| Title | Closed-loop geothermal energy recovery from deep high enthalpy systems |
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| Author | Yuan, W ; Chen,
Z; Grasby, S E; Little, E |
| Source | Renewable Energy vol. 177, 2021 p. 976-991, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.06.028  Open Access |
| Year | 2021 |
| Alt Series | Natural Resources Canada, Contribution Series 20200775 |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper; on-line; digital |
| File format | pdf; html |
| Subjects | Science and Technology; energy resources; geothermal energy; thermodynamics; modelling; reservoir rocks; thermal conductivity; temperature; groundwater temperatures; wells; Renewable energy; Energy
technology; Methodology |
| Illustrations | schematic diagrams; tables; profiles; plots |
| Program | Geoscience for New Energy Supply (GNES) Program Coordination |
| Released | 2021 06 07 |
| Abstract | Closed-loop geothermal energy recovery technology has advantages of being independent of reservoir fluid and permeability, experiencing less parasitic load from pumps, and being technologically ready
and widely used for heat exchange in shallow geothermal systems. Commercial application of closed-loop geothermal technology to deep high-enthalpy systems is now feasible given advances in drilling technology. However, the technology it uses has been
questioned due to differences in heat transport capacities of convective flow within the wellbores and conductive flux in the surrounding rock. Here we demonstrate that closed-loop geothermal systems can provide reasonable temperature and heat duty
for over 30 years using multiple laterals when installed in a suitable geological setting. Through use of two analytical methods, our results indicate that the closed-loop geothermal system is sensitive to reservoir thermal conductivity that controls
the level of outlet temperature and interference between wells over time. The residence time of the fluid in the horizontal section, calculated as a ratio of the lateral length to flow rate, dictates heat transport efficiency. A long vertical
production section could cause large drops in fluid temperature in a single lateral production system, but such heat loss can be reduced significantly in a closed-loop system with multiple laterals. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
Closed-loop geothermal energy recovery is one of the efficient technologies to develop geothermal energy. This kind of technology has many advantages
including less energy consumption and low footprints on the environment. Commercial application of closed-loop geothermal technology to the deeper and hotter reservoir is now feasible and a pilot project is taken place in Canada. However, the
technology it uses has been questioned due to complicated heat transfer mechanisms within the process. Here we demonstrate that closed-loop geothermal systems can provide reasonable temperature and heat duty for over 30 years using multiple laterals
when installed in a suitable geological setting. Many factors that affect heat production performance have also been analyzed in this study. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 328157 |
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