Geomechanical Analysis of Salt Caverns Used for Underground Storage of Hydrogen Utilised in Meeting Peak Energy Demands

The geomechanical design of a H-2 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 H-2 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 H-2 storage operations and the in situ geostatic stresses that characterise the cavern's location. This work has proven the importance of using a coupled thermomechanical analysis to assess the geomechanical integrity of H-2 storage caverns.