据Gasworld网站2021年8月24日报道，德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校的研究人员发现了一种将未开发的石油转变为清洁氢能源的方法，这项工作已经得到了美国能源部的认可。
德州大学周一(8月23日)表示，它正在推动一项创新，将火烧油层和二氧化碳(CO2)储存结合起来，以引领可能导致相对廉价的氢的转变。
这项工作得到了美国能源部的认可，可以作为该部目标的一个重要垫脚石，即在短短十年内将清洁氢的成本降低80%，至每公斤1英镑，从而加速清洁能源的发展。
在谈到这项工作将如何改变美国的氢经济时，德州大学经济地质局地球系统和环境小组的负责人伊恩·邓肯说：“我们的目标是生产相对便宜的氢，同时将二氧化碳封存在储油层的其他地方。 这将产生无碳氢，否则地下能源将一直闲置。”
“美国储油层中大约有一半的石油仍在地下，如果采用当前的技术和价格，大多数石油将永远无法开采出来。 德克萨斯州拥有巨大的石油资源、完善的油田基础设施、广泛的管道网络和路权，因此能够充分利用地下的石油生产氢。”
基于最近的工作，邓肯和他的团队现在正在开发新的方法，利用高性能计算技术，通过德克萨斯州高级计算中心，模拟多相流动和热效应，这对氢生产至关重要。
该团队的研究重点是利用天然储油层内的原地或原位燃烧石油作为热源。 这些热量被用来驱动甲烷、一氧化碳和其他气体转化为氢气和二氧化碳，其方式类似于炼油厂的气化和蒸汽重整过程。
李峻 编译自 Gasworld.com
原文如下：
UT researchers to transform untapped oil into clean hydrogen energy
Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have found a way to convert untapped oil into clean hydrogen energy – and the work has been recognised by the US Department of Energy (DOE).
The University align="justify"> Recognised by DOE, the effort could represent a major stepping-stone in the department’s goal to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to £1/kg in just align="justify"> Speaking about how the work could transform the US’ hydrogen economy, Researcher Ian Duncan, who leads the Earth Systems and Environment group at the UT Bureau of Economic Geology, said, “Our aim is to produce relatively cheap hydrogen while sequestering CO2 elsewhere in the reservoir. This would produce carbon-free hydrogen from an energy source that otherwise would remain unused.
“Approximately half the oil in reservoirs in the US remains in the ground and most will never be produced using current technologies and prices. Texas is well-positioned to take advantage of subsurface hydrogen production as it has huge resources of oil, a well-developed oil field infrastructure, and an extensive network of pipelines and rights-of-way.”
Building align="justify"> The team’s research focuses on using in-situ, or on site, combustion of oil within the natural reservoir as a heat source. That heat is used to drive the conversion of methane, carbon monoxide and other gases into hydrogen and CO2 in a way that emulates the industrial processes of gasification and steam reforming in refineries.
