Scaling Analysis of the Convective Mixing in Porous Media for Geological Storage of CO<sub>2</sub>: An Experimental Approach

Moghaddam, Rasoul Nazari; Rostami, Behzad; Pourafshary, Peyman

doi:10.1080/00986445.2013.878877

Cited by 23 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“… 2018 ; Nazari Moghaddam et al. 2015 ). Also, only in rare cases did the experiments enable direct visualisation of convective patterns (through an embedded optical side cell) (Khosrokhavar et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multidimensional Observations of Dissolution-Driven Convection in Simple Porous Media Using X-ray CT Scanning

et al. 2018

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We present an experimental study of dissolution-driven convection in a three-dimensional porous medium formed from a dense random packing of glass beads. Measurements are conducted using the model fluid system MEG/water in the regime of Rayleigh numbers, . X-ray computed tomography is applied to image the spatial and temporal evolution of the solute plume non-invasively. The tomograms are used to compute macroscopic quantities including the rate of dissolution and horizontally averaged concentration profiles, and enable the visualisation of the flow patterns that arise upon mixing at a spatial resolution of about ( . The latter highlights that under this Ra regime convection becomes truly three-dimensional with the emergence of characteristic patterns that closely resemble the dynamical flow structures produced by high-resolution numerical simulations reported in the literature. We observe that the mixing process evolves systematically through three stages, starting from pure diffusion, followed by convection-dominated and shutdown. A modified diffusion equation is applied to model the convective process with an onset time of convection that compares favourably with the literature data and an effective diffusion coefficient that is almost two orders of magnitude larger than the molecular diffusivity of the solute. The comparison of the experimental observations of convective mixing against their numerical counterparts of the purely diffusive scenario enables the estimation of a non-dimensional convective mass flux in terms of the Sherwood number, . We observe that the latter scales linearly with Ra , in agreement with both experimental and numerical studies on thermal convection over the same Ra regime.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multidimensional Observations of Dissolution-Driven Convection in Simple Porous Media Using X-ray CT Scanning

et al. 2018

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“…A few different types of experimental methods have been used to address these challenges. These methods include PVT cell experiments (Farajzadeh et al, ; Gholami et al, ; Khosrokhavar et al, ; Yang & Gu, ); analogue Hele‐Shaw cell experiments (Backhaus et al, ; Faisal et al, ; Kneafsey & Pruess, ; Slim et al, ); bead pack experiments (Agartan et al, ; MacMinn et al, ; MacMinn & Juanes, ; Neufeld et al, ) or combinations thereof (Kneafsey & Pruess, ; MacMinn & Juanes, ; Moghaddam et al, ; Mojtaba et al, ; Tsai et al, ). PVT cell experiments with CO 2 ‐brine systems enable easy quantification of global measures such as the total dissolved mass and mass transfer rate under thermodynamic reservoir conditions, but they have limited ability to visualize the convective process.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Refractive‐Light‐Transmission Technique Applied to Density‐Driven Convective Mixing in Porous Media With Implications for Geological CO₂ Storage

Rasmusson

Fagerlund

Rasmusson

et al. 2017

Water Resources Research

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Density‐driven convection has been identified to accelerate the rate of CO2 solubility trapping during geological CO2 storage in deep saline aquifers. In this paper, we present an experimental method using the refractive properties of fluids (their impact on light transmission), and an analogous system design, which enables the study of transport mechanisms in saturated porous media. The method is used to investigate solutally induced density‐driven convective mixing under conditions relevant to geological CO2 storage. The analogous system design allows us by choice of initial solute concentration and bead size to duplicate a wide range of conditions ( Ra‐values), making it possible to study the convective process in general, and as a laboratory analogue for systems found in the field. We show that the method accurately determines the solute concentration in the system with high spatial and temporal resolution. The onset time of convection ( tc), mass flux ( F), and flow dynamics are quantified and compared with experimental and numerical findings in the literature. Our data yield a scaling law for tc which gives new insight into its dependence on Ra, indicating tc to be more sensitive to large Ra than previously thought. Furthermore, our data show and explain why F is described equally well by a Ra‐dependent or a Ra‐independent scaling law. These findings improve the understanding of the physical process of convective mixing in saturated porous media in general and help to assess the CO2 solubility trapping rate under certain field conditions.

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“…For example, experiments have 83 measured CO 2 mass transfer to water at 25 °C and 1 -5 MPa (Farajzadeh et al, 2009), to water-84 saturated porous media at 25 °C and 2 -6 MPa (Moghaddam et al, 2012), and to water and 85 brine (up to 20 % salinity) saturated porous media at 38 °C and 3.45 MPa (Mojtaba et al, 2014; 86 Moghaddam et al, 2015). Although these experiments are informative to the general behavior of 87 3D density driven mixing, these CO 2 -water experiments were not conducted at relevant reservoir 88 conditions so the CO 2 phase (gas and liquid vs. supercritical), fluid densities, viscosities and the 89 solubility of CO 2 in water are not analogous.…”

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confidence: 99%

Experimental study of gravitational mixing of supercritical CO2

Newell

Carey

Backhaus

et al. 2018

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control

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Scaling Analysis of the Convective Mixing in Porous Media for Geological Storage of CO₂: An Experimental Approach

Cited by 23 publications

References 27 publications

Multidimensional Observations of Dissolution-Driven Convection in Simple Porous Media Using X-ray CT Scanning

Multidimensional Observations of Dissolution-Driven Convection in Simple Porous Media Using X-ray CT Scanning

Refractive‐Light‐Transmission Technique Applied to Density‐Driven Convective Mixing in Porous Media With Implications for Geological CO₂ Storage

Experimental study of gravitational mixing of supercritical CO2

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Scaling Analysis of the Convective Mixing in Porous Media for Geological Storage of CO2: An Experimental Approach

Cited by 23 publications

References 27 publications

Multidimensional Observations of Dissolution-Driven Convection in Simple Porous Media Using X-ray CT Scanning

Multidimensional Observations of Dissolution-Driven Convection in Simple Porous Media Using X-ray CT Scanning

Refractive‐Light‐Transmission Technique Applied to Density‐Driven Convective Mixing in Porous Media With Implications for Geological CO2 Storage

Experimental study of gravitational mixing of supercritical CO2

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Scaling Analysis of the Convective Mixing in Porous Media for Geological Storage of CO₂: An Experimental Approach

Refractive‐Light‐Transmission Technique Applied to Density‐Driven Convective Mixing in Porous Media With Implications for Geological CO₂ Storage