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Sample records for rock hdr geothermal

  1. Cost modelling of electricity producing hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal systems in the UK

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doherty, P.S.

    1992-03-01

    A detailed and comprehensive cost model for Hot Dry Rock (HDR) electricity producing systems has been developed in this study. The model takes account of the major aspects of the HDR system, parameterized in terms of the main physical and cost parameters of the resource and the utilization system. A doublet configuration is assumed, and the conceptual HDR system which is defined in the study is based upon the UK Department of Energy (DEn) HDR geothermal R and D programme. The model has been used to calculate the costs of HDR electricity for a UK defined base case which represents a consensus view of what might be achieved in Cornwall in the long term. At 14.2 p/kWh (1988 costs) this cost appears to be unacceptably high. A wide-ranging sensitivity study has also been carried out on the main resource, geometrical, and operational parameters of the HDR system centred around the UK base case. The sensitivity study shows the most important parameters to be thermal gradient and depth. (Author)

  2. Hot Dry Rock; Geothermal Energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1990-01-01

    The commercial utilization of geothermal energy forms the basis of the largest renewable energy industry in the world. More than 5000 Mw of electrical power are currently in production from approximately 210 plants and 10 000 Mw thermal are used in direct use processes. The majority of these systems are located in the well defined geothermal generally associated with crustal plate boundaries or hot spots. The essential requirements of high subsurface temperature with huge volumes of exploitable fluids, coupled to environmental and market factors, limit the choice of suitable sites significantly. The Hot Dry Rock (HDR) concept at any depth originally offered a dream of unlimited expansion for the geothermal industry by relaxing the location constraints by drilling deep enough to reach adequate temperatures. Now, after 20 years intensive work by international teams and expenditures of more than $250 million, it is vital to review the position of HDR in relation to the established geothermal industry. The HDR resource is merely a body of rock at elevated temperatures with insufficient fluids in place to enable the heat to be extracted without the need for injection wells. All of the major field experiments in HDR have shown that the natural fracture systems form the heat transfer surfaces and that it is these fractures that must be for geothermal systems producing from naturally fractured formations provide a basis for directing the forthcoming but, equally, they require accepting significant location constraints on HDR for the time being. This paper presents a model HDR system designed for commercial operations in the UK and uses production data from hydrothermal systems in Japan and the USA to demonstrate the reservoir performance requirements for viable operations. It is shown that these characteristics are not likely to be achieved in host rocks without stimulation processes. However, the long term goal of artificial geothermal systems developed by systematic

  3. Cost modelling of electricity-producing hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal systems in the United Kingdom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doherty, P.; Harrison, R.

    1995-01-01

    A detailed and comprehensive cost model for Hot Dry Rock (HDR) electricity producing systems has been developed in this study. The model takes account of the major aspects of the HDR system, parameterized in terms of the main physical and cost parameters of the resource and the utilization system. A doublet configuration is assumed, and the conceptual HDR system which is defined in the study is based upon the UK Department of Energy (DEn) HDR geothermal R and D programme. The model has been used to calculate the costs of HDR electricity for a UK defined base case which represents a consensus view of what might be achieved in Cornwall in the long term. At 14.2 p/kWh (1988 costs) this cost appears to be unacceptably high. A wide-ranging sensitivity study has also been carried out on the main resource, geometrical, and operational parameters of the HDR system centred around the UK base case. The sensitivity study shows the most important parameters to be thermal gradient and depth. The geometrical arrangement and the shape of the reservoir constitute major uncertainties in HDR systems. Their effect on temperature has a major influence on system performance, and therefore a range of theoretically possible geometries have been studied and the importance of geometrical effects on HDR electricity costs assessed. The most cost effective HDR arrangement in terms of optimized volumes and flow rates has been investigated for a world-wide range of thermal settings. The main conclusions from this study suggests that for HDR electricity to be economic, thermal gradients of 55 o C/km and above, well depths of 5 km or less, and production fluid temperatures of 210 o C and above are required. (UK)

  4. Hot-dry-rock geothermal resource 1980

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heiken, G.; Goff, F.; Cremer, G. (ed.)

    1982-04-01

    The work performed on hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal resource evaluation, site characterization, and geophysical exploration techniques is summarized. The work was done by region (Far West, Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Rocky Mountain States, Midcontinent, and Eastern) and limited to the conterminous US.

  5. Generation by heated rock. Technology for hot dry rock geothermal power; Yakeishi ni mizu de hatsuden. Koon gantai hatsuden no gijutsu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hori, Y. [Central Research Inst. of Electric Power Industry, Tokyo (Japan)

    1995-06-15

    Japan is one of the most distinguished volcanic country in the world and about 8% of the active volcanos of the world are distributed in Japan. This kind of a large quantity and natural energy resource near us are used as hot springs in the whole country and as for electricity in 10 geothermal power stations. In future, if this enormous underground geothermal energy could be utilized safely and economically by using new power generation system like hot dry rock geothermal power generation (HDR), it may contribute a little to the 21st century`s energy problem of Japan. Central Research Inst. of Electric Power Industry has installed `Okachi HDR testing ground` in Okachi-machi of Akita Ken, and is carrying out experiments since 1989. Hot dry rock geothermal power generation is a method in which water is injected to the hot dry rock and the thermal energy is recovered that the natural rock bed is used as a boiler. However, development of many new technologies is necessary to bring this system in practical use. 9 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

  6. Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Energy Development Program. Annual report, fiscal year 1979

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cremer, G.M.; Duffield, R.B.; Smith, M.C.; Wilson, M.G. (comps.)

    1980-08-01

    The Fenton Hill Project is still the principal center for developing methods, equipment, and instrumentation for creating and utilizing HDR geothermal reservoirs. The search for a second site for a similar experimental system in a different geological environment has been intensified, as have the identification and characterization of other HDR areas that may prove suitable for either experimental or commercial development. The Phase I fracture system was enlarged during FY79. Drilling of the injection well of the Phase II system began at Fenton Hill in April 1979. Environmental monitoring of the Fenton Hill area continued through FY79. The environmental studies indicate that the hot dry rock operations have caused no significant environmental impact. Other supporting activities included rock physics, rock mechanics, fracture mapping, and instrumentation development. Two closely related activities - evaluation of the potential HDR energy resource of the US and the selection of a site for development of a second experimental heat-extraction system generally similar to that at Fenton Hill - have resulted in the collection of geology, hydrology, and heat-flow data on some level of field activity in 30 states. The resource-evaluation activity included reconnaissance field studies and a listing and preliminary characterization of US geothermal areas in which HDR energy extraction methods may be applicable. The selection of Site 2 has taken into account such legal, institutional, and economic factors as land ownership and use, proximity to possible users, permitting and licensing requirements and procedures, environmental issues, areal extent of the geothermal area, and visibility to and apparent interest by potential industrial developers.

  7. Occurrence Prospect of HDR and Target Site Selection Study in Southeastern of China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, W.; Gan, H.

    2017-12-01

    Hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal resource is one of the most important clean energy in future. Site selection a HDR resource is a fundamental work to explore the HDR resources. This paper compiled all the HDR development projects domestic and abroad, and summarized the location of HDR geothermal geological index. After comparing the geological background of HDR in the southeast coastal area of China, Yangjiang Xinzhou in Guangdong province, Leizhou Peninsula area, Lingshui in Hainan province and Huangshadong in Guangzhou were selected from some key potential target area along the southeast coast of China. Deep geothermal field model of the study area is established based on the comprehensive analysis of the target area of deep geothermal geological background and deep thermal anomalies. This paper also compared the hot dry rock resources target locations, and proposed suggestions for the priority exploration target area and exploration scheme.

  8. Estimate of Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Resource in Daqing Oilfield, Northeast China

    OpenAIRE

    Guangzheng Jiang; Yi Wang; Yizuo Shi; Chao Zhang; Xiaoyin Tang; Shengbiao Hu

    2016-01-01

    Development and utilization of deep geothermal resources, especially a hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal resource, is beneficial for both economic and environmental consideration in oilfields. This study used data from multiple sources to assess the geothermal energy resource in the Daqing Oilfield. The temperature logs in boreholes (both shallow water wells and deep boreholes) and the drilling stem test temperature were used to create isothermal maps in depths. Upon the temperature field and the...

  9. Estimate of Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Resource in Daqing Oilfield, Northeast China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guangzheng Jiang

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Development and utilization of deep geothermal resources, especially a hot dry rock (HDR geothermal resource, is beneficial for both economic and environmental consideration in oilfields. This study used data from multiple sources to assess the geothermal energy resource in the Daqing Oilfield. The temperature logs in boreholes (both shallow water wells and deep boreholes and the drilling stem test temperature were used to create isothermal maps in depths. Upon the temperature field and thermophysical parameters of strata, the heat content was calculated by 1 km × 1 km × 0.1 km cells. The result shows that in the southeastern part of Daqing Oilfield, the temperature can reach 150 °C at a depth of 3 km. The heat content within 3–5 km is 24.28 × 1021 J, wherein 68.2% exceeded 150 °C. If the recovery factor was given by 2% and the lower limit of temperature was set to be 150 °C, the most conservative estimate for recoverable HDR geothermal resource was 0.33 × 1021 J. The uncertainties of the estimation are mainly contributed to by the temperature extrapolation and the physical parameter selections.

  10. A Brief History With Lessons Learned From The Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Energy Program At Fenton Hill, New Mexico, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelkar, S.; Woldegabriel, G. W.; Rehfeldt, K. R.

    2009-12-01

    Important lessons were learned that continue to be relevant today from the world’s first successful demonstration of a Hot Dry Rock (HDR) system for extracting underground geothermal energy conducted at Fenton Hill, New Mexico. This experiment, conducted in hot, low-permeability, low-water context, crystalline basement rock was fundamentally different from the Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) development currently underway at several sites in the U.S. and world. The HDR concept was developed in 1970’s at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Two HDR reservoirs with two wells each were created and tested at the Fenton Hill site. In spite of its proximity to the Valles caldera and the Rio Grande rift, geological information and heat-flow data were used successfully to select the Fenton Hill experimental site within a block of intact crystalline basement rocks. Deep crystalline basement rocks marginal to active fault/recent volcanic centers were good candidates for HDR systems: these rocks had high heat content, and low matrix permeability leading to low water losses. Reconnaissance surveys indicated significant potential HDR geothermal resources through out the USA. Drilling and completion operations in hot crystalline rocks were challenging requiring further R&D. Hydraulic stimulation activities were carried out successfully in deep, hot crystalline rocks. Logging tools and instruments were developed that could operate successfully in the ~250oC environment. Development of techniques and tools for microseismic data monitoring, analysis, and interpretation was found to be enormously valuable. It was found that the systematic process that should be followed in developing HDR reservoirs is to drill and stimulate the first well, use the microseismic data to locate the target zone, and then complete the additional wells. The largest fraction of the flow impedance was found to be near the production well. Combined interpretation of the pressure testing, microseismic

  11. Thermal modeling of the Clear Lake magmatic system, California: Implications for conventional and hot dry rock geothermal development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stimac, J.; Goff, F.; Wohletz, K.

    1997-06-01

    The combination of recent volcanism, high heat flow ({ge} HFU or 167 mW/m{sup 2}), and high conductive geothermal gradient (up to 120{degree} C/km) makes the Clear Lake region of northern California one of the best prospects for hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal development in the US. The lack of permeability in exploration wells and lack of evidence for widespread geothermal reservoirs north of the Collayomi fault zone are not reassuring indications for conventional geothermal development. This report summarizes results of thermal modeling of the Clear Lake magmatic system, and discusses implications for HDR site selection in the region. The thermal models incorporate a wide range of constraints including the distribution and nature of volcanism in time and space, water and gas geochemistry, well data, and geophysical surveys. The nature of upper crustal magma bodies at Clear Lake is inferred from studying sequences of related silicic lavas, which tell a story of multistage mixing of silicic and mafic magma in clusters of small upper crustal chambers. Thermobarometry on metamorphic xenoliths yield temperature and pressure estimates of {approximately}780--900 C and 4--6 kb respectively, indicating that at least a portion of the deep magma system resided at depths from 14 to 21 km (9 to 12 mi). The results of thermal modeling support previous assessments of the high HDR potential of the area, and suggest the possibility that granitic bodies similar to The Geysers felsite may underlie much of the Clear Lake region at depths as little as 3--6 km. This is significant because future HDR reservoirs could potentially be sited in relatively shallow granitoid plutons rather than in structurally complex Franciscan basement rocks.

  12. Hot dry rock geothermal energy: status of exploration and assessment. Report No. 1 of the hot dry rock assessment panel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1977-06-01

    The status of knowledge of attempts to utilize hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal energy is summarized. It contains (1) descriptions or case histories of the ERDA-funded projects at Marysville, MT, Fenton Hill, NM, and Coso Hot Springs, CA; (2) a review of the status of existing techniques available for exploration and delineation of HDR; (3) descriptions of other potential HDR sites; (4) definitions of the probable types of HDR resource localities; and (5) an estimate of the magnitude of the HDR resource base in the conterminous United States. The scope is limited to that part of HDR resource assessment related to the determination of the extent and character of HDR, with emphasis on the igneous-related type. It is estimated that approximately 74 Q (1 Q = 1,000 Quads) of heat is stored in these sites within the conterminous U.S. at depths less than 10 km and temperatures above 150/sup 0/C, the minimum for power generation. (Q = 10/sup 18/ BTU = 10/sup 21/J; the total U.S. consumption for 1972 was approximately 0.07 Q). Approximately 6300 Q are stored in the conduction-dominated parts of the crust in the western U.S. (23% of the total surface area), again at depths less than 10 km and temperatures above 150/sup 0/C. Nearly 10,000 Q are believed to be contained in crustal rocks underlying the entire conterminous U.S., at temperatures above 150/sup 0/C. The resource base is significantly larger for lower grade heat. (JGB)

  13. SW England seismic monitoring for the HDR geothermal programme in Cornwall 1989 to September 1991

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walker, A.B.

    1992-01-01

    The potential for earthquakes to be triggered by fluid injected into boreholes has been recognised for 25 years and natural earthquakes in Cornwall have been reported for over 250 years. As a result, the Geothermal Steering Committee advising the Hot Dry Rock project recommended that background seismic monitoring be undertaken around the HDR experimental site at Rosemanowes. A network of seismographs was established for this purpose by the British Geological Survey (BGS) in late 1980 and has been operated continuously through September 1991. The primary aim of the network has been to provide an independent, continuous assessment of all vibrational transients in order to discriminate between those caused by the Hot Dry Rock experiments and those of natural origin or from other man-made sources. In this respect, the work provides an insurance against claims that extraneous seismic activity is related to those experiments. (author)

  14. Hot dry rock geothermal energy development program. Annual report, fiscal year 1980

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cremer, G.M. (comp.)

    1981-07-01

    Investigation and flow testing of the enlarged Phase I heat-extraction system at Fenton Hill continued throughout FY80. Temperature drawdown observed at that time indicated an effective fracture of approximately 40,000 to 60,000 m/sup 2/. In May 1980, hot dry rock (HDR) technology was used to produce electricity in an interface demonstration experiment at Fenton Hill. A 60-kVA binary-cycle electrical generator was installed in the Phase I surface system and heat from about 3 kg/s of geothermal fluid at 132/sup 0/C was used to boil Freon R-114, whose vapor drove a turboalternator. A Phase II system was designed and is now being constructed at Fenton Hill that should approach commercial requirements. Borehole EE-2, the injection well, was completed on May 12, 1980. It was drilled to a vertical depth of about 4500 m, where the rock temperature is approximately 320/sup 0/C. The production well, EE-3 had been drilled to a depth of 3044 m and drilling was continuing. Environmental monitoring of Fenton Hill site continued. Development of equipment, instruments, and materials for technical support at Fenton Hill continued during FY80. Several kinds of models were also developed to understand the behavior of the Phase I system and to develop a predictive capability for future systems. Data from extensive resource investigations were collected, analyzed, and assembled into a geothermal gradient map of the US, and studies were completed on five specific areas as possible locations for HDR Experimental Site 2.

  15. Quartz dissolution and silica deposition in hot-dry-rock geothermal systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Robinson, B.A.

    1982-07-01

    The kinetics of quartz dissolution control the produced fluid dissolved silica concentration in geothermal systems in which the downhole residence time is finite. The produced fluid of the Phase I, Run Segment 5 experimental Hot Dry Rock (HDR) geothermal system at Fenton Hill, NM, was undersaturated with respect to quartz in one pass through the reservoir, suggesting that the rate of granite dissolution governed the outlet dissolved silica concentration in this system. The literature data for the rate of quartz dissolution in water from 65 to 625/sup 0/C is correlated using an empirical rate law which is first order in quartz surface area and degree of undersaturation of the fluid. The Arrhenius plot (ln k vs T/sup -1/) is linear over eight orders of magnitude of the rate constant, verifying the validity of the proposed rate expression. Carefully performed quartz dissolution experiments in the present study duplicated the literature data and completed the data base in the temperature range from 150 to 250/sup 0/C. Identical experiments using crushed granite indicate that the rate of quartz dissolution in the presence of granite could be as much as 1 to 2 orders of magnitude faster than the rates observed in the pure quartz experiments. A temperature dependent HDR reservoir model incorporates the quartz dissolution rate law to simulate the dissolved silica behavior during the Fenton Hill Run Segment 5 experiment. For this low-permeability, fracture-dominated reservoir, the assumptions of one-dimensional plug flow through a vertically-inclined rectangular fracture and one-dimensional rock heat conduction perpendicular to the direction of flow are employed. These simplifications lead to an analytical solution for the temperature field in the reservoir.

