Aquifer characterization at the General Motors Harrison Division Plant, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
The General Motors corporation is studying the feasibility of aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) for cooling purposes at its Harrison Division plant Tuscaloosa, Alabama. To determine the characteristics of the aquifer underlying the plant, the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) gathered information about the environment of the aquifer and conducted tests to determine the aquifer's transmissivity and flow. From these tests, calculated estimates of ground-water velocity and flow direction were made. Nine wells were drilled at the plant site. Apparently, a confining bed of clay locally divides the aquifer into two separate units, one confined and one unconfined. An initial attempt to determine the hydraulic gradient in the aquifer was complicated by the resulting discrepancies in water levels among wells as well as by offsite pumping of the same aquifer; however, an estimate of the direction and magnitude of the hydraulic gradient for the composite aquifer was made. Two other types of tests successfully provided data for ground-water flow velocity for ATES design. A constant-discharge and recovery test was conducted to determine transmissivity (hydraulic conductivity). A single-well tracer test was also conducted, and results of the two tests were used conjunctively to estimate ground-water flow velocity. Transmissivity was found to be approximately 2000 ft{sup 2}/day at two wells closet to the pumped well in the parking lot of the General Motors plant. The average hydraulic conductivity is assumed to be approximately 40 ft/day in the same vicinity. The calculated ground-water velocity is approximately 3.25 ft/day with an effective porosity of approximately 6%. 5 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE/CE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 5446447
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-7141; ON: DE90004436
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Aquifer characterization at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Single-well tracer methods for hydrogeologic evaluation of target aquifers
Related Subjects
142000 -- Solar Energy-- Heat Storage-- (1980-)
25 ENERGY STORAGE
250600* -- Energy Storage-- Thermal
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320100 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Buildings
320304 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Waste Heat Recovery & Utilization
ALABAMA
AQUIFERS
BUILDINGS
COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
COOLING SYSTEMS
ENERGY STORAGE
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FEDERAL REGION IV
FIELD TESTS
FLOW RATE
FLUID MECHANICS
GEOLOGY
GROUND WATER
HEAT STORAGE
HYDRAULICS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MECHANICS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SEASONAL THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE
STORAGE
STRATIGRAPHY
TESTING
USA
WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
WATER
WATER WELLS
WELLS