Solomon Brown

Research Abstract:

 

It is now generally accepted that the release of CO2 into the atmosphere is a major cause of the growing problem of climate change. The need to reduce the levels of CO2 into the atmosphere from power production is thus ever more pressing. As the reliance on hydrocarbons for the satisfaction of our energy requirements remains extremely high, the development of Carbon, Capture and Storage (CSS) is of extreme importance in emissions reduction.

The transportation of large inventories of CO2 from the capture site to the point of sequestration means that it is inevitable that highly pressurised pipelines will have to be used. Wide experience in the Oil and Gas industry with pressurised pipelines shows that the risk of their failure is not insignificant. Due to the properties of CO2, e.g. it's high Joules Thompson coefficient, modelling the behaviour of such a fluid upon failure of a pressureised pipeline represents a unique set of challenges.

A great number of challenges are faced in the is area, ongoing work includes:

• The accurate modelling of the themodynamic state of CO2 and CO2 mixtures during depressurisation
• Modelling of ductile fracture propation in CO2 pipelines
• Dispersion of CO2 after release
• The effect of Emergency Shut Down Valves on the flow following pipeline failure.
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