Speaker: Dr Hugh Hunt
There are several viable technologies for controlling the climate - known as "geoengineering". Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) by sequestering CO2 is one, or Solar Radiation Management (SRM) using space reflectors is another.
The SPICE project (Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering) investigates the benefits, risks, costs and feasibility of SRM by injecting reflective aerosols in the atmosphere. If particles can be pumped into the stratosphere at an altitude of 20km, emulating the effects of a large volcanic eruption, then global cooling of about 2 degC can be achieved. The particles would be pumped through a number of high-pressure pipes suspended by balloons. SPICE presents many novel engineering challenges, especially the design of the pipe and pumping systems to withstand pressures up to 4000 bar and tensions up to 500 tonnes. In this non-technical introductory presentation a number of these challenges will be discussed.
This lecture is a part of the Cambridge Science Festival 2015 www.sciencefestival.cam.ac.uk