TY - JOUR A1 - Wetzel, Maria A1 - Kempka, Thomas A1 - Kühn, Michael T1 - Diagenetic trends of synthetic reservoir sandstone properties assessed by digital rock physics JF - Minerals N2 - Quantifying interactions and dependencies among geometric, hydraulic and mechanical properties of reservoir sandstones is of particular importance for the exploration and utilisation of the geological subsurface and can be assessed by synthetic sandstones comprising the microstructural complexity of natural rocks. In the present study, three highly resolved samples of the Fontainebleau, Berea and Bentheim sandstones are generated by means of a process-based approach, which combines the gravity-driven deposition of irregularly shaped grains and their diagenetic cementation by three different schemes. The resulting evolution in porosity, permeability and rock stiffness is examined and compared to the respective micro-computer tomographic (micro-CT) scans. The grain contact-preferential scheme implies a progressive clogging of small throats and consequently produces considerably less connected and stiffer samples than the two other schemes. By contrast, uniform quartz overgrowth continuously alters the pore space and leads to the lowest elastic properties. The proposed stress-dependent cementation scheme combines both approaches of contact-cement and quartz overgrowth, resulting in granulometric, hydraulic and elastic properties equivalent to those of the respective micro-CT scans, where bulk moduli slightly deviate by 0.8%, 4.9% and 2.5% for the Fontainebleau, Berea and Bentheim sandstone, respectively. The synthetic samples can be further altered to examine the impact of mineral dissolution or precipitation as well as fracturing on various petrophysical correlations, which is of particular relevance for numerous aspects of a sustainable subsurface utilisation. KW - digital core reconstruction KW - micro-CT scan KW - pore-scale KW - cementation KW - permeability-porosity relationship KW - elastic rock properties KW - numerical KW - simulation Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/min11020151 SN - 2075-163X VL - 11 IS - 2 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kühn, Michael A1 - Kempka, Thomas A1 - de Lucia, Marco A1 - Scheck-Wenderoth, Magdalena T1 - Dissolved CO2 storage in geological formations with low pressure, low risk and large capacities T2 - Energy procedia N2 - Geological CO2 storage is a mitigation technology to reduce CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion. However, major concerns are the pressure increase and saltwater displacement in the mainly targeted deep groundwater aquifers due to injection of supercritical CO2. The suggested solution is storage of CO2 exclusively in the dissolved state. In our exemplary regional case study of the North East German Basin based on a highly resolved temperature and pressure distribution model and a newly developed reactive transport coupling, we have quantified that 4.7 Gt of CO2 can be stored in solution compared to 1.5 Gt in the supercritical state. KW - carbon dioxide KW - dissolved KW - storage capacity KW - numerical simulation KW - saline aquifer KW - Buntsandstein Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.03.1607 SN - 1876-6102 VL - 114 SP - 4722 EP - 4727 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - GEN A1 - Tillner, Elena A1 - Langer, Maria A1 - Kempka, Thomas A1 - Kühn, Michael T1 - Fault damage zone volume and initial salinity distribution determine intensity of shallow aquifer salinisation in subsurface storage T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - Injection of fluids into deep saline aquifers causes a pore pressure increase in the storage formation, and thus displacement of resident brine. Via hydraulically conductive faults, brine may migrate upwards into shallower aquifers and lead to unwanted salinisation of potable groundwater resources. In the present study, we investigated different scenarios for a potential storage site in the Northeast German Basin using a three-dimensional (3-D) regional-scale model that includes four major fault zones. The focus was on assessing the impact of fault length and the effect of a secondary reservoir above the storage formation, as well as model boundary conditions and initial salinity distribution on the potential salinisation of shallow groundwater resources. We employed numerical simulations of brine injection as a representative fluid. Our simulation results demonstrate that the lateral model boundary settings and the effective fault damage zone volume have the greatest influence on pressure build-up and development within the reservoir, and thus intensity and duration of fluid flow through the faults. Higher vertical pressure gradients for short fault segments or a small effective fault damage zone volume result in the highest salinisation potential due to a larger vertical fault height affected by fluid displacement. Consequently, it has a strong impact on the degree of shallow aquifer salinisation, whether a gradient in salinity exists or the saltwater-freshwater interface lies below the fluid displacement depth in the faults. A small effective fault damage zone volume or low fault permeability further extend the duration of fluid flow, which can persist for several tens to hundreds of years, if the reservoir is laterally confined. Laterally open reservoir boundaries, large effective fault damage zone volumes and intermediate reservoirs significantly reduce vertical brine migration and the potential of freshwater salinisation because the origin depth of displaced brine is located only a few decametres below the shallow aquifer in maximum. The present study demonstrates that the existence of hydraulically conductive faults is not necessarily an exclusion criterion for potential injection sites, because salinisation of shallower aquifers strongly depends on initial salinity distribution, location of hydraulically conductive faults and their effective damage zone volumes as well as geological boundary conditions. