Workshop on:Basic Research Needs in Geosciences:

Facilitating 21st Century Energy SystemsFebruary 20-24, 2007

Workshop on:Basic Research Needs in Geosciences:

Facilitating 21st Century Energy SystemsFebruary 20-24, 2007

Co-chairs:Don DePaolo (LBNL and UC Berkeley)

Lynn Orr (Stanford University)

Organizing Committee / Panel Leads:

Sally Benson (LBNL - Stanford)Michael Celia (Princeton)Andy Felmy (PNNL)Kathryn Nagy (U. Chicago-CC)Roel Snieder (Colorado Sch. Mines)Graham Fogg (U.C. Davis)Karsten Pruess (LBNL)James Davis (USGS)

Julio Friedmann (LLNL) (TPRD - CCS)Mark Peters (ANL) (TPRD - NW) BES shepherds: Nick Woodward and John Miller

Workshop:Feb. 20-24, 2007

Report published:July 10, 2007

http://www.sc.doe.gov/bes/reports/list.html

OutlineOutline Technical challenges

CO2 sequestration

Nuclear waste disposal

Workshop organization Summary of results

Two driving objectivesTwo driving objectives Meeting energy demand in the coming century Drastically reducing CO2 emissions

Standard Fossil Fuel ± Hydrogen Economy => Sequester 10 Gt CO2/yr

Expand Nuclear by 10x => Sequester SNF at ≈ 1 Yucca Mtn/Yr globally

"Because both gas and coal reforming processes generate CO2 (coal generates approximately twice as much per unit H2) their value in meeting the fundamental goals of a hydrogen economy (150 million tons/yr by 2040) depends on developing safe, effective and economical methods for CO2 sequestration." (p.19)

"Reliance on coal as a sole source of energy for generating hydrogen for Freedom Car transportation needs would require doubling of current domestic coal production and consumption." (p.11) (330,000 MW today)

Basic Research Needs for the Hydrogen Economy report....Basic Research Needs for the Hydrogen Economy report....

Basic Research Needs for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems report....

Basic Research Needs for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems report....

... for nuclear power to have a significant impact on energy production and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ... Estimated needs for nuclear power production are as high as 300 EJ/year by the year 2050, .... This represents nearly an order-of-magnitude increase over the ~440 nuclear reactors that are presently in operation.

.... advanced waste forms will have to be designed to ensure safe performance for periods ranging from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of years... in the complex, highly coupled natural environment of the near field in a geologic repository

"Underground" as a long term container

"Underground" as a long term container

Advantages Enormous volume (as required) Distance from the surface environment Pre-made container

Challenges Designed by nature, only approximately fits the design

criteria for containment Complex materials => complex processes Difficult to see and monitor Uncertainty about long-term performance (102-106 yr)

Technical PerspectivesTechnical Perspectives

Multiphase Fluid Transport in Geologic Media

Figure 1: Options for storing CO2 in underground geological formations. After Benson and Cook (2005).

CO2 trappingmechanismsCO2 trappingmechanisms

Technical PerspectivesTechnical Perspectives

2 mm

TypicalSandstone 1 cm1 cm

Scale of CO2 sequestration - large footprint, large number of wells, multiple subsurface processes and rates

Sleipner10 MT CO2 in 10 yr

Global Target: 10,000 MT CO2/yr

Nuclear waste repositories also have large dimensions

Unlike CO2, with NW you know exactly where the material is placed underground....

Figure 3. Schematic illustration of the emplacement drift, with cutaway views of different waste packages for Yucca Mountain design concept (from DOE, 2002b).

Technical PerspectivesTechnical Perspectives

But it needs to be contained for a very long time

Interesting chemistry starts at the waste package and extends out into the surrounding rock formations

The combination of elevated temperature, high radiation levels, different engineered and natural materials, and the long storage time presents an achievable, but nevertheless challenging simulation and prediction problem. Basic materials

properties data, and models of the complex interactions need to continually improve.

