Cavern pressure management

• US 9,573,762 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Air Liquide Large Industries U S LP (L'Air Liquide SA)
• Original Assignee: Air Liquide Large Industries U S LP (L'Air Liquide SA)
• Inventors: Strybos, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Fiorello, Benjamin
• Assistant Examiner(s): OQUENDO, CARIB A
• Application Number:
  US14/732,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20160355341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 5/00 Storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 5/005 in porous layers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 1/007 Underground or underwater storage
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/011 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/012 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/013 Carbone dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/014 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/016 Noble gases (Ar, Kr, Xe)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/017 Helium
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/031 Air
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0123 gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/036 Very high pressure (>80 bar)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/043 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0626 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/021 Avoiding over pressurising
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0152 Salt caverns
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 Hydrogen storage

Abstract

A cavern pressure control method includes storing compressible and possibly incompressible fluids in an underground storage volume, removing a portion or introducing additional incompressible fluid into the underground storage volume, possibly removing a portion or introducing additional compressible fluid into the underground storage volume, thereby producing a net pressure increase rate (P_inc) within the underground storage volume, wherein P_inc is maintained at less than a predetermined maximum increase value (PI_max).

Claims

1. A method of pressure management in an underground storage volume, comprising:

storing a compressible fluid in an underground storage volume,

storing an incompressible fluid in said underground storage volume,

and introducing additional compressible fluid into said underground storage volume, thereby producing a net pressure increase rate (P_inc) within said underground storage volume,

wherein P_inc is maintained at less than a predetermined maximum increase value (PI_max), wherein PI_max is 100 psi/hr, wherein said compressible fluid is hydrogen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said underground storage volume is an underground salt cavern.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said incompressible fluid is selected from the group consisting of brine, water, or water slurry.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein PI_max is 75 psi/hr.

5. A method of pressure management in an underground storage volume, comprising:

storing a compressible fluid in an underground storage volume,

storing an incompressible fluid in said underground storage volume, and

introducing additional incompressible fluid into said underground storage volume, producing a net pressure increase rate (P_inc) within said underground storage volume,

wherein P_inc is maintained at less than a predetermined maximum increase value (PI_max), wherein PI_max is 100 psi/hr, wherein said compressible fluid is hydrogen.

6. A method of pressure management in an underground storage volume, comprising:

storing a compressible fluid in an underground storage volume,

storing an incompressible fluid in said underground storage volume, and

introducing additional compressible fluid into said underground storage volume, and concurrently, removing a portion of said incompressible fluid from said underground storage volume, thereby producing a net pressure increase rate (P_inc) within said underground storage volume,

wherein P_inc is maintained at less than a predetermined maximum increase value (PI_max), wherein PI_max is 100 psi/hr, wherein said compressible fluid is hydrogen.

7. A method of pressure management in an underground storage volume, comprising:

storing a compressible fluid in an underground storage volume,

storing an incompressible fluid in said underground storage volume, and

removing a portion of said compressible fluid from said underground storage volume, and concurrently, introducing additional incompressible fluid into said underground storage volume, producing a net pressure increase rate (P_inc) within said underground storage volume,

wherein P_inc is maintained at less than a predetermined maximum increase value (PI_max), wherein PI_max is 100 psi/hr, wherein said compressible fluid is hydrogen.