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe - 548 KW - geological CO2 storage KW - brine migration KW - fluid-flow KW - pressure management KW - dynamic flow KW - permeability KW - sequestration KW - simulations KW - injection KW - leakage Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-411854 SN - 1866-8372 IS - 548 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tillner, Elena A1 - Langer, Maria A1 - Kempka, Thomas A1 - Kühn, Michael T1 - Fault damage zone volume and initial salinity distribution determine intensity of shallow aquifer salinisation in subsurface storage JF - Hydrology and earth system sciences : HESS N2 - Injection of fluids into deep saline aquifers causes a pore pressure increase in the storage formation, and thus displacement of resident brine. Via hydraulically conductive faults, brine may migrate upwards into shallower aquifers and lead to unwanted salinisation of potable groundwater resources. In the present study, we investigated different scenarios for a potential storage site in the Northeast German Basin using a three-dimensional (3-D) regional-scale model that includes four major fault zones. The focus was on assessing the impact of fault length and the effect of a secondary reservoir above the storage formation, as well as model boundary conditions and initial salinity distribution on the potential salinisation of shallow groundwater resources. We employed numerical simulations of brine injection as a representative fluid. Our simulation results demonstrate that the lateral model boundary settings and the effective fault damage zone volume have the greatest influence on pressure build-up and development within the reservoir, and thus intensity and duration of fluid flow through the faults. Higher vertical pressure gradients for short fault segments or a small effective fault damage zone volume result in the highest salinisation potential due to a larger vertical fault height affected by fluid displacement. Consequently, it has a strong impact on the degree of shallow aquifer salinisation, whether a gradient in salinity exists or the saltwater-freshwater interface lies below the fluid displacement depth in the faults. A small effective fault damage zone volume or low fault permeability further extend the duration of fluid flow, which can persist for several tens to hundreds of years, if the reservoir is laterally confined. Laterally open reservoir boundaries, large effective fault damage zone volumes and intermediate reservoirs significantly reduce vertical brine migration and the potential of freshwater salinisation because the origin depth of displaced brine is located only a few decametres below the shallow aquifer in maximum. The present study demonstrates that the existence of hydraulically conductive faults is not necessarily an exclusion criterion for potential injection sites, because salinisation of shallower aquifers strongly depends on initial salinity distribution, location of hydraulically conductive faults and their effective damage zone volumes as well as geological boundary conditions. Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1049-2016 SN - 1027-5606 SN - 1607-7938 VL - 20 SP - 1049 EP - 1067 PB - Copernicus CY - Göttingen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krassakis, Pavlos A1 - Karavias, Andreas A1 - Zygouri, Evangelia A1 - Roumpos, Christos A1 - Louloudis, Georgios A1 - Pyrgaki, Konstantina A1 - Koukouzas, Nikolaos A1 - Kempka, Thomas A1 - Karapanos, Dimitris T1 - GIS-based assessment of hybrid pumped hydro storage as a potential solution for the clean energy transition BT - the case of the Kardia lignite mine, Western Greece JF - Sensors N2 - Planned decommissioning of coal-fired plants in Europe requires innovative technical and economic strategies to support coal regions on their path towards a climate-resilient future. The repurposing of open pit mines into hybrid pumped hydro power storage (HPHS) of excess energy from the electric grid, and renewable sources will contribute to the EU Green Deal, increase the economic value, stabilize the regional job market and contribute to the EU energy supply security. This study aims to present a preliminary phase of a geospatial workflow used to evaluate land suitability by implementing a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) technique with an advanced geographic information system (GIS) in the context of an interdisciplinary feasibility study on HPHS in the Kardia lignite open pit mine (Western Macedonia, Greece). The