Enhanced safety of geologic CO2 storage with nanoparticles

We numerically investigate the effect of adding NPs from nuclear waste with the CO2 and show that it enhances the mixing of CO2 with in-situ brine in saline aquifers that mitigates the risk related to buoyancy and high mobility of CO2. Additionally, we examine the effect of reservoir heterogeneity on mixing of CO2 in reservoir brine when it is injected with NPs. The results show that: (i) addition of NPs to CO2 leads to higher mixing, (ii) the discrete shape of CO2 concentration in brine tends to diffuse and become smooth as the heterogeneity of the medium increases, and (iii) the impact of heterogeneity is more pronounced than the fraction of NPs on mixing.