Multi-site CO₂ sequestration optimization using a dynamic programming approach
Date
2011
Authors
Cody, Brent, author
González-Nicolás, Ana, author
Baù, Domenico, author
Colorado State University, publisher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
Increased greenhouse gas emissions, resulting from our heavy dependence upon fossil fuels, have been found to be directly related to global warming. Global warming may lead to adverse conditions, such as the melting of polar ice caps, raised ocean levels, as well as altered weather patterns producing higher intensity hurricanes and storms. While technological advances, public education, and enacting policy changes are excellent long-term solutions to this problem, carbon sequestration (CS) in addition to other short term solutions may provide a bridge to a sustainable future. Unfortunately, leakage of sequestrated CO2 may contaminate air and water resources as well as adversely affect plant and animal life. These risks must be fully understood and minimized before implementation. A preliminary decision support system (DSS) has been constructed to optimize CS at a given number of potential injection sites, with the goal of minimizing the total cost of CO2 leakage while meeting a specified sequestered mass target. This DSS uses a graphic user interface (GUI) and employs CSUDP, a generalized dynamic programming software, as an optimization driver. A semi-analytical leakage model was integrated into CSUDP's objective function to estimate leakage costs. Based upon work by Nordbotten et al. (2009), this model quantifies the mass of CO2 leakage through weak areas, such as abandoned oil wells, of the caprock overlying the injected aquifer. The resulting DSS uses a wide range of geological, economical, and infrastructural parameters to output optimal CO2 injection rates and injection durations for each site.
Description
2011 annual AGU hydrology days was held at Colorado State University on March 21 - March 23, 2011.
Includes bibliographical references.
Includes bibliographical references.