  16. Characterization of a hot dry rock reservoir at Acoculco geothermal zone, Pue.; Caracterizacion de un yacimiento de roca seca caliente en la zona geotermica de Acoculco, Pue.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lorenzo Pulido, Cecilia; Flores Armenta, Magaly Ramirez Silva, German [Comision Federal de Electricidad, Gerencia de Proyectos Geotermoelectricos, Morelia, Michoacan (Mexico)]. E-mail: cecilia-lorenzo@cfe.gob.mx

    2011-01-15

    Hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal resources, also called enhanced (or engineered) geothermal systems (EGS), have been researched for a long time. The HDR concept is simple. Most of the reservoirs are found at depths of around 5000 m and comprised of impermeable rocks at temperatures between 150 degrees Celsius and 300 degrees Celsius -lacking fluid. Rock temperature is a main economic criterion, since to generate electric energy initial temperatures above 200 degrees Celsius are required. To develop a HDR system, two wells are drilled. Cold water is introduced in one well and hot water is obtained from the other well by passing the water through the hot rock. Since June 2008, a 1.5 MWe power plant has been operating in France, part of the Soultz-sous-Foret project financed by the European Deep Geothermal Energy Programme. To characterize the HDR reservoir multi-disciplinary information was gathered regarding: (1) the heat source origin, (2) qualitative information on temperature and transfer mechanisms of natural heat, (3) natural faults and fractures, (4) local stresses, and (5) the basement rock. The information was applied to a geothermal zone in Acoculco, Pue.. The zone was explored by the Exploration Department with wells EAC-1 and EAC-2, defining the presence of a high temperature reservoir (from 220 degrees Celsius to more than 250 degrees Celsius ). The zone presents the following features: (1) heat source origin: volcano-tectonic, (2) temperature logs show values of 263.8 degrees Celsius and 307.3 degrees Celsius at depths of 1900 m and 2000 m, respectively, (3) the exploration wells are located in a graben-like structure, and the core and cutting samples show evidences of natural faults and fractures partially or completely sealed by hydrothermal minerals such as epidote, quartz and pyrite, (4) stress analyses indicate the local NW-SE and E-W systems are the main systems in the geothermal zone, and (5) the basement rock is composed of limestones with contact

  17. Hydrogeochemical evaluation of conventional and hot dry rock geothermal resource potential in the Clear Lake region, California

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goff, F.; Adams, A.I.; Trujillo, P.E.; Counce, D.

    1993-05-01

    Chemistry, stable isotope, and tritium contents of thermal/mineral waters in the Clear Lake region were used to evaluate conventional and hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal potential for electrical generation. Thermal/mineral waters of the Clear Lake region are broadly classified as thermal meteoric and connate types based on chemical and isotopic criteria. Ratios of conservative components such as B/Cl are extremely different among all thermal/mineral waters of the Clear Lake region except for clusters of waters emerging from specific areas such as the Wilbur Springs district and the Agricultural Park area south of Mt. Konocti. In contrast ratios of conservative components in large, homogeneous geothermal reservoirs are constant. Stable isotope values of Clear Lake region waters show a mixing trend between thermal meteoric and connate (generic) end-members. The latter end-member has enriched {delta}D as well as enriched {delta}{sup 18}O, from typical high-temperature geothermal reservoir waters. Tritium data indicate most Clear Lake region waters are mixtures of old and young fluid components. Subsurface equilibration temperature of most thermal/mineral waters of the Clear Lake region is {le}150{degree}C based on chemical geothermometers but it is recognized that Clear Lake region waters are not typical geothermal fluids and that they violate rules of application of many geothermometers. The combined data indicate that no large geothermal reservoir underlies the Clear Lake region and that small localized reservoirs have equilibration temperatures {le}150{degree}C (except for Sulphur Bank mine). HDR technologies are probably the best way to commercially exploit the known high-temperatures existing beneath the Clear Lake region particularly within and near the main Clear Lake volcanic field.

  18. Hot dry rock heat mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duchane, D.V.

    1992-01-01

    Geothermal energy utilizing fluids from natural sources is currently exploited on a commercial scale at sites around the world. A much greater geothermal resource exists, however, in the form of hot rock at depth which is essentially dry. This hot dry rock (HDR) resource is found almost everywhere, but the depth at which usefully high temperatures are reached varies from place to place. The technology to mine the thermal energy from HDR has been under development for a number of years. Using techniques adapted from the petroleum industry, water is pumped at high pressure down an injection well to a region of usefully hot rock. The pressure forces open natural joints to form a reservoir consisting of a small amount of water dispensed in a large volume of hot rock. This reservoir is tapped by second well located at some distance from the first, and the heated water is brought to the surface where its thermal energy is extracted. The same water is then recirculated to mine more heat. Economic studies have indicated that it may be possible to produce electricity at competitive prices today in regions where hot rock is found relatively close to the surface

  19. A regional strategy for geothermal exploration with emphasis on gravity and magnetotellurics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aiken, C.L.V.; Ander, M.E.; Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM

    1981-01-01

    Part of the resource evaluationProgram conducted by Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory for the national Hot Dry Rock (HDR) Geothermal Program, a regional magnetotelluric (MT) survey of New Mexico and Arizona is being performed. The MT lines are being located in areas where the results of anaylsis of residual gravity anomaly maps of Arizona and New Mexico, integrated with other geologic and geophysical studies indicate the greatest potential for HDR resources. (orig./ME)

  20. Development of a Plan to Implement Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) in the Animas Valley, New Mexico - Final Report - 07/26/2000 - 02/01/2001; FINAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schochet, Daniel N.; Cunniff, Roy A.

    2001-01-01

    The concept of producing energy from hot dry rock (HDR), originally proposed in 1971 at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, contemplated the generation of electric power by injecting water into artificially created fractures in subsurface rock formations with high heat flow. Recognizing the inherent difficulties associated with HDR, the concept of Enhanced Geothermal Systems was proposed. This embraces the idea that the amount of permeability and fluid in geothermal resources varies across a spectrum, with HDR at one end, and conventional hydrothermal systems at the other. This report provides a concept for development of a ''Combined Technologies Project'' with construction and operation of a 6 MW (net) binary-cycle geothermal power plant that uses both the intermediate-depth hydrothermal system at 1,200 to 3,300 feet and a deeper EGS capable system at 3,000 to 4,000 feet. Two production/injection well pairs will be drilled, one couplet for the hydrothermal system, and one for the E GS system. High-pressure injection may be required to drive fluid through the EGS reservoir from the injection to the production well

  1. Review of induced seismic hazard for Hot Dry Rock Project, Rosemanowes, Cornwall

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skipp, B.O.; Woo, G.; Eldred, P.J.L.

    1991-01-01

    Geothermal energy installations perturb the earth's crust and so may provoke earthquakes. The 21st Dry Rock (HDR) Geothermal Project at Rosemanowes Quarry in Cornwall has given rise to low level unfelt acoustic emission and possibly small, felt earthquakes. This review of induced seismic hazard study examines the effects that the HDR Project could have on seismic events. Events which are modified by the project, in magnitude and time of occurrence, as well as those which might not have occurred at all were studied. From an examination of the literature and relevant seismicity models, a broad estimate of induced seismic hazard was established. (U.K)

  2. International Workshop on Hot Dry Rock. Creation and evaluation of geothermal reservoirs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1988-11-04

    At the above-named event which met on November 4 and 5, 1988, a number of essays were presented concerning the fracture system, exploration, evaluation, geophysical measurement application, etc., as developed in the U.S., France, Sweden, Italy, Japan, England, etc. Novel technologies are necessary for a breakthrough in HDR (hot dry rock) exploitation. In the designing of an HDR system, the orientation and dimensions of a fracture to be hydraulically produced have to be appropriately predicted, for which knowledge of rock physical properties and geological structures and the technology of simulating them will be useful. Drilling and geophysical probing of rock mass are some means for fracture observation. Seismometer-aided mapping by AE (acoustic emission) observation is performed while hydraulic fracturing is under way. Upon completion of an HDR circulation system, evaluation of the reservoir by experiment or theory becomes necessary. The heat exchanging area and deposition are estimated using the geochemical data, temperature fall, etc., of the liquid in circulation. If fracture impedance or water loss is out of the designed level, the fracture needs improvement. (NEDO)

  3. Development of a Plan to Implement Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) in the Animas Valley, New Mexico - Final Report - 07/26/2000 - 02/01/2001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schochet, Daniel N.; Cunniff, Roy A.

    2001-02-01

    The concept of producing energy from hot dry rock (HDR), originally proposed in 1971 at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, contemplated the generation of electric power by injecting water into artificially created fractures in subsurface rock formations with high heat flow. Recognizing the inherent difficulties associated with HDR, the concept of Enhanced Geothermal Systems was proposed. This embraces the idea that the amount of permeability and fluid in geothermal resources varies across a spectrum, with HDR at one end, and conventional hydrothermal systems at the other. This report provides a concept for development of a ''Combined Technologies Project'' with construction and operation of a 6 MW (net) binary-cycle geothermal power plant that uses both the intermediate-depth hydrothermal system at 1,200 to 3,300 feet and a deeper EGS capable system at 3,000 to 4,000 feet. Two production/injection well pairs will be drilled, one couplet for the hydrothermal system, and one for the E GS system. High-pressure injection may be required to drive fluid through the EGS reservoir from the injection to the production well.

  4. Hot dry rock: What does it take to make it happen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duchane, D.V.

    1993-01-01

    The ubiquitous heat in hot dry rock (HDR) is an abundant, widely distributed form of geothermal energy. Until recently, development of this energy source has been largely focused on understanding the scientific and engineering principles involved in forming and operating HDR reservoirs. During the past year, however, a pilot facility at Fenton Hill, NM has been run under steady-state conditions simulating the operation of a commercial HDR energy plant. Issues important to commercialization such as sustainability of thermal production, water loss, operating costs, and others have been addressed to the extent possible. The results, while not always definitive, have been encouraging. The stage is now set for the formation of an initiative led by private industry to take HDR technology from its current state of scientific and engineering demonstration to the production and marketing of energy in commercial quantities. Because of the technology risks involved, this can probably only be accomplished through a cost-shared industry/government effort. The potential rewards are great, since HDR represents the best, and perhaps the only, opportunity for geothermal energy to take its rightful place as a major energy source for the 21st century

  5. Geothermal hydrogen - a vision? Paper

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zittel, W.; Weindorf, W.; Wurster, R.; Bussmann, W.

    2001-07-01

    With the progresses in geothermal electricity production by means of the hot-dry-rock (HDR) method electricity might be produced at cost of between 0.07 - 0.09 ECU/kWh, depending on systems sizes of between 5 - 20 MW{sub e}. The electricity can be used to produce hydrogen from electrolysis and water. This method of electricity production offers high availability with operating hour of between 7,600 - 8,000 hours per year. The 40 GWh electricity production per year from one 5 MW{sub e} geothermal plant are sufficient to produce enough hydrogen for the operation of an average fueling station with about 400 refuelings per day at cost of about 20 - 30 percent higher than today's gasoline (including taxes). In this contribution some details of the analysis are presented as well as a general discussion of geothermal hydrogen production as a future energy vector. (orig.)

  6. Rock geochemistry related to mineralization processes in geothermal areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kausar, A. Al; Indarto, S.; Setiawan, I.

    2018-02-01

    Abundant geothermal systems in Indonesia suggest high heat and mass transfer associated with recent or paleovolcanic arcs. In the active geothermal system, the upflow of mixed fluid between late stage hydrothermal and meteoric water might contain mass of minerals associated with epithermal mineralisation process as exemplified at Lihir gold mine in Papua New Guinea. In Indonesia, there is a lack of study related to the precious metals occurrence within active geothermal area. Therefore, in this paper, we investigate the possibility of mineralization process in active geothermal area of Guci, Central Java by using geochemical analysis. There are a lot of conducted geochemical analysis of water, soil and gas by mapping the temperature, pH, Hg and CO2 distribution, and estimating subsurface temperature based on geothermometry approach. Then we also apply rock geochemistry to find minerals that indicate the presence of mineralization. The result from selected geothermal area shows the presence of pyrite and chalcopyrite minerals on the laharic breccias at Kali Putih, Sudikampir. Mineralization is formed within host rock and the veins are associated with gold polymetallic mineralization.

  7. Effect of Hydrothermal Alteration on Rock Properties in Active Geothermal Setting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikisek, P.; Bignall, G.; Sepulveda, F.; Sass, I.

    2012-04-01

    Hydrothermal alteration records the physical-chemical changes of rock and mineral phases caused by the interaction of hot fluids and wall rock, which can impact effective permeability, porosity, thermal parameters, rock strength and other rock properties. In this project, an experimental approach has been used to investigate the effects of hydrothermal alteration on rock properties. A rock property database of contrastingly altered rock types and intensities has been established. The database details horizontal and vertical permeability, porosity, density, thermal conductivity and thermal heat capacity for ~300 drill core samples from wells THM12, THM13, THM14, THM17, THM18, THM22 and TH18 in the Wairakei-Tauhara geothermal system (New Zealand), which has been compared with observed hydrothermal alteration type, rank and intensity obtained from XRD analysis and optical microscopy. Samples were selected from clay-altered tuff and intercalated siltstones of the Huka Falls Formation, which acts as a cap rock at Wairakei-Tauhara, and tuffaceous sandstones of the Waiora Formation, which is a primary reservoir-hosting unit for lateral and vertical fluid flows in the geothermal system. The Huka Falls Formation exhibits argillic-type alteration of varying intensity, while underlying Waiora Formations exhibits argillic- and propylithic-type alteration. We plan to use a tempered triaxial test cell at hydrothermal temperatures (up to 200°C) and pressures typical of geothermal conditions, to simulate hot (thermal) fluid percolation through the rock matrix of an inferred "reservoir". Compressibility data will be obtained under a range of operating (simulation reservoir) conditions, in a series of multiple week to month-long experiments that will monitor change in permeability and rock strength accompanying advancing hydrothermal alteration intensity caused by the hot brine interacting with the rock matrix. We suggest, our work will provide new baseline information concerning

  8. Research on Formation Mechanisms of Hot Dry Rock Resources in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, G.; Xi, Y.

    2017-12-01

    As an important geothermal resource, hot dry rock(HDR) reserves have been studied in many countries. HDR resources in China have huge capacity and have become one of the most important resources for the potential replacement of fossil fuels. However, HDR resources are difficult to develop and utilise. Technologies for use with HDR, such as high-temperature drilling, reservoir characterisation, reservoir fracturing, microseismic monitoring and high-temperature power stations, originate from the field of oil and drilling. Addressing how to take advantage of these developed technologies is a key factor in the development of HDR reserves. Based on the thermal crustal structure in China, HDR resources can be divided into four types: high radioactive heat production, sedimentary basin, modern volcano and the inner-plate active tectonic belt. The prospective regions of HDR resources are located in South Tibet, West Yunnan, the southeast coast of China, Bohai Rim, Songliao Basin and Guanzhong Basin. The related essential technologies are relatively mature, and the prospect of HDR power generation is promising. Therefore, analysing the formation mechanisms of HDR resources and promoting the transformation of technological achievements, large-scale development and the utilisation of HDR resources can be achieved in China.

  9. Fluid-rock geochemical interaction for modelling calibration in geothermal exploration in Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deon, Fiorenza; Barnhoorn, Auke; Lievens, Caroline; Ryannugroho, Riskiray; Imaro, Tulus; Bruhn, David; van der Meer, Freek; Hutami, Rizki; Sibarani, Besteba; Sule, Rachmat; Saptadij, Nenny; Hecker, Christoph; Appelt, Oona; Wilke, Franziska

    2017-04-01

    Indonesia with its large, but partially unexplored geothermal potential is one of the most interesting and suitable places in the world to conduct geothermal exploration research. This study focuses on geothermal exploration based on fluid-rock geochemistry/geomechanics and aims to compile an overview on geochemical data-rock properties from important geothermal fields in Indonesia. The research carried out in the field and in the laboratory is performed in the framework of the GEOCAP cooperation (Geothermal Capacity Building program Indonesia- the Netherlands). The application of petrology and geochemistry accounts to a better understanding of areas where operating power plants exist but also helps in the initial exploration stage of green areas. Because of their relevance and geological setting geothermal fields in Java, Sulawesi and the sedimentary basin of central Sumatra have been chosen as focus areas of this study. Operators, universities and governmental agencies will benefit from this approach as it will be applied also to new green-field terrains. By comparing the characteristic of the fluids, the alteration petrology and the rock geochemistry we also aim to contribute to compile an overview of the geochemistry of the important geothermal fields in Indonesia. At the same time the rock petrology and fluid geochemistry will be used as input data to model the reservoir fluid composition along with T-P parameters with the geochemical workbench PHREEQC. The field and laboratory data are mandatory for both the implementation and validation of the model results.

  10. Environmental studies conducted at the Fenton Hill Hot Dry Rock geothermal development site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miera, F.R. Jr.; Langhorst, G.; McEllin, S.; Montoya, C.

    1984-05-01

    An environmental investigation of Hot Dry Rock (HDR) geothermal development was conducted at Fenton Hill, New Mexico, during 1976-1979. Activities at the Fenton Hill Site included an evaluation of baseline data for biotic and abiotic ecosystem components. Identification of contaminants produced by HDR processes that had the potential for reaching the surrounding environment is also discussed. Three dominant vegetative communities were identified in the vicinity of the site. These included grass-forb, aspen, and mixed conifer communities. The grass-forb area was identified as having the highest number of species encountered, with Phleum pratense and Dactylis glomerata being the dominant grass species. Frequency of occurrence and mean coverage values are also given for other species in the three main vegetative complexes. Live trapping of small mammals was conducted to determine species composition, densities, population, and diversity estimates for this component of the ecosystem. The data indicate that Peromyscus maniculatus was the dominant species across all trapping sites during the study. Comparisons of relative density of small mammals among the various trapping sites show the grass-forb vegetative community to have had the highest overall density. Comparisons of small mammal diversity for the three main vegetative complexes indicate that the aspen habitat had the highest diversity and the grass-forb habitat had the lowest. Analyses of waste waters from the closed circulation loop indicate that several trace contaminants (e.g., arsenic, cadmium, fluoride, boron, and lithium) were present at concentrations greater than those reported for surface waters of the region.