introduced geospatial analysis is based on the utilization of the constraints and ranking criteria within the boundaries of the abandoned mine regarding specific topographic and proximity criteria. The applied criteria were selected from the literature, while for their weights, the experts' judgement was introduced by implementing the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), in the framework of the ATLANTIS research program. According to the results, seven regions were recognized as suitable, with a potential energy storage capacity from 1.09 to 5.16 GWh. Particularly, the present study's results reveal that 9.27% (212,884 m(2)) of the area had a very low suitability, 15.83% (363,599 m(2)) had a low suitability, 23.99% (550,998 m(2)) had a moderate suitability, 24.99% (573,813 m(2)) had a high suitability, and 25.92% (595,125 m(2)) had a very high suitability for the construction of the upper reservoir. The proposed semi-automatic geospatial workflow introduces an innovative tool that can be applied to open pit mines globally to identify the optimum design for an HPHS system depending on the existing lower reservoir. KW - hybrid pumped hydro power storage KW - hydro power KW - hydro storage KW - GIS KW - Kardia mine KW - AHP KW - MCDM Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/s23020593 SN - 1424-8220 VL - 23 IS - 2 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Steding, Svenja A1 - Kempka, Thomas A1 - Kühn, Michael T1 - How insoluble inclusions and intersecting layers affect the leaching process within potash seams JF - Applied Sciences : open access journal N2 - Potash seams are a valuable resource containing several economically interesting, but also highly soluble minerals. In the presence of water, uncontrolled leaching can occur, endangering subsurface mining operations. In the present study, the influence of insoluble inclusions and intersecting layers on leaching zone evolution was examined by means of a reactive transport model. For that purpose, a scenario analysis was carried out, considering different rock distributions within a carnallite-bearing potash seam. The results show that reaction-dominated systems are not affected by heterogeneities at all, whereas transport-dominated systems exhibit a faster advance in homogeneous rock compositions. In return, the ratio of permeated rock in vertical direction is higher in heterogeneous systems. Literature data indicate that most natural potash systems are transport-dominated. Accordingly, insoluble inclusions and intersecting layers can usually be seen as beneficial with regard to reducing hazard potential as long as the mechanical stability of leaching zones is maintained. Thereby, the distribution of insoluble areas is of minor impact unless an inclined, intersecting layer occurs that accelerates leaching zone growth in one direction. Moreover, it is found that the saturation dependency of dissolution rates increases the growth rate in the long term, and therefore must be considered in risk assessments. KW - salt dissolution KW - reactive transport KW - heterogeneity KW - density-driven KW - convection KW - PHREEQC KW - porous media Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/app11199314 SN - 2076-3417 VL - 11 IS - 19 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wetzel, Maria A1 - Kempka, Thomas A1 - Kühn, Michael T1 - Hydraulic and mechanical impacts of pore space alterations within a sandstone quantified by a flow velocity-dependent precipitation approach JF - Materials N2 - Geochemical processes change the microstructure of rocks and thereby affect their physical behaviour at the macro scale. A micro-computer tomography (micro-CT) scan of a typical reservoir sandstone is used to numerically examine the impact of three spatial alteration patterns on pore morphology, permeability and elastic moduli by correlating precipitation with the local flow velocity magnitude. The results demonstrate that the location of mineral growth strongly affects the permeability decrease with variations by up to four orders in magnitude. Precipitation in regions of high flow velocities is characterised by a predominant clogging of pore throats and a drastic permeability reduction, which can be roughly described by the power law relation with an exponent of 20. A continuous alteration of the pore structure by uniform mineral growth reduces the permeability comparable to the power law with an exponent of four or the Kozeny-Carman relation. Preferential precipitation in regions of low flow velocities predominantly affects smaller throats and pores with a minor impact on the flow regime, where the permeability decrease is considerably below that calculated by the power law with an exponent of two. Despite their complete distinctive impact on hydraulics, the spatial precipitation patterns only slightly affect the increase in elastic rock properties with differences by up to 6.3% between the investigated scenarios. Hence, an adequate characterisation of the spatial precipitation pattern is crucial to quantify changes in hydraulic rock properties, whereas the present study shows that its impact on elastic rock parameters is limited. The calculated relations between porosity and permeability, as well as elastic moduli can be applied for