Multiphase Corrosion in Geothermal Environments

Start date: 1 March 2019
End date: 28 February 2021
Funder: Chinese University of Petroleum
Primary investigator: 00901695
Co-investigators: Chun Wang
Postgraduate students: 201312753

As one of the renewable energy resources and an alternative to replacing conventional fossil fuel energy, geothermal energy produces low carbon dioxide emissions and prevents the greenhouse effect. The investment scale of high temperature geothermal wells is more than conventional medium-low temperature geothermal wells.

Due to long-time serving in harsh high pressure and temperature water conditions, structural material degradation due to corrosion has become the key issue to affect the safety application of geothermal well, and dramatically increase the maintenance costs.

The development of high temperature geothermal wells will require the construction materials that can withstand the harsh corrosive environment at these elevated temperatures. Stainless steels contain high levels of passivating elements such as chromium, molybdenum, and nickel, resulting in excellent corrosion resistance.

This project focuses on studying corrosion behavior 2205 duplex stainless steel and the formation mechanism of the corrosion product scales at various geothermal environment.