Workshop on:Basic Research Needs in Geosciences:
Facilitating 21st Century Energy SystemsFebruary 20-24, 2007
Workshop on:Basic Research Needs in Geosciences:
Facilitating 21st Century Energy SystemsFebruary 20-24, 2007
Co-chairs:Don DePaolo (LBNL and UC Berkeley)
Lynn Orr (Stanford University)
Organizing Committee / Panel Leads:
Sally Benson (LBNL - Stanford)Michael Celia (Princeton)Andy Felmy (PNNL)Kathryn Nagy (U. Chicago-CC)Roel Snieder (Colorado Sch. Mines)Graham Fogg (U.C. Davis)Karsten Pruess (LBNL)James Davis (USGS)
Julio Friedmann (LLNL) (TPRD - CCS)Mark Peters (ANL) (TPRD - NW) BES shepherds: Nick Woodward and John Miller
Workshop:Feb. 20-24, 2007
Report published:July 10, 2007
http://www.sc.doe.gov/bes/reports/list.html
OutlineOutline Technical challenges
CO2 sequestration
Nuclear waste disposal
Workshop organization Summary of results
Two driving objectivesTwo driving objectives Meeting energy demand in the coming century Drastically reducing CO2 emissions
Standard Fossil Fuel ± Hydrogen Economy => Sequester 10 Gt CO2/yr
Expand Nuclear by 10x => Sequester SNF at ≈ 1 Yucca Mtn/Yr globally
"Because both gas and coal reforming processes generate CO2 (coal generates approximately twice as much per unit H2) their value in meeting the fundamental goals of a hydrogen economy (150 million tons/yr by 2040) depends on developing safe, effective and economical methods for CO2 sequestration." (p.19)
"Reliance on coal as a sole source of energy for generating hydrogen for Freedom Car transportation needs would require doubling of current domestic coal production and consumption." (p.11) (330,000 MW today)
Basic Research Needs for the Hydrogen Economy report....Basic Research Needs for the Hydrogen Economy report....
Basic Research Needs for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems report....
Basic Research Needs for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems report....
... for nuclear power to have a significant impact on energy production and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ... Estimated needs for nuclear power production are as high as 300 EJ/year by the year 2050, .... This represents nearly an order-of-magnitude increase over the ~440 nuclear reactors that are presently in operation.
.... advanced waste forms will have to be designed to ensure safe performance for periods ranging from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of years... in the complex, highly coupled natural environment of the near field in a geologic repository
"Underground" as a long term container
"Underground" as a long term container
Advantages Enormous volume (as required) Distance from the surface environment Pre-made container
Challenges Designed by nature, only approximately fits the design
criteria for containment Complex materials => complex processes Difficult to see and monitor Uncertainty about long-term performance (102-106 yr)
Technical PerspectivesTechnical Perspectives
Multiphase Fluid Transport in Geologic Media
Figure 1: Options for storing CO2 in underground geological formations. After Benson and Cook (2005).
CO2 trappingmechanismsCO2 trappingmechanisms
Technical PerspectivesTechnical Perspectives
2 mm
TypicalSandstone 1 cm1 cm
Scale of CO2 sequestration - large footprint, large number of wells, multiple subsurface processes and rates
Sleipner10 MT CO2 in 10 yr
Global Target: 10,000 MT CO2/yr
Nuclear waste repositories also have large dimensions
Unlike CO2, with NW you know exactly where the material is placed underground....
Figure 3. Schematic illustration of the emplacement drift, with cutaway views of different waste packages for Yucca Mountain design concept (from DOE, 2002b).
Technical PerspectivesTechnical Perspectives
But it needs to be contained for a very long time
Interesting chemistry starts at the waste package and extends out into the surrounding rock formations
The combination of elevated temperature, high radiation levels, different engineered and natural materials, and the long storage time presents an achievable, but nevertheless challenging simulation and prediction problem. Basic materials
properties data, and models of the complex interactions need to continually improve.