upscaling micro-scale findings to reservoir-scale models to improve their predictive capabilities, what is of paramount importance for a sustainable utilisation of the geological subsurface. KW - Bentheim sandstone KW - digital rock physics KW - micro-CT KW - elastic properties KW - permeability KW - precipitation Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13143100 SN - 1996-1944 VL - 13 IS - 14 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ma, Jianli A1 - Li, Qi A1 - Kempka, Thomas A1 - Kühn, Michael T1 - Hydromechanical response and impact of gas mixing behavior in subsurface CH4 storage with CO2-based cushion gas JF - Energy & fuels N2 - Power-to-gas (PtG) stores chemical energy by converting excess electrical energy from renewable sources into an energy-dense gas. Due to its higher available capacity compared to surface-based storage technologies, subsurface storage in geological systems is the most promising approach for efficient and economic realization of the PtG system’s storage component. For this purpose, methane (CH4) produced by methanation by means of hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) is stored in a geological reservoir until required for further use. In this context, CO2 is used as the cushion gas to maintain reservoir pressure and limiting working gas, i.e., (CH4) losses during withdrawal periods. Consequently, mixing of both gases in the reservoir is inevitable. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the gas mixing region to optimize the efficiency of the PtG system’s storage component. In the present study, the physical properties of CH4, CO2 and their mixtures are reviewed. Then, a multicomponent flow model is implemented and validated against published data. Next, a hydromechanically coupled model is established, considering fluid flow through porous media and effective stresses to investigate the mixing behavior of both gases and the mechanical reservoir stability. The simulation results show that, with increasing reservoir thickness and dip angle, the mixing region is reduced during gas injection if CO2 is employed as the cushion gas. In addition, the degree of mixing is lower at higher temperatures. Feasible injection rates and injection schedules can be derived from the integrated reservoir stability analysis. The methodology developed in the present study allows the determination of optimum strategies for storage reservoir selection and gas injection scheduling by minimizing the gas mixing region. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b00518 SN - 0887-0624 SN - 1520-5029 VL - 33 IS - 7 SP - 6527 EP - 6541 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kühn, Michael A1 - Li, Qi A1 - Nakaten, Natalie Christine A1 - Kempka, Thomas T1 - Integrated subsurface gas storage of CO2 and CH4 offers capacity and state-of-the-art technology for energy storage in China T2 - Energy procedia N2 - Integration and development of the energy supply in China and worldwide is a challenge for the years to come. The innovative idea presented here is based on an extension of the “power-to-gas-to-power” technology by establishing a closed carbon cycle. It is an implementation of a low-carbon energy system based on carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) to store and reuse wind and solar energy. The Chenjiacun storage project in China compares well with the German case study for the towns Potsdam and Brandenburg/Havel in the Federal State of Brandenburg based on the Ketzin pilot site for CCS. KW - gas storage KW - carbon dioxide KW - methane KW - hydrogen KW - renewable energy KW - carbon cycle Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.08.039 SN - 1876-6102 VL - 125 SP - 14 EP - 18 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhu, Zhennan A1 - Tian, Hong A1 - Kempka, Thomas A1 - Jiang, Guosheng A1 - Dou, Bin A1 - Mei, Gang T1 - Mechanical behaviors of granite after thermal treatment under loading and unloading conditions JF - Natural resources research / sponsored by the International Association for Mathematical Geology N2 - Understanding the mechanical behaviors of granite after thermal treatment under loading and unloading conditions is of utmost relevance to deep geothermal energy recovery. In the present study, a series of loading and unloading triaxial compression tests (20, 40 and 60 MPa) on granite specimens after exposure to different temperatures (20, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 degrees C) was carried out to quantify the combined effects of thermal treatment and loading/unloading stress conditions on granite strength and deformation. Changes in the microstructure of granite exposed to high temperatures were revealed by optical microscopy. The experimental results indicate that both, thermal treatment and loading/unloading stress conditions, degrade the mechanical behaviors and further decrease the carrying capacity of granite. The gradual degradation of the mechanical characteristics of granite after thermal treatment is mainly associated with the evolution of thermal micro-cracks based on optical microscopy observations. The unloading stress state induces the extension of tension cracks parallel to the axial direction, and thus, the mechanical properties are degraded. Temperatures above 400 degrees C have a more significant influence on the mechanical characteristics of granite than the unloading treatment, whereby 400 degrees C can be treated as a threshold temperature for the delineation of significant deterioration. This study is expected to support feasibility and risk assessments by means of providing data for analytical calculations and numerical simulations on granite exposed to high temperatures during geothermal energy extraction. KW - Granite KW - Thermal treatment KW - Unloading KW - Mechanical properties KW - Micro-structure Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-021-09815-7 SN - 1520-7439 SN - 1573-8981 VL - 30 IS - 3 SP - 2733 EP - 2752 PB - Springer Science + Business Media B.V. CY - New York, NY [u.a.] ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Li, Zhen A1 - Spangenberg, Erik A1 - Schicks, Judith Maria A1 - Kempka, Thomas T1 - Numerical Simulation of Coastal Sub-Permafrost Gas Hydrate Formation in the Mackenzie Delta, Canadian Arctic JF - Energies N2 - The Mackenzie Delta (MD) is a permafrost-bearing region along the coasts of the Canadian Arctic which exhibits high sub-permafrost gas hydrate (GH) reserves. The GH occurring at the Mallik site in the MD is dominated by thermogenic methane (CH4), which migrated from deep conventional hydrocarbon reservoirs, very likely through the present fault systems. Therefore, it is assumed that fluid flow transports dissolved CH4 upward and out of the deeper overpressurized reservoirs via the existing polygonal fault system and then forms the GH accumulations in the Kugmallit-Mackenzie Bay Sequences. We investigate the feasibility of this mechanism with a thermo-hydraulic-chemical numerical model, representing a cross section of the Mallik site. We present the first simulations that consider permafrost formation and thawing, as well as the formation of GH accumulations sourced from the upward migrating CH4-rich formation fluid. The simulation results show that temperature distribution, as well as the thickness and base of the ice-bearing permafrost are consistent with corresponding field observations. The primary driver for the spatial GH distribution is the permeability of the host sediments. Thus, the hypothesis on GH formation by dissolved CH4 originating from deeper geological reservoirs is successfully validated. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that the permafrost has been substantially heated to 0.8-1.3 degrees C, triggered by the global temperature increase of about 0.44 degrees C and further enhanced by the Arctic Amplification effect at the Mallik site from the early 1970s to the mid-2000s. KW - gas hydrate KW - permafrost KW - methane KW - faults KW - climate change KW - Mallik KW - numerical simulations Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/en15144986 SN - 1996-1073 VL - 15 IS - 14 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Li, Zhen A1 - Spangenberg, Erik A1 - Schicks, Judith Maria A1 - Kempka, Thomas T1 - Numerical simulation of hydrate formation in the LArge-Scale Reservoir Simulator (LARS) JF - Energies : open-access journal of related scientific research, technology development and studies in policy and management N2 - The LArge-scale Reservoir Simulator (LARS) has been previously developed to study hydrate dissociation in hydrate-bearing systems under in-situ conditions. In the present study, a numerical framework of equations of state describing hydrate formation at equilibrium conditions has been elaborated and integrated with a numerical flow and transport simulator to investigate a multi-stage hydrate formation experiment undertaken in LARS. A verification of the implemented modeling framework has been carried out by benchmarking it against another established numerical code. Three-dimensional (3D) model calibration has been performed based on laboratory data available from temperature sensors, fluid sampling, and electrical resistivity tomography. The simulation results demonstrate that temperature profiles, spatial hydrate distribution, and bulk hydrate saturation are consistent with the observations. Furthermore, our numerical framework can be applied to calibrate geophysical measurements, optimize post-processing workflows for monitoring data, improve the design of hydrate formation experiments, and investigate the temporal evolution of sub-permafrost methane hydrate reservoirs. KW - methane hydrate KW - temperature sensor KW - electrical resistivity tomography KW - hydrate formation KW - numerical simulation Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/en15061974 SN - 1996-1073 VL - 15 IS - 6 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - GEN A1 - Wetzel, Maria A1 - Kempka, Thomas A1 - Kühn, Michael T1 - Predicting macroscopic elastic rock properties requires detailed information on microstructure T2 - Energy procedia N2 - Predicting variations in macroscopic mechanical rock behaviour due to microstructural changes, driven by mineral precipitation and dissolution is necessary to couple chemo-mechanical processes in geological subsurface simulations. We apply 3D numerical homogenization models to estimate Young’s moduli for five synthetic microstructures, and successfully validate our results for comparable geometries with the analytical Mori-Tanaka