Combined strategies to extinguish underground coal fires and to extract geothermal energy. This project addresses two serious environmental issues that occur worldwide. Firstly, it aims to develop strategies to combat underground coal fires which are a serious environmental problem. It has been estimated that underground coal fires in China alone contribute 2 to 3 per cent of the total world output of carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning fossil fuel. Concentrations of CO2 and CO (carbon monoxide) o ....Combined strategies to extinguish underground coal fires and to extract geothermal energy. This project addresses two serious environmental issues that occur worldwide. Firstly, it aims to develop strategies to combat underground coal fires which are a serious environmental problem. It has been estimated that underground coal fires in China alone contribute 2 to 3 per cent of the total world output of carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning fossil fuel. Concentrations of CO2 and CO (carbon monoxide) of up to 2200 ppm and 1000 ppm, respectively, have been measured in gases produced by underground coal fires. Secondly, the project is a proof of concept to validate the feasibility of production of geothermal energy from burning coal seams. This aspect has the potential to harvest large amounts of geothermal energy which is currently wasted.Read moreRead less
Multiphysics instabilities during diagenesis of shale gas reservoirs. This project aims to understand the formation, geometry and fluid connectivity of unconventional high-temperature and high pressure shale gas reservoirs using volumetric instabilities of ductile materials. Unconventional shale gas/oil are the most abundant fossil fuel resources on Earth, but are inaccessible to conventional techniques. This project will investigate the mechanisms, critical parameters and applicability of the t ....Multiphysics instabilities during diagenesis of shale gas reservoirs. This project aims to understand the formation, geometry and fluid connectivity of unconventional high-temperature and high pressure shale gas reservoirs using volumetric instabilities of ductile materials. Unconventional shale gas/oil are the most abundant fossil fuel resources on Earth, but are inaccessible to conventional techniques. This project will investigate the mechanisms, critical parameters and applicability of the theory to unconventional reservoirs. It will do so by testing the theory under controlled laboratory experiments, fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) modelling and analytical modelling. The outcomes should allow a rigorous assessment of the potential of unconventional reservoirs under Australia’s extreme conditions.Read moreRead less
Direct geothermal energy: Reducing the rural industries’ carbon footprint. Direct geothermal energy: Reducing the rural industries’ carbon footprint. This project aims to design poultry brooder houses using geothermal technology. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a global priority. The lack of natural gas in rural areas and brooder houses’ heating and cooling needs make geothermal ideal. Direct geothermal systems use shallow ground both as a heat source and as a heat sink for cooling, using h ....Direct geothermal energy: Reducing the rural industries’ carbon footprint. Direct geothermal energy: Reducing the rural industries’ carbon footprint. This project aims to design poultry brooder houses using geothermal technology. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a global priority. The lack of natural gas in rural areas and brooder houses’ heating and cooling needs make geothermal ideal. Direct geothermal systems use shallow ground both as a heat source and as a heat sink for cooling, using heat pumps. Their application to poultry brooder houses could reduce electricity consumption by up to 75% and thus greenhouse gas emissions, since 91% of electricity comes from fossil fuels in Australia; minimise the need for expensive bottled gas heating; reduce the levels of ammonia emissions; and increase farm productivity.Read moreRead less
Quantification of Multiphysics phenomena of Gas flow in organic rich shales. We address the scientific question of the nature of gas extraction from nominally impermeable rocks such as shales. Our main aim is to develop a fully coupled microstructurally enriched thermodynamic continuum model to predict the Multiphysics behaviour of shale reservoirs during gas production and verify the model with representative experiments conducted on formations from three Australian Basins including Cooper, Per ....Quantification of Multiphysics phenomena of Gas flow in organic rich shales. We address the scientific question of the nature of gas extraction from nominally impermeable rocks such as shales. Our main aim is to develop a fully coupled microstructurally enriched thermodynamic continuum model to predict the Multiphysics behaviour of shale reservoirs during gas production and verify the model with representative experiments conducted on formations from three Australian Basins including Cooper, Perth and Beetaloo, where the samples are available to the investigators. We approach this problem in a hybrid theoretical-numerical-experimental study. This is the first international attempt to develop such experimentally verified thermodynamic based model, particularly for Australian shales.Read moreRead less