  11. HDR economy with special reference to conditions in Europe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smolka, K.; Kappelmeyer, O.

    1992-01-01

    A cost benefit model for the economic evaluation of HDR energy production cost was developed. It can be used for systematic cost analyses of different components of a HDR plant. This relates to natural subsurface conditions (i.e., geothermal gradient, tectonic stress) as well as technical components (i.e., boreholes, heat/power conversion system). The model provides the limiting conditions for an economic HDR energy production. The economic model was applied for an evaluation of the natural parameters in the subsurface of Germany regarding their HDR-suitability. Within a site selection program in Europe the model is part of feasibility studies for the conceptual design of a HDR demonstration plant at three candidate sites: Bad Urach (Germany); Soultz-sous-Forets (France) and Cornwall (UK)

  12. Unzen volcanic rocks as heat source of geothermal activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hayashi, Masao; Sugiyama, Hiromi

    1987-03-25

    Only a few radiometric ages have been reported so far for the Unzen volcanic rocks. In this connection, in order to clarify the relation between volcanism and geothermal activity, fission track ages of zircon seperated from the Unzen volcanic rocks in western Kyushu have been dated. Since all the rocks are thought to be young, the external surface re-etch method was adopted. The results are that the age and standard error of the basal volcaniclastic rocks of the Tatsuishi formation are 0.28 +- 0.05 Ma and 0.25 +- 0.05 Ma. The next oldest Takadake lavas range from 0.26 to 0.20 Ma. The Kusenbudake lavas fall in a narrow range from 0.19 to 0.17 Ma. The latest Fugendake lavas are younger than 0.07 Ma.In conclusion, the most promising site for geothermal power generation is the Unzen hot spring field because of its very high temperature. After that, comes the Obama hot spring field because of the considerable high temperature chemically estimated. In addition, the northwestern area of the Unzen volcanic region will be promising for electric power generation in spite of no geothermal manifestations, since its volcanos are younger than 0.2 Ma. (14 figs, 14 tabs, 22 refs)

  13. Proceedings of the second NATO-CCMS information meeting on dry hot rock geothermal energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mortensen, J.J. (comp.)

    1977-11-01

    A summary is presented of the second and last NATO-CCMS (North Atlantic Treaty Organization--Committee on Challenges of Modern Society) Geothermal Pilot Study Information Meeting on Dry Hot Rock Geothermal Energy. Only summaries of the formal presentations are included. Overviews of the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) geothermal projects are included with emphasis on the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Energy Development Project. Reports of developments in nine foreign countries and on geothermal projects in US universities are also presented.

  14. Exploration and comparison of geothermal areas in Indonesia by fluid-rock geochemistry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deon, F.; Barnhoorn, A.; Lievens, C.; Saptadij, N.; Sutopo, S.; van der Meer, F; den Hartog, T.; Brehmer, M; Bruhn, D.F.; de Jong, M; Ryannugroho, R.; Hutami, R.; Sule, R.; Hecker, C.; Bonté, D

    2016-01-01

    Indonesia with its large, but partially unexplored geothermal potential is one of the most interesting and suitable places in the world to conduct geothermal exploration research.
    This study focuses on geothermal exploration based on fluid-rock geochemistry/geomechanics and aims to compile an

  15. A Rock Physics Feasibility Study of the Geothermal Gassum Reservoir, Copenhagen Area, Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bredesen, Kenneth; Dalgaard, Esben Borch; Mathiesen, Anders

    The subsurface of Denmark stores significant amounts of renewable geothermal energy which may contribute to domestic heating for centuries. However, establishing a successful geothermal plant with robust production capacity require reservoirs with sufficient high porosity and permeability. Modern...... quantitative seismic interpretation is a good approach to de-risk prospects and gain reservoir insight, but is so far not widely used for geothermal applications. In this study we perform a rock physics feasibility study as a pre-step towards quantitative seismic interpretation of geothermal reservoirs......, primarily in areas around Copenhagen. The results argue that it may be possible to use AVO and seismic inversion data to distinguish geothermal sandstone reservoirs from surrounding shales and to estimate porosity and permeability. Moreover, this study may represent new possibilities for future rock physics...

  16. Geothermal energy utilized in the Federal Republic of Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schulz, R.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports on the geothermal resources and reserves that have been estimated for selected aquifers in the Northwest German Basin, the Upper Rhine Graben and the South German Molasse Basin. The highest reserves (31 · 10 18 J) are located in the Malm aquifer in the Molasse Basin. Geothermal energy is utilized in 15 localities using low enthalpy water. The total installed capacity is about 8 MW t . Two small new installations (Waldsee, Weiden) have been realized in the last years. In another project (Bruchsal) the doublet, which is necessary because of the high saline water, is now in a working order. A prefeasibility study for a Hot Dry Rock system has been performed by a German-French group. The HDR test site is located in the Upper Rhine Graben

  17. COTHERM: Modelling fluid-rock interactions in Icelandic geothermal systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thien, Bruno; Kosakowski, Georg; Kulik, Dmitrii

    2014-05-01

    Mineralogical alteration of reservoir rocks, driven by fluid circulation in natural or enhanced geothermal systems, is likely to influence the long-term performance of geothermal power generation. A key factor is the change of porosity due to dissolution of primary minerals and precipitation of secondary phases. Porosity changes will affect fluid circulation and solute transport, which, in turn, influence mineralogical alteration. This study is part of the Sinergia COTHERM project (COmbined hydrological, geochemical and geophysical modeling of geotTHERMal systems) that is an integrative research project aimed at improving our understanding of the sub-surface processes in magmatically-driven natural geothermal systems. We model the mineralogical and porosity evolution of Icelandic geothermal systems with 1D and 2D reactive transport models. These geothermal systems are typically high enthalphy systems where a magmatic pluton is located at a few kilometers depth. The shallow plutons increase the geothermal gradient and trigger the circulation of hydrothermal waters with a steam cap forming at shallow depth. We investigate two contrasting geothermal systems: Krafla, for which the water recharge consists of meteoritic water; and Reykjanes, for which the water recharge mainly consists of seawater. The initial rock composition is a fresh basalt. We use the GEM-Selektor geochemical modeling package [1] for calculation of kinetically controlled mineral equilibria between the rock and the ingression water. We consider basalt minerals dissolution kinetics according to Palandri & Kharaka [2]. Reactive surface areas are assumed to be geometric surface areas, and are corrected using a spherical-particle surface/mass relationship. For secondary minerals, we consider the partial equilibrium assuming that the primary mineral dissolution is slow, and the secondary mineral precipitation is fast. Comparison of our modeling results with the mineralogical assemblages observed in the

  18. Simulation of water-rock interaction in the yellowstone geothermal system using TOUGHREACT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dobson, P.F.; Salah, S.; Spycher, N.; Sonnenthal, E.

    2003-01-01

    The Yellowstone geothermal system provides an ideal opportunity to test the ability of reactive transport models to accurately simulate water-rock interaction. Previous studies of the Yellowstone geothermal system have characterized water-rock interaction through analysis of rocks and fluids obtained from both surface and downhole samples. Fluid chemistry, rock mineralogy, permeability, porosity, and thermal data obtained from the Y-8 borehole in Upper Geyser Basin were used to constrain a series of reactive transport simulations of the Yellowstone geothermal system using TOUGHREACT. Three distinct stratigraphic units were encountered in the 153.4 m deep Y-8 drill core: volcaniclastic sandstone, perlitic rhyolitic lava, and nonwelded pumiceous tuff. The main alteration phases identified in the Y-8 core samples include clay minerals, zeolites, silica polymorphs, adularia, and calcite. Temperatures observed in the Y-8 borehole increase with depth from sub-boiling conditions at the surface to a maximum of 169.8 C at a depth of 104.1 m, with near-isothermal conditions persisting down to the well bottom. 1-D models of the Y-8 core hole were constructed to determine if TOUGHREACT could accurately predict the observed alteration mineral assemblage given the initial rock mineralogy and observed fluid chemistry and temperatures. Preliminary simulations involving the perlitic rhyolitic lava unit are consistent with the observed alteration of rhyolitic glass to form celadonite

  19. Rock melting technology and geothermal drilling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowley, J. C.

    1974-01-01

    National awareness of the potential future shortages in energy resources has heightened interest in exploration and utilization of a variety of geothermal energy (GTE) reservoirs. The status of conventional drilling of GTE wells is reviewed briefly and problem areas which lead to higher drilling costs are identified and R and D directions toward solution are suggested. In the immediate future, an expanded program of drilling in GTE formations can benefit from improvements in drilling equipment and technology normally associated with oil or gas wells. Over a longer time period, the new rock-melting drill bits being developed as a part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory's Subterrene Program offer new solutions to a number of problems which frequently hamper GTE drilling, including the most basic problem - high temperature. Two of the most favorable characteristics of rock-melting penetrators are their ability to operate effectively in hot rock and produce glass linings around the hole as an integral part of the drilling process. The technical advantages to be gained by use of rock-melting penetrators are discussed in relation to the basic needs for GTE wells.

  20. Uranium-thorium series radionuclides in brines and reservoir rocks from two deep geothermal boreholes in the Salton Sea geothermal field, southeastern California

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zukin, J.G.; Hammond, D.E.; Ku, Tehlung; Elders, W.A.

    1987-01-01

    Naturally occurring U and Th series radionuclides have been analyzed in high temperature brines (∼ 300 degree C, 25 wt% dissolved solids) and associated rocks from two deep geothermal wells located on the northeastern margin of the Salton Sea Geothermal Field (SSGF). These data are part of a study of the SSGF as a natural analog of possible radionuclide behavior near a nuclear waste repository constructed in salt beds, and permit evaluation of some characteristics of water-rock interaction in the SSGF

  1. Recent developments in the hot dry rock geothermal energy program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Franke, P.R.; Nunz, G.J.

    1985-01-01

    In recent years, most of the Hot Dry Rock Programs effort has been focused on the extraction technology development effort at the Fenton Hill test site. The pair of approximately 4000 m wells for the Phase II Engineering System of the Fenton Hill Project have been completed. During the past two years, hydraulic fracture operations have been carried out to develop the geothermal reservoir. Impressive advances have been made in fracture identification techniques and instrumentation. To develop a satisfactory interwellbore flow connection the next step is to redrill the lower section of one of the wells into the fractured region. Chemically reactive tracer techniques are being developed to determine the effective size of the reservoir area. A new estimate has been made of the US hot dry rock resource, based upon the latest geothermal gradiant data. 3 figs.

  2. Case histories of roller cone core bit application in crystalline rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dahlem, J.S.

    1988-01-01

    The increased interest in deep crystalline rock drilling projects has resulted in a requirement for premium coring bits which are effective in such a harsh and abrasive environment. Hard formation roller cone insert bits have traditionally and constantly performed well in crystalline rock. As a result, the application of state of the art roller cone rock bit technology to the design and development of core bits has made crystalline coring projects more viable than ever before. This paper follows the development of roller cone core bits by examining their use on project such as HDR (Hot Dry Rock, Los Alamos); NAGRA (Nuclear Waste Disposal Wells in Switzerland); Camborne School of Mines Geothermal Project in Cornwall, UK; Deep Gas Project in Sweden; and the KTB Deep Drilling Project in West Germany

  3. Exploration of the enhanced geothermal system (EGS) potential of crystalline rocks for district heating (Elbe Zone, Saxony, Germany)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Förster, Andrea; Förster, Hans-Jürgen; Krentz, Ottomar

    2018-01-01

    This paper addresses aspects of a baseline geothermal exploration of the thermally quiescent Elbe Zone (hosting the cities of Meissen and Dresden) for a potential deployment of geothermal heat in municipal heating systems. Low-permeable to impermeable igneous and metamorphic rocks constitute the major rock types at depth, implying that an enhanced geothermal system needs to be developed by creating artificial flow paths for fluids to enhance the heat extraction from the subsurface. The study includes the development of geological models for two areas on the basis of which temperature models are generated at upper crustal scale. The models are parameterized with laboratory-measured rock thermal properties (thermal conductivity k, radiogenic heat production H). The uncertainties of modelled temperature caused by observed variations of k and H and inferred mantle heat flow are assessed. The study delineates highest temperatures within the intermediate (monzonite/syenite unit) and mafic rocks (diorite/monzodiorite unit) forming the deeper portions of the Meissen Massif and, specifically for the Dresden area, also within the low-metamorphic rocks (slates/phyllites/quartzites) of the Elbtalschiefergebirge. Boreholes 3-4 km deep need to be drilled to reach the envisioned economically favourable temperatures of 120 °C. The metamorphic and mafic rocks exhibit low concentrations of U and Th, thus being advantageous for a geothermal use. For the monzonite/syenite unit of high heat production ( 6 µW m-3) in the Meissen Massif, the mobilization of Th and U into the geothermal working fluid is assumed to be minor, although their various radioactive decay products will be omnipresent during geothermal use.

  4. Permeability in fractured rocks from deep geothermal boreholes in the Upper Rhine Graben

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vidal, Jeanne; Whitechurch, Hubert; Genter, Albert; Schmittbuhl, Jean; Baujard, Clément

    2015-04-01

    Permeability in fractured rocks from deep geothermal boreholes in the Upper Rhine Graben Vidal J.1, Whitechurch H.1, Genter A.2, Schmittbuhl J.1, Baujard C.2 1 EOST, Université de Strasbourg 2 ES-Géothermie, Strasbourg The thermal regime of the Upper Rhine Graben (URG) is characterized by a series of geothermal anomalies on its French part near Soultz-sous-Forêts, Rittershoffen and in the surrounding area of Strasbourg. Sedimentary formations of these areas host oil field widely exploited in the past which exhibit exceptionally high temperature gradients. Thus, geothermal anomalies are superimposed to the oil fields which are interpreted as natural brine advection occurring inside a nearly vertical multi-scale fracture system cross-cutting both deep-seated Triassic sediments and Paleozoic crystalline basement. The sediments-basement interface is therefore very challenging for geothermal industry because most of the geothermal resource is trapped there within natural fractures. Several deep geothermal projects exploit local geothermal energy to use the heat or produce electricity and thus target permeable fractured rocks at this interface. In 1980, a geothermal exploration well was drilled close to Strasbourg down to the Permian sediments at 3220 m depth. Bottom hole temperature was estimated to 148°C but the natural flow rate was too low for an economic profitability (geothermal site by drilling five boreholes, three of which extend to 5 km depth. They identified a temperature of 200° C at 5 km depth in the granitic basement but with a variable flow rate. Hydraulic and chemical stimulation operations were applied in order to increase the initial low permeability by reactivating and dissolving sealed fractures in basement. The productivity was considerably improved and allows geothermal exploitation at 165° C and 20 L/s. Recent studies revealed the occurrences of permeable fractures in the limestones of Muschelkalk and the sandstones of Buntsandstein also. For

  5. A new assessment of combined geothermal electric generation and desalination in western Saudi Arabia: targeted hot spot development

    KAUST Repository

    Missimer, Thomas M.; Mai, Martin; Ghaffour, NorEddine

    2014-01-01

    High heat flow associated with the tectonic spreading of the Red Sea make western Saudi Arabia a region with high potential for geothermal energy development. The hydraulic properties of the Precambrian-age rocks occurring in this region are not conducive to direct production of hot water for heat exchange, which will necessitate use of the hot dry rock (HDR) heat harvesting method. This would require the construction of coupled deep wells; one for water injection and the other for steam recovery. There are some technological challenges in the design, construction, and operation of HDR geothermal energy systems. Careful geotechnical evaluation of the heat reservoir must be conducted to ascertain the geothermal gradient at the chosen site to allow pre-design modeling of the system for assessment of operational heat flow maintenance. Also, naturally occurring fractures or faults must be carefully evaluated to make an assessment of the potential for induced seismicity. It is anticipated that the flow heat exchange capacity of the system will require enhancement by the use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in the injection well with the production well drilled into the fracture zone to maximum water recovery efficiency and reduce operating pressure. The heated water must be maintained under pressure and flashed to steam at surface to produce to the most effective energy recovery. Most past evaluations of geothermal energy development in this region have been focused on the potential for solely electricity generation, but direct use of produced steam could be coupled with thermally driven desalination technologies such as multi-effect distillation, adsorption desalination, and/or membrane distillation to provide a continuous source of heat to allow very efficient operation of the plants. © 2014 © 2014 Balaban Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

  6. A new assessment of combined geothermal electric generation and desalination in western Saudi Arabia: targeted hot spot development

    KAUST Repository

    Missimer, Thomas M.

    2014-07-17

    High heat flow associated with the tectonic spreading of the Red Sea make western Saudi Arabia a region with high potential for geothermal energy development. The hydraulic properties of the Precambrian-age rocks occurring in this region are not conducive to direct production of hot water for heat exchange, which will necessitate use of the hot dry rock (HDR) heat harvesting method. This would require the construction of coupled deep wells; one for water injection and the other for steam recovery. There are some technological challenges in the design, construction, and operation of HDR geothermal energy systems. Careful geotechnical evaluation of the heat reservoir must be conducted to ascertain the geothermal gradient at the chosen site to allow pre-design modeling of the system for assessment of operational heat flow maintenance. Also, naturally occurring fractures or faults must be carefully evaluated to make an assessment of the potential for induced seismicity. It is anticipated that the flow heat exchange capacity of the system will require enhancement by the use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in the injection well with the production well drilled into the fracture zone to maximum water recovery efficiency and reduce operating pressure. The heated water must be maintained under pressure and flashed to steam at surface to produce to the most effective energy recovery. Most past evaluations of geothermal energy development in this region have been focused on the potential for solely electricity generation, but direct use of produced steam could be coupled with thermally driven desalination technologies such as multi-effect distillation, adsorption desalination, and/or membrane distillation to provide a continuous source of heat to allow very efficient operation of the plants. © 2014 © 2014 Balaban Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

  7. Conventional vs. unconventional enhanced (or engineered) geothermal systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dzebisashvili, K.; Breede, K.; Liu, X.; Falcone, G. [Technische Univ. Clausthal, Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany). ITE

    2013-08-01

    Enhanced (or Engineered) Geothermal Systems (EGS) have evolved from the Hot Dry Rock (HDR) concept, implemented for the first time at Fenton Hill in 1977, and subsequently through the Stimulated Geothermal System, the Deep Heat Mining and finally the Deep Earth Geothermal. All of these systems usually imply petro-thermal processes. The term EGS has evolved to include conduction dominated, low permeability resources in sedimentary and basement formations, as well as geopressured, magma, and low-grade, unproductive hydrothermal resources. Co-produced hot water from hydrocarbon wells has also been included by some in the definition of EGS, which constitutes a considerable divergence from the original concept. Four decades on from the first EGS implementation, this paper highlights the lessons learned from 'conventional' systems and contrasts the 'unconventional' solutions that have been proposed. Examples of unconventional EGS include single-well solutions, downhole heat exchangers, engineered well profiles and using circulation fluids other than water. Perhaps some of the ideas proposed in the past, which would be considered unconventional, have remained dormant or never made it to a commercial stage for field implementation, but they may yet open doors to the future generations of EGS. (orig.)