Other countries are choosing different geologic environments, but face similar challenges in evaluating long-term performance
Swedish concept for a deep geologic repository (Lundqvist, 2006).
1. Multiphase Fluid Transport
2. Chemical Migration Processes
3. Characterization
4. Modeling and Simulation
5. Cross-Cutting and Grand Challenge
Science Themes
Workshop structure - 5 panelsWorkshop structure - 5 panels
Grand Challenges
1. Computational thermodynamics of complex fluids and solids
2. Integrated characterization, modeling, and monitoring of geologic systems
3. Simulation of multi-scale systems for ultra-long times
Cross cutting issues
1. The microscopic basis of macroscopic complexity• Highly reactive subsurface materials and environments• Thermodynamics of the solute-to-solid continuum
Workshop productsWorkshop products
(Material properties & chemical interactions)
(Seeing into the Earth)
(Predicting performance)
Grand Challenges
1. Computational thermodynamics of complex fluids and solids
2. Integrated characterization, modeling, and monitoring of geologic systems
3. Simulation of multi-scale systems for ultra-long times
Cross cutting issues
1. The microscopic basis of macroscopic complexity• Highly reactive subsurface materials and environments• Thermodynamics of the solute-to-solid continuum
Workshop productsWorkshop products
(Material properties & chemical interactions)
(Seeing into the Earth)
(Predicting performance)
Priority Research Directions
1. Mineral-water interface complexity and dynamics
2. Nanoparticulate and colloid physics and chemistry
3. Dynamic imaging of flow and transport
4. Transport properties and in situ characterization of
fluid trapping, isolation, and immobilization
5. Fluid-induced rock deformation
6. Biogeochemistry in extreme and perturbed
environments
Workshop productsWorkshop products
Basic Research Needs for Geosciences, February 21-24, 2007Basic Research Needs for Geosciences, February 21-24, 2007Technology Maturation
& DeploymentApplied ResearchDiscovery Research Use-inspired Basic Research
Office of Science FE, RW, EM, EERE
Microscopic basis of macroscopic complexity - scaling
Highly reactive subsurface materials and environments
Thermodynamics of the solute-to-solid continuum
Computational geochemistry of complex moving fluids within porous solids
Integrated analysis, modeling and monitoring of geologic systems
Simulation of multi-scale systems for ultra-long times
Mineral-fluid interface complexity and dynamics
Nanoparticulate and colloid chemistry and physics
Dynamic imaging of flow and transport
Transport properties and in situ characterization of fluid trapping, isolation and immobilization
Fluid-induced rock deformation
Biogeochemical in extreme subsurface environments
Develop and test methods for assessing storage capacity and for monitoring containment of CO2 storage
Develop remediation methods to ensure permanent storage
Demonstrate procedures for characterizing storage reservoirs and seals
Integrated models for waste performance prediction and confirmation
Radionuclide partitioning in repository environments.
Waste form stability and release models.
Incorporate new conceptual models into uncertainty assessments.
Develop site selection criteria
Develop storage and operating engineering approaches
Storage demonstrations
Apply assessment protocols and technologies for the lifecycle of projects
Evaluate release of radionuclide inventory from the repository
Assess corrosion/ alteration of engineered materials
Long-term safety/risk assessment for emplacement of energy system by-products.
SummarySummarySummarySummary
The BRN Geosciences workshop and report provide an up-to-date assessment of geoscience research needs for the coming decades
The participants are excited by the research possibilities, committed to the technical objectives, and enthusiastic about the workshop aims
The research described involves and depends on continued advances in theory, materials analysis, and modeling, and hence aligns with fundamental aims of DOE Office of Science
Report conclusions are complementary to those of recent reports on the hydrogen economy, advanced nuclear energy systems, advanced computing, alternative fuels, and with the capabilities of major BES research facilities