Modeling Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Injection in Heterogeneous Porous Media
- LBNL Library
We investigate the physical processes that occur during the sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in liquid-saturated, brine-bearing geologic formations using the numerical simulator TOUGH2. CO2 is injected in a supercritical state that has a much lower density and viscosity than the liquid brine it displaces. In situ, the supercritical CO2 forms a gas-like phase, and also partially dissolves in the aqueous phase, creating a multi-phase, multi-component environment that shares many important features with the vadose zone. The flow and transport simulations employ an equation of state package that treats a two-phase (liquid, gas), three-component (water, salt, CO2) system. Chemical reactions between CO2 and rock minerals that could potentially contribute to mineral trapping of CO2 are not included. The geological setting considered is a fluvial/deltaic formation that is strongly heterogeneous, making preferential flow a significant effect, especially when coupled with the strong buoyancy forces acting on the gas-like CO2 plume. Key model development issues include vertical and lateral grid resolution, grid orientation effects, and the choice of characteristic curves.
- Research Organization:
- Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE. Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy. Office of Coal and Power Systems. National Energy Technology Laboratory (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 835349
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL--52527-JArt.
- Journal Information:
- Vadose Zone Journal, Journal Name: Vadose Zone Journal Vol. 3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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