Geomechanical analysis of salt caverns used for underground storage of hydrogen utilised in meeting peak energy demands

Abstract

The geomechanical design of a H2 storage salt cavern subjected to diurnal and seasonal storage operating cycles has been investigated. The investigations provided a better understanding of the geomechanical response of H2 storage caverns by employing coupled thermo-mechanical numerical analyses. A salt cavern, located at a depth of 1.8 km, has been investigated by employing non-linear elasto-visco-plastic thermo-mechanical analyses by considering: the characteristics of the geological formations around the cavern, the changes in temperature and stress concentrations related to the H2 storage operations and the in situ geostatic stresses that characterise the cavern’s location. This work has proven the importance of using a coupled thermo-mechanical analysis to assess the geomechanical integrity of H2 storage caverns.