Drive mechanisms and hydrogen recovery in underground storage: a material balance and simulation approach
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Published version
Author(s)
Alobaidan, Ibrahim A
Bijeljic, Branko
Blunt, Martin J
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Investigating the primary drive mechanisms in underground hydrogen storage (UHS) is crucial for optimizing hydrogen recovery from geological formations. In this study, we used a 3D heterogeneous geological model to assess the dynamics of hydrogen storage in an aquifer under various hydrodynamic and geological conditions, using material balance to quantify the contribution of different production mechanisms including gas expansion, water influx, exsolution, and the compressibility of rock and water. Our findings indicate that gas expansion and rock compressibility are the predominant mechanisms driving hydrogen recovery for closed boundary conditions with minimal aquifer support, whereas water influx dominates when there is substantial aquifer connectivity. Exsolution as a driving force has a negligible impact on hydrogen recovery, simplifying the modelling of storage dynamics. Furthermore, cushion gas injection was found to notably improve gas expansion under open boundary conditions, optimizing hydrogen recovery during the initial production phases. The study underscores the influence of uncertain parameters and processes on hydrogen storage efficiency, offering critical insights for the design of UHS and identifying key reservoir and fluid properties necessary for robust management.
Date Issued
2025-07-09
Date Acceptance
2025-06-04
Citation
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2025, 146
ISSN
0360-3199
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Volume
146
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Subjects
Chemistry
Chemistry, Physical
Electrochemistry
Energy & Fuels
EQUATION-OF-STATE
Exsolution
GAS
Gas expansion
MIXTURES
MODEL
Physical Sciences
PRESSURE
Rock compressibility
Science & Technology
SOLUBILITY
Technology
Underground hydrogen storage
Water influx
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
149891
Date Publish Online
2025-06-17