On October 4, 2012, GE Global Research announced it had signed a contract with the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), part of the U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory system, to build a multi-point sensing system to monitor carbon dioxide (CO2) injected into geothermal containment wells. The use of these cavities, which extend 1-2 kilometers below the surface of the Earth, is being explored by the federal government and power producers as an option for the long-term storage of CO2.
CO2 emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels has long been an environmental concern. It represents 84% of U.S. greenhouse gases, according to the EPA. Carbon capture and sequestration of highly pressurized CO2 in underground wells is viewed as a promising alternative to the release of CO2 gas into the atmosphere.
Highly accurate monitoring, verification, and accounting are critically important to ensure that CO2 pumped underground is confined to the potentially porous or fractured rock that contains each well. Currently, GE is testing a fiber optic cable with a sensor that can measure temperature and pressure at a single point inside the well. Readings from that pressure sensor have been calibrated to an accuracy of ±0.1%. This follow-up project would add a yet-to-be-determined number of additional sensors along the length of a multi-kilometer cable, enabling engineers to track the distribution and movement of CO2 within the sequestration well with even greater precision.
GE wants to develop an incredibly resilient cable and sensor system that can withstand an extremely harsh environment for an extended period of time, i.e. temperatures as hot as 250°C and pressures topping 10,000 psi. GE has already developed a single sensor system that can tolerate temperatures as high as 374°C and 3,000 psi for short periods.
Another key component of the project is wireless communication. GE scientists will develop a remote monitoring system capable of activating and operating the sensors from an off-site control room.
Work on the two-year, $1.2 million joint venture between GE Global Research and NETL is planned to get underway in January, 2013.
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