Study of Impact of Sediment on the Stability of Salt Cavern Underground Gas Storage

Xiaopeng Liang, Hongling Ma (), Rui Cai, Kai Zhao, Xuan Wang, Zhuyan Zheng, Xilin Shi and Chunhe Yang
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Xiaopeng Liang: State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
Hongling Ma: State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
Rui Cai: State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
Kai Zhao: State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
Xuan Wang: State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
Zhuyan Zheng: State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
Xilin Shi: State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
Chunhe Yang: State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 23, 1-23

Abstract: The utilization of sediment voids for natural gas storage represents the future direction of salt cavern underground gas storage (UGS) in China. In this study, we first analyzed the way in which the sediment interacts with the salt caverns and the equilibrium state of the process. Subsequently, a novel approach employing the Discrete Element Method (DEM) for simulating sediment-filled salt cavern UGS was introduced, successfully modeling the operational process of sediment-filled salt cavern UGS. Moreover, deformation, plastic zone behavior, effective volume shrinkage rate, equivalent strain, and safety factor were employed to assess the impact of sediment on salt cavern stability. The findings indicate a positive influence of sediment on salt cavern stability, particularly in regions directly contacting the sediment. Deformation and effective volume shrinkage of the cavern were effectively mitigated, significantly improving the stress state of rock salt. This effect is more pronounced at lower internal gas pressures. In summary, sediment enhances the stability of salt caverns, providing a long-term and stable environment for natural gas storage within sediment voids.

Keywords: rock salt; UGS; sediment; stability; natural gas; energy storage (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: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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