Geothermal heat extraction by water circulation through a large crack in dry hot rock mass

Abstract

One proposed geothermal heat extraction scheme relies on water circulation in a large vertical crack created by hydraulic fracturing in a hot dry impermeable rock mass. Water flow, heat convection and crack opening widths are analysed by finite elements. Governing field equations of the problem are first set up rigorously and then various small terms are identified and neglected, retaining the effects of pressure gradient, buoyancy, velocity head (kinetic energy) and head loss due to viscous friction in the water flow equation, and the effects of heat convection in water and heat conduction in rock in the heat transfer equation. The finite element scheme for water flow is based on a variational principle that is typical for diffusion problems, and for heat transfer it is based on the method of least‐square residuals. The system of differential equations is highly non‐linear. The non‐linear terms and coefficients are treated in the fiaite element analysis as constant; the finite element analysisof, the steady‐state pressures, fluxes and temperatures is then iterated, evaluating all non‐linear terms and coefficients on the basis of the solution obtained in the previous iteration. Numerically calculated fields at various times after the start ofcooling are presented. They indicate some features favourable for the geothermal scheme, such as formation of eddy currents, and downward flux of water toward hotter rock. However, other important questions would have to be solved to gain full understanding, of this proposed geothermal scheme.