# US 2016/0355341 A1 · Cavern pressure management

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- Number: US 2016/0355341 A1
- Document ID: US20160355341A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/732,124
- Filed: 2015-06-05
- Published: 2016-12-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-06-05
- Assignees: Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP
- Applicants: Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP
- Inventors: Ronald STRYBOS
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160355341A1

## CPC

- B65G 5/00: Storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth
- B65G 5/005: {in porous layers}
- F17C 1/007: {Underground or underwater storage}
- F17C 2221/011: Oxygen
- F17C 2221/012: Hydrogen
- F17C 2221/013: Carbon dioxide
- F17C 2221/014: Nitrogen
- F17C 2221/016: Noble gases (Ar, Kr, Xe)
- F17C 2221/017: Helium
- F17C 2221/031: Air
- F17C 2223/0123: gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
- F17C 2223/036: Very high pressure (>80 bar)
- F17C 2250/043: Pressure
- F17C 2250/0626: Pressure
- F17C 2260/021: Avoiding over pressurising
- F17C 2270/0152: Salt caverns
- Y02E 60/32: Hydrogen storage
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- F17C: VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES (storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth B65G5/00; construction or assembling of bulk storage containers employing civil-engineering techniques E04H7/00; variable-capacity gas-holders F17B; liquefaction or refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A cavern pressure control method includes storing compressible and possibly incompressible fluids in an underground storage volume, removing a portion or introducing additional incompressible fluid into the underground storage volume, possibly removing a portion or introducing additional compressible fluid into the underground storage volume, thereby producing a net pressure increase rate (Pinc) within the underground storage volume, wherein Pinc is maintained at less than a predetermined maximum increase value (PImax).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of pressure management in an underground storage volume, comprising:
storing a compressible fluid in an underground storage volume,
storing an incompressible fluid in said underground storage volume,
and introducing additional compressible fluid into said underground storage volume, thereby producing a net pressure increase rate (Pinc) within said underground storage volume,
wherein Pinc is maintained at less than a predetermined maximum increase value (PImax), wherein PImax is 100 psi/hr, wherein said compressible fluid is hydrogen.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said underground storage volume is an underground salt cavern.

### Claim at position 3

3-4. (canceled)

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said incompressible fluid is selected from the group consisting of brine, water, or water slurry.

### Claim 6

(canceled)

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein PImax is 75 psi/hr.

### Claim 8

A method of pressure management in an underground storage volume, comprising:
storing a compressible fluid in an underground storage volume,
storing an incompressible fluid in said underground storage volume, and
introducing additional incompressible fluid into said underground storage volume, producing a net pressure increase rate (Pinc) within said underground storage volume,
wherein Pinc is maintained at less than a predetermined maximum increase value (PImax), wherein PImax is 100 psi/hr, wherein said compressible fluid is hydrogen.

### Claim 9

A method of pressure management in an underground storage volume, comprising:
storing a compressible fluid in an underground storage volume,
storing an incompressible fluid in said underground storage volume, and
introducing additional compressible fluid into said underground storage volume, and concurrently, removing a portion of said incompressible fluid from said underground storage volume, thereby producing a net pressure increase rate (Pinc) within said underground storage volume,
wherein Pinc is maintained at less than a predetermined maximum increase value (PImax), wherein PImax is 100 psi/hr, wherein said compressible fluid is hydrogen.

### Claim 10

A method of pressure management in an underground storage volume, comprising:
storing a compressible fluid in an underground storage volume,
storing an incompressible fluid in said underground storage volume, and
removing a portion of said compressible fluid from said underground storage volume, and concurrently, introducing additional incompressible fluid into said underground storage volume, producing a net pressure increase rate (Pinc) within said underground storage volume,
wherein Pinc is maintained at less than a predetermined maximum increase value (PImax), wherein PImax is 100 psi/hr, wherein said compressible fluid is hydrogen.