Bengang Chen

Bengang Chen is a second-year PhD student working in the Subsurface Energy and Storage field, supervised by Dr. Lin Ma, at the University of Manchester.

His project, titled "Chemo-mechanical response of subsurface rocks in future energy storage reservoirs", focuses on the coupled effects of hydro-mechanical-chemical response of porous reservoir rocks and caprocks to cyclic subsurface energy storage processes, e.g., subsurface Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES). The research aims to characterize and quantify the complex coupled rock behaviours through in-situ and ex-situ hydro-mechanical and chemical tests from pore-scale to meso-scale, combined with 2D imaging (e.g., Scanning Electron Microscopy), 3D and 4D imaging techniques (micro X-Ray CT, synchrotron X-ray microtomography), and X-ray Diffraction etc. Further, image-based modelling will be applied to enhance the understanding of the overall coupled rock hydro-mechanical behaviours and chemical reactions.

His life-long goal is to make his own contributions to the Subsurface Energy Storage field and a more green and cleaner world. 

Subsurface Energy and Storage group (Group leader: Dr Lin Ma)