|Digital Matter
|InGeo
Chitosan as the future of water filtration system
|Team
Olivia Alvarez, Anton Koshelev, Ivan Marchuk
|Faculty
Areti Markopoulou, David Andres Leon, Raimund Krenmueller, Nikol Kirova
|Project year
2018-19
The INGEO project explores a modified Ion-Exchange Resin (IER), pioneered by Professor Klaus Lackner at Arizona State University, known for its rapid CO2 absorption, surpassing natural trees by around 1,000 times. Aimed at addressing urban pollution and limited greenery, the project develops a resin-coated solution for optimized surface geometries, acting as an architectural skin. Utilizing computational design, it creates modular Ingeo systems to absorb CO2 in polluted urban environments. These systems feature double curved panels with integrated washing mechanisms, and air purifying towers enabling continuous CO2 absorption cycles, guided by digital simulations optimizing surface area and air contact for the IER material system.
The research aims To design a performative material system that can continuously absorb CO2 from our surrounding environment.
Through extensive testing, the project introduces resin-coated Ingeo modules tailored for architecturally optimized surfaces. These modules offer a practical solution for reducing CO2 in polluted urban areas. Integrated with washable mechanisms, they ensure sustained CO2 absorption cycles. Computational design fine-tunes these modules, emphasizing increased surface area, efficient air contact, and reliable washability to optimize the IER material system’s performance, significantly improving urban air quality. This application not only purifies surrounding air but also provides thermal insulation and cooling, particularly beneficial in hot regions. Implementing Ingeo panels significantly improves ecological certifications like LEED and BREEAM, offering both sustainable city initiatives and potential economic benefits through reduced carbon taxes.
The modular aspect of INGEO allows it to be adaptive and installed on blank facades of existing buildings, most preferably those that exist in highly-contaminated areas (e.g. parking, offices, trade centers etc.) Including Ingeo modules in office spaces, utilized as wall systems or partitions, offers a significant potential to notably enhance air conditions, health, and productivity within a work environment.
Designing an optimized structure integrated with Ingeo’s key parameters maximizes the performance of both shape and structure while drawing public attention to the CO2 issue. The structure comprises seven high and curved “chimneys” that converge and are enveloped by Ingeo modules on both sides. Each chimney widens at the base and tapers towards the top. This configuration not only maximizes surface area but also enhances airflow within the tower, thereby increasing the efficiency of CO2 absorption.
