2022 Strategic Large-Scale Hydrogen Storage in Porous Media

Status: Open

Applications open: 19/07/2021
Applications close: 13/08/2021

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About this scholarship
Description/Applicant information

Hydrogen energy appears to play an important role in energy transition as an energy carrier in Australia. Moreover, Australia also has great opportunities from hydrogen export given its geographical and natural resources’ strengths. Australia could export over three million ton hydrogen to meet the global hydrogen demand by 2040, worth up to $10 billion each year to the economy by that time.
However, the volumetric inferior calorific values in kWh/m3 of hydrogen is the lowest (530kWh/m3) compared with other fuels although the energy density is the highest in mass (33.3 kWh/kg). Therefore, hydrogen storage particularly the scalable, large-scale and long-term storage system is becoming the centre of attention to underpin the hydrogen economy supply chain in Australia.
In this context, large-scale hydrogen storage in porous media has been proposed for example in existing salt caverns, depleted oil and gas reservoirs and saline aquifers. Compared to surface hydrogen storage, underground hydrogen storage has benefits of safety brought by the solid caprock sealing, huge storage space, lower cost than surface tanks, high availability in existing underground storage sites. However, given that salt caverns may not be widely available for hydrogen storage in Australia in particular along the coastal line, saline aquifers and depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs in particular gas reservoirs have been widely considered for large-scale and long-term hydrogen storage.
While the expectations on large-scale hydrogen storage in porous media is high, the feasibility and potential risks remain untested and quantified. In particular, little is known about the hydrogen-brine-rock interactions and it is not clear what factors control the in-situ wettability during hydrogen cycling process. Moreover, far too little attention has been paid to quantify the multi-phase flow behaviour in porous media. This presents tremendous impediments to manage and predict the large-scale hydrogen storage in porous media. In this context, this project aims to reveal the controlling factor(s) behind the in-situ wettability of hydrogen-brine-rock system and quantify the hydrogen transport in porous media with a combination of multi-scale experimental, analytical and numerical approaches. 
This project aims to achieve the following three objectives: 
i. Characterization of the hydrogen-brine-rock system wetting characteristics, and identification of hydrogen transport mechanisms at multi-length scale.
ii. Quantification of multi-phase flow behaviour during hydrogen cycling processes through micro- and centimetre-scale experimental and numerical approaches. 
iii. Developing a predictive tool to predict hydrogen cycling process in porous media at subsurface.
This is a strategic research project with CSIRO, Woodside and Future Fuels CRC. This project if successful, will aim to deliver the following outcomes to benefit the region and the nation as a whole. First, establishing a robust experimental and computational framework and then develop design guidelines that enables large-scale long-term hydrogen storage in a technically feasible and socially acceptable way. Second, this project will position Australia at the forefront of large-scale long-term hydrogen underground storage technology, and make the development of the hydrogen technology supply chain more globally competitive. 

Student type

• Future Students

Faculty

• Faculty of Science & Engineering
  • Western Australian School of Mines (WASM)

Course type

• Higher Degree by Research

Citizenship

• Australian Citizen
• Australian Permanent Resident
• New Zealand Citizen
• Permanent Humanitarian Visa
• International Student

Scholarship base

• Merit Based

Value

Total value of the annual scholarships (stipend and fees) is approx. $60,000 - $70,000 p.a. Curtin PhD Stipends are valued at $28,597 p.a. for up to a maximum of 3.5 years.

Successful applicants will receive a 100% Fee offset.

Scholarship Details
Maximum number awarded

1

Eligible courses

All applicable HDR courses

Eligibility criteria

i. Top students graduated from top universities with GPA more than 3.3.
ii. Have publication track-record in peer-reviewed Q1 journals.
iii. Have valid TOEFL or IELTS certificates.
iv. Preferred degree in Petroleum Engineering/Chemical Engineering/Mechanical Engineering/Mining Engineering/Civil Engineering 

Application process

If this project excites you, and your research skills and experience are a good fit for this specific project, you should complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form now. 

You will need to ensure you accurately select the Project lead (listed below) as your nominated supervisor and provide details for at least one referee.

Expression of Interest (EOI) form

Enrolment Requirements

Eligible to enrol in a Higher Degree by Research Course at Curtin University by March 2022

Enquiries

To enquire about this project opportunity contact the Project lead (listed below).

Name: Dr Sam Xie 

Email: [email protected]

Contact Number: 9266 1341

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