Due to its low energy density by volume compared to traditional fuels, storing large quantities of hydrogen in surface tanks proves impractical.Matthew Paul, a Sandia National Laboratories geosciences engineer, works on a gas adsorption system in a fume hood as part of a project to see if depleted petroleum reservoirs can be used for storing carbon-free hydrogen fuel.with the potential to revolutionize the energy sector.
The research revealed that while hydrogen doesn’t stay put within sandstone after extraction, a promising finding emerged with shale. Up to 10% of the injected hydrogen became adsorbed within the shale sample, indicating its potential for storage. Additional experiments are underway at collaborating institutions to validate these simulation results.While the initial findings regarding hydrogen interaction with rock formations are encouraging, another concern arises from contamination. Experiments and simulations conducted by Ho’s team suggest that residual natural gas in depleted reservoirs can be released into the injected hydrogen.