Office: 1351 Beal Avenue, 167 EWRE
Phone: (734) 763-5470
Fax: (734) 764-4292
Email: brellis@umich.edu
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
1351 Beal Avenue, 167 EWRE
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2125
My research interests cover topics related to the sustainable and safe development of emerging energy technologies. Included among these activities are geologic storage of CO2 and large-scale hydrualic fracturing of unconventional oil/gas reservoirs. We examine important water-rock interactions that occur in these subsurface systems through a combination of experimental studies (bench-scale high-pressure flow-through and batch reactors), imaging techniques (computed micro-tomography, SEM, XRF, XANES), and geochemical modeling. Specific topics of interest: permeability evolution in fractured geologic media, release/transport of groundwater contaminants from shale gas reservoirs, development of regulatory policy pertaining to hydraulic fracturing activities.
Videos
To watch a video of me discussing Shale Gas Extraction, please click here. To watch my video on the impact of fracking, please click here.
Ellis, B.R., Peters, C.A., Fitts, J.P., Bromhal, G.S., McIntyre, D.L., Warzinski, R.P., Rosenbaum E.J. (2011), Deterioration of a fractured carbonate caprock exposed to CO2-acidified brine flow. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, 1, 248–260.
Ellis, B.R., Crandell, L.E., Peters, C.A. (2010), Limitations for brine acidification due to SO2 co-injection in geologic carbon sequestration. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 4(3), 575–582.
Crandell, L.E., Ellis, B.R., Peters, C.A. (2010), Dissolution potential of SO2 co-injected with CO2 in geologic sequestration. Environmental Science and Technology, 44(1), 349–355.