Mathematical modeling of unstable transport in underground hydrogen storage

Abstract

Within the framework of energy transition, hydrogen has a great potential as a clean energy carrier. The conversion of electricity into hydrogen for storage and transport is an efficient technological solution, capable of significantly reducing the problem of energy shortage. Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) is the best solution to store the large amount of excess electrical energy arising from the excessive over-production of electricity, with the objective of balancing the irregular and intermittent energy production, typical of renewable sources such as windmills or solar. Earlier studies have demonstrated that UHS should be qualitatively identical to the underground storage of natural gas. Much later, however, it was revealed that UHS is bound to incur peculiar difficulties, as the stored hydrogen is likely to be used by the microorganisms present in the rocks for their metabolism, which may cause significant losses of hydrogen. This paper demonstrates that besides microbial activities, the hydrodynamic behavior of UHS is very unique and different from that of a natural gas storage.

Evaluation of geochemical reactivity of hydrogen in sandstone: Application to geological storage

“…Besides abiotic reactions, microbial activity under conditions of underground storage is the main cause of hydrogen consumption (Hagemann et al 2015). It can affect the geochemical environment of gas storage and lead to significant loss of hydrogen (Reitenbach et al, 2015). Bacteria consume the energy produced from redox reactions involving hydrogen and other components in the reservoir; hydrogen is not consumed directly (Panfilov 2016).…”

Features of monitoring storage of methane-hydrogen mixtures

“…В открытой литературе рассматривается несколько вариантов транспортировки водорода: по существующей газотранспортной системе без ограничений, по специально построенным магистральным трубопроводам и по имеющейся транспортной системе в режиме последовательной перекачки. Каждый из вариантов имеет свои преимущества и недостатки с точки зрения надежности и получения прибыли в среднесрочной и долгосрочной перспективе [3,8,9].…”

Modeling Subsurface Hydrogen Storage With Transport Properties From Entropy Scaling Using the PC‐SAFT Equation of State

“…Hagemann et al. (2015) focused on the spatial hydrodynamic behavior of hydrogen versus methane in a porous aquifer, concluding that unstable displacement with lateral fingering occurs earlier in hydrogen storage. Feldmann et al.…”

“…This is due to hydrogen being less compressible and having a significantly lower volumetric energy density than natural gas. Hagemann et al (2015) focused on the spatial hydrodynamic behavior of hydrogen versus methane in a porous aquifer, concluding that unstable displacement with lateral fingering occurs earlier in hydrogen storage. Feldmann et al (2016) performed a numerical case study in a depleted gas reservoir.…”