Alkaline Carbonate CO2 Sequestration via pH Balanced Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for long-term CO2 storage, such as injecting supercritical or gaseous CO2 into subsurface locations, face challenges including high energy costs, potential surface losses, and risks of CO2 reversal due to low geothermal gradients in many formations.
Innovation Solution
The use of alkaline fluids, such as sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, embedded with captured CO2, which are injected into subsurface locations or water bodies, offering advantages like reduced energy consumption, minimized surface losses, and enhanced storage reliability due to density differences and chemical stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If gaseous or supercritical CO2 is injected into subsurface locations, then storage capacity per volume is improved, but risk of CO2 reversal increases due to buoyancy and potential migration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of CO2 from gaseous/supercritical to dissolved phase by injecting it into formation water under reservoir conditions. This parameter change increases density and eliminates buoyancy-driven migration, resolving the contradiction between storage capacity and reversal risk
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses formation water as an intermediary medium to dissolve CO2. The water acts as a carrier that transports CO2 into the subsurface reservoir and maintains it in a dense, non-migrating state, thereby reducing reversal risk while preserving storage capacity
2Reliability
If mineralization is used for CO2 storage in low geothermal gradient formations, then durability of storage is improved, but time required for mineralization increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary dissolution of CO2 into formation water before injection, creating a CO2-saturated brine solution. This preliminary action ensures that CO2 is already in the dissolved phase upon injection, eliminating the need for lengthy in-situ mineralization processes and reducing the time required while maintaining durability through subsequent mineral trapping
3Quantity of substance
If supercritical CO2 injection is used, then storage density is improved, but energy consumption increases due to compression requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the natural reservoir conditions (temperature and pressure) to dissolve CO2 into formation water, creating a dense stored phase without requiring external compression energy input. The reservoir environment itself provides the necessary conditions for high-density storage, eliminating the energy-consuming compression step while maintaining high storage density
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides a cost-effective, reliable, and geographically diverse method for long-term CO2 storage, reducing the risk of reversal and enabling efficient use of existing well permitting processes.
Implementation Method 1
dissolved into formation water to increase its density
Implementation Method 2
forming carbonate minerals by reacting dissolved inorganic carbon resulting from CO2 dissolution (carbonic acid and bicarbonate) with mineral surfaces containing abundant divalent cations
Implementation Method 3
completely dissolved CO2 is denser than formation brine, so it will sink within the reservoir
Data Source
AI summary
A method for sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2) includes receiving an alkaline fluid stream and receiving an acidic stream. The alkaline fluid stream and the acidic stream are produced by a direct air carbon capture process and the carbonate includes air-captured CO2. The method also includes producing a pH balanced CO2 stream by mixing the alkaline fluid stream with an acidic mixing portion comprising 0% up to 100% of the acidic stream, and storing the pH balanced CO2 stream in a storage location. The storage location can include at least one of a subsurface location, on land, or in a water body. The storage location and the pH balanced CO2 stream are configured to provide long-term storage of the air-captured CO2.