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Title: Two-dimensional fluid and thermal analysis of dry porous rock reservoirs for CAES

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5982250· OSTI ID:5982250

The analysis of the hydrodynamic and thermodynamic response of a Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) dry porous media reservoir subjected to daily air mass cycling is described. The analysis is based upon a numerical computer model that uses a finite difference method to solve the two-dimensional (r-z) conservation equations for the transport of mass, momentum, and energy in the below ground system. The investigation quantifies the behavior of those parameters that enter the model by virtue of inclusion of the vertical dimension. The topics that were evaluated were the wellbore heat transfer and the pressure and temperature response of the reservoir. The wellbore heat transfer was evaluated with respect to insulation, preheating (bubble development with heated air), and air mass flow rate. The wellbore heat transfer reduces thermal energy recovery while offering the advantage that the temperatures and thermal cycling at the reservoir were reduced. The most severe thermal cycling occurred in the wellbore near the earth's surface. The pressure and temperature responses of the reservoir were found to be largely dependent on the producing length of the wellbore within the porous zone. Reduced producing lengths resulted in increased reservoir pressure losses as well as nonuniform temperature distributions. Other reservoir parameters that were evaluated that had less significant effects were anisotropic permeability and stratified permeability, heat losses to the vertical boundaries, and natural circulation.

Research Organization:
Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-06-1830
OSTI ID:
5982250
Report Number(s):
PNL-SA-7910
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English