  8. An experimental investigation of transient heat transfer in surrounding rock mass of high geothermal roadway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Yuan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A self-designed experimental installation for transient heat transfer in the modelling surrounding rock mass of high geothermal roadways was elaborated in this paper. By utilizing the new installation, the temperature variation rules in surrounding rock mass of the high geothermal roadway during mechanical ventilation were studied. The results show that the roadway wall temperature decreases dramatically at the early stage of ventilation, and the temperature at every position of the surrounding rock mass is decreasing constantly with time passing by. From roadway wall to deep area, the temperature gradually increases until reaching original rock temperature. The relationship between dimensionless temperature and dimensionless radius demonstrates approximately exponential function. Meanwhile, the temperature disturbance range in the simulated surrounding rock mass extends gradually from the roadway wall to deep area in the surrounding rock mass. Besides, as the air velocity increases, heat loss in the surrounding rock mass rises and the ratio of temperature reduction becomes larger, the speed of disturbance range expansion also gets faster.

  9. The R and D program on geothermal energy of the commission of the European communities results and future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Louwrier, K.P.; Garnish, J.D.; Staroste, E.

    1992-01-01

    DGXII of the Commission of the European Communities has supported research and development in the field of the geothermal energy since 1975, and has just begun the fifth, and probably final, four year program. The first program concentrated on the data collection in order to establish the geothermal potential of the Community. This work resulted in the drafting and publication of two Atlases, one dealing with sub-surface temperatures and one with geothermal resources. Three multidisciplinary studies were undertaken on three known geothermal reservoirs with different characteristics, in order to test the validity of various exploration methods. A major element in recent years has been Hot Dry Rock studies, which have evolved during the course of the various program s from laboratory experiments and work in shallow holes towards a European test site where an international team of scientists coordinates research teams from different Member States. Basic scientific support to exploitation of geothermal energy has been given by geochemistry. The present R and D program centers on HDR research and abatement of corrosion and scaling in geothermal systems. Besides the geothermal work the program also supports studies in deep reservoir geology

  10. Comparative Analysis of Power Plant Options for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mengying Li

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS extract heat from underground hot dry rock (HDR by first fracturing the HDR and then circulating a geofluid (typically water into it and bringing the heated geofluid to a power plant to generate electricity. This study focuses on analysis, examination, and comparison of leading geothermal power plant configurations with a geofluid temperature from 200 to 800 °C, and also analyzes the embodied energy of EGS surface power plants. The power generation analysis is focused on flash type cycles for using subcritical geofluid (<374 °C and expansion type cycles for using supercritical geofluid (>374 °C. Key findings of this study include: (i double-flash plants have 24.3%–29.0% higher geofluid effectiveness than single-flash ones, and 3%–10% lower specific embodied energy; (ii the expansion type plants have geofluid effectiveness > 750 kJ/kg, significantly higher than flash type plants (geofluid effectiveness < 300 kJ/kg and the specific embodied energy is lower; (iii to increase the turbine outlet vapor fraction from 0.75 to 0.90, we include superheating by geofluid but that reduces the geofluid effectiveness by 28.3%; (iv for geofluid temperatures above 650 °C, double-expansion plants have a 2% higher geofluid effectiveness and 5%–8% lower specific embodied energy than single-expansion ones.

  11. Hydrothermal Alteration in Submarine Basaltic Rocks from the Reykjanes Geothermal Field, Iceland. (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zierenberg, R. A.; Schiffman, P.; Fowler, A. P.; Marks, N.; Fridleifsson, G.; Elders, W. A.

    2013-12-01

    The Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) is preparing to drill to 4-5 km in the Reykjanes Geothermal Field to sample geothermal fluids at supercritical temperature and pressure for power generation. The Reykjanes geothermal field is the on-land extension of the Reykjanes Ridge spreading center. The upper 1-2 kilometers drilled at Reykjanes are submarine basalts and basaltic sediments, hyalloclastites, and breccias, with an increasing proportion of basaltic intrusive rocks below 2 km depth. Geothermal fluids are evolved seawater with a composition similar to mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal systems. Zn- and Cu-rich sulfide scale, locally enriched in Au and Ag, are deposited in production pipes. The sulfide deposits are compositionally and isotopically similar to seafloor massive sulfides. In anticipation of deeper drilling, we have investigated the mineralogy and geochemistry of drill cuttings from a 3 km deep well (RN-17). The depth zoning of alteration minerals is similar to that described from other Icelandic geothermal fields, and is comparable to observed seafloor metamorphic gradients in ODP drill holes and ophiolites. Chlorite-epidote alteration occurs at depths >400 m and passes downhole through epidote-actinolite alteration and into amphibole facies (hornblende-calcic plagioclase) alteration below 2.5 km. Local zones of high temperature (>800°C), granoblastic-textured, pyroxene hornfels, are interpreted to form by contact metamorphism during dike/sill emplacement. Similar granoblasically altered basalts were recovered from the base of the sheeted dikes in IODP Hole 1256D. Downhole compositional variations of drill cuttings, collected every 50 m, suggest that rocks below ~ 2 km are little altered. Whole-rock oxygen isotope profiles are consistent with low water/rock ratios, but suggest that early stages of hydrothermal alteration included meteoric water-derived fluids. Strontium isotope profiles indicate more extensive exchange with seawater-derived fluids

  12. Boron isotopes in geothermal systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aggarwal, J.

    1997-01-01

    Boron is a highly mobile element and during water-rock reactions, boron is leached out of rocks with no apparent fractionation. In geothermal systems where the water recharging the systems are meteoric in origin, the B isotope ratio of the geothermal fluid reflects the B isotope ratio of the rocks. Seawater has a distinctive B isotope ratio and where seawater recharges the geothermal system, the B isotope ratio of the geothermal system reflects the mixing of rock derived B and seawater derived B. Any deviations of the actual B isotope ratio of a mixture reflects subtle differences in the water-rock ratios in the cold downwelling limb of the hydrothermal system. This paper will present data from a variety of different geothermal systems, including New Zealand; Iceland; Yellowston, USA; Ibusuki, Japan to show the range in B isotope ratios in active geothermal systems. Some of these systems show well defined mixing trends between seawater and the host rocks, whilst others show the boron isotope ratios of the host rock only. In geothermal systems containing high amounts of CO 2 boron isotope ratios from a volatile B source can also be inferred. (auth)

  13. Consideration of the reservoir by the temperature history at the Hijiori HDR (hot dry rock) wells; Hijiori koon gantai no kokukosei ni okeru ondo rireki wo mochiita choryuso no kosatsu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takahashi, W; Shinohara, N; Osato, K; Takasugi, S [GERD Geothermal Energy Research and Development Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

    1997-10-22

    Hot dry rock (HDR) power generation has been promoted by NEDO since 1984 at Hijiori, Okura village, Mogami-gun, Yamagata Prefecture. Hydraulic fracture tests and circulation tests have been conducted using four wells named as SKG-2, HDR-1, HDR-2 and HDR-3. Based on these test results, flow models of Hijiori shallow and deep reservoirs have been proposed. Conventional circulation tests have been analyzed only using temperature profile data. In this paper, circulation tests are analyzed by numerical simulation, to discuss individual characteristics of the shallow and deep reservoirs. Injection flow, production flow and circulation days were inputted as past circulation test data, to discuss the characteristics of geological layers, especially the permeability data, by which the features of temperature profiles in each well can be explained. As a result, it was found that the extension of permeable zone affecting the temperature in the SKG-2 well equivalent to the shallow reservoir was larger than that in the HDR-1 well. It was also found that there was a large difference in the permeability between the HDR-2a and HDR-3 wells. 5 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.

  14. Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Energy Development Project. Annual report, fiscal year 1977

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1978-02-01

    The feasibility of extracting geothermal energy from hot dry rock in the earth's crust was investigated. The concept being investigated involves drilling a deep hole, creating an artificial geothermal reservoir at the bottom of the hole by hydraulic fracturing, and then intersecting the fracture with a second borehole. At the beginning of FY77, the downhole system was complete, but the impedance to the flow of fluid was too high to proceed confidently with the planned energy extraction demonstration. Therefore, in FY77 work focused on an intensive investigation of the characteristics of the downhole system and on the development of the necessary tools and techniques for understanding and improving it. Research results are presented under the following section headings: introduction and history; hot dry rock resource assessment and site selection; instrumentation and equipment development; drilling and fracturing; reservoir engineering; energy extraction system; environmental studies; project management and liaison; and, looking back and ahead. (JGB)

  15. Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Energy Development Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smith, M.C.; Hendron, R.H.; Murphy, H.D.; Wilson, M.G.

    1989-12-01

    During Fiscal Year 1987, emphasis in the Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Energy Development Program was on preparations for a Long-Term Flow Test'' of the Phase II'' or Engineering'' hot dry rock energy system at Fenton Hill, New Mexico. A successful 30-day flow test of the system during FY86 indicated that such a system would produce heat at a temperature and rate that could support operation of a commercial electrical power plant. However, it did not answer certain questions basic to the economics of long-term operation, including the rate of depletion of the thermal reservoir, the rate of water loss from the system, and the possibility of operating problems during extended continuous operation. Preparations for a one-year flow test of the system to answer these and more fundamental questions concerning hot dry rock systems were made in FY87: design of the required surface facilities; procurement and installation of some of their components; development and testing of slimline logging tools for use through small-diameter production tubing; research on temperature-sensitive reactive chemical tracers to monitor thermal depletion of the reservoir; and computer simulations of the 30-day test, extended to modeling the planned Long-Term Flow Test. 45 refs., 34 figs., 5 tabs.

  16. Progress of the LASL dry hot rock geothermal energy project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, M. C.

    1974-01-01

    The possibilities and problems of extracting energy from geothermal reservoirs which do not spontaneously yield useful amounts of steam or hot water are discussed. The system for accomplishing this which is being developed first is a pressurized-water circulation loop intended for use in relatively impermeable hot rock. It will consist of two holes connected through the hot rock by a very large hydraulic fracture and connected at the surface through the primary heat exchanger of an energy utilization system. Preliminary experiments in a hole 2576 ft (0.7852 km) deep, extending about 470 ft (143 m) into the Precambrian basement rock underlying the Jemez Plateau of north-central New Mexico, revealed no unexpected difficulties in drilling or hydraulically fracturing such rock at a temperature of approximately 100 C, and demonstrated a permeability low enough so that it appeared probable that pressurized water could be contained by the basement rock. Similar experiments are in progress in a second hole, now 6701 ft (2.043 km) deep, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the first one.

  17. Induced Seismicity at the UK "Hot Dry Rock" Test Site for Geothermal Energy Production

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Xun; Main, Ian; Jupe, Andrew

    2018-01-01

    In enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), fluid is injected at high pressure in order to stimulate fracturing and/or fluid flow through otherwise relatively impermeable underlying hot rocks to generate power and/or heat. The stimulation induces micro-earthquakes whose precise triggering mechanism and relationship to new and pre-existing fracture networks are still the subject of some debate. Here we analyse the dataset for induced micro-earthquakes at the UK “hot dry rock” experimental geothermal...

  18. Deep geothermics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1995-01-01

    The hot-dry-rocks located at 3-4 km of depth correspond to low permeable rocks carrying a large amount of heat. The extraction of this heat usually requires artificial hydraulic fracturing of the rock to increase its permeability before water injection. Hot-dry-rocks geothermics or deep geothermics is not today a commercial channel but only a scientific and technological research field. The Soultz-sous-Forets site (Northern Alsace, France) is characterized by a 6 degrees per meter geothermal gradient and is used as a natural laboratory for deep geothermal and geological studies in the framework of a European research program. Two boreholes have been drilled up to 3600 m of depth in the highly-fractured granite massif beneath the site. The aim is to create a deep heat exchanger using only the natural fracturing for water transfer. A consortium of german, french and italian industrial companies (Pfalzwerke, Badenwerk, EdF and Enel) has been created for a more active participation to the pilot phase. (J.S.). 1 fig., 2 photos

  19. Thermodynamics of energy extraction from fractured hot dry rock

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lim, J S; Bejan, A [Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science; Kim, J H [Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)

    1992-03-01

    It has been proposed to extract energy from the subterranean hot dry rock bed (HDR) by creating one or more narrow fractures in the rock and circulating cold water through the fractures. In time, the temperature of the rock region surrounding the crack drops under the influence of time-dependent conduction. This study presents the most basic thermodynamic aspects (first law and second law) of the HDR energy extraction process. It shows which parameters most influence the amount of useful energy (exergy) extracted from the HDR reservoir over a fixed time interval. For example, the water flow rate can be selected optimally in order to maximize the delivery of exergy over the lifetime of the HDR system. (author).

  20. The natural seismic hazard and induced seismicity of the european HDR (hot dry rock) geothermal energy project at Soultz-sous-Forets (Bas-Rhin, France); Alea sismique naturel et sismicite induite du projet geothermique europeen RCS (roche chaude seche) de Soultz-sous-Forets (Bas-Rhin, France)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Helm, J A

    1996-06-07

    Development of the Soultz-sous-Forets HDR (Hot Dry Rock) geothermal energy project will involve important fluid injections which will induce micro-seismic events. This thesis discusses the natural seismicity of the region and induced seismicity associated with fluid injections. A catalogue of all historical and instrument seismicity of the Soultz-sous-Forets (SSF) region has been compiled. This seismicity does not correspond to movements along the major tectonic features of the region. The area around SSF has been identified as being one where high heat flow corresponds to low seismicity. The largest well documented seismic event in the region which took place in 1952 had an epicentral intensity of VI. All important data pertaining to the series of seismic events which took place in the region from August to October 1952 have been collected and are presented. This work details the installation and operation of a permanent 3 station network of accelerometers and seismometers around the HDR site. Also the installation and operation of a mobile network of vertical seismometers during fluid injections. 167 micro-seismic events were recorded on the surface network, with magnitudes from -0.5 to 1.9. The preferential alignment of the micro-seismic cloud is N160 deg. Individual focal mechanisms of the larger seismic events correspond to an extensional tectonic regime. Stress inversion of P wave polarities indicates that the maximum stress is vertical and the intermediate and minimum stress axes horizontal. The largest of the horizontal stresses is orientated N124 deg and the smallest N34 deg. Induced seismic movement is taking place on pre-existing fractures controlled by the in situ stress seismic movement is taking place on pre-existing tectonic fractures controlled by the in situ stress field, and the largest of the induced events had a magnitude 1.9. This level of seismicity does not pose any environmental hazard to the region around Soultz-sous-Forets. (author) 151

  1. Numerical Study on CO2-Brine-Rock Interaction of Enhanced Geothermal Systems with CO2 as Heat Transmission Fluid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wan Yuyu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS with CO2 instead of water as heat transmission fluid is an attractive concept for both geothermal resources development and CO2 geological sequestration. Previous studies show that CO2 has lots of favorable properties as heat transmission fluid and also can offer geologic storage of CO2 as an ancillary benefit. However, after CO2 injection into geological formations, chemical reaction between brine and rock can change chemical characteristics of saline and properties of rock such as porosity and permeability. Is this advantage or disadvantage for EGS operating? To answer this question, we have performed chemically reactive transport modeling to investigate fluid-rock interactions and CO2 mineral carbonation of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS site at Desert Peak (Nevada operated with CO2. The simulation results show that (1 injection CO2 can create a core zone fulfilled with CO2 as main working domain for EGS, and (2 CO2 storage can induced self-enhancing alteration of EGS.

  2. Fluid geochemistry and soil gas fluxes (CO2-CH4-H2S) at a promissory Hot Dry Rock Geothermal System: The Acoculco caldera, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peiffer, L.; Bernard-Romero, R.; Mazot, A.; Taran, Y. A.; Guevara, M.; Santoyo, E.

    2014-09-01

    The Acoculco caldera has been recognized by the Mexican Federal Electricity Company (CFE) as a Hot Dry Rock Geothermal System (HDR) and could be a potential candidate for developing an Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS). Apart from hydrothermally altered rocks, geothermal manifestations within the Acoculco caldera are scarce. Close to ambient temperature bubbling springs and soil degassing are reported inside the caldera while a few springs discharge warm water on the periphery of the caldera. In this study, we infer the origin of fluids and we characterize for the first time the soil degassing dynamic. Chemical and isotopic (δ18O-δD) analyses of spring waters indicate a meteoric origin and the dissolution of CO2 and H2S gases, while gas chemical and isotopic compositions (N2/He, 3He/4He, 13C, 15N) reveal a magmatic contribution with both MORB- and arc-type signatures which could be explained by an extension regime created by local and regional fault systems. Gas geothermometry results are in agreement with temperature measured during well drilling (260 °C-300 °C). Absence of well-developed water reservoir at depth impedes re-equilibration of gases upon surface. A multi-gas flux survey including CO2, CH4 and H2S measurements was performed within the caldera. Using the graphical statistical analysis (GSA) approach, CO2 flux measurements were classified in two populations. Population A, representing 95% of measured fluxes is characterized by low values (mean: 18 g m- 2 day- 1) while the remaining 5% fluxes belonging to Population B are much higher (mean: 5543 g m- 2 day- 1). This low degassing rate probably reflects the low permeability of the system, a consequence of the intense hydrothermal alteration observed in the upper 800 m of volcanic rocks. An attempt to interpret the origin and transport mechanism of these fluxes is proposed by means of flux ratios as well as by numerical modeling. Measurements with CO2/CH4 and CO2/H2S flux ratios similar to mass ratios

  3. Subsurface Geology of the Fenton Hill Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Energy Site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Levey, Schon S.

