We asked the two students who were selected for FY2025 Integrated Research Project about various aspects of the project. Please take a look!
【Researcher Name】
BAT-ERDENE BUGUNEI (Graduate School of Engineering, Department of Earth Resources Engineering )
HIGA Ryota (Graduate School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering )
【Integrated Research Title】
Investigation of wellbore material design for underground hydrogen storage considering the potential hydrogen leakage
【Research Abstract】
Hydrogen storage is pivotal for establishing a comprehensive hydrogen value chain, and large-scale underground hydrogen storage holds promise as a viable option. However, the distinct characteristics of hydrogen lead to concerns regarding possible leakage, especially through wellbores. Leakage into shallow aquifers could pose serious threats to groundwater quality and public health, it can also affect operational efficiency.
By investigating the physical model of hydrogen leakage in the wellbore, it will be possible to understand and evaluate the basic material properties of the wellbore and find a suggestion of the optimum material for the wellbore to minimize the hydrogen leakage throughout the well.
Q1. What prompted you to start this joint research?
During our Slack discussion, we came up with an idea of investigating a very interesting topic of Underground Hydrogen Storage. We wanted to challenge ourselves to conduct cross-disciplinary research by combining our ideas.
Q2. How did you feel about being selected for the Integrated Research Project?
It was exciting to conduct cross-disciplinary research, but also there is a little nervous feeling at the same time, as it brings more responsibilities. Overall, we are pleased to be selected for the Integrated Research Project.
Q3. What is the current progress of your joint research?
Currently, we are doing a literature review and working on setting the boundary conditions for numerical analysis. We started to focus on a certain aspect of wellbore design, which is one of the key components of Underground Hydrogen Storage. According to the literature investigation results and basic findings, the most effective parameters are material properties and borehole design parameters, which affect the wellbore integrity.
Q4. What new “insights” have you gained while conducting joint research?
As we investigate more details, we recognized that it becomes very crucial to assume and stick to certain boundary conditions (such as operating pressure, injection rate, and depth of wellbore) based on the operational conditions. This makes the numerical model simple and effective; moreover, it is helpful to competently analyze the various wellbore material parameters without considering various boundary conditions.
Q5. What are some of the difficulties of joint research that you did not think of when you were planning (applying for) this project?
At the beginning, it was challenging to adapt our ideas into a more compact concept because we wanted to study many different aspects of Hydrogen Storage Systems. Our initial research proposal was very comprehensive, so we had to adjust our objectives and scope of research.
Q6. What is the reaction of your academic advisors and the members around you in the lab?
Our supervisors were interested in this subject and suggested some revisions to our research plan. Also, they have suggested many different references to read and become familiar with certain aspects of wellbore design and integrity.
Q7. How do you actually conduct this joint research? (online, get together in a lab, etc.)
We have regular meetings in person, sometimes online. We usually conduct our research separately since we have shared our responsibilities. Then we discuss our findings and insights during our meetings.
Q8. How did you spend your research budget? What could you do/what would you like to do if you had another research budget?
Currently, we have allocated the budget for potential travel expenses for field study and presenting research results at domestic or international academic conferences. Additionally, we are considering conducting experiments in the future to determine the material property parameters for the simulation, and we may use the budget for this purpose.
Q9. Do you think there is a good chance of presenting this joint research at a conference or writing a paper? What percentage do you think there is?
If we could find a compelling optimum material design for the wellbore of Underground Hydrogen Storage, there could be a good chance of presenting at a conference. We would say 70% chance.
Q10. What are your future prospects and aspirations for this joint research?
We hope to draw more attention to the topic of Underground Hydrogen Storage and highlight the research gap regarding this topic in Japan, since it is gaining more focus overseas. We will try our best to put out research into good quality and would like to publish a paper.
Q11. What are your dreams for the future and what kind of person do you both aspire to be?
Bugunei: I would like to be a researcher who is open to new ideas and passionate about cooperating with different researchers and specialists. After graduation, I want to start working in the industry, and then, after certain years, I would like to continue my career in academia. So, I am hoping to use my experience to share the knowledge of industrial applications of the research and combine it with theoretical insights.
Higa: After graduation, I wish to engage in research related to materials engineering at a university or research institute. I aspire to become a researcher who drives materials development in Japan by consistently working across the spectrum from fundamental research to applied applications in the materials field.
Q12. Please leave a message for the program students who follow to take on the challenge of the Integrated Research Project and joint research.
We highly believe that it will be a good challenge, and you will learn more about how to conduct joint research. Moreover, it would be a good opportunity to improve your research skills and widen your horizons.
