Descripción del proyecto
Predecir seísmos provocados por la inyección profunda de fluidos para la producción de energía geotérmica
Necesitamos un conjunto de tecnologías diferentes para alcanzar la neutralidad en carbono y así mitigar el cambio climático. Una opción innovadora es combinar la captura y almacenamiento de carbono con el aprovechamiento de los sistemas geotérmicos supercríticos en zonas volcánicas. Sin embargo, esta prometedora geoenergía está asociada a un riesgo sísmico a causa de la inyección profunda de fluidos. Evaluar su riesgo sísmico resulta difícil debido a la complejidad del problema. Por eso, el proyecto financiado con fondos europeos ARMISTICE combinará modelos de flujo de CO2 con reología de alta temperatura de las rocas y las fallas. Además, ampliará los modelos actuales del flujo subsuperficial de CO2 y agua a temperaturas muy altas, superiores a 375 ºC. En última instancia, determinará el potencial de la sismicidad inducida por la captura y almacenamiento de carbono y los sistemas geotérmicos supercríticos, así como las condiciones para un uso seguro.
Objetivo
Combining together carbon capture and storage (CCS) and exploitation of supercritical geothermal systems (SCGS) in volcanic areas, potentially a very large clean energy resource, could open the door to a whole new cutting-edge technology and contribute to the fight against global climate change. CCS-SCGS systems are widely unexplored and constitute a very challenging problem that involves complex coupled processes of multi-phase and multi-component flow in porous media, geomechanics and seismicity. Subsurface fluid injection technologies bear an intrinsic risk of inducing earthquakes by fault re-activation. Predicting injection-induced seismicity is complicated and challenging from a numerical perspective due to the discontinuous nature of faults. ARMISTICE explores for the first time the possibility of safely combining CCS and SCGS technologies by coupling CO2 flow models, developed by the host, to the high-temperature rheology of rock and faults, developed by the ER. Current models of subsurface flow of CO2 and H2O systems are limited to water’s subcritical temperature: in WP1 we address the problem by incorporating the full-range of fluids’ equation of state to determine the optimal conditions for employing CO2 as a geothermal fluid in volcanic areas. We will achieve the objective thanks to the complementary experience of the ER on SCGS and of the host on CCS. Based on the results of flow behavior, in WP2 we will determine the potential for induced seismicity in CCS-SCGS systems and the conditions for safe exploitation. Once again, the decisive advantage to a successful implementation will rely on the complementary nature of the ER past work on fractures and discontinuity modelling, and the one of the host on fluid injection-induced seismicity. ARMISTICE will be strongly based on a career development plan backed by training on multi-phase and multi-component fluid flow, CCS and transferable skills that will make the ER a global leader in geoenergies research.
Ámbito científico
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesgeologyseismology
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringcarbon capture engineering
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energygeothermal energy
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Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
28006 Madrid
España