Water coning in porous media reservoirs for compressed air energy storage
The general purpose of this work is to define the hydrodynamic and thermodynamic response of a CAES porous media reservoir subjected to simulated air mass cycling. This research will assist in providing design guidelines for the efficient and stable operation of the air storage reservoir. This report presents the analysis and results for the two-phase (air-water), two-dimensional, numerical modeling of CAES porous media reservoirs. The effects of capillary pressure and relative permeability were included. The fluids were considered to be immisicible; there was no phase change; and the system was isothermal. The specific purpose of this analysis was to evaluate the reservoir parameters that were believed to be important to water coning. This phenomenon may occur in reservoirs in which water underlies the air storage zone. It involves the possible intrusion of water into the wellbore or near-wellbore region. The water movement is in response to pressure gradients created during a reservoir discharge cycle. Potential adverse effects due to this water movement are associated with the pressure response of the reservoir and the geochemical stability of the near-wellbore region. The results obtained for the simulated operation of a CAES reservoir suggest that water coning should not be a severe problem, due to the slow response of the water to the pressure gradients and the relatively short duration in which those gradients exist. However, water coning will depend on site-specific conditions, particularly the fluid distributions following bubble development, and, therefore, a water coning analysis should be included as part of site evaluation.
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 6463248
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-3470; ON: DE81025774
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
42 ENGINEERING
COMPRESSED AIR ENERGY STORAGE
ROCK CAVERNS
POROUS MATERIALS
TWO-PHASE FLOW
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
POROSITY
BUBBLES
HYDRODYNAMICS
PERMEABILITY
THERMODYNAMICS
UNDERGROUND
WATER
WATER RESERVOIRS
CAVITIES
ENERGY STORAGE
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LEVELS
MATERIALS
MECHANICS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
STORAGE
SURFACE WATERS
250200* - Energy Storage- Compressed & Liquified Gas
420400 - Engineering- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow