Ventilation of underground porosity storage reservoirs

Abstract

An underground porosity reservoir includes substantially impermeable barriers and an aquiclude surrounding a volume of alluvial deposits for storing water within the pore spaces of the alluvial deposits. A conduit positioned below a surface layer of the reservoir includes an interior volume that communicates with the pore spaces of the alluvial deposits. An air vent connects the interior volume of the conduit with atmospheric air above the reservoir and allows air to pass to and from the pore spaces of the reservoir. Ventilation of the porosity reservoir provides pressure-relief during reservoir filling operations (when the incoming water would otherwise cause an increase in air pressure within the reservoir), and further provides a vacuum-break as water is extracted from the reservoir (i.e., air from the conduit enters the pore spaces as the water is extracted).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.