I am conducting the improved/enhanced oil recovery process for conventional and unconventional reservoirs. My main interested topicof my research is to maintain oil supply with proper methods depend on the status of oil reservoirs.
Also, geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in oil and gas reservoirs is one option to reduce the amount of CO2 released to the atmosphere. In addition, carbon dioxide injection has been used in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes since the 1970s; the traditional approach is to reduce the amount of CO2 injected per barrel of oil produced. This minimizes the purchase cost of CO2. For a sequestration process, however, the aim is to maximize both the amount of oil produced and the amount of CO2 stored.
Finally, my continous interested topic are the following;
(1) Visualization for In situ 3 phase fluid flow on porous media
The 3 phase fluid flow on porous media such as rock is a critical topic to investigate the transport phenomena including relative permeabilities. The in situ visualization 3 phase with X-ray CT-scanner through a dual energy technique can provide proper information to conduct this topic.
(2) CO2 separation/sequestration As a continuing project from my Ph.D research on hydrotalcite (HT) membrane, my aim is to identify the optimal conditions of the synthesis for improving the properties of these membranes and hybrid membranes. Also, I am using LDH (layer double hydroxide) materials to investigate and prepare for the CO2 adsorption process at an elevated temperature. In particular, my research focus is on the CO2 removal from flue gases of power-plants. Regarding as CO2 sequestration in the oil and gas field, the continuous efforts are carried out in the field of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects.
(3) Game-changing reverse osmosis membrane for water purification
(4) New conductive membranes for fuel cell system The continuous efforts for the development of conductive membranes will be accomplished with different inorganic fillers and sulfonated polymers. A candidate for inorganic filler is phosphotungstic acid (PWA) due to its acidity. The cell performance of a fuelcell will test with the selective hybrid conductive membranes at high temperatures around 80 OC.
The Role of Boundary Conditions And Characteristic Length On Imbibition in Both Sandstones And LimestonesSPE Western North American and Rocky Mountain Joint MeetingKim, T., Kovscek, A.2014
Brine film thicknesses on mica surfaces under geologic CO2 sequestration conditions and controlled capillary pressuresWATER RESOURCES RESEARCHKim, T. W., Tokunaga, T. K., Bargar, J. R., Latimer, M. J., Webb, S. M.2013; 49 (8): 5071-5076
Capillary pressure and saturation relations for supercritical CO2 and brine in sand: High-pressure P-c(S-w) controller/meter measurements and capillary scaling predictionsWATER RESOURCES RESEARCHTokunaga, T. K., Wan, J., Jung, J., Kim, T. W., Kim, Y., Dong, W.2013; 49 (8): 4566-4579
Wettability Alteration of a Heavy Oil/Brine/Carbonate System with TemperatureENERGY & FUELSKim, T. W., Kovscek, A. R.2013; 27 (6): 2984-2998
Thickness measurements of nanoscale brine films on silica surfaces under geologic CO2 sequestration conditions using synchrotron X-ray fluorescenceWATER RESOURCES RESEARCHKim, T. W., Tokunaga, T. K., Shuman, D. B., Sutton, S. R., Newville, M., Lanzirotti, A.2012; 48
Transport Phenomena in Functional Hydrotalcite Membranes: Carbon Dioxide Selective and Proton Conductive MembranesKim, T.LAP Lambert Academic Publishing.2012
Hybrid Hydrotalcite-Sulfonated Poly(ether ether ketone) Cation-Exchange Membranes Prepared by in situ SulfonationINDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCHKim, T. W., Sahimi, M., Tsotsis, T. T.2011; 50 (7): 3880-3888
Effect of polystyrene on the morphology and physical properties of silicon carbide nanofibersMATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICSElyassi, B., Kim, T. W., Sahimi, M., Tsotsis, T. T.2009; 118 (1): 259-263
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCHThe Preparation and Characterization of Hydrotalcite Thin FilmsTae Wook Kim, M. Sahimi, T. T. Tsotsis2009; 48 (12): 5794
The preparation and characterization of hydrotalcite micromembranesCHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCETae Wook Kim, M. Sahimi, T. T. Tsotsis2009; 64 (7): 1585
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry ResearchPreparation and Characterization of Hybrid Hydrotalcite-Sulfonated Polyetheretherketone (SPEEK) Cation-Exchange MembranesTae Wook Kim, M. Sahimi, T. T. Tsotsis2009
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCHStudy of CO2 diffusion and adsorption on calcined layered double hydroxides: The effect of particle sizeM. Dadwhal, Tae Wook Kim, M. Sahimi, T. T. Tsotsis2008; 47 (16): 6150
Preparation of Hydrotalcite Thin Films Using an Electrophoretic TechniqueINDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCHTae Wook Kim, M. Sahimi, T. T. Tsotsis2008; 47 (23): 9127