PNNL at the American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting 2023
PNNL experts at the ANS Winter Meeting and the Advances in Nuclear Nonproliferation Technology and Policy Conference will share fuel cycle research including disposal, storage, transportation, and consent-based siting.
Downhole Fluid Injection Systems CO2 Sequestration Methods and Hydrocarbon Material Recovery Methods
A down borehole injection tool is described for injecting a microemulsion of liquid CO2 and H2O into a porous formation. The tool is capable of combining a variable ratio of H2O and CO2 into a microemulsion from two separate components: H2O and liquid CO2. The microemulsion is generated by shearing off microscopic droplets of liquid CO2 in a high pressure channel of H2O. The shearing action produces a homogenous dense stream of discrete droplets of liquid CO2 in H2O. The mixture is subsequently blended and transported from the injector by the high pressure water into the target formation. The injection tool is designed to accommodate an inlet for H2O and liquid CO2, which are typically stored above ground. Surface pumps are used to produce the required pressure for both the H2O and CO2. Once the H2O-CO2 microemulsion is generated, it exits the injection tool vertically in a radial pattern covering the length of the target formation. Inflatable packers are used to isolate the target formation in either an open borehole or a cased bore hole with perforated intervals.