Speaker
Description
Geological Carbon Storage (GCS) involves long-term, megaton-scale CO2 injection that induces coupled fluid flow and mechanical deformation over spatial scales of tens of square kilometers. In contrast, most experimental investigations of poromechanical behavior are confined to centimeter-scale samples, limiting their ability to capture representative hydro-mechanical interactions relevant to field conditions. This scale gap motivated the development of our intermediate-scale experimental platform capable of resolving coupled flow–deformation processes under controlled yet realistic conditions.
The experimental setup enables controlled multiphase flow, pressure buildup, and stress–strain evolution in a heterogeneous porous medium, providing a physically meaningful bridge between small-scale laboratory tests and field-scale observations. Particular attention is given to capturing key hydro-mechanical interactions governing deformation and fluid migration during injection and post-injection phases.
The experimental design is supported by an extensive numerical poromechanical modeling campaign. While geological storage systems may involve fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical processes, this study focuses on nonlinear, isothermal hydro-mechanical coupling with explicit representation of multiphase flow and dissolved CO2 transport. Numerical simulations are used to: interpret the evolution of pressure, deformation, and dissolved-phase CO2 during injection; optimize injection protocols to ensure experimental efficiency and representativity of in situ conditions; and explore limiting scenarios and assess sensitivity to key flow parameters.
This approach supports more robust upscaling strategies and advances the development of standardized methodologies for assessing the long-term performance and integrity of GCS systems.
| Country | Switzerland |
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