Research

Multi-phase, Multi-component fluid and heat transport at multi-scales to develop new technologies for clean energy production at an economically competitive compared to current fossil fuels. Applications include: Natural gas hydrates, Geothermal Energy, Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). We have received funding from Department of Energy-Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) and National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

Selected Research Projects

Numerical Simulations of Depressurization-Induced Gas Hydrate Reservoir (Unit B) Response at the Prudhoe Bay Unit Kuparuk 7-11-12 Pad on Alaska North Slope

Reliable estimation of methane hydrate potential as a new energy resource poses a significant challenge. In this project, CMG STARS is used to provide modeling predictions for prospective long-term field production tests from the permafrost gas hydrate accumulation at the Prudhoe Bay Unit Kuparuk 7-11-12 Pad on the Alaska North Slope (ANS). Simulation results are used to support planning, execution, and analysis of the Kuparuk 7-11-12 field test on the ANS and to conduct history-matching simulations to validate models.

Analysis of Geothermal Deep Direct-Use Combined with Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage on the West Virginia University Campus-Morgantown, WV

The overall objective of this project is to perform an analysis of an integrated Geothermal District Heating and Cooling (GDHC) and underground thermal energy storage (UTES) system for the WVU campus. Research to be performed in this project includes:

• Drilling and sampling of a deep exploratory and scientific well to a depth of 15,000 ft (4,500 m).
• Evaluation of the multiple stacked potential geothermal energy supply and storage reservoirs.
  
• Assessment of campus building energy loads and building equipment for hot water vs. steam utilization.
  
• Technoeconomic assessment of building retrofit costs for hot water systems vs steam systems.
  

This project will advance WVU efforts to add cleaner, renewable power to reduce its carbon footprint. The subsurface characterization through this project will also benefit the other potential deep direct-use (DDU) project sites in the middle Appalachian Basin by providing a mid-basin data set.

Learn more about the project at https://geothermal.wvu.edu/

Selected Publications

Journal Articles

• Myshakin, E., Garapati, N., Seol, Y., Gai, X., Collett, T., Boswell, R., Ohtsuki, S., Sato, M., Kumagai,K, Suzuki, K., Okinaka. N. “Numerical Simulations of Depressurization-Induced Gas Hydrate Reservoir (Unit B) Response at the Prudhoe Bay Unit Kuparuk 7-11-12 Pad on Alaska North Slope”, special research volume, Energy and Fuels, 36 (2021):2542-2560. DOI:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.1c04099.
• Chapman, J. S., Garapati, N.,, Glezakou, V.-A., Duan, Y., Hu, J.,Dinu, C.Z. “Hydrophilic MIL-160-based membrane exhibits pressure-dependent selective uptake of industrially relevant greenhouse gases”, RSC, Materials Advances (2021); DOI: 10.1039/D1MA00468A.
• Zhang, Y., Garapati, N., Doughty, C., Pierre, J., “Modeling Study of Deep Direct Use Geothermal on the West Virginia University Campus-Morgantown, WV”, Geothermics, 87 (2020): 101848; DOI: 10.1016/j.geothermics.2020.101848.
• McCleery, R. S., McDowell, R.R., Moore, J. P., Garapati, N., Carr, T.R., Anderson, B.J., “Development of 3-D geological model of Tuscarora Sandstone for Feasibility of Deep Direct-Use Geothermal at West Virginia University’s Main Campus”, GRC Transactions, 42 (2018): 192-208.
• Qian, L., Chapman, J., Aisheng, H., Kenneth, C. W., Wagner, A., Garapati, N., Konstantinos,S., Dinu, C.Z., “User-tailored Metal-Organic Frameworks as Supports for Carbonic Anhydrase”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 10 (2018): 41326-41337; DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b14125.
• Sridhara, P., Anderson, B.J., Garapati, N., Seol, Y., Myshakin, E.M., “Novel Technological Approach to Enhance Methane Recovery from Class 2 Hydrate Deposits by Employing CO ₂ Injection”, Energy and Fuels, 32 (2018): 2949-2961; DOI: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.7b03441.

Articles in Conference Proceedings

• Garapati, N., Collett, T.S., Zyrianova, M.V., “Economic and Life Cycle Assessment of Gas Production from Gas Hydrate Prospects on Alaska North Slope”, 10^th International Conference on Gas Hydrates (ICGH10), Singapore, July 2023.
• Adams, B. M., Fleming, M. R., Bielicki, J.M., Garapati, N., Saar, M.O. “An Analysis of the Demonstration of a CO2-based Thermosiphon at the SECARB Cranfield Site”, 46^th Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford, CA, February 2021.
• Garapati, N., Irr, V. J., Lamb, B., “Feasibility Analysis of Deep Direct-Use Geothermal on the West Virginia University Campus-Morgantown, WV”, 45^th Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford, CA, February 2020.
• Garapati, N., Alonge, O.B., Hall, L. Y., Irr, V. J., Zhang, Y., Smith, J.D., Pierre, J., Doughty, C., “Feasibility of Development of Geothermal Deep Direct-Use District Heating and Cooling system at West Virginia University Campus-Morgantown, WV” in Proceedings of 44^th Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford, CA, February 2019.
• Garapati, N., Zhang, Y., Pierre, J., Doughty, C., Anderson, B.J., “Subsurface modeling and well configuration design for geothermal deep direct-use district heating system at West Virginia University Campus-Morgantown, WV” TOUGH Symposium, Berkeley, CA, October 2018.