approach. Further, we demonstrate that considering specific rock microstructures is of paramount importance, since calculated elastic properties may deviate by up to 230 % for the same mineral composition. Moreover, agreement between simulated and experimentally determined Young’s moduli is significantly improved, when detailed spatial information are employed. KW - digital rock physics KW - effective elastic properties KW - numerical Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.08.195 SN - 1876-6102 VL - 125 SP - 561 EP - 570 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wetzel, Maria A1 - Kempka, Thomas A1 - Kühn, Michael T1 - Quantifying rock weakening due to decreasing calcite mineral content by numerical simulations JF - Materials N2 - The quantification of changes in geomechanical properties due to chemical reactions is of paramount importance for geological subsurface utilisation, since mineral dissolution generally reduces rock stiffness. In the present study, the effective elastic moduli of two digital rock samples, the Fontainebleau and Bentheim sandstones, are numerically determined based on micro-CT images. Reduction in rock stiffness due to the dissolution of 10% calcite cement by volume out of the pore network is quantified for three synthetic spatial calcite distributions (coating, partial filling and random) using representative sub-cubes derived from the digital rock samples. Due to the reduced calcite content, bulk and shear moduli decrease by 34% and 38% in maximum, respectively. Total porosity is clearly the dominant parameter, while spatial calcite distribution has a minor impact, except for a randomly chosen cement distribution within the pore network. Moreover, applying an initial stiffness reduced by 47% for the calcite cement results only in a slightly weaker mechanical behaviour. Using the quantitative approach introduced here substantially improves the accuracy of predictions in elastic rock properties compared to general analytical methods, and further enables quantification of uncertainties related to spatial variations in porosity and mineral distribution. KW - digital rock physics KW - micro-CT KW - elastic properties KW - numerical simulation KW - chemical-mechanical interaction KW - Code_Aster KW - composite properties Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11040542 SN - 1996-1944 VL - 11 IS - 4 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - GEN A1 - Wetzel, Maria A1 - Kempka, Thomas A1 - Kühn, Michael T1 - Quantifying rock weakening due to decreasing calcite mineral content by numerical simulations T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - The quantification of changes in geomechanical properties due to chemical reactions is of paramount importance for geological subsurface utilisation, since mineral dissolution generally reduces rock stiffness. In the present study, the effective elastic moduli of two digital rock samples, the Fontainebleau and Bentheim sandstones, are numerically determined based on micro-CT images. Reduction in rock stiffness due to the dissolution of 10% calcite cement by volume out of the pore network is quantified for three synthetic spatial calcite distributions (coating, partial filling and random) using representative sub-cubes derived from the digital rock samples. Due to the reduced calcite content, bulk and shear moduli decrease by 34% and 38% in maximum, respectively. Total porosity is clearly the dominant parameter, while spatial calcite distribution has a minor impact, except for a randomly chosen cement distribution within the pore network. Moreover, applying an initial stiffness reduced by 47% for the calcite cement results only in a slightly weaker mechanical behaviour. Using the quantitative approach introduced here substantially improves the accuracy of predictions in elastic rock properties compared to general analytical methods, and further enables quantification of uncertainties related to spatial variations in porosity and mineral distribution. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe - 1092 KW - digital rock physics KW - micro-CT KW - elastic properties KW - numerical simulation KW - chemical-mechanical interaction KW - Code_Aster KW - composite properties Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-473089 SN - 1866-8372 IS - 1092 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Nakaten, Natalie Christine A1 - Kempka, Thomas T1 - Retraction: Techno-Economic Comparison of Onshore and Offshore Underground Coal Gasification End-Product Competitiveness. (Retraction of Vol 10, art no 1643, 2017) T2 - Energies : open-access journal of related scientific research, technology development and studies in policy and management Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/en12173253 SN - 1996-1073 VL - 12 IS - 17 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Steding, Svenja A1 - Kempka, Thomas A1 - Zirkler, Axel A1 - Kühn, Michael T1 - Spatial and temporal evolution of leaching zones within potash seams reproduced by reactive transport simulations JF - Water / Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI) N2 - Leaching zones within potash seams generally represent a significant risk to subsurface mining operations and the construction of technical caverns in