Download The SPICE Project

The SPICE Project
1. Background
2. Project aims
The recent Royal Society report into “Geoengineering the Climate”
highlights the need for methods of counteracting the climatic
changes that are occurring due to greenhouse gas emissions. A
significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is the preferred
method of mitigating climate change. However, there is concern that
the global efforts to reduce emissions are proceeding too slowly to
prevent a dangerous ‘tipping point’ being reached in the near future.
For this reason, global climate intervention methods must now be
considered. One such method is solar radiation management, which
offsets the effects of greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the
earth’s absorption of radiation from the sun.
The Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering (SPICE)
project will investigate the benefits, risks, costs and feasibility of solar
radiation management through the deployment of reflective aerosol
particles into the earth’s atmosphere. This geoengineering option has
been chosen based on evidence from volcanic eruptions that shows that
stratospheric sulphate particle injection results in reduced globally
averaged surface temperatures. The SPICE project is a 3.5 year
collaborative venture that is fully funded by the Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). It involves researchers from the
Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Oxford, together with
the Met Office and Marshall Aerospace.
The tetheredballoon delivery
system
3. Delivery system
4. The test-bed
The proposed delivery system is a tethered balloon that would
represent the tallest man-made structure in history. The tether will
be up to 25km long, in the form of a pipe that is subject to severe
weather and pressure loadings. The economic, environmental and
social impacts of other delivery systems (such as aircraft, missiles
and tall towers) have been evaluated. The tethered balloon is the
most cost-effective option, and has a low environmental and social
impact. The idea of a tethered balloon is not a new technology;
there are many examples of tethered balloons being used in the
past and today. These include barrage balloons and tethered helium
passenger balloons. Every day, over 1000 weather balloons are
launched around the world, up to altitudes of 40km above the
earth’s surface, to obtain the pressure, temperature and humidity
readings that are used to make weather forecasts.
In order to validate the computer simulations of the tether and balloon
dynamics, a 1km test-bed including scaled-down versions of the tether,
balloon and pumping system will be designed and constructed. Safety
will be a key consideration, and experts from the aeronautic,
meteorological and space industries will advise on all aspects of this
project. The test-bed will provide researchers with vital insight into the
deployment, recovery and stability of the tethered balloon in various wind
conditions. In addition to this, the test-bed may be used to pump
freshwater into the atmosphere, allowing researches to better understand
the distribution of the pumped particles.
For further information:
http://www2.eng.cam.ac.uk/~hemh/climate/Geoengineering_RoySoc.htm
Barrage balloons
Passenger balloon
Weather balloon
The SPICE Project
•With the current rate of climate change, climate
intervention may become necessary in the future
•Sulphate particles injected into the atmosphere by
volcanic eruptions are known to reduce the global
surface temperatures by reflecting the sunlight
•The SPICE project will investigate the benefits, risks,
costs and feasibility of pumping sulphate particles into
the stratosphere
•The proposed delivery system is a tethered balloon.
The tether will be up to 25km long, in the form of a
pipe that is subject to severe weather and pressure
loadings.
Solar radiation management
with sulphate particles
The tetheredballoon delivery
system
For further information:
http://www2.eng.cam.ac.uk/~hemh/climate/Geoengineering_RoySoc.htm