Simulating the effects of adsorption and capillary forces in geothermal reservoirs
Until recently, geothermal reservoir simulators use flat interface thermodynamics to determine the thermodynamic state of the reservoir. Development of new simulators and the modification of existing ones has now incorporated the physics of curved interface thermodynamics. These simulators account for the effects of sorption and capillary forces. The simulators GSS and TETRAD were used to simulate the performance of a hypothetical vapordominated geothermal reservoir. GSS is a simulator specifically developed to account for adsorption by using adsorption isotherms. On the other hand, TETRAD is a commercial simulator that was modified to account for vapor pressure lowering by using capillary pressure relations. GSS and TETRAD yielded similar results. Thus, the two formulations being used to account for curved interface thermodynamics are practically equivalent. Areas for improvement of both GSS and TETRAD were identified. The hysteresis and temperature dependence of sorption and capillary properties are issues that are needed to be addressed.
- Research Organization:
- Stanford University, Stanford, CA; Geothermal and Power Operations, Unocal Corporation, Santa Rosa, CA
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 889765
- Report Number(s):
- SGP-TR-151-24
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Proceedings, Twenty-First Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, January 22-24, 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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