Subterranean Energy-Storage Fluid Storage via High-Salinity Brine
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of safely and cost-effectively storing energy-storage fluids like hydrogen in subterranean formations is hindered by microbial activity, which leads to undesired effects such as H2 loss, hydrogen sulphide formation, methane formation, acid formation, clogging, and corrosion, and biocide injection is inefficient and expensive.
Innovation Solution
Injecting a high-salinity aqueous solution or high-temperature gas into the subterranean formation to suppress microbial activity, followed by injecting the energy-storage fluid, or continuously injecting the compressed energy-storage fluid at elevated temperatures to maintain microbial suppression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If biocide injection is used to suppress microbial activity, then microbial degradation is reduced, but cost and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the injection fluid by using high-salinity brine (elevated salt concentration) and/or elevated temperature instead of chemical biocides. This parameter change achieves microbial suppression through osmotic stress and thermal effects rather than chemical toxicity, thereby reducing operational complexity and cost while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If high-salinity aqueous solution is injected to suppress microbial activity, then microbial degradation is reduced, but fluid handling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The high-salinity brine serves dual functions: it suppresses microbial activity while also being the storage medium for the energy-storage fluid. The brine inherently maintains its high salt concentration through the solubility characteristics of the dissolved salts, requiring minimal additional handling infrastructure. The system uses the brine's own properties to achieve microbial suppression without requiring separate treatment 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 method effectively suppresses microbial activity, ensuring a constant, safe, and cost-efficient supply of energy-storage fluids by maintaining the integrity of the subterranean formation and reducing microbial-induced degradation.
Implementation Method 1
injecting a high-salinity aqueous solution into the subterranean formation... may be effective to suppress microbial activity in the subterranean formation
Implementation Method 2
continuously injecting the compressed energy-storage fluid at elevated temperatures to maintain microbial suppression
Data Source
AI summary
A method for storing an energy-storage fluid within a subterranean formation having suppressed microbial activity includes injecting a high-salinity aqueous solution into the subterranean formation via at least one injection wellbore extending from a terranean surface and penetrating the subterranean formation, such that at least a portion of the high-salinity aqueous solution is held within the subterranean formation. The high-salinity aqueous solution includes water and an inorganic salt, and is configured to suppress microbial activity in the subterranean formation. The method also includes injecting the energy-storage fluid into the subterranean formation via the at least one injection wellbore to store at least a portion of the energy-storage fluid within the subterranean formation.