Retention device for retained substance and retention method

{
  "publication_number": "US8998532B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Retention device for retained substance and retention method",
  "abstract": "A carbon dioxide tank (3) is connected to a pump device (5). The pump device (5) is joined and connected with an infusion well (9), which is a tubular body. The infusion well (9) extends downward beneath the ground (7) and is provided so as to reach a saltwater aquifer (11). Part of the infusion well (9) forms a horizontal well (10) in a substantially horizontal direction. In other words, the horizontal well (10) is a location in which part of the infusion well (9) is formed in a substantially horizontal direction within a saltwater aquifer (11). The horizontal well (10) is provided with filters (13), which are porous members. For the filters (13), for example, a fired member in which ceramic particles are mixed with a binder that binds those particles can be used. Moreover, if the hole diameter for the filters (13) is small, microbubbles with a smaller diameter can be generated.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A retention device for retaining a retained substance including at least one from carbon dioxide, a substance having larger solubility to water than carbon dioxide, and methane under the ground, comprising: an infusion well reaching to a saltwater aquifer; a pump device that pumps the retained substance to the infusion well; a horizontal well that is formed toward a substantially horizontal direction in at least one part of the infusion well inside the saltwater aquifer; a porous member that (i) is provided in a lower part of the horizontal well, (ii) is formed by mixing and calcining particles made of ceramics and binder, and (iii) has a mode of aperture distribution of 4.5 micrometers or less; and a ring member fixed in the horizontal well, the ring member comprising: an upper part composed of metal; and a lower part (i) is mounted to the upper part and (ii) carries the porous member between an inner surface of the ring member facing an interior of the horizontal well and an outer surface of the ring member opposite the inner surface, wherein the retained substance is pumped into the horizontal well and infused into the saltwater aquifer through the porous member, and wherein microbubbles of the retained substance are generated when the retained substance is infused from the porous member to the saltwater aquifer.",
    "2. The retention device for retaining the retained substance according to claim 1, wherein: a single or multiple porous members are formed toward two or more directions below the horizontal well.",
    "3. The retention device for retaining the retained substance according to claim 1, further comprising a production well reaching to a gas field, an oil field or an oil sand, wherein gas, oil or heavy oil can be extracted from the production well.",
    "4. The retention device for retaining the retained substance according to claim 2, further comprising a production well reaching to a gas field, an oil field or an oil sand, wherein gas, oil or heavy oil can be extracted from the production well.",
    "5. The retention device for retaining the retained substance according to claim 1, further comprising a production well reaching to a gas field, an oil field or an oil sand, wherein gas, oil or heavy oil can be extracted from the production well.",
    "6. A retention method for retaining a retained substance including at least one from carbon dioxide, a substance having larger solubility to water than carbon dioxide, and methane under the ground, comprising: using a retention device for retaining the retained substance comprising an infusion well reaching to a saltwater aquifer, a pump device pumping the retained substance to the infusion well, and a porous member made of ceramics and placed in the infusion well; forming a horizontal well toward a substantially horizontal direction in at least one part of the infusion well in the saltwater aquifer; generating microbubbles of the retained substance when the retained substance is infused through the porous member to the saltwater aquifer; and making the microbubbles descend in the saltwater aquifer, wherein the porous member (i) is provided in a lower part of the horizontal well, (ii) is formed by mixing particles made of ceramics and binder, and (iii) has a mode of aperture distribution is distribution of 4.5 micrometers or less, and wherein a ring member fixed in the horizontal well comprises: an upper part composed of metal; and a lower part that (i) is mounted to the upper part and (ii) carries the porous member between an inner surface of the ring member facing an interior of the horizontal well and an outer surface of the ring member opposite the inner surface.",
    "7. The retention method for retaining the retained substance according to claim 6, wherein: a single or multiple porous members are formed toward two or more directions below the horizontal well.",
    "8. The retention method for retaining the retained substance according to claim 6, wherein: the retention device further comprises a production well reaching to a gas field, an oil field or an oil sand; gas, oil or heavy oil and the retained substance become suspension state by infusing the retained substance under the ground through the infusion well; and gas, oil or heavy oil can be extracted from the production well.",
    "9. The retention method for retaining the retained substance according to claim 7, wherein: the retention device further comprises a production well reaching to a gas field, an oil field or an oil sand; gas, oil or heavy oil and the retained substance become suspension state by infusing the retained substance under the ground through the infusion well; and gas, oil or heavy oil can be extracted from the production well.",
    "10. The retention method for retaining the retained substance according to claim 6, wherein: the retention device further comprises a production well reaching to a gas field, an oil field or an oil sand; gas, oil or heavy oil and the retained substance become suspension state by infusing the retained substance under the ground through the infusion well; and gas, oil or heavy oil can be extracted from the production well."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a retention device and a retention method in order to retain a retained substance such as carbon dioxide in an underground saltwater aquifer.\n\nNow, reducing the emission of carbon dioxide as a greenhouse effect gas to the atmosphere becomes a pressing need. In order to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide, not only the method of controlling the generation of carbon dioxide itself, but also the method of retaining carbon dioxide under the ground is examined. A method of retaining a lot of carbon dioxide on a scale of 1 million ton per year under the ground includes the method of infusing carbon dioxide into a stratum. FIG. 9 is a figure showing a conventional carbon dioxide retention apparatus 80. An infusion well 87 being a tube is extended to a retention layer 91 which retains carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide stored in a carbon dioxide tank 81 is infused in the retention layer 91 by a pump device 83 through the infusion well 87. In this case, after infusing carbon dioxide in the retention layer 91, it is desirable that carbon dioxide does not extrude to the ground. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, a sealing layer 89 which has anticline structure (convex shape to the upper part) is required in the upper part of the retention layer 91. The sealing layer 89 is a stratum which cannot easily pass carbon dioxide, such as clayey layer.\n\nThe carbon dioxide infused under the ground does not extrude to the ground by sealing layer 89. However, the stratum which has sealing layer 89 with the upwardly convex shape only exists in the limited places and the suitable place is limited.",
  "cpc": [
    "B65G 5/00",
    "B01J 19/00",
    "C01B 31/20",
    "C01B 32/50",
    "E21B 41/0064",
    "Y02C 10/14",
    "Y02C 20/40"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B01J 19/00",
    "B09B 1/00",
    "B65D 88/76",
    "B65G 5/00",
    "C01B 32/50",
    "G21F 9/34"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "XUE ZIQIU",
    "NISHIO SUSUMU",
    "KAMEYAMA HIROMICHI",
    "YOSHIZAKI KOJI",
    "TOKYO GAS CO LTD"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "XUE ZIQIU",
    "NISHIO SUSUMU",
    "KAMEYAMA HIROMICHI",
    "YOSHIZAKI KOJI"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2012-03-26",
  "publication_date": "2015-04-07",
  "grant_date": "2015-04-07",
  "priority_date": "2011-03-30",
  "application_number": "US-201214008779-A",
  "family_id": "46930983",
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}