Speaker
Description
The efficiency of short and long term underground hydrogen storage in subsurface porous media is one of the limiting technical challenges facing the renewable energy industry. Storage and withdrawal efficiency may depend on microbial consumption of molecular hydrogen promoted by conducive environmental and physical conditions in the porous medium that favour growth and survival of many anaerobic microorganisms. Relevant to UHS are bacteria and archaea. The organisms depend on molecular hydrogen as an electron source for cellular respiration. In this study, state-of-the art visualization techniques were utilized to study hydrogen consumption and bacteria growth in 6 cm x 1.5 cm sand and glass bead packs. A multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - positron emission tomography (PET) scanner was used to study both static and dynamic phenomena, respectively. Sand and glass bead packs were saturated with bacteria solution (a sulphate-reducer olei desulfovibrio alaskensis), both without and in the presence of hydrogen. The whole experiment was conducted under anaerobic conditions for the bacteria to survive and grow. In-situ visualization provided insight into the dynamics of bacterial growth and hydrogen consumption rates: MRI provided information on the spatial fluid saturation at micrometer scale. PET provided fluid displacement dynamics during injection of brine, nutrients and bacteria at high temporal resolutions. We, hence, observed bacterial growth and fluid flow redistribution at resolutions not previously used to study these phenomena at the core scale.
| Participation | In-Person |
|---|---|
| Country | Norway |
| Energy Transition Focused Abstracts | This abstract is related to Energy Transition |
| MDPI Energies Student Poster Award | Yes, I would like to submit this presentation into the student poster award. |
| Acceptance of the Terms & Conditions | Click here to agree |
