Electricity from hot dry rock geothermal energy: technical and economic issues

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6444697· OSTI ID:6444697

Tester, J W; Morris, G E; Cummings, R G; Bivins, R L

Extraction of energy from hot dry rock would make available a nearly unlimited energy source. Some of the technical problems and possible economic tradeoffs involved in a power generating system are examined and possible solutions proposed. An intertemporal optimization computer model of electricity production from a hot dry rock geothermal source has been constructed. The effects of reservoir degradation, variable fluid flow rate, and drilling operations are examined to deetermine optimal strategies for reservoir management and necessary conditions for economic feasibility.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6444697
• Report Number(s): LA-7603-MS
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANTS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
HOT-DRY-ROCK SYSTEMS
ENERGY RECOVERY
HEAT EXTRACTION
POWER GENERATION
COST
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
FLOW RATE
FLUID FLOW
GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION
GEOTHERMAL GRADIENTS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PERFORMANCE
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
ECONOMICS
ENGINEERING
EXPLORATION
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
POWER PLANTS
RECOVERY
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
Geothermal Legacy
150800* - Geothermal Power Plants
299002 - Energy Planning & Policy- Geothermal- (-1989)