SBIR Phase I: Achieving Mass Balance in Carbon Storage Soil Gas Monitoring

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将演示一种监控碳捕获和封存(CCS)站点的新方法。CCS通过使用深层地质构造来储存发电厂形成的或从天然气中分离出来的大量二氧化碳，从而减少全球变暖。拟议的测量方法结合了两项最新的创新，创造了包气带(即近地表)土壤气体分析仪，可以从土壤中的生物地球化学过程形成的二氧化碳中辨别从深层储存中泄漏的二氧化碳。现有的土壤气体分析方案需要一年或更长时间的基线测量，以表征自然产生的二氧化碳浓度的季节变化。必须在开始捕获二氧化碳之前确定长期基线。相比之下，拟议的方法立即奏效，适合于对现有捕获点进行改造。安装将非常简单。分析仪将是一加仑牛奶的大小，不需要消耗品供应，可以由小型太阳能电池板供电。土壤气体将从小直径、浅层监测井中自动采样。气体分析使用经过验证的光学方法，包括直接测量氮，这是获得正确的质量平衡所必需的。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是实现一种现实的、短期内缓解全球变暖的方法。替代能源不能足够快地解决这个问题。有限的稀土金属供应限制了风力发电机和高效电机的生产。太阳能光伏电池板的广泛使用受到电池板生产的前期能源需求的限制。相比之下，碳捕获和封存在很大程度上依赖于现有的基础设施。成熟的油田技术确定了合适的CCS地点，并将二氧化碳泵送到地下深处。煤炭资源丰富的国家，如美国，可以将煤炭对全球变暖的影响降至最低吗？S，同时继续使用充足、廉价的燃料。需要监测方法来验证存储站点的性能，并帮助向公众保证CCS的可靠性和安全性。包气带测量很重要，因为二氧化碳与空气的混合导致了全球变暖。最初的目标是利基市场，近期目标市场规模为2亿美元。计划中的产品应该占据30%的潜在市场份额。这一潜在市场包括与大型燃煤设施共存的CCS地点。全世界大约有2500个这样的设施，其中20%的位置具有有利于CCS的地质条件。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will demonstrate a new method for monitoring carbon capture and storage (CCS) sites. CCS reduces global warming by using deep geological formations to store large amounts of carbon dioxide formed at power plants or separated from natural gas. The proposed measurement approach combines two recent innovations to create vadose-zone (i.e., near surface) soil gas analyzers that can discern carbon dioxide that is leaking from deep storage from the carbon dioxide that is formed by biogeochemical processes in soil. Existing soil gas analysis protocols require a year, or more, of baseline measurements to characterize seasonal variations in naturally-occurring CO2 concentrations. The long-term baseline determinations must be made prior to the start of carbon dioxide capture. The proposed approach, in contrast, works immediately and is suitable for retrofit to existing capture sites. Installation will be simple. Analyzers will be the size of a gallon of milk, will not require consumable supplies, and can be powered from small solar panels. Soil gas will be sampled automatically from small-diameter, shallow monitoring wells. Gas analysis uses proven optical methods and includes direct measurement of nitrogen, which is needed to obtain correct mass balance.The broader impact/commercialization potential of this project is to enable a realistic, near-term mitigation method for global warming. Alternative energy sources cannot solve the problem quickly enough. Limited supplies of rare earth metals constrain production of wind generators and high-efficiency electric motors. Widespread use of solar photovoltaic panels is constrained by the up-front energy requirements for panel production. Carbon capture and storage, in comparison, relies to a large extent on existing infrastructure. Established oil-field technology identifies suitable CCS sites and to pump carbon dioxide deep underground. Coal-rich nations such as the United States can minimize coal?s global warming impact while continuing to use abundant, inexpensive fuel. Monitoring methods are needed to verify performance of storage sites and to help assure the public of the reliability and safety of CCS. Vadose zone measurements are important because it is CO2 mixing with air that contributes to global warming. The initially targeted niche has a near-term addressable market of $200 million. The planned product should capture 30% of the addressable market. This addressable market comprises CCS sites co-located with large coal-burning facilities. There are about 2500 such facilities world-wide and 20% of their locations are geologically favorable for CCS.