Marine Cloud Brightening: an airborne concept

[Christian Claudel]

This paper is a "systems" paper that investigates a different approach for MCB, based on centrally generated particles and UAVs for delivery

Link:

https://eartharxiv.org/repository/view/5789/

Authors: 

Christian Claudel, Andrew Lockley, Fabian Hoffmann, and Younan Xia

Abstract: 

Marine cloud brightening (MCB) is a proposed solar radiation modification (SRM) geoengineering technique to enhance marine boundary layer (MBL) cloud albedo. Extant proposals consider 10,000-100,000 autonomous ships spraying seawater, generating and dispersing sea salt nanoparticles. 

Alternatively, this paper proposes industrially manufacturing NaCl nanoparticles using ethanol anti-solvent brine precipitation. With desiccation, size optimization and narrowed size distribution, aerosol mass flux reduces by 500x (17x for the dry mass flux). This facilitates Unmanned Aerial Vehicle delivery (e.g. MQ-9 Reaper UAV). Increased speed, altitude and wake turbulence improves areal coverage per vehicle vs. ships - reducing fleet size. Utilizing extant airframe designs improves vehicle technology readiness level (TRL) - potentially improving system operational cost (est. $40B/year) and lead time. 

This approach further reduces energy requirements (5x less), technical risk and system complexity. Increased readiness amplifies proliferation risk - particularly for inexpensive regional heatwave and hurricane suppression - making governance more urgent.

[Geoengineering News]

https://eartharxiv.org/repository/view/5789/

Authors

Christian Claudel, Andrew John Lockley, Fabian Hoffmann, Younan Xia

Dates

Published: 2023-08-12

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31223/X5Q95X

Abstract

Marine cloud brightening (MCB) is a proposed solar radiation modification (SRM) geoengineering technique to enhance marine boundary layer (MBL) cloud albedo. Extant proposals consider 10,000-100,000 autonomous ships spraying seawater, generating and dispersing sea salt nanoparticles. Alternatively, this paper proposes industrially manufacturing NaCl nanoparticles using ethanol anti-solvent brine precipitation. With desiccation, size optimization and narrowed size distribution, aerosol mass flux reduces by 500x (17x for the dry mass flux). This facilitates Unmanned Aerial Vehicle delivery (e.g. MQ-9 Reaper UAV). Increased speed, altitude and wake turbulence improves areal coverage per vehicle vs. ships - reducing fleet size. Utilizing extant airframe designs improves vehicle technology readiness level (TRL) - potentially improving system operational cost (est. $40B/year) and lead time. This approach further reduces energy requirements (5x less), technical risk and system complexity. Increased readiness amplifies proliferation risk - particularly for inexpensive regional heatwave and hurricane suppression - making governance more urgent.

Subjects

Engineering

Keywords

solar radiation management

Source: EarthArxiv