Ideation and proof of concept of two technological solutions for collecting greenhouse gases in aquatic environments

• Grant number: 23/10573-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: March 01, 2024
• End date: November 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Fishery Resources and Fishery Engineering - Aquaculture
• Agreement: SEBRAE-SP
• Principal Investigator: Andre Zuffo Boaratti
• Grantee: Andre Zuffo Boaratti
• Company: Andre Zuffo Boaratti
• CNAE: Fabricação de máquinas e equipamentos de uso geral não especificados anteriormente
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/01551-5 - Ideation and concept proof of two technological solutions for collecting greenhouse gases in aquatic environments, BP.PIPE

Abstract

There is a growing concern about pollutant emissions into the environment. Among these pollutants, the gases, mainly those related to the greenhouse effect, have great global emphasis. However, for aquatic environments, there is still no well-established and quality equipment that reaches the market in a homogeneous and clear way. In this scenario, the market is demanding equipment for collecting and quantifying these gases that can be used in all types of natural aquatic environments (rivers, lakes, sea) or production systems (reservoirs, dams, production nurseries, recirculation systems, etc.). As important as the first scenario presented, the carbon credit market has been growing and becoming regularized quickly all over the world. Although they present an established protocol and market for terrestrial environments and for plant production, for aquatic animal production and for aquatic environments, this practice is still being established. In this way, a huge field, and probably the largest that will ever exist, for carbon credits is being established and standardized, receiving by many the name of "BlueCarbon". Its measurement cannot be limited only by the masses of carbon fixed by large plants, as occurs in terrestrial environments. Requiring other forms of measurement, which can be more impactful than just fixation on large plants alone. Aquatic environments basically present two forms of emission or absorption of gases into the atmosphere, ebullitive emission through bubbles released from the bottom of aquatic environments, and emission or absorption by diffusion of gases present in the water column in contact with the atmospheric air. In this way, two technological solutions (equipment) will be intended to idealize in this project in order to be able to collect, separately, each type of emission in a precise way and without interference from the equipment used. The "Ebullitive emission Collector" will be an equipment for use in the field that aims to collect the bubbles that come off the bottom of the aquatic environment and concentrate in an airtight container, so that subsequent quantitative and qualitative analyzes can be carried out. The "Chamber of Water-Air Gas Diffusion" will be an equipment, also used in the field, which provides an airtight environment for the exchange of gases between the water and a portion of atmospheric air that can be collected for composition analysis. With this two equipment, it will be possible to determine how much greenhouse gases are being absorbed or emitted by that environment or aquatic production practice. As important as the technological solutions will be the design and formulation of the technology-based business model. Throughout this project, a robust and grounded business model will be developed for the company AZB Environment Sampling, which intends to develop, manufacture and sell national equipment for environmental samplings. It will have as its first products the two technological solutions described, with a gradually expanded portfolio of collection equipment in aquatic and terrestrial environments, whether natural or production. (AU)