Storage capacity in hot dry rock reservoirs
Abstract
A method of extracting thermal energy, in a cyclic manner, from geologic strata which may be termed hot dry rock. A reservoir comprised of hot fractured rock is established and water or other liquid is passed through the reservoir. The water is heated by the hot rock, recovered from the reservoir, cooled by extraction of heat by means of heat exchange apparatus on the surface, and then re-injected into the reservoir to be heated again. Water is added to the reservoir by means of an injection well and recovered from the reservoir by means of a production well. Water is continuously provided to the reservoir and continuously withdrawn from the reservoir at two different flow rates, a base rate and a peak rate. Increasing water flow from the base rate to the peak rate is accomplished by rapidly decreasing backpressure at the outlet of the production well in order to meet periodic needs for amounts of thermal energy greater than a baseload amount, such as to generate additional electric power to meet peak demands. The rate of flow of water provided to the hot dry rock reservoir is maintained at a value effective to prevent depletion of the liquid
- Inventors:
-
- Los Alamos, NM
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 871219
- Patent Number(s):
- 5685362
- Assignee:
- Regents of University of California (Alameda, CA)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24T - GEOTHERMAL COLLECTORS
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- storage; capacity; hot; dry; rock; reservoirs; method; extracting; thermal; energy; cyclic; manner; geologic; strata; termed; reservoir; comprised; fractured; established; water; liquid; passed; heated; recovered; cooled; extraction; heat; means; exchange; apparatus; surface; re-injected; added; injection; production; continuously; provided; withdrawn; flow; rates; base; rate; peak; increasing; accomplished; rapidly; decreasing; backpressure; outlet; meet; periodic; amounts; baseload; amount; generate; additional; electric; power; demands; maintained; value; effective; prevent; depletion; water flow; flow rates; electric power; heat exchange; flow rate; thermal energy; storage capacity; hot dry; cyclic manner; peak demand; fractured rock; continuously withdrawn; dry rock; /165/60/166/
Citation Formats
Brown, Donald W. Storage capacity in hot dry rock reservoirs. United States: N. p., 1997.
Web.
Brown, Donald W. Storage capacity in hot dry rock reservoirs. United States.
Brown, Donald W. Wed .
"Storage capacity in hot dry rock reservoirs". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/871219.
@article{osti_871219,
title = {Storage capacity in hot dry rock reservoirs},
author = {Brown, Donald W},
abstractNote = {A method of extracting thermal energy, in a cyclic manner, from geologic strata which may be termed hot dry rock. A reservoir comprised of hot fractured rock is established and water or other liquid is passed through the reservoir. The water is heated by the hot rock, recovered from the reservoir, cooled by extraction of heat by means of heat exchange apparatus on the surface, and then re-injected into the reservoir to be heated again. Water is added to the reservoir by means of an injection well and recovered from the reservoir by means of a production well. Water is continuously provided to the reservoir and continuously withdrawn from the reservoir at two different flow rates, a base rate and a peak rate. Increasing water flow from the base rate to the peak rate is accomplished by rapidly decreasing backpressure at the outlet of the production well in order to meet periodic needs for amounts of thermal energy greater than a baseload amount, such as to generate additional electric power to meet peak demands. The rate of flow of water provided to the hot dry rock reservoir is maintained at a value effective to prevent depletion of the liquid},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1997},
month = {1}
}
Works referenced in this record:
Hot Dry Rock geothermal energy--- A new energy agenda for the twenty-first century
report, July 1989
- Tester, J. W.; Brown, D. W.; Potter, R. M.