Porous Ceramic Filter Microbubble Injection for Shallow CO2 Storage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for underground carbon dioxide storage face challenges such as limited location availability due to the need for specific geological structures, high pressure requirements for microbubble formation, and complex apparatus designs, which restrict efficient storage, especially at shallow depths where pressure is insufficient for a supercritical state.

Innovation Solution

A device and method involving an injection well with a porous ceramic filter at its tip, capable of generating microbubbles from carbon dioxide or other substances, allowing efficient dissolution in a brine aquifer without requiring a supercritical state, thus enabling storage at shallower depths with reduced apparatus complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If carbon dioxide is injected into a storage layer with an anticlinal seal layer structure, then carbon dioxide storage reliability is improved, but the availability of storage locations is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecarbon dioxide storage reliabilityVSAvoidavailability of storage locations
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the physical state parameter of carbon dioxide from gaseous to supercritical state by injecting at high pressure (above 7.3 MPa) and controlled temperature (31°C or higher). This parameter change enables efficient storage in brine aquifers without requiring anticlinal seal layer structures, thereby expanding storage location availability while maintaining storage reliability through the dense supercritical state that reduces buoyancy and migration risk

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If carbon dioxide is hydrated to form hydrate particles for storage, then storage capacity is improved, but high pressure in excess of 10 MPa and low temperature of 10°C or lower are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage capacityVSAvoidpressure requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The invention utilizes the phase transition of carbon dioxide to supercritical state by controlling pressure (above 7.3 MPa) and temperature (31°C or higher) parameters. This phase transition achieves high storage capacity in brine aquifers without requiring the extreme conditions (pressure >10 MPa, temperature ≤10°C) needed for hydrate formation, thereby relaxing the pressure and temperature requirements while maintaining efficient storage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #36Phase transitions

3Productivity

If formation water is pumped up and carbon dioxide is injected as microbubbles, then carbon dioxide dissolution is improved, but the system becomes extensive requiring lifting well and lifting pump

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecarbon dioxide dissolution efficiencyVSAvoidsystem structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the lifting well and lifting pump components from the system by changing the injection approach. Instead of pumping formation water up and re-injecting, the system directly injects carbon dioxide into the brine aquifer at depth, where it forms microbubbles and dissolves efficiently. This extraction of unnecessary components simplifies the system structure while maintaining high carbon dioxide dissolution efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Adaptability or versatility

If carbon dioxide is injected at shallow depth, then storage location availability is improved, but pressure is insufficient for supercritical state formation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage location availabilityVSAvoidinjection pressure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies parameter changes by injecting carbon dioxide in a liquid state at shallow depths, which then transitions to supercritical state in-situ upon contact with the warmer brine aquifer environment. This approach enables storage location availability at shallow depths while achieving the desired supercritical state through environmental parameter interaction rather than requiring high injection pressure to maintain supercritical state during transport

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 allows for efficient underground storage of carbon dioxide and other substances in a brine aquifer at various depths, expanding storage location options and reducing apparatus complexity, while ensuring effective dissolution and fixation as carbonate compounds.

Implementation Method 1

a porous member provided in the vicinity of a tip of the injection well. The substance-to-be-stored pumped into the injection well can be injected into the brine aquifer via the porous member. In the course of injection of the substance-to-be-stored from the porous member into the brine aquifer, microbubbles of the substances to be stored are generated.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPorosity: Porosity

Implementation Method 2

a method applicable to a location where the seal layer 89 is not of an anticlinal structure, but of a monoclinal structure; specifically, a method for efficiently storing carbon dioxide in groundwater through dissolution of carbon dioxide in formation water present in an underground brine aquifer.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDissolution: Solvation

Data Source

PatentEP2465603B1Device and method for sequestering a substance
Publication Date: 2019.10.30 TOKYO GAS CO LTD
  • EP2465603B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2465603B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2465603B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

There are provided a carbon dioxide storage apparatus and a carbon dioxide storage method which, through direct injection of carbon dioxide into an underground brine aquifer, can store carbon dioxide efficiently in the brine aquifer. A filter (13) formed of, for example, grindstone is provided at a tip portion of an injection well (9). A pumping apparatus (5) pumps carbon dioxide stored in a carbon dioxide tank (3). The pumping apparatus (5) feeds carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide tank (3) into the injection well (9) by means of a pump. In the pumping apparatus, carbon dioxide is held in a state falling within a predetermined pressure range and a predetermined temperature range by means of a pressure regulation valve, a temperature regulator, etc. Carbon dioxide is fed in the direction of arrow A through the injection well (9), passes through the filter (13) provided at an end portion of the injection well (9), and is injected into a brine aquifer (11). Carbon dioxide injected into the brine aquifer (11) assumes the form of microbubbles.