Description

The dissolution rate is crucial when evaluating solubility trapping under reservoir conditions, especially in geological carbon sequestration settings such as saline aquifers. Precisely forecasting solubility trapping is vital for estimating storage capacity and guaranteeing the enduring effectiveness of carbon dioxide (CO2) storage in aquifers. The CONVECT-EVAL device is specifically engineered to measure the dissolution rate at which CO2 dissolves in brine, a process that can be intensified through density-driven convective diffusion. This apparatus allows for the use of fluids commonly encountered in Carbon storage projects, such as flue gas instead of pure CO2, and subsurface brine samples with complex compositions. This approach accurately simulates real-world conditions, enabling the generation of precise dissolution behavior curves. The apparatus uses a Hele-Shaw cell, or simply a "Hele cell," to simulate and study the process of CO2 dissolution under controlled laboratory conditions. A video camera is employed to visualize and quantify how CO2 interacts with brine in a confined space, mimicking the conditions that can be encountered in subsurface reservoirs.