Version 1
: Received: 5 August 2024 / Approved: 6 August 2024 / Online: 6 August 2024 (12:15:58 CEST)
How to cite:
Halter, T.; Gholizadeh Doonechaly, N.; Shakas, A.; Brehme, M.; Hertrich, M.; Giardini, D. Thermal Energy Storage and Recovery in Fractured Granite Reservoirs: Numerical Modeling and Efficiency Analysis. Preprints2024, 2024080418. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0418.v1
Halter, T.; Gholizadeh Doonechaly, N.; Shakas, A.; Brehme, M.; Hertrich, M.; Giardini, D. Thermal Energy Storage and Recovery in Fractured Granite Reservoirs: Numerical Modeling and Efficiency Analysis. Preprints 2024, 2024080418. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0418.v1
Halter, T.; Gholizadeh Doonechaly, N.; Shakas, A.; Brehme, M.; Hertrich, M.; Giardini, D. Thermal Energy Storage and Recovery in Fractured Granite Reservoirs: Numerical Modeling and Efficiency Analysis. Preprints2024, 2024080418. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0418.v1
APA Style
Halter, T., Gholizadeh Doonechaly, N., Shakas, A., Brehme, M., Hertrich, M., & Giardini, D. (2024). Thermal Energy Storage and Recovery in Fractured Granite Reservoirs: Numerical Modeling and Efficiency Analysis. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0418.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Halter, T., Marian Hertrich and Domenico Giardini. 2024 "Thermal Energy Storage and Recovery in Fractured Granite Reservoirs: Numerical Modeling and Efficiency Analysis" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0418.v1
Abstract
Fractured media are seldom considered viable for storing excess thermal energy seasonally, compared to the more commonly used porous aquifers, due to their heterogeneity, lower storage capacity, and potential for unpredictable flow paths. This study employs COMSOL Multiphysics to create a numerical model of a fractured granite reservoir located below the Bedretto underground laboratory. The energy efficiency of both single-well and doublet systems was evaluated over 25 cycles, each comprising four 91-day phases: injection, storage, production, and resting. Results indicated that the single-well system was more efficient, with energy efficiency increasing with the flow rate. For an injection temperature of 60 °C, the system achieved energy efficiencies of up to 59.3% and 67.7%, after 10 and 25 cycles, respectively, aligning with porous Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) system efficiencies at this temperature. Exploration of electricity production using water injected at 120 °C revealed it to be uneconomical and ineffective. However, the most promising use of the retrieved water was found to be direct ground heating for a greenhouse. This technology offers a potential alternative for thermal energy storage in regions lacking suitable porous aquifers, although identifying appropriate locations with the necessary geological characteristics may present significant challenges.
Keywords
Thermal Energy Storage; Fractured Reservoir; Seasonal Heat Storage; Numerical Model
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Geology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
