Dissolution experiments in halite cores: comparisons in cavity shape and controls between brine and seawater experiments

摘要

There is an increasing need for underground storage ofudnatural gas (and potentially hydrogen) to meet the UK’sudenergy demands and ensure its energy security. In addition,udthe growth of renewable energy technologies, such as windudpower, will be facilitated by the development of grid-scaleudenergy storage facilities to balance grid demand. One solutionudlies in creating large-scale compressed-air energy storageud(CAES) facilities underground. Whilst a number ofudlithologies offer storage potential, only three operationaludCAES facilities exist in the UK. They are constructed inudspecifically designed solution-mined salt (halite) caverns,udsimilar to those currently used for natural gas storage. Theudinfluences exerted on salt dissolution by petrology, structureudand fabric during cavern construction are not fullyudunderstood, with some occurences of caverns with noncircularudcross-sections being less than optimum for gasudstorage and especially CAES.