Process for safe underground storage of materials and apparatus for storage of such materials

Patent · Tue Sep 30 00:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:6553568

Grennard, A H

A method is disclosed for the formation of a safe storage area to hold materials, where the storage area is in the form of an underground storage cavern in a preferably rock formation maintained at a different temperature from the natural temperature of the environs surrounding the walls, floor, and the ceiling of said storage cavern. The inside of the storage cavern is with or without insulation and an inner first circulation system surrounds the cavern. The circulation system has a plurality of channels regularly distributed around the cavern and near its surface parallel to the axis of the storage space. The system of tunnels formed of the channels together encloses and surrounds the cavern. Further away from the cavern and on the outside of and in working relation to the first inner circulation system is a second outer circulation system, consisting of a plurality of regularly distributed channels formed either from the said inner tunnel system or between a second outer system of surrounding tunnels parallel to the axis of the storage space and together with said last mentioned channels enclosing the cavern and the inner circulation system. A circulating drying heat exchange medium for exchanging heat between the circulating medium and the surroundings around the first inner circulation system is introduced into the first inner circulation system and a circulating heat exchange drying medium for exchanging heat between the circulating medium and the surroundings around the second outer circulation system is also employed by maintaining heat exchange with the surroundings of first inner circulation system keeping its walls, floor, and ceiling of the cavern at a predetermined temperature above a temperature of the stored materials when storing hot materials below the temperature of the hot materials to form a temperature barrier envelope about said cavern.

• Assignee: IFI; EDB-81-054545
• Patent Number(s): US 4224800
• OSTI ID: 6553568
• Resource Relation: Patent Priority Date: Priority date 24 Oct 1977, Switzerland
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
42 ENGINEERING
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS
HEAT TRANSFER
ROCK CAVERNS
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
CAVITIES
CONTROL
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
NATURAL GAS
STORAGE
035000* - Natural Gas- Storage- (1989-)
422000 - Engineering- Mining & Underground Engineering- (1980-)