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University of Texas engineer to present ‘leak free’ CO2 storage method
Storage, Nov 14 2008 (Carbon Capture Journal)
- Steven Bryant, engineering professor at The University of Texas at Austin, will present new research at the ninth annual International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies that examines a storage method that could eliminate the risk of CO2 escaping via buoyancy.
The biggest risk associated with geologic carbon-dioxide sequestration is that the CO2, which is less dense than water, will escape from the storage formation through buoyancy. But Bryant, who directs the Geological CO2 Storage Research Project at The University of Texas at Austin, believes he and his team have a novel solution.
Instead of injecting the compressed CO2 directly into a deep underground formation, Bryant offers this alternative: drill wells in the deep, salt-water filled formation, pump out the salt water, dissolve the carbon dioxide into the salt water in a mixing tank at the surface, and then inject the CO2-laden water back into the same formation.
The CO2-laden water is much more dense than compressed CO2, and slightly denser than the original brine. Thus, it will have no tendency to rise toward the earth's surface, in contrast to compressed CO2, which is buoyant under typical storage conditions.
"Our idea is the equivalent of injecting carbonated water. This process has several advantages, but the most important is that it eliminates the risk of sequestered carbon dioxide escaping from the storage formation," Bryant says.
"Our work shows that this alternative process does cost more than the standard approach, but not prohibitively more. In essence, the incremental cost can be regarded as the price of risk reduction. This is an important consideration because all stakeholders will want the greatest assurance of secure storage for the lowest cost."
The talk will be on Nov. 19, around 9:30-10 a.m. EST at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St. NW, in Washington, D.C.
ninth annual International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies
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