    2010-12-01

    The Precambrian rock penetrated by wells EE-2A and -3A belongs to one or more granitic to granodioritic plutons. The plutonic rock contains two major xenolith zones of amphibolite, locally surrounded by fine-grained mafic rock of hybrid igneous origin. The granodiorite is cut by numerous leucogranite dikes that diminish in abundance with depth. The most prominent structural feature is the main breccia zone, in which the rock is highly fractured and moderately altered. This zone is at least 75 m thick and is of uncertain but near-horizontal orientation. Fracture abundance decreases with increasing depth below the main breccia zone, and fractures tend to be associated with leucogranite dikes. This association suggests that at least some of the fractures making up the geothermal reservoir are of Precambrian age or have long-range orientations controlled by the presence of Precambrian-age granitic dikes.

  4. Geothermal energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    This chapter discusses the role of geothermal energy may have on the energy future of the US. The topics discussed in the chapter include historical aspects of geothermal energy, the geothermal resource, hydrothermal fluids, electricity production, district heating, process heating, geopressured brines, technology and costs, hot dry rock, magma, and environmental and siting issues

  5. Numerical simulations of heat transfer through fractured rock for an enhanced geothermal system development in Seokmodo, Korea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Jiyoun; Kim, Kyung-Ho; Hyun, Yunjung; Lee, Kang-Keun

    2010-05-01

    Estimating the expected capacity and efficiency of energy is a crucial issue in the construction of geothermal plant. It is the lasting temperature of extracted geothermal water that determines the effectiveness of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), so the heat transfer processes in geothermal reservoirs under site-specific geologic conditions should be understood first. The construction of the first geothermal plant in Korea is under planning in Seokmodo, where a few flowing artesian wells showing relatively high water temperature of around 70°C were discovered lately. The site of interest is a part of the island region, consisting of the reclaimed land surrounded by the sea and small mountains. Geothermal gradient measures approximately 45°C/km and the geothermal water is as saline as seawater. Geologic structure in this region is characterized by the fractured granite. In this study, thermo-hydrological (TH) numerical simulations for the temperature evolution in a fractured geothermal reservoir under the supposed injection-extraction operating conditions were carried out using TOUGH2. Multiple porosity model which is useful to calculate the transient interporosity flow in TH coupled heat transfer problem was used in simulations. Several fracture planes which had been investigated in the field were assigned to have highly permeable properties in order to avoid the averaging approximation and describe the dominant flow through the fractures. This heterogeneous model showed the rise of relatively hot geothermal water in the densely fractured region. The temperature of the extracted geothermal water also increased slowly for 50 years due to the rising flow through the fractures. The most sensitive factor which affects the underground thermal distribution and temperature of geothermal water was permeability of the medium. Change in permeabilities of rock and fracture within the range of 1 order might cause such an extreme change in the temperature of geothermal

  6. Monitoring production using surface deformation: the Hijiori test site and the Okuaizu geothermal field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vasco, D.W.; Karasaki, Kenzi

    2002-01-01

    Production in geothermal reservoirs often leads to observable surface displacement. As shown in this paper, there is a direct relationship between such displacement and reservoir dynamics. This relationship is exploited in order to image fluid flow at two geothermal field sites. At the first locality, the Hijiori Hot Dry Rock (HDR) test site, 17 tilt meters record deformation associated with a 2.2 km deep injection experiment. Images of fluid migration along a ring fracture system of the collapsed Hijiori caldera are obtained. At the Okuaizu geothermal field, leveling and tilt meter data provide constraints on long- and short-term fluid movement within the reservoir. A set of 119 leveling data suggest that the north-to-northeast trending Takiyagawa fault acts as a barrier to flow. The northwesterly oriented Chinoikezawa and Sarukurazawa faults appear to channel fluid from the southeast. The tilt data from Okuaizu indicate that a fault paralleling the Takiyagawa fault zone acts as a conduit to transient flow, on a time scale of several weeks. The volume strain in a region adjacent to the injection wells reaches a maximum and then decreases with time. The transient propagation of fluid along the fault may be due to pressure build-up, resulting from the re-initiation of injection. (author)

  7. Geochemical study of water-rock interaction processes on geothermal systems of alkaline water in granitic massif

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buil gutierrez, B.; Garcia Sanz, S.; Lago San Jose, M.; Arranz Yague, E.; Auque Sanz, L.

    2002-01-01

    The study of geothermal systems developed within granitic massifs (with alkaline waters and reducing ORP values) is a topic of increasing scientific interest. These systems are a perfect natural laboratory for studying the water-rock interaction processes as they are defined by three main features: 1) long residence time of water within the system, 2) temperature in the reservoir high enough to favour reaction kinetics and finally, 3) the comparison of the chemistry of the incoming and outgoing waters of the system allows for the evaluation of the processes that have modified the water chemistry and its signature, The four geothermal systems considered in this paper are developed within granitic massifs of the Spanish Central Pyrenes; these systems were studied from a geochemical point of view, defining the major, trace and REE chemistry of both waters and host rocks and then characterizing the composition and geochemical evolution of the different waters. Bicarbonate-chloride-sodic and bicarbonate-sodic compositions are the most representative of the water chemistry in the deep geothermal system, as they are not affected by secondary processes (mixing, conductive cooling, etc). (Author)

  8. Geothermal properties of Swiss Molasse Basin (depth range 0-500 m) - 2006 upgrade of the thermal conductivity, heat capacity, rock density and porosity data base

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leu, W.; Megel, T.; Schaerli, U.

    2006-01-01

    The main aim of this project is the preparation of a specific data base of geothermal properties for typical rocks of the Swiss Molasse Basin (depth interval 0-500 m). The project includes the development of a new laboratory tool for efficient heat capacity measurements on rock samples, numerous new measurements of geothermal rock properties in the laboratory and calculation of such data from geophysical borehole logs. In the geographical area under review, 282 rock samples, mainly from deep boreholes, were analyzed with the successfully calibrated new heat capacity device and conventional thermal conductivity measuring techniques (cuttings and cores). Based on sonic and density log data from exploration wells, 374 additional data points were generated. This new data base characterizes in detail the six main lithological rock types in the three Molasse groups OSM, OMM and USM within the Swiss Plateau Molasse. The statistical evaluation of all data illustrates the regional variation of the petrophysical and geothermal parameters. For most data groups bulk rock density and thermal conductivity increase, whereas heat capacity decreases in the direction towards the Alpine front. Thermal conductivity shows a distinct increase with depth. Based on this new information and with the aid of the evaluation software tool SwEWS, the costs of planned geothermal installations can be optimized thanks to more precise heat extraction simulations with existing software packages like COSOND, TRNSYS, EWS or WPcalc. (author)

  9. Candidate sites for future hot-dry-rock development in the United States

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goff, F.; Decker, E.R.

    1982-12-01

    Generalized geologic and other data are tabulated for 24 potential hot dry rock (HDR) sites in the contiguous United States. The data show that HDR resources occur in many geologic and tectonic settings. Potential reservoir rocks at each prospect are described and each system is cateogrized accoridng to inferred heat sources. The Fenton Hill area in New Mexico is discussed in detail because this region may be considered ideal for HDR development. Three other prospectively valuable localities are described: The Geysers-Clear lake region in California, the Roosevelt Hot Springs area in Utah, and the White Mountains region in New Hampshire. These areas are singled out to illustrate the roles of significantly different geology and geophysics, reservoir rocks, and reservoir heat contents in possible HDR developments.

  10. Hot dry rock geothermal energy for U.S. electric utilities. Draft final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-06-01

    In order to bring an electric utility component into the study of hot dry rock geothermal energy called for in the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), EPRI organized a one-day conference in Philadelphia on January 14,1993. The conference was planned as the first day of a two-day sequence, by coordinating with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). These two federal agencies were charged under EPAct with the development of a report on the potential for hot dry rock geothermal energy production in the US, especially the eastern US. The USGS was given lead responsibility for a report to be done in association with DOE. The EPRI conference emphasized first the status of technology development and testing in the U.S. and abroad, i.e., in western Europe, Russia and Japan. The conference went on to address the extent of knowledge regarding the resource base in the US, especially in the eastern half of the country, and then to address some practical business aspects of organizing projects or industries that could bring these resources into use, either for thermal applications or for electric power generation.

  11. Draft environmental impact report. California Department of Water Resources, Bottle Rock geothermal power plant, Lake County, CA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1979-12-01

    The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) proposes to construct the Bottle Rock power plant, a 55 MW geothermal power plant, at The Geysers Known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA). The plant is projected to begin operation in April of 1983, and will be located in Lake County near the Sonoma County line on approximately 7.2 acres of the Francisco leasehold. The steam to operate the power plant, approximately 1,000,000 pounds/h, will be provided by McCulloch Geothermal Corporation. The power plant's appearance and operation will be basically the same as the units in operation or under construction in the KGRA. The power plant and related facilities will consist of a 55 MW turbine generator, a 1.1 mile (1.81 km) long transmission line, a condensing system, cooling tower, electrical switchyard, gas storage facility, cistern, and an atmospheric emission control system. DWR plans to abate hydrogen sulfide (H/sub 2/S) emissions through the use of the Stretford Process which scrubs the H/sub 2/S from the condenser vent gas stream and catalytically oxides the gas to elemental sulfur. If the Stretford Process does not meet emission limitations, a secondary H/sub 2/S abatement system using hydrogen peroxide/iron catalyst is proposed. The Bottle Rock project and other existing and future geothermal projects in the KGRA may result in cumulative impacts to soils, biological resources, water quality, geothermal steam resources, air quality, public health, land use, recreation, cultural resources, and aesthetics.

  12. Preliminary studies of dry rock geothermal exploitation in south west England

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Batchelor, A. S.; Pearson, C. M.

    1978-07-01

    A research program to develop a method to exploit the heat usually found in mines in the Cornwall area is described. Temperature gradients range from 27 to 34/sup 0/C/Km with a mean of 29.8/sup 0/C/Km. The exploitable area is defined and methods of creating an artificial geothermal field or artificial reservoir are described. Tests to determine fractures in rocks including gamma-gamma logging, tv camera, caliper, and 3-D sonic are described as are pumping tests. 15 references, 3 figures.

  13. Parameters and a magnitude moment relationship from small earthquakes observed during hydraulic fracturing experiments in crystalline rocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pearson, C.

    1982-04-01

    Using source parameters estimated from seismic spectra and magnitudes estimated from coda lengths, we demonstrate that the log-linear relationship between moment and magnitude holds for events with magnitudes as low as -6. Using, as a data set, events induced by hydraulic fracturing experiments at the Fenton Hill, New Mexico, Hot Dry Rock (HDR) geothermal site, we find that the relationship between magnitude M and seismic moment (Mo) is log (Mo) = 17.27+0.77 M Moreover, the linear relationship between seismic moment and source radius (r) holds for the Fenton Hill microearthquakes. Analyses of the Fenton Hill data yield the following relationship. log (r) = 2.28+0.19 log (Mo)

  14. Drilling fluids and lost circulation in hot-dry-rock geothermal wells at Fenton Hill

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nuckols, E.B.; Miles, D.; Laney, R.; Polk, G.; Friddle, H.; Simpson, G.

    1981-01-01

    Geothermal hot dry rock drilling at Fenton Hill in northern New Mexico encountered problems of catastrophic lost circulation in cavernous areas of limestones in the Sandia Formation, severe corrosion due to temperatures of up to 320/sup 0/C, and torque problems caused by 35/sup 0/ hole angle and the abrasiveness of Precambrian crystalline rock. The use of polymeric flocculated bentonite fluid, clear water, fibrous material, dry drilling, oxygen scavengers, a biodegradable lubricant mixture of modified triglicerides and alcohol, and maintenance of a high pH, were some of the approaches taken toward solving these problems.

  15. Geothermal well log interpretation midterm report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanyal, S.K.; Wells, L.E.; Bickham, R.E.

    1979-02-01

    Reservoir types are defined according to fluid phase and temperature, lithology, geologic province, pore geometry, and salinity and fluid chemistry. Improvements are needed in lithology and porosity definition, fracture detection, and thermal evaluation for more accurate interpretation. Further efforts are directed toward improving diagnostic techniques for relating rock characteristics and log response, developing petrophysical models for geothermal systems, and developing thermal evaluation techniques. The Geothermal Well Log Interpretation study and report has concentrated only on hydrothermal geothermal reservoirs. Other geothermal reservoirs (hot dry rock, geopressured, etc.) are not considered.

  16. Exploration of the crystalline underground by extension drilling of the Urach 3 well in the framework of a feasibility study for a hot dry rock demonstration project; Erkundung des kristallinen Untergrunds mit der Vertiefungsbohrung Urach 3 im Rahmen einer Machbarkeitsstudie fuer ein Hot-Dry-Rock-Demonstrationsprojekt

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tenzer, H [Stadtwerke Bad Urach (Germany); Genter, A; Hottin, A M [BRGM/GIG, Orleans (France)

    1997-12-01

    The prerequisites for specific research into the use of Hot Dry Rock geothermal energy at great depths and temperatures of up to 147 C. In Europe were created with the drilling and completition of the 3334 m deep research drill hole Urach 3 in its phase I (1977/78), and its subsequent extension to 3488 m in phase II (1982/83) within the metamorphic gneiss rock of Urach. A single hole circulation system was tested. Basic results concerning the temperature field, joint system, stress field and hydraulic behavior of the rock were achieved. According to the European HDR guidelines data from depths were a mean reservoir temperature of 175-180 C prevails were necessary to carry out a HDR pilot project. Within the scope of a feasibility study the already existing drill hole Urach 3 was extended from 3488 m to 4445 m depth where the required rock temperature of >170 C was expected. The objective of the project was to determine rock parameters at depth of high temperatures. The bottom hole temperature at true vertical depth of 4394.72 m was determined with 170 C. It can be proved that the temperature gradient is constant with 2.9 K/100 m depth. Due to the results of the investigations it is proposed that the Urach site located in a widespread tectonic horizontal strike-slip system is suitable for a HDR demonstration project. The results can be applied in south German and northern Swiss regions and in other large regions of Europe. Many potential consumers of geothermal energy produced by the HDR concept are situated close around the Urach 3 drill site. (orig./AKF) [Deutsch] Die Forschungsarbeiten zur Weiterentwicklung des Hot-Dry-Rock-Verfahrens begannen am Standort Bad Urach im Jahr 1975. In einer ersten Phase wurde die Bohrung Urach 3 1977/78 auf 3334 m mit einer Gesteinstemperatur von 143 C abgeteuft. Umfangreiche Hydraulische Tests und Frac-Versuche erfolgten. Hiermit wurden die Voraussetzungen fuer die Erkundung des Hot-Dry-Rock-Konzeptes in grossen Tiefen und

  17. The furnace in the basement: Part 1, The early days of the Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Energy Program, 1970--1973

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smith, M.C.

    1995-09-01

    This report presents the descriptions of the background information and formation of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory Geothermal Energy Group. It discusses the organizational, financial, political, public-relations,geologic, hydrologic, physical, and mechanical problems encountered by the group during the period 1970--1973. It reports the failures as well as the successes of this essential first stage in the development of hot dry rock geothermal energy systems.

  18. Aerated drilling cutting transport analysis in geothermal well

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wakhyudin, Aris; Setiawan, Deni; Dwi Marjuan, Oscar

    2017-12-01

    Aeratad drilling widely used for geothermal drilling especially when drilled into predicted production zone. Aerated drilling give better performance on preventing lost circulation problem, improving rate of penetration, and avoiding drilling fluid invasion to productive zone. While well is drilled, cutting is produced and should be carried to surface by drilling fluid. Hole problem, especially pipe sticking will occur while the cutting is not lifted properly to surface. The problem will effect on drilling schedule; non-productive time finally result more cost to be spent. Geothermal formation has different characteristic comparing oil and gas formation. Geothermal mainly has igneous rock while oil and gas mostly sedimentary rock. In same depth, formation pressure in geothermal well commonly lower than oil and gas well while formation temperature geothermal well is higher. While aerated drilling is applied in geothermal well, Igneous rock density has higher density than sedimentary rock and aerated drilling fluid is lighter than water based mud hence minimum velocity requirement to transport cutting is larger than in oil/gas well drilling. Temperature and pressure also has impact on drilling fluid (aerated) density. High temperature in geothermal well decrease drilling fluid density hence the effect of pressure and temperature also considered. In this paper, Aerated drilling cutting transport performance on geothermal well will be analysed due to different rock and drilling fluid density. Additionally, temperature and pressure effect on drilling fluid density also presented to merge.

