Laboratory Investigations in Support of Carbon Dioxide-Limestone Sequestration in the Ocean

This semi-annual progress reports includes further findings on CO{sub 2}-in-Water emulsions stabilized by fine particles of limestone (CaCO{sub 3}). Specifically, here we report on the tests performed in the DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory High Pressure Water Tunnel Facility (HPWTF) using a Kenics-type static mixer for the formation of a CO{sub 2}-H{sub 2}O emulsion stabilized by fine particles of CaCO{sub 3}. The tested static mixer has an ID of 0.5 cm, length 23.5 cm, number of baffles 27. Under pressure, a slurry of CaCO{sub 3} particles (mean particle size 6 {micro}m) in reverse osmosis (RO) water and liquid CO{sub 2} were co-injected into the mixer. From the mixer, the resulting emulsion flowed into the HPWTF, which was filled with RO water kept at 6.8 MPa pressure and 4, 8 or 12 C. The emulsion plume was photographed by three video cameras through spy windows mounted on the wall of the HPWTF. The mixer produced an emulsion consisting of tiny CO{sub 2} droplets sheathed with a layer of CaCO{sub 3} particles dispersed in water. The sheathed droplets are called globules. The globules diameter was measured to be in the 300-500 {micro}m range. The globules were sinking in the HPWTF, indicating that they are heavier than the ambient water. The tests in the HPWTF confirmed that the Kenics-type static mixer is an efficient device for forming a CO{sub 2}-H{sub 2}O emulsion stabilized by fine particles of CaCO{sub 3}. The static mixer may prove to be a practical device for sequestering large quantities of CO{sub 2} in the deep ocean in the form of a CO{sub 2}-H{sub 2}O-CaCO{sub 3} emulsion. The static mixer can be mounted at the end of pipelines feeding the mixer. The static mixer has no moving parts. The pressure drop across the mixer that is necessary to sustain good mixing is created by the hydrostatic pressure of liquid CO{sub 2} and the slurry of CaCO{sub 3} in the pipes that feed the mixer. The tests in the HPWTF demonstrated that the emulsion plume is heavier than ambient seawater, hence the plume will sink to greater depth from the release point. Preliminary modeling indicates that an emulsion plume released at 500 m depth (the minimum depth required to prevent liquid CO{sub 2} flashing into vapor) may sink hundreds of meters before the plume comes to rest in the density stratified ocean water. Furthermore, tests in our laboratory showed that the emulsion is slightly alkaline, not acidic, because of the excess of CaCO{sub 3} particles present in the plume. Thus, the release of the CO{sub 2}-H{sub 2}OCaCO{sub 3} emulsion in the deep ocean is not likely to acidify the seawater around the release point. The possible acidification of seawater is the major environmental hazard if pure liquid CO{sub 2} were released in the deep ocean