Subterranean CO2 Injection Phase Control via Dynamic Pressure and Temperature Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in efficiently capturing and storing carbon dioxide on a massive scale, particularly in depleted hydrocarbon formations, to comply with regulatory requirements and maximize asset utilization.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a computation model combined with real-time phase control of injected CO2, utilizing inflow control valves and monitoring pressure and temperature, to achieve a supercritical or dense phase, thereby optimizing the cumulative mass flow of CO2.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If CO2 is injected in gaseous or liquid phase, then injection cost is reduced, but injection efficiency and throughput decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically changes the physical parameters (pressure and temperature) of CO2 during injection to maintain supercritical or dense phase conditions. By continuously monitoring and adjusting P/T parameters, the system ensures CO2 remains in the optimal phase for efficient injection while managing costs through automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent explicitly utilizes phase transitions by controlling CO2 to transition into and maintain supercritical or dense phase during injection. The system manages phase changes by adjusting pressure and temperature conditions, ensuring CO2 achieves the desired phase state for optimal injection efficiency and throughput.
2Productivity
If real-time phase control is implemented, then CO2 injection efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements real-time feedback control by continuously monitoring pressure and temperature of injected CO2 and automatically adjusting injection parameters. The system uses sandface P/T data to feedback to surface control systems, enabling dynamic phase management that improves injection efficiency while automating the control process to manage complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control systems with automated computational models and electronic control systems. By using computer algorithms to predict and control CO2 phase behavior based on P/T monitoring, the system reduces the need for complex manual intervention while maintaining high injection efficiency through automated phase management.
3Ease of operation
If CO2 is injected without phase control, then operational simplicity is maintained, but cumulative mass flow and storage capacity are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the injection system to self-regulate CO2 phase conditions through automated monitoring and control. The system uses embedded sensors and control algorithms to automatically adjust injection parameters, allowing the system to serve itself in maintaining optimal phase conditions without continuous manual intervention, thereby increasing cumulative mass flow while preserving operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes pressure and temperature parameters during injection to optimize CO2 phase and maximize cumulative mass flow. By automatically adjusting P/T parameters based on real-time monitoring, the system increases storage capacity and injection volume while maintaining ease of operation through automated control systems.
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 enhances the efficiency of CO2 injection by maintaining a dense or supercritical phase, leading to improved cost-effectiveness and throughput in carbon storage, while adhering to operational constraints.
Implementation Method 1
The controller may dynamically adjust the flow at each injection valve to maintain certain phase parameters such as a threshold density or threshold percentage of dense or supercritical flow of the carbon dioxide injected at each injection location
Data Source
AI summary
Injection into a subterranean formation is optimized using a computation model to optimize injection. An optimization objective is to maximize the cumulative fluid mass rates injection that span over the remaining life of the field, while maintaining a dense or supercritical phase and operating within the equipment operational parameters. The phase at each location may be determined based on pressure and temperature, and flow is dynamically adjusted to maintain a phase having at least a threshold density of the carbon dioxide injected at each injection location.