  19. Electricity generation from enhanced geothermal systems by oilfield produced water circulating through reservoir stimulated by staged fracturing technology for horizontal wells: A case study in Xujiaweizi area in Daqing Oilfield, China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yan-Jun; Li, Zheng-Wei; Guo, Liang-Liang; Gao, Ping; Jin, Xian-Peng; Xu, Tian-Fu

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, the feasibility of generating electricity from EGS (enhanced geothermal systems) by oilfield produced water circulating through reservoir stimulated by staged fracturing technology for horizontal wells is investigated based on the geological data of Xujiaweizi area, located in the Daqing Oilfield, northeast China. HDR (hot dry rock) resource potential assessment is carried out by using volumetric method. Reservoir stimulation is numerically simulated based on the geological data of well YS-1 and field fracturing experience in this region. Geometric dimensions and flow conductivity of the resulting fracture are imported into the hydro-thermal model to calculate the electricity generation potential of the proposed EGS power plant. An EGS design scheme is proposed based on the simulation results. The system is also evaluated from the economic and environmental aspects. The results indicate that HDR resource in Xujiaweizi area is of great potential for development. Through the staged fracturing technology for horizontal wells, electricity generation power of the proposed EGS project can roughly meet the commercial standard. For 20 years of continuous production, power generation from the proposed EGS power plant is economic feasible. Meanwhile, significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved. - Highlights: • Staged fracturing technology for horizontal well is used in HDR (hot dry rock) development. • Fracturing simulations and heat production simulations are combined. • A 3 MW power plant is designed in Xujiaweizi based on the simulation results

  20. Japanese geothermics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laplaige, P.

    1995-01-01

    At the end of the seventies, the NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation) and the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry have started two independent projects of deep geothermics research in Honshu island (Japan). The two sites are 50 km apart of each other and the boreholes have been drilled up to 2300 and 1100 m of depth, respectively, in hot-dry moderately fractured volcanic rocks. These sites are characterized by high geothermal gradients with a rock temperature reaching 250 C at the bottom of the wells. Hydraulic circulation tests are still in progress to evaluate the profitability of these sites. (J.S.). 1 fig., 1 photo

  1. Goechemical and Hydrogeochemical Properties of Cappadocia Geothermal Province

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furkan Sener, Mehmet; Sener, Mehmet; Uysal, Tonguc

    2016-04-01

    In order to determine the geothermal resource potential of Niǧde, Nevşehir and Aksaray provinces in Central Anatolian Volcanic Province (CAVP), geothermal fluids, surface water, and alteration rock samples from the Cappadocia volcanic zone in Turkey were investigated for their geochemical and stable isotopic characteristics in light of published geological and tectonic studies. Accordingly, the Cappadocia Geothermal Province (CGP) has two different geothermal systems located along tectonic zones including five active and two potential geothermal fields, which are located between Tuzgölü Fault Zone and Keçiboyduran-Melendiz Fault and north of Keçiboyduran-Melendiz Fault. Based on water chemistry and isotope compositions, samples from the first area are characterized by Ca-Mg-HCO3 ve Ca-HCO3 type mineral poor waters and Ca-Na-SO4 and Ca-Mg-SO4 type for the cold waters and the hot waters, respectively, whereas hot waters from the second area are Na-Cl-HCO3 and Ca-Na-HCO3 type mineral poor waters. According to δ18O and δ2H isotope studies, the geothermal waters are fed from meteoric waters. Results of silica geothermometer indicate that the reservoir temperature of Dertalan, Melendiz Mount, Keçiboyduran Mount, Hasan Mount (Keçikalesi), Ziga, Acıgöl, and Derinkuyu geothermal waters are 150-173 oC, 88-117 oC, 91-120 oC, 94-122 oC, 131-156 oC, 157-179 oC; 152-174 oC and 102-130 oC, respectively. The REE composition of geothermal fluids, surface water, and mineral precipitates indicate that temperature has a strong effect on REE fractionation of the sampled fluids. Eu- and Ce- anomalies (Eu/Eu*, Ce/Ce*) are visible in several samples, which are related to the inheritance from the host reservoir rocks and redox-controlled fractionation of these elements during water-rock interactions. REE and Yttrium geochemistry results of altered rock samples and water samples, which were taken from same locations exhibited quite similar features in each system. Hence, it was

  2. Geothermal Energy Program overview

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-12-01

    The mission of the Geothermal Energy Program is to develop the science and technology necessary for tapping our nation's tremendous heat energy sources contained with the Earth. Geothermal energy is a domestic energy source that can produce clean, reliable, cost- effective heat and electricity for our nation's energy needs. Geothermal energy -- the heat of the Earth -- is one of our nation's most abundant energy resources. In fact, geothermal energy represents nearly 40% of the total US energy resource base and already provides an important contribution to our nation's energy needs. Geothermal energy systems can provide clean, reliable, cost-effective energy for our nation's industries, businesses, and homes in the form of heat and electricity. The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Energy Program sponsors research aimed at developing the science and technology necessary for utilizing this resource more fully. Geothermal energy originates from the Earth's interior. The hottest fluids and rocks at accessible depths are associated with recent volcanic activity in the western states. In some places, heat comes to the surface as natural hot water or steam, which have been used since prehistoric times for cooking and bathing. Today, wells convey the heat from deep in the Earth to electric generators, factories, farms, and homes. The competitiveness of power generation with lower quality hydrothermal fluids, geopressured brines, hot dry rock, and magma ( the four types of geothermal energy) still depends on the technical advancements sought by DOE's Geothermal Energy Program

  3. Assessing geothermal energy potential in upstate New York. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hodge, D.S. [SUNY, Buffalo, NY (United States)

    1996-08-01

    The potential of geothermal energy for future electric power generation in New York State is evaluated using estimates of temperatures of geothermal reservoir rocks. Bottom hole temperatures from over 2000 oil and gas wells in the region were integrated into subsurface maps of the temperatures for specific geothermal reservoirs. The Theresa/Potsdam formation provides the best potential for extraction of high volumes of geothermal fluids. The evaluation of the Theresa/Potsdam geothermal reservoir in upstate New York suggests that an area 30 miles east of Elmira, New York has the highest temperatures in the reservoir rock. The Theresa/Potsdam reservoir rock should have temperatures about 136 {degrees}C and may have as much as 450 feet of porosity in excess of 8%. Estimates of the volumes of geothermal fluids that can be extracted are provided and environmental considerations for production from a geothermal well is discussed.

  4. FY 1974 Report on results of Sunshine Project. Study on physicochemical properties of rocks in geothermal districts; 1974 nendo chinetsu chitai ni okeru ganseki no butsuri kagakuteki tokusei ni kansuru kenkyu seika hokokusho

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1975-03-01

    The geothermal district is characterized by distributions of high temperature and hot water. The beds and rocks in these areas are characteristically altered by these conditions. It is an object of this research and development project to clarify how properties of the beds and rocks in these areas, exposed to the characteristic physicochemical conditions, differ from properties of those in other areas. There are may rock properties. In this project, the studied properties are centered by those used for physical exploitation (or geophysical methods), e.g., electrical properties (electrical exploitation), magnetic properties (magnetic exploitation), and thermal conductivity (measurement of heat flow rates and geothermal gradients). The FY 1974 project covers pigeonholing the basic data, establishment of the experimental procedures, and measurement of water quality characteristics and temperature distributions (geothermal temperature gradients) at the test site. This paper reports the results categorized by (I) measurement of rock resistivity and effects on moisture content on this property, (II) properties of water in the geothermal district (Yahata-daira District), and (III) relationships between rock thermal conductivity and other properties. (NEDO)

  5. Seismic Technology Adapted to Analyzing and Developing Geothermal Systems Below Surface-Exposed High-Velocity Rocks Final Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hardage, Bob A. [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Bureau of Economic Geology; DeAngelo, Michael V. [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Bureau of Economic Geology; Ermolaeva, Elena [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Bureau of Economic Geology; Hardage, Bob A. [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Bureau of Economic Geology; Remington, Randy [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Bureau of Economic Geology; Sava, Diana [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Bureau of Economic Geology; Wagner, Donald [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Bureau of Economic Geology; Wei, Shuijion [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Bureau of Economic Geology

    2013-02-01

    The objective of our research was to develop and demonstrate seismic data-acquisition and data-processing technologies that allow geothermal prospects below high-velocity rock outcrops to be evaluated. To do this, we acquired a 3-component seismic test line across an area of exposed high-velocity rocks in Brewster County, Texas, where there is high heat flow and surface conditions mimic those found at numerous geothermal prospects. Seismic contractors have not succeeded in creating good-quality seismic data in this area for companies who have acquired data for oil and gas exploitation purposes. Our test profile traversed an area where high-velocity rocks and low-velocity sediment were exposed on the surface in alternating patterns that repeated along the test line. We verified that these surface conditions cause non-ending reverberations of Love waves, Rayleigh waves, and shallow critical refractions to travel across the earth surface between the boundaries of the fast-velocity and slow-velocity material exposed on the surface. These reverberating surface waves form the high level of noise in this area that does not allow reflections from deep interfaces to be seen and utilized. Our data-acquisition method of deploying a box array of closely spaced geophones allowed us to recognize and evaluate these surface-wave noise modes regardless of the azimuth direction to the surface anomaly that backscattered the waves and caused them to return to the test-line profile. With this knowledge of the surface-wave noise, we were able to process these test-line data to create P-P and SH-SH images that were superior to those produced by a skilled seismic data-processing contractor. Compared to the P-P data acquired along the test line, the SH-SH data provided a better detection of faults and could be used to trace these faults upward to the boundaries of exposed surface rocks. We expanded our comparison of the relative value of S-wave and P-wave seismic data for geothermal

  6. Swiss geothermal energy update 1985 - 1990

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rybach, L.; Hauber, L.

    1990-01-01

    Since 1985, geothermal R and D has evolved steadily in Switzerland. REgional low-enthalphy exploration and resource assessment are largely complete; emphasis is now on drilling and development. Vertical earth-heat exchangers (small-scale, decentralized, heat pump-coupled heating facilities) increase rapidly in number; the governmental system of risk coverage for geothermal drilling, established in 1987, gives rise to several drilling projects. Of these, a single well and a doublet have been successfully completed so far. Numerical modeling of coupled thermohydraulic processes in fracture-dominate Hot Dry Rock systems including rock-mechanics aspects, is in progress. In this paper some further efforts such as contributions to general geothermics, exploration and resource assessment activities in Switzerland, and financing of geothermal development abroad by Swiss banks are described

  7. Fault-controlled permeability and fluid flow in low-porosity crystalline rocks: an example from naturally fractured geothermal systems in the Southern Andes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arancibia, G.; Roquer, T.; Sepúlveda, J.; Veloso, E. A.; Morata, D.; Rowland, J. V.

    2017-12-01

    Fault zones can control the location, emplacement, and evolution of economic mineral deposits and geothermal systems by acting as barriers and/or conduits to crustal fluid flow (e.g. magma, gas, oil, hydro-geothermal and groundwater). The nature of the fault control permeability is critical in the case of fluid flow into low porosity/permeability crystalline rocks, since structural permeability provides the main hydraulic conductivity to generate a natural fractured system. However, several processes accompanying the failure of rocks (i.e. episodic permeability given by cycling ruptures, mineral precipitation from fluids in veins, dissolution of minerals in the vicinity of a fracture) promote a complex time-dependent and enhancing/reducing fault-controlled permeability. We propose the Southern Volcanic Zone (Southern Andes, Chile) as a case study to evaluate the role of the structural permeability in low porosity crystalline rocks belonging to the Miocene North Patagonian Batholith. Recently published studies propose a relatively well-constrained first-order role of two active fault systems, the arc-parallel (NS to NNE trending) Liquiñe Ofqui Fault System and the arc-oblique (NW trending) Andean Transverse Fault Zones, in fluid flow at crustal scales. We now propose to examine the Liquiñe ( 39°S) and Maihue ( 40°S) areas as sites of interaction between these fault systems, in order to evaluate a naturally fractured geothermal system. Preliminary results indicate upwelling of thermal water directly from fractured granite or from fluvial deposits overlying granitoids. Measured temperatures of thermal springs suggest a low- to medium-enthalpy system, which could potentially be harnessed for use in geothermal energy applications (e.g. heating, wood dryer and green house), which are much needed in Southern Chile. Future work will aim to examine the nature of structural permeability from the regional to the microscopic scale connecting the paleo- and current- fluid

  8. Geothermal energy worldwide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbier, Enriko

    1997-01-01

    Geothermal energy, as a natural steam and hot water, has been exploited for decades in order to generate electricity as well as district heating and industrial processes. The present geothermal electrical installed capacity in the world is about 10.000 MWe and the thermal capacity in non-electrical uses is about 8.200 MWt. Electricity is produced with an efficiency of 10-17%, and the cost of the kWh is competitive with conventional energy sources. In the developing countries, where a total installed electrical power is still low, geothermal energy can play a significant role: in El Salvador, for example, 25% of electricity comes from geothermal spring, 20% in the Philippines and 8% in Kenya. Present technology makes it possible to control the environmental impact of geothermal exploitation. Geothermal energy could also be extracted from deep geopressured reservoirs in large sedimentary basins, hot dry rock systems and magma bodies. (author)

  9. An analysis of natural gas exploration potential in the Qiongdongnan Basin by use of the theory of “joint control of source rocks and geothermal heat”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Gongcheng

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The Oligocene Yacheng Fm contains the most important source rocks that have been confirmed by exploratory wells in the Qiongdongnan Basin. The efficiency of these source rocks is the key to the breakthrough in natural gas exploration in the study area. This paper analyzes the hydrocarbon potential of each sag in this basin from the perspective of control of both source rocks and geothermal heat. Two types of source rocks occur in the Yacheng Fm, namely mudstone of transitional facies and mudstone of neritic facies. Both of them are dominated by a kerogen of type-III, followed by type-II. Their organic matter abundances are controlled by the amount of continental clastic input. The mudstone of transitional facies is commonly higher in organic matter abundance, while that of neritic facies is lower. The coal-measure source rocks of transitional facies were mainly formed in such environments as delta plains, coastal plains and barrier tidal flat-marshes. Due to the control of Cenozoic lithosphere extension and influence of neotectonism, the geothermal gradient, terrestrial heat flow value (HFV and level of thermal evolution are generally high in deep water. The hot setting not only determines the predominance of gas generation in the deep-water sags, but can promote the shallow-buried source rocks in shallow water into oil window to generate oil. In addition to promoting the hydrocarbon generation of source rocks, the high geothermal and high heat flow value can also speed up the cracking of residual hydrocarbons, thus enhancing hydrocarbon generation efficiency and capacity. According to the theory of joint control of source quality and geothermal heat on hydrocarbon generation, we comprehensively evaluate and rank the exploration potentials of major sags in the Qiongdongnan Basin. These sags are divided into 3 types, of which type-I sags including Yanan, Lingshui, Baodao, Ledong and Huaguang are the highest in hydrocarbon exploration potential.

  10. Research on isotope geology. Assessment of heat production potential of granitic rocks and development of geothermal exploration techniques using radioactive/stable isotopes and fission track 2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shin, Seong Cheon; Chi, Se Jung [Korea Inst. of Geology Mining and Materials, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    1995-12-01

    Radioelements and heat production rates of granitic rocks and stable isotopes of groundwaters were analyzed to investigate the geothermal potential of Wolchulsan granite complex in the southern Yeongam area. Wolchulsan granite complex is composed mainly by Cretaceous pink alkali-feldspar granite and partly Jurassic biotite granite. The main target for the geothermal exploration is the alkali-feldspar granite that is known in general to be favorable geothermal reservoir(e.g., Shap granite in UK). To develop exploration techniques for geothermal anomalies, all geochemical data were compared to those from the Jeonju granite complex. Heat production rates(HPR) of the alkali-feldspar granite is 1.8 - 10.6 {mu}Wm{sup -3}. High radio-thermal anomalies were revealed from the central western and northern parts of the granite body. These are relatively higher than the Caledonian hot dry granites in the UK. The integrated assessment of Wolchulsan granite complex suggests potential of the Cretaceous alkali-feldspar granite as a geothermal targets. Groundwater geochemistry of the Yeongam area reflects simple evaporation process and higher oxidation environment. Stable isotope data of groundwaters are plotted on or close to the Meteoric Water Line(MWL). These isotopic data indicate a significant meteoric water dominance and do not show oxygen isotope fractionation between groundwater and wall rocks. In despite of high HPR values of the Yeongam alkali-feldspar granite, groundwater samples do not show the same geochemical properties as a thermal water in the Jeonju area. This reason can be well explained by the comparison with geological settings of the Jeonju area. The Yeongam alkali-feldspar granite does not possess any adjacent heat source rocks despite its high radio-thermal HPR. While the Jeonju granite batholith has later heat source intrusive and suitable deep fracture system for water circulation with sedimentary cap rocks. (Abstract Truncated)

  11. Pueblo of Jemez Geothermal Feasibility Study Fianl Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    S.A. Kelley; N. Rogers; S. Sandberg; J. Witcher; J. Whittier

    2005-03-31

    This project assessed the feasibility of developing geothermal energy on the Pueblo of Jemez, with particular attention to the Red Rocks area. Geologic mapping of the Red Rocks area was done at a scale of 1:6000 and geophysical surveys identified a potential drilling target at a depth of 420 feet. The most feasible business identified to use geothermal energy on the reservation was a greenhouse growing culinary and medicinal herbs. Space heating and a spa were identified as two other likely uses of geothermal energy at Jemez Pueblo. Further geophysical surveys are needed to identify the depth to the Madera Limestone, the most likely host for a major geothermal reservoir.

  12. Uranium-thorium series radionuclides in brines and reservoir rocks from two deep geothermal boreholes in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field, southeastern California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zukin, Jeffrey G.; Hammond, Douglas E.; Teh-Lung, Ku; Elders, Wilfred A.

