Thermal fracture effects in geothermal energy extraction

Technical Report · Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5717396· OSTI ID:5717396

Demuth, R B; Harlow, F H

Heat and water exchange between the primary crack and a lateral thermal fracture are analyzed by means of numerical modeling on a high-speed computer. Three-dimensional heat flow in the rock is coupled to a two-dimensional approximation for the time-varying convective patterns that result from both forced flow and buoyancy. The physical and mathematical bases for the study are described together with the numerical technique for solution. The report includes listing of three versions of the computer code and some results of representative calculations.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5717396
• Report Number(s): LA-7963
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
HOT-DRY-ROCK SYSTEMS
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
HEAT EXTRACTION
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
COMPUTER CODES
CRACKS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
HEAT FLOW
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
EQUATIONS
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
Geothermal Legacy
150906* - Geothermal Engineering- Reservoir Stimulation & Extraction Technology