The magnitudes of multi-physics effects on geothermal reservoir characteristics during the production of enhanced geothermal system

The multi-physics coupling process during the heat extraction from enhanced geothermal system, encompassing thermo(T)-hydro(H)-mechanical(M)-chemical(C) interactions, plays a pivotal role in changing geothermal reservoir characteristics. However, a comprehensive quantitative assessment of these multi-physics behaviors has been lacking. In...

Uncertainty quantification in a heterogeneous fluvial sandstone reservoir using GPU-based Monte Carlo simulation

The efficient operation and management of a geothermal project can be largely affected by geological, physical, operational and economic uncertainties. Systematic uncertainty quantification (UQ) involving these parameters helps to determine the probability of the focused outputs, e.g., energy production, Net Present Value (NPV), etc. However,...

A Generic Framework for Multiscale Simulation of High and Low Enthalpy Fractured Geothermal Reservoirs under Varying Thermodynamic Conditions

We develop a multiscale simulation strategy, namely, algebraic dynamic multilevel (ADM) method, for simulation of fluid flow and heat transfer in fractured geothermal reservoirs under varying thermodynamic conditions. Fractures with varying conductivities are modeled using the projection-based embedded discrete fracture model (pEDFM) in an...

High-Enthalpy Geothermal Simulation with Continuous Localization in Physics

Simulation of heat production in high-enthalpy geothermal systems is associated with a complex physical process in which cold water invades steam-saturated control volumes. The fully implicit, fully coupled numerical strategy is commonly adopted to solve the governing system composed of mass and energy conservation equations. A conventional...

The impact of heterogeneity on geothermal production: simulation benchmarks and applications

Numerical simulation plays an important role for the efficient development of geothermal resources, considering all the uncertain and sensitive parameters that exist within the subsurface and during the operations. This thesis describes the numerical modeling of geothermal developments of various types and in various situations using the newly...

Modeling of multiphase mass and heat transfer in fractured high-enthalpy geothermal systems with advanced discrete fracture methodology

Multiphase mass and heat transfer are ubiquitous in the subsurface within manifold applications. The presence of fractures over several scales and complex geometry magnifies the uncertainty of the heat transfer phenomena, which will significantly impact, or even dominate, the dynamic transport process. Capturing the details of fluid and heat...

Influential factors on the development of a low-enthalpy geothermal reservoir: A sensitivity study of a realistic field

A realistic deep low-enthalpy geothermal reservoir based on real data with high detail and complicated sedimentary structure is utilized to perform sensitivity analyses of the geological features influencing reservoir properties. We perform simulations using the Delft Advanced Research Terra Simulator (DARTS). Compelling numerical performance...

Geothermal Energy Production From Faulted Systems with Stress-Induced Aperture Changes

Transition to cleaner energy while sustaining the heat demand necessity has always been an emphasized topic in the recent years. With the slowly declining utilization and production of natural gas in Netherlands, geothermal energy shows a promising future in providing sustainable power for heating and various applications. For majority of...

An efficient numerical simulator for geothermal simulation: A benchmark study

Accurate prediction of temperature and pressure distribution is essential for geothermal reservoir exploitation with cold water re-injection. Depending on our knowledge about the heterogeneous structure of the subsurface, the reservoir development scheme can be optimized and the overall lifetime of the geothermal field can be extended. In...