Mechanisms for mechanical trapping of geologically sequestered carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide (CO[subscript 2]) sequestration in subsurface reservoirs is important for limiting atmospheric CO[subscript 2] concentrations. However, a complete physical picture able to predict the structure developing within the porous medium is lacking. We investigate theoretically reactive trans...
Main Authors: | , |
---|---|
Other Authors: | |
Format: | Article |
Language: | en_US |
Published: |
Royal Society
2015
|
Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/93870 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4006-7771 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7997-0119 |
_version_ | 1826198786828926976 |
---|---|
author | Rothman, Daniel H. Cohen, Yosef |
author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemical Engineering |
author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemical Engineering Rothman, Daniel H. Cohen, Yosef |
author_sort | Rothman, Daniel H. |
collection | MIT |
description | Carbon dioxide (CO[subscript 2]) sequestration in subsurface reservoirs is important for limiting atmospheric CO[subscript 2] concentrations. However, a complete physical picture able to predict the structure developing within the porous medium is lacking. We investigate theoretically reactive transport in the long-time evolution of carbon in the brine–rock environment. As CO[subscript 2] is injected into a brine–rock environment, a carbonate-rich region is created amid brine. Within the carbonate-rich region minerals dissolve and migrate from regions of high-to-low concentration, along with other dissolved carbonate species. This causes mineral precipitation at the interface between the two regions. We argue that precipitation in a small layer reduces diffusivity, and eventually causes mechanical trapping of the CO[subscript 2]. Consequently, only a small fraction of the CO[subscript 2] is converted to solid mineral; the remainder either dissolves in water or is trapped in its original form. We also study the case of a pure CO[subscript 2] bubble surrounded by brine and suggest a mechanism that may lead to a carbonate-encrusted bubble owing to structural diffusion. |
first_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:09:59Z |
format | Article |
id | mit-1721.1/93870 |
institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
language | en_US |
last_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:09:59Z |
publishDate | 2015 |
publisher | Royal Society |
record_format | dspace |
spelling | mit-1721.1/938702022-10-01T01:43:58Z Mechanisms for mechanical trapping of geologically sequestered carbon dioxide Rothman, Daniel H. Cohen, Yosef Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Lorenz Center (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Cohen, Yossi Rothman, Daniel H. Carbon dioxide (CO[subscript 2]) sequestration in subsurface reservoirs is important for limiting atmospheric CO[subscript 2] concentrations. However, a complete physical picture able to predict the structure developing within the porous medium is lacking. We investigate theoretically reactive transport in the long-time evolution of carbon in the brine–rock environment. As CO[subscript 2] is injected into a brine–rock environment, a carbonate-rich region is created amid brine. Within the carbonate-rich region minerals dissolve and migrate from regions of high-to-low concentration, along with other dissolved carbonate species. This causes mineral precipitation at the interface between the two regions. We argue that precipitation in a small layer reduces diffusivity, and eventually causes mechanical trapping of the CO[subscript 2]. Consequently, only a small fraction of the CO[subscript 2] is converted to solid mineral; the remainder either dissolves in water or is trapped in its original form. We also study the case of a pure CO[subscript 2] bubble surrounded by brine and suggest a mechanism that may lead to a carbonate-encrusted bubble owing to structural diffusion. United States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Science (Contract DE-AC02-05CH11231 Subcontract 6896518) 2015-02-05T18:49:20Z 2015-02-05T18:49:20Z 2015-01 2014-11 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 1364-5021 1471-2946 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/93870 Cohen, Y., and D. H. Rothman. “Mechanisms for Mechanical Trapping of Geologically Sequestered Carbon Dioxide.” Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 471, no. 2175 (January 21, 2015): 20140853–20140853. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4006-7771 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7997-0119 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2014.0853 Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences Creative Commons Attribution http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ application/pdf Royal Society Royal Society |
spellingShingle | Rothman, Daniel H. Cohen, Yosef Mechanisms for mechanical trapping of geologically sequestered carbon dioxide |
title | Mechanisms for mechanical trapping of geologically sequestered carbon dioxide |
title_full | Mechanisms for mechanical trapping of geologically sequestered carbon dioxide |
title_fullStr | Mechanisms for mechanical trapping of geologically sequestered carbon dioxide |
title_full_unstemmed | Mechanisms for mechanical trapping of geologically sequestered carbon dioxide |
title_short | Mechanisms for mechanical trapping of geologically sequestered carbon dioxide |
title_sort | mechanisms for mechanical trapping of geologically sequestered carbon dioxide |
url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/93870 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4006-7771 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7997-0119 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT rothmandanielh mechanismsformechanicaltrappingofgeologicallysequesteredcarbondioxide AT cohenyosef mechanismsformechanicaltrappingofgeologicallysequesteredcarbondioxide |