LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF CARBON DIOXIDE-LIMESTONE SEQUESTRATION IN THE OCEAN
In the second half of the second contractual year the construction of the High Pressure Flow Reactor (HPFR) was completed, tested, and satisfactory results have been obtained. The major component of the HPFR is a Kenics-type static mixer in which two fluids are thoroughly mixed. In our case the two fluids are liquid or supercritical CO{sub 2} and a slurry of pulverized limestone (CaCO{sub 3}) in pure or artificial seawater. The outflow from the static mixer is an emulsion consisting of CO{sub 2} droplets coated with a sheath of CaCO{sub 3} particles dispersed in water. The coated CO{sub 2} droplets are called globules, and the emulsion is called globulsion. By adjusting the proportions of the two fluids, carbon dioxide and water, the length and pressure drop across the static mixer, globules with a fairly uniform distribution of diameters can be obtained. By using different particle sizes of CaCO{sub 3}, globules can be obtained that are lighter or heavier than water, thus floating or sinking in a water column. The globulsion ensuing from the static mixer flows into a high pressure cell with windows, where the properties of the globules can be observed, such as their diameter and settling velocity. Using the Stokes' equation, the specific gravity of the globules can be determined. Also, a second generation High Pressure Batch Reactor (HPBR) was constructed. This reactor allows better mixing of the ingredients, more accurate temperature and pressure control, better illumination and video camera observations. In this reactor we established that CO{sub 2}-in-water globulsions can be formed stabilized by other particles than pulverized limestone. So far, we used flyash obtained from a local coal-fired power plant, and a pulverized magnesium silicate mineral, lizardite, Mg{sub 3}Si{sub 2}O{sub 5}(OH){sub 4}, obtained from DOE's Albany Research Laboratory. In the reporting period we conducted joint experiments in NETL's high pressure water tunnel facility. Thanks to the longer travel path of the globules, and the excellent optical instrumentation available at NETL, we were able to more accurately obtain globule diameters and settling velocities.
- Research Organization:
- University of Massachusetts (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC26-02NT41441
- OSTI ID:
- 834327
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 1 Sep 2004
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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