Transition from mixed to forced convection for opposing vertical flows in liquid-saturated porous media

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5700439

Reda, D C

Mixed-convection phenomena can occur within liquid-dominated geothermal reservoirs due to interactions of injected flows, or ground-water flows, with the buoyancy-induced fluid motion. This problem was studied experimentally and numerically for the case of opposing flows about a vertical heat source in a liquid-saturated porous medium. The ratio of the Rayleigh number (Ra) to the Peclet number (Pe) was identified as the nondimensional parameter which characterizes the relative influence of buoyancy-driven to pressure-gradient-driven fluid motion. The transition from mixed to forced convection was numerically determined to be (Ra/Pe) approx. = -0.5, where the minus sign denotes superimposed downflow. Agreement between measured and predicted thermal-field results showed that the finite-element code of Gartling and Hickox (1982 a,b) can be used to model low-temperature (single-phase) geothermal reservoirs throughout the natural, mixed, and forced convection regimes. 9 refs., 6 figs.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5700439
• Report Number(s): SAND-85-0270C; CONF-850801-32; ON: DE85010662
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150904* -- Geothermal Engineering-- Geothermal Reservoir & Well Performance
CONVECTION
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUID FLOW
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
Geothermal Legacy
HEAT TRANSFER
HOT-WATER SYSTEMS
HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEMS
LIQUID FLOW
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
POROUS MATERIALS
REINJECTION
THERMOSYPHON EFFECT