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MICROFLUIDICS FOR CARBON CAPTURE AND SEQUESTRATION

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Date Issued:
2019
Abstract/Description:
Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) has been considered a promising technology for mitigating heavy atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration as an immediate response to global climate change and ocean acidification. Despite various previous studies on CCS, there has been a paucity of research to overcome many of the challenges. In geological carbon sequestration, there are two major issues in achieving a feasible means of storing CO2. The first is the slow reaction of carbonic acid (H2CO3) formation from the reaction between injected CO2 and brine. Another technical challenge to the realization of industrial-scale carbon sequestration is the drying-out of brine induced by CO2 advection. The resident brine near a wellbore area is rapidly evaporated while precipitating significant amounts of salt at pores when gaseous CO2 is continuously injected into these aquifers. On the other hand, in industrial post-carbon capture processes, monoethanolamine (MEA) has been dominantly used as an absorption solvent. However, it generates significant amounts of toxic wastewater containing chemicals difficult to treat. The objectives of this thesis are to address these challenges in CCS, making the CCS technology feasible and competitive. An innovative method for geologic carbon sequestration, namely nickel nanoparticles (Ni NPs) addition to the injection fluid was developed and evaluated, to address issues of the slow reaction in deep saline aquifers. The catalytic activity of Ni NPs was evaluated using the microfluidic technique to confirm their possibility of additive for enhancing CO2 hydration in deep saline aquifers. First of all, to achieve acceleration of CO2 dissolution under reservoir-specific conditions, the catalytic effect of Ni NPs was investigated by monitoring change in CO2 bubble size at various Ni NPs concentration, pH, and different levels of salinity. Then, steric stabilization of Ni NPs by adsorbing polymers has been studied to further enhance Ni NPs’ catalytic activity. Second, to overcome the brine drying-out challenge, a new strategy of sequential water injection with CO2 was proposed. This sequential injection strategy showed great potential for preventing aquifer formation damage by decreasing brine drying-out and enhancing CO2 dissolution significantly. Lastly, the CO2 capturing performance of Ni NPs as a possible additive in an MEA solvent was evaluated to meet CO2 reduction and environmental protection demands. The results were promising: the catalytic potential of Ni NPs accelerates the average CO2 absorption rate by 34% and 54% in the limited mixing and the high mixing conditions, respectively. The results presented in this dissertation could help alleviate global concerns raised by CCS technology and would offer strategies for stable CCS technology with improved efficiency.
Title: MICROFLUIDICS FOR CARBON CAPTURE AND SEQUESTRATION.
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Name(s): Seo, Seokju , author
Kim, Myeongsub (Mike), Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2019
Date Issued: 2019
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 143 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) has been considered a promising technology for mitigating heavy atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration as an immediate response to global climate change and ocean acidification. Despite various previous studies on CCS, there has been a paucity of research to overcome many of the challenges. In geological carbon sequestration, there are two major issues in achieving a feasible means of storing CO2. The first is the slow reaction of carbonic acid (H2CO3) formation from the reaction between injected CO2 and brine. Another technical challenge to the realization of industrial-scale carbon sequestration is the drying-out of brine induced by CO2 advection. The resident brine near a wellbore area is rapidly evaporated while precipitating significant amounts of salt at pores when gaseous CO2 is continuously injected into these aquifers. On the other hand, in industrial post-carbon capture processes, monoethanolamine (MEA) has been dominantly used as an absorption solvent. However, it generates significant amounts of toxic wastewater containing chemicals difficult to treat. The objectives of this thesis are to address these challenges in CCS, making the CCS technology feasible and competitive. An innovative method for geologic carbon sequestration, namely nickel nanoparticles (Ni NPs) addition to the injection fluid was developed and evaluated, to address issues of the slow reaction in deep saline aquifers. The catalytic activity of Ni NPs was evaluated using the microfluidic technique to confirm their possibility of additive for enhancing CO2 hydration in deep saline aquifers. First of all, to achieve acceleration of CO2 dissolution under reservoir-specific conditions, the catalytic effect of Ni NPs was investigated by monitoring change in CO2 bubble size at various Ni NPs concentration, pH, and different levels of salinity. Then, steric stabilization of Ni NPs by adsorbing polymers has been studied to further enhance Ni NPs’ catalytic activity. Second, to overcome the brine drying-out challenge, a new strategy of sequential water injection with CO2 was proposed. This sequential injection strategy showed great potential for preventing aquifer formation damage by decreasing brine drying-out and enhancing CO2 dissolution significantly. Lastly, the CO2 capturing performance of Ni NPs as a possible additive in an MEA solvent was evaluated to meet CO2 reduction and environmental protection demands. The results were promising: the catalytic potential of Ni NPs accelerates the average CO2 absorption rate by 34% and 54% in the limited mixing and the high mixing conditions, respectively. The results presented in this dissertation could help alleviate global concerns raised by CCS technology and would offer strategies for stable CCS technology with improved efficiency.
Identifier: FA00013412 (IID)
Degree granted: Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Carbon dioxide capture
Carbon dioxide mitigation
Microfluidics
Carbon capture and storage
Carbon sequestration
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013412
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.