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Prof. Dr. Michael Sakellariou

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Laboratory of Structural Mechanics and Engineering Structures, School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Zografos, 15780 Athens, Greece
Interests: geotechnical engineering and geomechanics; numerical and experimental stress analysis; structural health monitoring; stress analysis of tunnels; landslide hazards analysis in GIS environment
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Dr. Maria Ferentinou

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School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
Interests: geohazard and risk assessment; landslide susceptibility assessment; slope stability; rock engineering systems; artificial intelligence and data mining techniques in geotechnics; monitoring of ground deformation
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Dr. Constantin Athanassas

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School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, GR15773 Zografou Campus, Athens, Greece
Interests: exploration of tectonic processes (tectonophysics) and geological processes in general by geochronological methods; mathematical methods; remote sensing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The importance of this field could be indicated by the establishment of two Special Technical Committees of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. Namely, TC 307 for Sustainability and Geotechnical Engineering and TC 308 for Energy Geotechnics. Additionally, UNESCO has launched a program on Geology for Sustainable Development (1919-2023).

There is a growing consensus that the delivery of a sustainable built environment starts with the integration of sustainability elements at the early planning and design stages of infrastructure projects. On the other hand, the monitoring and mitigation of geohazards, as part of a framework for enhancing the resilience of communities, is also a pillar supporting sustainability in relation to the existing built environment, and can enhance the resilience of communities.

The role of geological engineering and sustainable energy geotechnics in sustainable development and in design adaptation, which aim to build geo-structures that are more resilient to climate change, can play a significant role because of their early implementation in the design and construction process, and can eventually contribute to reduced failure probabilities, as well as reduced consequences from anticipated failures due to the occurrence of geohazards.

The aim of this Special Issue is to invite pilot research projects, case histories, and innovative methodologies that underpin the importance of geological engineering and sustainable energy geotechnics in a more sustainable future for communities, as well as the physical and built environment as a whole.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Monitoring and mitigation of geohazards.
Energy foundations.
Thermo-active ground structures.
Geothermal energy systems.
Methods to enhance the resilience of communities.
Recycled or innovative materials.
Innovative ground-improvement technologies.
Waste management.
Tools and frameworks for the assessment of sustainability and resilience.

Prof. Dr. Michael Sakellariou
Dr. Maria Ferentinou
Dr. Constantin Athanassas
Guest Editors

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Keywords

geosustainability
geosystems
reliability
resilience
design adaptation
CO₂ sequestration
underground space
climate change
energy depletion
monitoring technology

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Research

22 pages, 5915 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sequential Formation of CO₂ Hydrates in a Confined Environment: Description of Phase Equilibrium Boundary, Gas Consumption, Formation Rate and Memory Effect

by Alberto Maria Gambelli, Mirko Filipponi and Federico Rossi

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8829; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148829 - 19 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1298

Abstract

Since 1980, one of the most promising solutions for the exploitation of natural gas hydrate reservoirs was found to be the replacement of methane with carbon dioxide in order to improve the efficiency of methane recovery and, at the same time, permanently store carbon dioxide. However, the process efficiency is still too low and far from reaching technical maturity and becoming economically competitive. In this sense, studying the intrinsic properties of CO₂ hydrates formation and dissociation processes may help in better defining the reasons for this low efficiency and finding feasible solutions. This work deals with carbon dioxide hydrates formation in a natural silica-based porous medium and in fresh water. A lab-scale apparatus was used for experiments, which were carried out consecutively and with the same gas–water mixture in order to detect the possible occurrence of the “memory effect”. Six tests were carried out: the quantity of gas available for the formation of hydrates led to an initial pressure equal to 39.4 bar within the reactor (the initial pressure was 46 bar; however, the dissolution of CO₂ in water during the first test caused a reduction in the quantity of gas available for the process). Each experiment started and ended at temperatures equal or higher than 20 °C. Considering the local pressures, these temperatures ensured the complete dissociation of hydrates. Besides thermodynamic parameters, the gas consumption and the rate constant were evaluated throughout the whole of the experiments. Conversely to what is asserted in the literature, the results demonstrated the weak persistence of the memory effect at a temperature slightly above 25 °C. As expected, ice formation competed with hydrates; however, during tests, it caused the partial release of carbon dioxide previously trapped into hydrates or dissolved in water. Finally, the rate constant completely agreed with the labile Cluster Theory and proved that primordial clusters and hydrate crystals formed and dissociated during the whole test. The first phenomenon was predominant during the formation phase, while the opposite occurred during the following step. The rate constant was found to be an effective parameter to quantify differences between measured and real equilibrium conditions for the system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geological Engineering and Sustainable Energy Geotechnics)

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