Pore-scale imaging of hydrogen displacement and trapping in porous media

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.10.153

Authors: Eike M. Thaysen (The University of Edinburgh) , Ian B. Butler (The University of Edinburgh) , Aliakbar Hassanpouryouzband (The University of Edinburgh) , Damien Freitas (The University of Edinburgh) , Fernando Alvarez-Borges (Diamond Light Source) , Samuel Krevor (Imperial College London) , Niklas Heinemann (The University of Edinburgh) , Robert Atwood (Diamond Light Source) , Katriona Edlmann (The University of Edinburgh)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: International Journal Of Hydrogen Energy , VOL 105

State: Published (Approved)
Published: November 2022
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 26730

Abstract: Hydrogen can act as an energy store to balance supply and demand in the renewable energy sector. Hydrogen storage in subsurface porous media could deliver high storage capacities but the volume of recoverable hydrogen is unknown. We imaged the displacement and capillary trapping of hydrogen by brine in a Clashach sandstone core at 2–7 MPa pore fluid pressure using X-ray computed microtomography. Hydrogen saturation obtained during drainage at capillary numbers of <10−7 was ∼50% of the pore volume and independent of the pore fluid pressure. Hydrogen recovery during secondary imbibition at a capillary number of 2.4 × 10−6 systematically decreased with pressure, with 80%, 78% and 57% of the initial hydrogen recovered at 2, 5 and 7 MPa, respectively. Injection of brine at increasing capillary numbers up to 9.4 × 10−6 increased hydrogen recovery. Based on these results, we recommend more shallow, lower pressure sites for future hydrogen storage operations in porous media.

Journal Keywords: Geological hydrogen storage; μCT; Porous media; Recovery; Drainage; Imbibition

Diamond Keywords: Hydrogen Storage

Subject Areas: Earth Science, Energy


Instruments: I12-JEEP: Joint Engineering, Environmental and Processing

Added On: 16/11/2022 10:11

Documents:
1-s2.0-S0360319922048480-main.pdf

Discipline Tags:

Energy Storage Earth Sciences & Environment Sustainable Energy Systems Energy Climate Change Geology Geochemistry

Technical Tags:

Imaging Tomography