Stability of a penny-shaped geothermal reservoir in the earth's crust

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982 · J. Energy Resour. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3230399· OSTI ID:6292730

Abe, H; Sekine, H

The theoretical analysis of a penny-shaped geothermal reservoir in the earth's crust subject to linear tectonic stress gradients has been made on the basis of the three dimensional theory of elasticity. The condition for stability of a reservoir requires K/sub 1/ < K /SUB c/ , where K/sub 1/ and K /SUB c/ are, respectively, the stress intensity factor for the opening mode and the fracture toughness of the surrounding rock. From this condition the upper critical pressure being necessary for the reservoir stability is obtained and is shown graphically.

• Research Organization: Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tohoku Univ., Sendai
• OSTI ID: 6292730
• Journal Information: J. Energy Resour. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 104:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
RESERVOIR ROCK
ELASTICITY
FRACTURE MECHANICS
CALCULATION METHODS
CONFIGURATION
STRESS INTENSITY FACTORS
TECTONICS
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MECHANICS
TENSILE PROPERTIES
150201* - Geology &amp; Hydrology of Geothermal Systems- USA- (-1989)