    1987-10-01

    Naturally occurring U and Th series radionuclides have been analyzed in high temperature brines (~300°C, 25 wt% dissolved solids) and associated rocks from two deep geothermal wells located on the northeastern margin of the Salton Sea Geothermal Field (SSGF). These data are part of a study of the SSGF as a natural analog of possible radionuclide behavior near a nuclear waste repository constructed in salt beds, and permit evaluation of some characteristics of water-rock interaction in the SSGF. Rock/Brine concentration ratios ( Rc = (dpm/ g) rock/(dpm/ g) brine) were found to vary from near unity for isotopes of Ra, Pb and Rn to about 5 × 10 5 for 232Th. The high sorptivity of 232Th is closely followed by that of 238U and 234U ( Rc ~ 5 × 10 4), suggesting that U is retained in the +4 oxidation state by the reducing conditions in the brines. The relatively high solubility of 210Pb and 212Pb is attributed to formation of chloride complexes, while the high Ra solubility is attributed to chloride complexing, a lack of suitable adsorption sites due to the high brine salinity and temperature, and the reducing conditions that prevent MnO 2 and RaSO 4 from forming. The 228Ra /226Ra ratios in the brines are approximately equal to those of their parents ( 232Th /230Th ) in associated rocks, indicating that Ra equilibration in the brine-rock system is achieved within the mean life of 228Ra (8.3 years). The 224Ra /228Ra ratios in these brines are about 0.7, indicating that either (1) brine composition is not homogeneous and 224Ra decays in fracture zones deficient in Ra and Th as the brine travels to the wellhead or (2) Ra equilibration in the brine-host rock system is not complete within the mean life of 224Ra (5.2 days) because the desorption of 224Ra from the solid phase is impeded. The 228Ac /228Ra activity ratio in the SSGF brines studied is <0.1, and from this ratio the residence time of 228Ac in the brine before sorption onto solid surfaces is estimated to be <70

  13. Geothermal energy technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1977-01-01

    Geothermal energy research and development by the Sunshine Project is subdivided into five major categories: exploration and exploitation technology, hot-water power generation technology, volcanic power generation technology, environmental conservation and multi-use technology, and equipment materials research. The programs are being carried out by various National Research Institutes, universities, and private industry. During 1976 and 1977, studies were made of the extent of resources, reservoir structure, ground water movement, and neotectonics at the Onikobe and Hachimantai geothermal fields. Studies to be performed in the near future include the use of new prospecting methods, including artificial magnetotellurics, heat balance calculation, brightspot techniques, and remote sensing, as well as laboratory studies of the physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of rock. Studies are continuing in the areas of ore formation in geothermal environments, hot-dry-rock drilling and fracturing, large scale prospecting technology, high temperature-pressure drilling muds and well cements, and arsenic removal techniques.

  14. Coupled hydro-thermo-mechanical modeling of hydraulic fracturing in quasi-brittle rocks using BPM-DEM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ingrid Tomac

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an improved understanding of coupled hydro-thermo-mechanical (HTM hydraulic fracturing of quasi-brittle rock using the bonded particle model (BPM within the discrete element method (DEM. BPM has been recently extended by the authors to account for coupled convective–conductive heat flow and transport, and to enable full hydro-thermal fluid–solid coupled modeling. The application of the work is on enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs, and hydraulic fracturing of hot dry rock (HDR is studied in terms of the impact of temperature difference between rock and a flowing fracturing fluid. Micro-mechanical investigation of temperature and fracturing fluid effects on hydraulic fracturing damage in rocks is presented. It was found that fracture is shorter with pronounced secondary microcracking along the main fracture for the case when the convective–conductive thermal heat exchange is considered. First, the convection heat exchange during low-viscosity fluid infiltration in permeable rock around the wellbore causes significant rock cooling, where a finger-like fluid infiltration was observed. Second, fluid infiltration inhibits pressure rise during pumping and delays fracture initiation and propagation. Additionally, thermal damage occurs in the whole area around the wellbore due to rock cooling and cold fluid infiltration. The size of a damaged area around the wellbore increases with decreasing fluid dynamic viscosity. Fluid and rock compressibility ratio was found to have significant effect on the fracture propagation velocity.

  15. Kinetics of radioisotope exchange between brine and rock in a geothermal system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hammond, D.E.; Zukin, J.G.; Teh-Lung Ku

    1988-01-01

    A wide range of isotopes in the /sup 238/U, /sup 235/U, and /sup 232/Th decay chains was measured in geothermal brines collected from two production zones at 1898 and 3220 m in the Salton Sea Scientific Drilling Project well. High concentrations of radium, radon, and lead isotopes are generated and maintained by the input of these isotopes from solid phases into brine by both recoil and leaching processes, by the high chloride content of the brine which complexes radium and lead, and by the apparent absence of suitable unoccupied adsorption sites. In contrast, uranium, thorium, actinium, bismuth, and polonium isotopes all have low concentrations due to their efficient sorption from brine to rock. Measurements of short-lived isotopes in these decay series yield insights regarding the mechanisms controlling radioisotope exchange, and they permit estimation of rates of brine-rock interaction. For example, the /sup 228/Ac//sup 228/Ra activity ratio of 0.2 in brines indicates that the mean residence time of actinium in solution before sorption onto solid surfaces is less than 2.5 hours

  16. Geothermal heat from solid rock - increased energy extraction through hydraulic pressurizing of drill wells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramstad, Randi Kalskin; Hilmo, Bernt Olav; Skarphagen, Helge

    2005-01-01

    New equipment for hydraulic pressurizing, a double collar of the type FrakPak - AIP 410-550, is developed by the Broennteknologi AS. The equipment is tested in the laboratory and in the field at Lade in Trondheim. By the construction of two pilot plants for geothermal heat at Bryn and on the previous grounds of the energy company in Asker and Baerum (EAB) extensive studies connected to hydraulic pressurizing are carried out both with water and sand injection. The geothermal heat plants at Bryn and AEB were supposed to be based on pumped ground water from rock wells where increased effect was obtained through pumping up, returning and circulating the water. The aim of the study was to test and develop the methods for hydraulic pressurizing both with water and sand injection, document the effect of the various types of pressurizing as well as mapping the hydro- and rock geological conditions for this type of geothermal heat plants. In addition to stimulating 10 drill holes with hydraulic pressurizing with water and sand injection, the studies have carried out test pumping, water sampling, geophysical logging, measurements of alterations in the terrain, current and rock strain measurements and geothermal response tests. Furthermore an efficacy test and a theoretical model of the energy potential of the plants are carried out. The results from the pilot plant at Bryn show that the drill hole capacities are significantly increased both through hydraulic pressurizing with water and sand injection. There seems to be a greater need for sand as ''prepping agent'' or distance maker in cracks with high pressure resistance than in cracks with lower resistance. The grain size of the sand should be adapted to the resistance pressure and injection of coarser sand is recommended in cracks with lower resistance pressure. The rock strength and strain conditions determine the successes of hydraulic pressurizing at the reopening of existing or opening of new faults. Test pumping was

  17. Isotopic and noble gas geochemistry in geothermal research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kennedy, B.M.; DePaolo, D.J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States)

    1997-12-31

    The objective of this program is to provide, through isotopic analyses of fluids, fluid inclusions, and rocks and minerals coupled with improved methods for geochemical data analysis, needed information regarding sources of geothermal heat and fluids, the spatial distribution of fluid types, subsurface flow, water-rock reaction paths and rates, and the temporal evolution of geothermal systems. Isotopic studies of geothermal fluids have previously been limited to the light stable isotopes of H, C, and O. However, other isotopic systems such as the noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe) and reactive elements (e.g. B, N, S, Sr and Pb) are complementary and may even be more important in some geothermal systems. The chemistry and isotopic composition of a fluid moving through the crust will change in space and time in response to varying chemical and physical parameters or by mixing with additional fluids. The chemically inert noble gases often see through these variations, making them excellent tracers for heat and fluid sources. Whereas, the isotopic compositions of reactive elements are useful tools in characterizing water-rock interaction and modeling the movement of fluids through a geothermal reservoir.

  18. Geothermal energy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manzella A.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Geothermal technologies use renewable energy resources to generate electricity and direct use of heat while producing very low levels of greenhouse-gas (GHG emissions. Geothermal energy is stored in rocks and in fluids circulating in the underground. Electricity generation usually requires geothermal resources temperatures of over 100°C. For heating, geothermal resources spanning a wider range of temperatures can be used in applications such as space and district heating (and cooling, with proper technology, spa and swimming pool heating, greenhouse and soil heating, aquaculture pond heating, industrial process heating and snow melting. Geothermal technology, which has focused so far on extracting naturally heated steam or hot water from natural hydrothermal reservoirs, is developing to more advanced techniques to exploit the heat also where underground fluids are scarce and to use the Earth as a potential energy battery, by storing heat. The success of the research will enable energy recovery and utilization from a much larger fraction of the accessible thermal energy in the Earth’s crust.

  19. The Role of Cost Shared R&D in the Development of Geothermal Resources

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1995-03-16

    This U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Program Review starts with two interesting pieces on industries outlook about market conditions. Dr. Allan Jelacics introductory talk includes the statistics on the impacts of the Industry Coupled Drilling Program (late-1970's) on geothermal power projects in Nevada and Utah (about 140 MWe of power stimulated). Most of the papers in these Proceedings are in a technical report format, with results. Sessions included: Exploration, The Geysers, Reservoir Engineering, Drilling, Energy Conversion (including demonstration of a BiPhase Turbine Separator), Energy Partnerships (including the Lake County effluent pipeline to The Geysers), and Technology Transfer (Biochemical processing of brines, modeling of chemistry, HDR, the OIT low-temperature assessment of collocation of resources with population, and geothermal heat pumps). There were no industry reviews at this meeting.

  20. Geothermal-Related Thermo-Elastic Fracture Analysis by Numerical Manifold Method

    OpenAIRE

    Jun He; Quansheng Liu; Zhijun Wu; Yalong Jiang

    2018-01-01

    One significant factor influencing geothermal energy exploitation is the variation of the mechanical properties of rock in high temperature environments. Since rock is typically a heterogeneous granular material, thermal fracturing frequently occurs in the rock when the ambient temperature changes, which can greatly influence the geothermal energy exploitation. A numerical method based on the numerical manifold method (NMM) is developed in this study to simulate the thermo-elastic fracturing ...

  1. Geothermal energy in Italy and abroad

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caputo di Calvisi, C.

    2001-01-01

    Geothermal systems and fields are analysed giving particular evidence to the value of the geothermal source as an important natural source of energy. The paper analyses hydrothermal systems and describes the international experimental studies on the use of geothermal reservoirs in hot rocks with geopressured and magmatic systems. Experts are optimistic as far as the use of this innovative source of energy is possible in the medium-short term [it

  2. Induced Seismicity at the UK "Hot Dry Rock" Test Site for Geothermal Energy Production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xun; Main, Ian; Jupe, Andrew

    2018-03-01

    In enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), fluid is injected at high pressure in order to stimulate fracturing and/or fluid flow through otherwise relatively impermeable underlying hot rocks to generate power and/or heat. The stimulation induces micro-earthquakes whose precise triggering mechanism and relationship to new and pre-existing fracture networks are still the subject of some debate. Here we analyse the dataset for induced micro-earthquakes at the UK "hot dry rock" experimental geothermal site (Rosemanowes, Cornwall). We quantify the evolution of several metrics used to characterise induced seismicity, including the seismic strain partition factor and the "seismogenic index". The results show a low strain partition factor of 0.01% and a low seismogenenic index indicating that aseismic processes dominate. We also analyse the spatio-temporal distribution of hypocentres, using simple models for the evolution of hydraulic diffusivity by (a) isotropic and (b) anisotropic pore-pressure relaxation. The principal axes of the diffusivity or permeability tensor inferred from the spatial distribution of earthquake foci are aligned parallel to the present-day stress field, although the maximum permeability is vertical, whereas the maximum principal stress is horizontal. Our results are consistent with a triggering mechanism that involves (a) seismic shear slip along optimally-oriented pre-existing fractures, (b) a large component of aseismic slip with creep (c) activation of tensile fractures as hydraulic conduits created by both the present-day stress field and by the induced shear slip, both exploiting pre-existing joint sets exposed in borehole data.

  3. An estimate of the cost of electricity production from hot-dry rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pierce, K.G.; Livesay, B.J.

    1993-01-01

    This paper gives an estimate of the cost to produce electricity from hot-dry rock (HDR). Employment of the energy in HDR for the production of electricity requires drilling multiple wells from the surface to the hot rock, connecting the wells through hydraulic fracturing, and then circulating water through the fracture system to extract heat from the rock. The basic HDR system modeled in this paper consists of an injection well, two production wells, the fracture system (or HDR reservoir), and a binary power plant. Water is pumped into the reservoir through the injection well where it is heated and then recovered through the production wells. Upon recovery, the hot water is pumped through a heat exchanger transferring heat to the binary, or working, fluid in the power plant. The power plant is a net 5.1-MW e binary plant employing dry cooling. Make-up water is supplied by a local well. In this paper, the cost of producing electricity with the basic system is estimated as the sum of the costs of the individual parts. The effects on cost of variations to certain assumptions, as well as the sensitivity of costs to different aspects of the basic system, are also investigated

  4. Change with time in extrusion and chemical composition of volcanic rock in geothermal areas in central Kyushu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kamata, Hiroki

    1986-10-01

    Changes with time in extrusion and chemical composition of volcanic rocks in central Kyushu are studied to provide basic data required for evaluation of geothermal resources. Distribution of volcanic rocks in successive 1Ma (10/sup 6/ year) periods and the average thickness of volcanic rock layers in each period are determined, from which the volume of volcanic rocks in each 1Ma period is calculated. Results indicate that volcanos in central Kyushu extruded about 3,000 km/sup 3//Ma of volcanic rocks during the early periods (about 5Ma), followed by a series of declining periods up to the present. Comparison of volcanic extrusive rocks of each 1Ma period shows that lava of hornblende andesite and pyroxenic andesite has been extruded in great quantities in every period. Chemical composition is studied based on diagrams showing changes in SiO/sub 2/ content. The K/sub 2/O content is relatively high in most volcanos younger than 1.6Ma, compared to those older than 1.6Ma. the K/sub 2/O content in extruded rocks has been high during the latest 0.4Ma in the Aso volcanic area, unlike other island arc conjunction areas. (4 figs, 5 tabs, 28 refs)

  5. The significance of "geothermal microzonation" for the correct planning of low-grade source geothermal systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viccaro, Marco; Pezzino, Antonino; Belfiore, Giuseppe Maria; Campisano, Carlo

    2016-04-01

    Despite the environmental-friendly energy systems are solar thermal technologies, photovoltaic and wind power, other advantageous technologies exist, although they have not found wide development in countries such as Italy. Given the almost absent environmental impact and the rather favorable cost/benefit ratio, low-enthalpy geothermal systems are, however, likely to be of strategic importance also in Italy during the next years. The importance of geology for a sustainable exploitation of the ground through geothermal systems from low-grade sources is becoming paramount. Specifically, understanding of the lithological characteristics of the subsurface along with structures and textures of rocks is essential for a correct planning of the probe/geo-exchanger field and their associated ground source heat pumps. The complex geology of Eastern Sicily (Southern Italy), which includes volcanic, sedimentary and metamorphic units over limited extension, poses the question of how thermal conductivity of rocks is variable at the scale of restricted areas (even within the same municipality). This is the innovative concept of geothermal microzonation, i.e., how variable is the geothermal potential as a function of geology at the microscale. Some pilot areas have been therefore chosen to test how the geological features of the subsurface can influence the low-enthalpy geothermal potential of an area. Our geologically based evaluation and micro-zonation of the low-grade source geothermal potential of the selected areas have been verified to be fundamental for optimization of all the main components of a low-enthalpy geothermal system. Saving realization costs and limiting the energy consumption through correct sizing of the system are main ambitions to have sustainable development of this technology with intensive utilization of the subsurface. The variegated territory of countries such as Italy implies that these goals can be only reached if, primarily, the geological features

  6. A JPEG backward-compatible HDR image compression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korshunov, Pavel; Ebrahimi, Touradj

    2012-10-01

    High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging is expected to become one of the technologies that could shape next generation of consumer digital photography. Manufacturers are rolling out cameras and displays capable of capturing and rendering HDR images. The popularity and full public adoption of HDR content is however hindered by the lack of standards in evaluation of quality, file formats, and compression, as well as large legacy base of Low Dynamic Range (LDR) displays that are unable to render HDR. To facilitate wide spread of HDR usage, the backward compatibility of HDR technology with commonly used legacy image storage, rendering, and compression is necessary. Although many tone-mapping algorithms were developed for generating viewable LDR images from HDR content, there is no consensus on which algorithm to use and under which conditions. This paper, via a series of subjective evaluations, demonstrates the dependency of perceived quality of the tone-mapped LDR images on environmental parameters and image content. Based on the results of subjective tests, it proposes to extend JPEG file format, as the most popular image format, in a backward compatible manner to also deal with HDR pictures. To this end, the paper provides an architecture to achieve such backward compatibility with JPEG and demonstrates efficiency of a simple implementation of this framework when compared to the state of the art HDR image compression.

  7. Deep geothermal energy: the Soultz-sous-Forets experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Genter, A.; Guenot, N.; Graff, J.J.

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents the mining exploitation project of the geothermal heat at Soultz-sous-Forets, located 50 km NE of Strasbourg (Bas Rhin, France). A geothermal power plant, inaugurated mid-2008, will commercialize its own power generation soon. This power plant is owned by a consortium of French-German industrialists through the European economical interest group for the mining exploitation of heat. The paper presents the geological characteristics of the hot dry rock geothermal reservoir, the deep geothermal wells, the hydraulic stimulation of the reservoir rock, the surface equipments of the power plants and the production pumps, the activities of the site in 2008 and 2009 and the perspectives of development of this energy source in France in the light of the Soultz-sous-Forets site experience. (J.S.)

  8. Shallow geothermal field in Lanzarote (Canary Island). Potential evaluation and heat extraction test

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Diez-Gil, J.L.; Valentin, A. [Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Madrid (Spain); Torres, F. [Universidad de Barcelona (Spain); Albert, J.F.

    1994-12-31

    Boreholes were used to perform various experiments. A thermometry was carried out, as well as chemical analysis and an hydrodynamic modelling. This paper presents the scientific aims and conclusions of the whole project called ``Shallow H.D.R. geothermal field`` in Lanzarote (Canary Islands). Potential evaluation and heat extraction test are presented. (Project JOUG-0004 ES -JR - JOULE Program of the EEC). (TEC). 2 tabs.

