A Thermodynamic Model for Carbon Dioxide Storage in Underground Salt Caverns

Yi Zhang, Wenjing Li and Guodong Chen
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Yi Zhang: Petroleum Exploration and Production Research Institute of Sinopec, Beijing 100083, China
Wenjing Li: Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering Beijing, Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Urban Oil & Gas Distribution Technology, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
Guodong Chen: Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering Beijing, Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Urban Oil & Gas Distribution Technology, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-20

Abstract: In the context of green energy and decarbonization, carbon dioxide storage in underground facilities, such as salt caverns, is one promising technical solution that has aroused attention. However, the thermodynamic behavior of CO 2 and the geomechanical response of salt cavities have not been studied comprehensively. In this study, we proposed a thermomechanical model that integrated a salt cavity and wellbore and implemented a series of simulations for carbon dioxide storage in a salt cavern. The model was verified by gas capacity calculations using field testing data. The thermodynamic behaviors of CO 2 were determined and compared to methane. The results showed that the critical point coordinates of carbon dioxide were within the storage operation conditions, a phase transition could occur, and the thermodynamic properties around the critical point varied dramatically. For a short CO 2 withdrawal operation, the salt cavity remained stable, while the near-wellbore area (NWA) was prone to fracture due to tensile stress concentration. Thus, we concluded that the proposed thermomechanical coupling numerical simulation method provided a comprehensive and quantitative tool for the feasibility analysis of CO 2 storage in underground salt caverns.

Keywords: carbon dioxide; underground gas storage; salt cavern; thermodynamic model; numerical study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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