Decarbonization: GeoEnergy Extraction, Energy GeoStorage

加拿大和世界正在逐步开展一项宏伟的脱碳计划，以应对气候变化。 这实际上意味着减少与化石燃料有关的温室气体排放。 有很多方法可以做到这一点，我在未来十年的研究计划是集中在两个方法，重点是地质力学。** 在盐穴中的压缩空气储能（CAES）在加拿大从未进行过，也没有在任何地方的层状盐矿床中进行过，尽管许多省份都存在合适的地层（AB。SK、MN、ON、NB、NS）。 电网管理需要日存储，而几天甚至一周的大规模存储将允许风能和太阳能更大规模地整合到现有电网中。 CAES可以提供电网规模（GW规模）的辅助服务，例如旋转储备，负载均衡的上升和下降斜坡稳定以及可能长达5-10天的一般存储。 我正在与机械和电气工程师一起进行一项旨在推进CAES的长期研究项目。 新的地质力学方面包括长期的影响，循环荷载的蠕变材料，空气加压的非盐顶板岩石的稳定性的影响，和热效应有关的压力变化的洞穴。 对于中等厚度的层状盐，需要新的洞穴设计方法（长水平圆柱体），并且这种洞穴的溶解是一种尚未在实践中实现的新颖想法，但在安大略等地质环境中将是有价值的。*增强型地热系统（EGS）利用较低温度的深层热源，无论是来自液体还是来自温暖岩石的热量。 在加拿大的有限地区，以及萨斯喀彻温省以东的任何地方，都有足够的温暖液体。 加拿大80%的EGS需要深井钻井、用于井间连通的水力压裂和流体再循环。 经济学要求尽可能多地使用热量，尽管可以通过特殊的低温发电机提取一些电力。 热量是60°以北的关键生活需求，目前大多数北方社区的电力和热量来自柴油。 EGS可以使北方的大部分能源需求脱碳，但实施和优化需要复杂的地质力学设计和预测模型。我相信，开发这项技术，将联合收割机与深度储热相结合，将成为加拿大远程能源的一个关键方面，特别是在长期缺乏太阳和风的北极地区。 ***

Canada and the world are gradually embarking on a grand program of decarbonization to combat climate change. This really means reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked to fossil fuels. There are many ways to do this, and my research program for the next decade is focused on two methods with a strong emphasis on Geomechanics. ******Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) in salt caverns has never been done in Canada, nor in bedded salt deposits anywhere, though suitable strata exist in many provinces (AB. SK, MN, ON, NB, NS). Storage is needed for grid management on a diurnal basis, and large-scale storage for days, even a week, will allow much more large-scale integration of wind and solar power into existing grids. CAES can provide grid-scale (GW scale) ancillary services such as spinning reserves, up- and down-ramping stabilization for load leveling and general storage for periods perhaps as long as 5-10 days. I am working with Mechanical and Electrical Engineers in a long-term research project intended to advance CAES. Novel geomechanics aspects include long-term impact of cyclic loads on a creeping material, the effect of air pressurization on the stability of the non-salt roof rocks, and thermal effects related to pressure changes on the caverns. New cavern design methods (long horizontal cylinder) are needed for bedded salt of modest thickness, and the dissolutioning of such a cavern is a novel idea that has yet to be achieved in practice, yet will be valuable in geological environments such as Ontario.*******Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) exploit lower-temperature deep heat resources, either heat from liquids or from warm rocks. Sufficient warm liquids are available in limited parts of Canada, and nowhere east of Saskatchewan. EGS in 80% of Canada requires deep drilling, hydraulic fracturing for interwell communication, and fluid recirculation. Economics dictate that the heat should be used as much as possible, though some power can be extracted by special low temperature generators. Heat is a critical life need north of 60°, currently power and heat in most northern communities comes from diesel. EGS can decarbonize much of northern energy needs, but implementation and optimization requires sophisticated geomechanics design and predictive models. I believe that developing this technology, combine with heat storage at great depth, will be a key aspect of Canada's remote energy sources, especially in arctic regions where sun and wind are absent for prolonged periods. ***