CO₂-Brine Displacement in Geological CO₂ Sequestration: Microfluidic Flow Model Study

Abstract:

Geological CO₂ sequestration is a promising method to reduce atmospheric CO₂. Deep saline aquifers are one of the most important sites due to their capacity for CO₂ storage. Thus, a better understanding of immiscible brine-CO₂ mobility and their saturations including invading patterns in deep saline aquifers as CO₂ storage sites is required. Microfluidic model provides the opportunity to discover unrecognized processes and to explore existing theories in fluid flow through porous media. In this study, the microfluidic model is used to explore the effects of both the supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) injecting velocity and ionic strength in saline aquifers on scCO₂ invading patterns in geological CO₂ sequestration. The results show that scCO₂-brine displacement ratio increases with (1) increased scCO₂ injecting velocity up to 40 μL/min, and (2) decreased ionic strength in the range of 1M~5M NaCl.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volumes 752-753)
• Pages: 1210-1213
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.752-753.1210
• Online since: April 2015
• Authors: Shuang Cindy Cao, Jong Won Jung*, Jong Wan Hu
• Keywords: CO₂ Sequestration, CO₂ Storage, Displacement, Micromodel, Saturation

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