salt rocks, but their temporal and spatial formation has been investigated only rudimentarily to date. To the knowledge of the authors, current reactive transport simulation implementations are not capable to address hydraulic-chemical interactions within potash salt. For this reason, a reactive transport model has been developed and complemented by an innovative approach to calculate the interchange of minerals and solution at the water-rock interface. Using this model, a scenario analysis was carried out based on a carnallite-bearing potash seam. The results show that the evolution of leaching zones depends on the mineral composition and dissolution rate of the original salt rock, and that the formation can be classified by the dimensionless parameters of Peclet (Pe) and Damkohler (Da). For Pe > 2 and Da > 1, a funnel-shaped leaching zone is formed, otherwise the dissolution front is planar. Additionally, Da > 1 results in the formation of a sylvinitic zone and a flow barrier. Most scenarios represent hybrid forms of these cases. The simulated shapes and mineralogies are confirmed by literature data and can be used to assess the hazard potential. KW - carnallite KW - water rock interaction KW - density-driven flow KW - PHREEQC KW - Pitzer KW - equations Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/w13020168 SN - 2073-4441 VL - 13 IS - 2 PB - Molecular Diversity Preservation International CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Otto, Christopher A1 - Kempka, Thomas T1 - Synthesis gas composition prediction for underground coal gasification using a thermochemical equilibrium modeling approach JF - Energies N2 - Underground coal gasification (UCG) is an in situ conversion technique that enables the production of high-calorific synthesis gas from resources that are economically not minable by conventional methods. A broad range of end-use options is available for the synthesis gas, including fuels and chemical feedstock production. Furthermore, UCG also offers a high potential for integration with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. In the present study, a stoichiometric equilibrium model, based on minimization of the Gibbs function has been used to estimate the equilibrium composition of the synthesis gas. Thereto, we further developed and applied a proven thermodynamic equilibrium model to simulate the relevant thermochemical coal conversion processes (pyrolysis and gasification). Our modeling approach has been validated against thermodynamic models, laboratory gasification experiments and UCG field trial data reported in the literature. The synthesis gas compositions have been found to be in good agreement under a wide range of different operating conditions. Consequently, the presented modeling approach enables an efficient quantification of synthesis gas quality resulting from UCG, considering varying coal and oxidizer compositions at deposit-specific pressures and temperatures. KW - underground coal gasification KW - Cantera KW - thermodynamic equilibrium KW - composition KW - synthesis gas KW - oxidizer Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/en13051171 SN - 1996-1073 VL - 13 IS - 5 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nakaten, Natalie Christine A1 - Kempka, Thomas T1 - Techno-Economic Comparison of Onshore and Offshore Underground Coal Gasification End-Product Competitiveness JF - Energies N2 - Underground coal gasification (UCG) enables utilization of coal reserves, currently not economically exploitable due to complex geological boundary conditions. Hereby, UCG produces a high-calorific synthesis gas that can be used for generation of electricity, fuels, and chemical feedstock. The present study aims to identify economically-competitive, site-specific end-use options for onshore- and offshore-produced UCG synthesis gas, taking into account the capture and storage (CCS) and/or utilization (CCU) of produced CO2. Modeling results show that boundary conditions favoring electricity, methanol, and ammonia production expose low costs for air separation, low compression power requirements, and appropriate shares of H-2/N-2. Hereby, a gasification agent ratio of more than 30% oxygen by volume is not favorable from the economic and CO2 mitigation viewpoints. Compared to the costs of an offshore platform with its technical equipment, offshore drilling costs are marginal. Thus, uncertainties related to parameters influenced by drilling costs are negligible. In summary, techno-economic process modeling results reveal that air-blown gasification scenarios are the most cost-effective ones, while offshore UCG-CCS/CCU scenarios are up to 1.7 times more expensive than the related onshore processes. Hereby, all investigated onshore scenarios except from ammonia production under the assumed worst-case conditions are competitive on the European market. KW - underground coal gasification (UCG) KW - economics KW - cost of electricity (COE) KW - techno-economic model KW - methanol KW - ammonia KW - carbon capture and storage (CCS) KW - carbon capture and utilization (CCU) KW - electricity generation KW - process simulation Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/en12173252 SN - 1996-1073 VL - 12 IS - 17 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER -