| Title | Numerical Studies of Coupled Flow and Heat Transfer Processes in Hydraulically Fractured Geothermal Reservoirs |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yue Hao; Pengcheng Fu; Johnson, Scott M.; Carrigan, Charles R. |
| Year | 2012 |
| Conference | Geothermal Resources Council Transactions |
| Keywords | Fluid flow; heat transfer; fractured rocks; numerical modeling; hydraulic stimulation; enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) |
| Abstract | Prediction and modeling of coupled fluid flow and heat transfer processes in naturally and hydraulically fractured rock systems represent a critical component for energy recovery analysis and lifetime performance evaluation of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). In this study we applied a fracture continuum model, which enables accurate and efficient description of discrete fracture network systems, to simulate the thermal-hydrologic (TH) behaviors of geothermal reservoirs in response to two common hydraulic stimulation scenarios, hydro-fracturing and hydro-shearing. Numerical heat transfer results demonstrate that the heat transfer/ production efficiency of an EGS system can be greatly improved by the application of hydraulic stimulation. The numerical heat transfer models developed in this study, in conjunction with hydro-geomechanical models simulating hydraulic stimulation, will provide a useful and effective modeling framework for EGS operation and performance assessment/evaluation. |