Pore‐Scale Observations of Hydrogen Trapping and Migration in Porous Rock: Demonstrating the Effect of Ostwald Ripening

Zhang, Yihuai; Bijeljic, Branko; Gao, Ying; Goodarzi, Sepideh; Foroughi, Sajjad; Blunt, Martin J.

doi:10.1029/2022gl102383

Cited by 19 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…This is detrimental to the H 2 withdrawal process, and as a result, it can be inferred that the use of strongly water-wet Gosford sandstone may not be a suitable option for hydrogen storage due to the snap-off effects that encourage the high residual H 2 trapping and discourage the extraction or withdrawal of stored H 2 . Zhang et al 65 reported that H 2 recovery efficiency could be enhanced by the swelling of larger ganglia, which can increase the gas connectivity and result in less hysteresis.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Snap-Off Effects and High Hydrogen Residual Trapping: Implications for Underground Hydrogen Storage in Sandstone Aquifer

Al-Yaseri,

Yekeen,

Al-Mukainah

et al. 2024

Energy Fuels

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Hydrogen (H 2 ) is a promising clean fuel that could replace fossil fuels for the actualization of the net zero carbon energy transition. Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) in sandstone formations is an essential component of the hydrogen economy value chain for achieving large-scale H 2 storage. In this study, snap-off effects and impacts of high hydrogen residual trapping on the viability of UHS in a Gosford sandstone formation were assessed from initial and residual H 2 saturations in the miniature core plugs. The flooded cores were imaged with X-ray microcomputed tomography (μCT) to identify the fluid (brine and H 2 ) distributions in the pore spaces. Results showed the presence of large interconnected stable H 2 clusters after the drainage process, with an initial H 2 saturation of almost 53%, suggesting that hydrogen will occupy more than half of the pore volume during storage. However, several disconnected H 2 ganglia and the snapped-off of H 2 droplets from the pore throats were noticed after the imbibition stage with almost 44% residual H 2 saturations. Such highly residually trapped H 2 in the strongly water-wet Gosford sandstone will be difficult to mobilize, resulting in the possible withdrawal of just 9% stored H 2 . The study suggests that the water-wet system could produce high H 2 residual saturations, which is unfavorable for hydrogen withdrawal and extraction at the peak energy demand period due to disconnection and trapping of the nonwetting phase.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Snap-Off Effects and High Hydrogen Residual Trapping: Implications for Underground Hydrogen Storage in Sandstone Aquifer

Al-Yaseri,

Yekeen,

Al-Mukainah

et al. 2024

Energy Fuels

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“…The polymer spheres contain hydrogen. The role of hydrogen in Ostwald ripening has only occasionally been investigated [76] but is considered to be an important part of the desalination process [73].…”

Section: Ostwald Ripening Model Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Desalination of Saline Irrigation Water Using Hydrophobic, Metal–Polymer Hydrogels

Antia¹

2023

Sustainability

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Saline irrigation water accounts for 15% to 30% of global, anthropogenic, water usage, and around 10% to 15% of global arable food production. Decreasing the salinity of this irrigation water has the potential to substantially increase the yields associated with these crops. In this paper, 87 sol–gel hydrophobic and supra-hydrophobic, hollow, metal, hydroxyoxide and polymer formulations (constructed using inexpensive, agricultural chemicals) were demonstrated to remove Na+ ions and Cl− ions from saline water. The process operates without producing a waste brine or requiring an external energy source and is designed to desalinate water within existing tanks and impoundments. The desalination results of the polymer were combined with the salinity reduction profiles of 70 crops suitable for cultivation, including arable, orchard, horticultural, and livestock forage crops. The analysis established that use of the desalinated water may result in both substantial increases in crop yield, and an increase in the variety of crops that can be grown. Analysis of the ion removal process established a novel methodology for assessing the salinity of the product water. This methodology allows the salinity of the product water to be determined from a combination of EC (electrical conductivity) and pH measurements.

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“…Two‐phase flow in porous media is a critical area in many scientific fields and applications (Bear & Cheng, 2010; Blunt, 2017, 2022; Boot‐Handford et al., 2014; Juanes et al., 2006; Li et al., 2023; Moghadasi et al., 2023; Sahimi, 2011; Shokri‐Kuehni et al., 2017; Zhang et al., 2023c; Zhao, 2013). Many porous materials, from electrochemical devices to catalysts and porous rocks, have a wide range of pore size.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incorporation of Sub‐Resolution Porosity Into Two‐Phase Flow Models With a Multiscale Pore Network for Complex Microporous Rocks

Foroughi,

Bijeljic,

Gao

et al. 2024

Water Resources Research

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Porous materials, such as carbonate rocks, frequently have pore sizes which span many orders of magnitude. This is a challenge for models that rely on an image of the pore space, since much of the pore space may be unresolved. In this work, sub‐resolution porosity in X‐ray images is characterized using differential imaging which quantifies the difference between a dry scan and 30 wt% potassium iodide brine saturated images. Once characterized, we develop a robust workflow to incorporate the sub‐resolution pore space into a network model using Darcy‐type elements called microlinks. Each grain voxel with sub‐resolution porosity is assigned to the two nearest resolved pores using an automatic dilation algorithm. By including these microlinks with empirical models in flow modeling, we simulate single‐phase and multiphase flow. By fine‐tuning the microlink empirical models, we match permeability, formation factor (the ratio of the resistivity of a rock filled with brine to the resistivity of that brine), and drainage capillary pressure to experimental results. We then show that our model can successfully predict steady‐state relative permeability measurements on a water‐wet Estaillades carbonate sample within the uncertainty of the experiments and modeling. Our approach of incorporating sub‐resolution porosity in two‐phase flow modeling using image‐based multiscale pore network techniques can capture complex pore structures and accurately predict flow behavior in porous materials with a wide range of pore size.

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Pore‐Scale Observations of Hydrogen Trapping and Migration in Porous Rock: Demonstrating the Effect of Ostwald Ripening

Cited by 19 publications

References 36 publications

Snap-Off Effects and High Hydrogen Residual Trapping: Implications for Underground Hydrogen Storage in Sandstone Aquifer

Snap-Off Effects and High Hydrogen Residual Trapping: Implications for Underground Hydrogen Storage in Sandstone Aquifer

Desalination of Saline Irrigation Water Using Hydrophobic, Metal–Polymer Hydrogels

Incorporation of Sub‐Resolution Porosity Into Two‐Phase Flow Models With a Multiscale Pore Network for Complex Microporous Rocks

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