Other countries are choosing different geologic environments, but face similar challenges in evaluating long-term performance

Swedish concept for a deep geologic repository (Lundqvist, 2006).

1. Multiphase Fluid Transport

2. Chemical Migration Processes

3. Characterization

4. Modeling and Simulation

5. Cross-Cutting and Grand Challenge

Science Themes

Workshop structure - 5 panelsWorkshop structure - 5 panels

Grand Challenges

1. Computational thermodynamics of complex fluids and solids

2. Integrated characterization, modeling, and monitoring of geologic systems

3. Simulation of multi-scale systems for ultra-long times

Cross cutting issues

1. The microscopic basis of macroscopic complexity• Highly reactive subsurface materials and environments• Thermodynamics of the solute-to-solid continuum

Workshop productsWorkshop products

(Material properties & chemical interactions)

(Seeing into the Earth)

(Predicting performance)

Grand Challenges

1. Computational thermodynamics of complex fluids and solids

2. Integrated characterization, modeling, and monitoring of geologic systems

3. Simulation of multi-scale systems for ultra-long times

Cross cutting issues

1. The microscopic basis of macroscopic complexity• Highly reactive subsurface materials and environments• Thermodynamics of the solute-to-solid continuum

Workshop productsWorkshop products

(Material properties & chemical interactions)

(Seeing into the Earth)

(Predicting performance)

Priority Research Directions

1. Mineral-water interface complexity and dynamics

2. Nanoparticulate and colloid physics and chemistry

3. Dynamic imaging of flow and transport

4. Transport properties and in situ characterization of

fluid trapping, isolation, and immobilization

5. Fluid-induced rock deformation

6. Biogeochemistry in extreme and perturbed

environments

Workshop productsWorkshop products

Basic Research Needs for Geosciences, February 21-24, 2007Basic Research Needs for Geosciences, February 21-24, 2007Technology Maturation

& DeploymentApplied ResearchDiscovery Research Use-inspired Basic Research

Office of Science FE, RW, EM, EERE

Microscopic basis of macroscopic complexity - scaling

Highly reactive subsurface materials and environments

Thermodynamics of the solute-to-solid continuum

Computational geochemistry of complex moving fluids within porous solids

Integrated analysis, modeling and monitoring of geologic systems

Simulation of multi-scale systems for ultra-long times

Mineral-fluid interface complexity and dynamics

Nanoparticulate and colloid chemistry and physics

Dynamic imaging of flow and transport

Transport properties and in situ characterization of fluid trapping, isolation and immobilization

Fluid-induced rock deformation

Biogeochemical in extreme subsurface environments

Develop and test methods for assessing storage capacity and for monitoring containment of CO2 storage

Develop remediation methods to ensure permanent storage

Demonstrate procedures for characterizing storage reservoirs and seals

Integrated models for waste performance prediction and confirmation

Radionuclide partitioning in repository environments.

Waste form stability and release models.

Incorporate new conceptual models into uncertainty assessments.

Develop site selection criteria

Develop storage and operating engineering approaches

Storage demonstrations

Apply assessment protocols and technologies for the lifecycle of projects

Evaluate release of radionuclide inventory from the repository

Assess corrosion/ alteration of engineered materials

Long-term safety/risk assessment for emplacement of energy system by-products.

SummarySummarySummarySummary

The BRN Geosciences workshop and report provide an up-to-date assessment of geoscience research needs for the coming decades

The participants are excited by the research possibilities, committed to the technical objectives, and enthusiastic about the workshop aims

The research described involves and depends on continued advances in theory, materials analysis, and modeling, and hence aligns with fundamental aims of DOE Office of Science

Report conclusions are complementary to those of recent reports on the hydrogen economy, advanced nuclear energy systems, advanced computing, alternative fuels, and with the capabilities of major BES research facilities