European long haul diesel tractors with MCC, with a membrane and operation strategy suited for alcohol diluents.

Calculation of the CO2 capture rate with the designed HFMC for generic diesel exhaust.

Presenting and reporting of the intermediate and final results.

 

Education & organisation:

Studies: Chemical Engineering, energy engineering, industrial engineering.

Is a must: Knowledge of mass transfer, chemical processes, thermodynamics

Is a bonus: Knowledge of membrane technology, gas separation.

Number of students: One or two.

Start of work: 2025-09-01

Estimated duration: 22 weeks, until 2026-01-30. In average min. 2 office-days per week

Language of work: English, Swedish

Location of work: Södertälje, Stockholm County, Sweden

Students from outside Stockholm County can rent a subsidized Scania apartment in Södertälje.

Per student, payment before taxes: 20'000 SEK at the start, 20'000 SEK after the final report was approved by Scania.

Per student, travel expenses: 1 to 2 roundtrips between study location and Södertälje.

 

Contact persons and supervisors:

Antonius Kies, Scania, Energy Economy / Range. Tel. 0046 8 553 - 724 24

Henrik Birgersson, Traton, Catalyst & Filter Performance. Tel. 0046 8 553 - 527 37

 

Application:

Please enclose personal letter, CV and the list of grades from the latest M.Sc. studies.

The applications will be checked continuously.

A background check and security interview will be conducted for this position.

 

Publication date

Until the position is staffed or latest until 2025-06-01.

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