  9. The National Energy Strategy - The role of geothermal technology development: Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1990-01-01

    Each year the Geothermal Division of the US Department of Energy conducts an in-depth review of its entire geothermal R D program. The conference serves several purposes: a status report on current R D activities, an assessment of progress and problems, a review of management issues, and a technology transfer opportunity between DOE and the US geothermal industry. Topics in this year's conference included Hydrothermal Energy Conversion Technology, Hydrothermal Reservoir Technology, Hydrothermal Hard Rock Penetration Technology, Hot Dry Rock Technology, Geopressured-Geothermal Technology and Magma Energy Technology. Each individual paper has been cataloged separately.

  10. Geothermal energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kappelmeyer, O.

    1991-01-01

    Geothermal energy is the natural heat of the earth. It represents an inexhaustible source of energy. In many countries, which are mostly located within the geothermal belts of the world, geothermal energy is being used since many decades for electricity generation and direct heating applications comprising municipal, industrial and agricultural heating. Outside the geothermal anomalous volcanic regions, hot ground water from deep rock formations at temperatures above 70 o C is used for process heat and space heating. Low prices for gas and oil hinder the development of geothermal plants in areas outside positive geothermal anomalies; the cost of drilling to reach depths, where temperatures are above 50 o C to 70 o C, is high. The necessary total investment per MW th installed capacity is in the order of 5 Mio- DM/MW th (3 Mio $/MW th ). Experience shows, that an economic break even with oil is reached at an oil price of 30$ per barrel or if an adequate bonus for the clean, environmentally compatible production of geothermal heat is granted. Worldwide the installed electric capacity of geothermal power plants is approximately 6 000 MW e . About 15 000 MW th of thermal capacity is being extracted for process heat and space heat. The importance of the terrestrial heat as an energy resource would be substantially increased, if the heat, stored in the hot crystalline basement could be extracted at economical production costs. Geothermal energy is a competitive energy source in areas with high geothermal gradients (relative low cost for drilling) and would be competitive in areas with normal geothermal gradients, if a fair compensation for environmental implications from fossil and nuclear power production would be granted. (author) 2 figs., 1 tab., 6 refs

  11. Geothermal resources of the UK

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Batchelor, A.S.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports that geothermal energy applications and research are being actively pursued in the United Kingdom despite the relatively normal heat flow regime. The cumulative expenditure on geothermal activity from 1975 to 1989 has been approximately Brit-pounds 46 million of 32% of the Renewable Energy Research Budget to date. The first practical application is a 2 MWt scheme at Southampton as part of a district heating scheme. Commercial operation started in February 1988 and further expansion is planned. The UK's enthusiasm for Hot Dry Rock has dimmed slightly as the entire program is reappraised and the long heralded deep exploration hole has yet to materialize. Future activity looks likely to focus on geothermal opportunities that have multiple uses or applications for the fluids in small scale schemes and Hot Dry Rock research will probably be linked to a pan-European program based in France

  12. Assessment of geothermal assisted coal-fired power generation using an Australian case study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Cheng [Priority Research Centre for Energy, Discipline of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); Doroodchi, Elham [Priority Research Centre for Advanced Particle Processing and Transport, Discipline of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); Moghtaderi, Behdad [Priority Research Centre for Energy, Discipline of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia)

    2014-06-01

    Highlights: • Systematic techno-economic analyses of GAPG system completed for Australian conditions. • Greater utilisation efficiency of both geothermal and fossil fuel resources was achieved. • Reference maps developed to predict conditions when hybrid plant outperforms two stand-alone plants. • Carbon tax and RECs rates of 40 $/tonne and 60 cents/kW h are adequate. • HDR resources should be located no further than 20 km from the plant. - Abstract: A systematic techno-economic analysis of geothermal assisted power generation (GAPG) was performed for a 500 MW unit of a typical coal-fired power plant located at the upper Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. Specifically, the GAPG viability and performance was examined by investigating the impacts of reservoir temperature, resource distance, hybridisation scheme, and economic conditions including carbon tax and Renewable Energy Certificates (REC). The process simulation package, Aspen HYSYS, was employed for all simulation purposes. Thermodynamically, GAPG system was found to increase the power output of the plant by up to 19% under the booster mode whilst in fuel saving mode the coal consumption reduced by up to 0.3 million tonne/year decreasing the Green House Gas (GHG) emission by up to 15% (0.6 million tonne/year). Economic analyses showed that for a typical HDR resource with a reservoir temperature about 150 °C located within a 5 km radius from the power plant, the GAPG system becomes economically competitive to the stand-alone fossil fuel based plant when minimum carbon tax and RECs rates of 40 $/tonne and 60 cents/kW h are introduced. The figure of merit analyses comparing GAPG system with both stand-alone fossil fuel and stand-alone geothermal plants showed that an economically feasible GAPG system requires the use of HDR resources located no further than 20 km from the plants. Reference maps were also developed to predict suitable conditions for which the hybrid plant outperforms the

  13. Assessment of geothermal assisted coal-fired power generation using an Australian case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Cheng; Doroodchi, Elham; Moghtaderi, Behdad

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Systematic techno-economic analyses of GAPG system completed for Australian conditions. • Greater utilisation efficiency of both geothermal and fossil fuel resources was achieved. • Reference maps developed to predict conditions when hybrid plant outperforms two stand-alone plants. • Carbon tax and RECs rates of 40 $/tonne and 60 cents/kW h are adequate. • HDR resources should be located no further than 20 km from the plant. - Abstract: A systematic techno-economic analysis of geothermal assisted power generation (GAPG) was performed for a 500 MW unit of a typical coal-fired power plant located at the upper Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. Specifically, the GAPG viability and performance was examined by investigating the impacts of reservoir temperature, resource distance, hybridisation scheme, and economic conditions including carbon tax and Renewable Energy Certificates (REC). The process simulation package, Aspen HYSYS, was employed for all simulation purposes. Thermodynamically, GAPG system was found to increase the power output of the plant by up to 19% under the booster mode whilst in fuel saving mode the coal consumption reduced by up to 0.3 million tonne/year decreasing the Green House Gas (GHG) emission by up to 15% (0.6 million tonne/year). Economic analyses showed that for a typical HDR resource with a reservoir temperature about 150 °C located within a 5 km radius from the power plant, the GAPG system becomes economically competitive to the stand-alone fossil fuel based plant when minimum carbon tax and RECs rates of 40 $/tonne and 60 cents/kW h are introduced. The figure of merit analyses comparing GAPG system with both stand-alone fossil fuel and stand-alone geothermal plants showed that an economically feasible GAPG system requires the use of HDR resources located no further than 20 km from the plants. Reference maps were also developed to predict suitable conditions for which the hybrid plant outperforms the

  14. Geothermal heat can cool, too

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wellstein, J.

    2008-01-01

    This article takes a look at how geothermal energy can not only be used to supply heating energy, but also be used to provide cooling too. The article reports on a conference on heating and cooling with geothermal energy that was held in Duebendorf, Switzerland, in March 2008. The influence of climate change on needs for heating and cooling and the need for additional knowledge and data on deeper rock layers is noted. The seasonal use of geothermal systems to provide heating in winter and cooling in summer is discussed. The planning of geothermal probe fields and their simulation is addressed. As an example, the geothermal installations under the recently renewed and extended 'Dolder Grand' luxury hotel in Zurich are quoted. The new SIA 384/6 norm on geothermal probes issued by the Swiss Association of Architects SIA is briefly reviewed.

  15. White paper on geothermal sustainability; Grundlagenpapier 'Geothermal sustainability - A review with identified research needs'

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rybach, L.; Megel, T.

    2006-12-15

    This comprehensive appendix contained in a comprehensive annual report 2006 for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) reviews research needs identified in connection with the topic of geothermal sustainability. It is noted that excessive production often pursued - mostly for economical reasons - can lead to the depletion of heat reservoirs. Sustainable production can be achieved with lower production rates and still provide similar total energy yields. The regeneration of geothermal resources following exploitation is discussed. The need for further research into geothermal production sustainability is noted. A doublet system realised in Riehen, Switzerland, is discussed, as is an Enhanced Geothermal System EGS using circulation in fractured rock layers. Research still needed is noted.

  16. Geothermal Frontier: Penetrate a boundary between hydrothermal convection and heat conduction zones to create 'Beyond Brittle Geothermal Reservoir'

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuchiya, N.; Asanuma, H.; Sakaguchi, K.; Okamoto, A.; Hirano, N.; Watanabe, N.; Kizaki, A.

    2013-12-01

    EGS has been highlightened as a most promising method of geothermal development recently because of applicability to sites which have been considered to be unsuitable for geothermal development. Meanwhile, some critical problems have been experimentally identified, such as low recovery of injected water, difficulties to establish universal design/development methodology, and occurrence of large induced seismicity. Future geothermal target is supercritical and superheated geothermal fluids in and around ductile rock bodies under high temperatures. Ductile regime which is estimated beyond brittle zone is target region for future geothermal development due to high enthalpy fluids and relatively weak water-rock interaction. It is very difficult to determine exact depth of Brittle-Ductile boundary due to strong dependence of temperature (geotherm) and strain rate, however, ductile zone is considered to be developed above 400C and below 3 km in geothermal fields in Tohoku District. Hydrothermal experiments associated with additional advanced technology will be conducting to understand ';Beyond brittle World' and to develop deeper and hotter geothermal reservoir. We propose a new concept of the engineered geothermal development where reservoirs are created in ductile basement, expecting the following advantages: (a)simpler design and control the reservoir, (b)nearly full recovery of injected water, (c)sustainable production, (d)cost reduction by development of relatively shallower ductile zone in compression tectonic zones, (e)large quantity of energy extraction from widely distributed ductile zones, (f)establishment of universal and conceptual design/development methodology, and (g) suppression of felt earthquakes from/around the reservoirs. In ductile regime, Mesh-like fracture cloud has great potential for heat extraction between injection and production wells in spite of single and simple mega-fracture. Based on field observation and high performance hydrothermal

  17. COTHERM: Geophysical Modeling of High Enthalpy Geothermal Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grab, Melchior; Maurer, Hansruedi; Greenhalgh, Stewart

    2014-05-01

    In recent years geothermal heating and electricity generation have become an attractive alternative energy resource, especially natural high enthalpy geothermal systems such as in Iceland. However, the financial risk of installing and operating geothermal power plants is still high and more needs to be known about the geothermal processes and state of the reservoir in the subsurface. A powerful tool for probing the underground system structure is provided by geophysical techniques, which are able to detect flow paths and fracture systems without drilling. It has been amply demonstrated that small-scale features can be well imaged at shallow depths, but only gross structures can be delineated for depths of several kilometers, where most high enthalpy systems are located. Therefore a major goal of our study is to improve geophysical mapping strategies by multi-method geophysical simulations and synthetic data inversions, to better resolve structures at greater depth, characterize the reservoir and monitor any changes within it. The investigation forms part of project COTHERM - COmbined hydrological, geochemical and geophysical modeling of geoTHERMal systems - in which a holistic and synergistic approach is being adopted to achieve multidisciplinary cooperation and mutual benefit. The geophysical simulations are being performed in combination with hydrothermal fluid flow modeling and chemical fluid rock interaction modeling, to provide realistic constraints on lithology, pressure, temperature and fluid conditions of the subsurface. Two sites in Iceland have been selected for the study, Krafla and Reykjanes. As a starting point for the geophysical modeling, we seek to establish petrophysical relations, connecting rock properties and reservoir conditions with geophysical parameters such as seismic wave speed, attenuation, electrical conductivity and magnetic susceptibility with a main focus on seismic properties. Therefore, we follow a comprehensive approach involving

  18. Discovering geothermal supercritical fluids: a new frontier for seismic exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piana Agostinetti, Nicola; Licciardi, Andrea; Piccinini, Davide; Mazzarini, Francesco; Musumeci, Giovanni; Saccorotti, Gilberto; Chiarabba, Claudio

    2017-11-06

    Exploiting supercritical geothermal resources represents a frontier for the next generation of geothermal electrical power plant, as the heat capacity of supercritical fluids (SCF),which directly impacts on energy production, is much higher than that of fluids at subcritical conditions. Reconnaissance and location of intensively permeable and productive horizons at depth is the present limit for the development of SCF geothermal plants. We use, for the first time, teleseismic converted waves (i.e. receiver function) for discovering those horizons in the crust. Thanks to the capability of receiver function to map buried anisotropic materials, the SCF-bearing horizon is seen as the 4km-depth abrupt termination of a shallow, thick, ultra-high (>30%) anisotropic rock volume, in the center of the Larderello geothermal field. The SCF-bearing horizon develops within the granites of the geothermal field, bounding at depth the vapor-filled heavily-fractured rock matrix that hosts the shallow steam-dominated geothermal reservoirs. The sharp termination at depth of the anisotropic behavior of granites, coinciding with a 2 km-thick stripe of seismicity and diffuse fracturing, points out the sudden change in compressibility of the fluid filling the fractures and is a key-evidence of deep fluids that locally traversed the supercritical conditions. The presence of SCF and fracture permeability in nominally ductile granitic rocks open new scenarios for the understanding of magmatic systems and for geothermal exploitation.

  19. Geothermics - energy for the future. Proceedings; Geothermie - Energie der Zukunft. Tagungsband

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-12-01

    The proceedings volume of the 4th Geothermal Congress, held in Constance in 1996, comprises 74 papers on the following subjects: 1. Practical applications of hydrogeothermal resources; 2. Hot dry rock; 3. Geothermal heat pumps; 4; Economic aspects of geothermal energy. (AKF) [Deutsch] Der Tagungsband zur 4. Geothermischen Fachtagung 1996 in Konstanz enthaelt 74 Beitraege, die sich mit den folgenden Schwerpunkten befassen: 1. Praktische Anwendungen der Hydrogeothermie; 2. Hot-dry-rock; 3. Oberflaechennahe/untiefe Geothermie; 4. Geothermie und wirtschaftliche Fragen. (AKF)

  20. Using mineral thermal diffusivities measured with Laser-Flash Analysis to redefine the continental geotherm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Branlund, J. M.; Hofmeister, A.; Merriman, J. D.; Nabelek, P. I.; Whittington, A. G.

    2010-12-01

    We've created a new model for the average continental geotherm by incorporating accurate thermal conductivity values into Fourier's law. Previous geotherm models used thermal conductivities (k) with systematic errors: (1) Pores and microcracks in polycrystalline samples provide artificially low k compared to buried rocks, (2) conventional measurement techniques involve contact losses between thermocouples and samples, especially at high temperature, and/or (3) many techniques inadequately remove ballistic radiative transfer, which does not represent true heat transfer in the earth. To provide k values appropriate for Earth’s interior, we measured thermal diffusivity and its temperature derivatives using laser-flash analysis (LFA) for common rock-forming minerals. To avoid problems of pores and microcracks artificially lowering measured k values, we mathematically mixed mineral data to create synthetic rocks representative of the upper and lower crust and mantle, and checked our values against measurements of rocks least contaminated. Compared to previous models using k of rocks measured with non-LFA methods, our mixture models give higher k of crustal rocks at room temperature, but lower values at higher temperatures. Calculating a geotherm with these revised thermal conductivity values gives a lower temperature throughout the lower crust and mantle lithosphere. Altering the composition of the crust will change the geotherm; crust with more quartz, olivine and/or pyroxene has higher k and a lower geothermal gradient. Adding calcic plagioclase lowers k and steepens the geotherm. The new constraints on k allow us to set bounds on the steady-state geotherm based on ranges of possible mineralogy, chemistry, and radiogenic contents.

  1. Does HDR Pre-Processing Improve the Accuracy of 3D Models Obtained by Means of two Conventional SfM-MVS Software Packages? The Case of the Corral del Veleta Rock Glacier

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Álvaro Gómez-Gutiérrez

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The accuracy of different workflows using Structure-from-Motion and Multi-View-Stereo techniques (SfM-MVS is tested. Twelve point clouds of the Corral del Veleta rock glacier, in Spain, were produced with two different software packages (123D Catch and Agisoft Photoscan, using Low Dynamic Range images and High Dynamic Range compositions (HDR for three different years (2011, 2012 and 2014. The accuracy of the resulting point clouds was assessed using benchmark models acquired every year with a Terrestrial Laser Scanner. Three parameters were used to estimate the accuracy of each point cloud: the RMSE, the Cloud-to-Cloud distance (C2C and the Multiscale-Model-to-Model comparison (M3C2. The M3C2 mean error ranged from 0.084 m (standard deviation of 0.403 m to 1.451 m (standard deviation of 1.625 m. Agisoft Photoscan overcome 123D Catch, producing more accurate and denser point clouds in 11 out 12 cases, being this work, the first available comparison between both software packages in the literature. No significant improvement was observed using HDR pre-processing. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the geometrical accuracy of 3D models obtained using LDR and HDR compositions are compared. These findings may be of interest for researchers who wish to estimate geomorphic changes using SfM-MVS approaches.

  2. Engineered Geothermal System Demonstration Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Petty, Susan

    2014-06-19

    In June 2009, AltaRock Energy began field work on a project supported by the U.S. Department of Energy entitled “Use of Multiple Stimulations to Improve Economics of Engineered Geothermal Systems in Shallow High Temperature Intrusives.” The goal of the project was to develop an Engineered Geothermal System (EGS) in the portion of The Geysers geothermal field operated by the Northern California Power Agency (NCPA). The project encountered several problems while deepening Well E-7 which culminated in the suspension of field activities in September 2009. Some of the problems encountered are particular to The Geysers area, while others might be encountered in any geothermal field, and they might be avoided in future operations.

  3. TU-C-201-00: Clinical Implementation of HDR Brachytherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2015-06-15

    Recent use of HDR has increased while planning has become more complex often necessitating 3D image-based planning. While many guidelines for the use of HDR exist, they have not kept pace with the increased complexity of 3D image-based planning. Furthermore, no comprehensive document exists to describe the wide variety of current HDR clinical indications. This educational session aims to summarize existing national and international guidelines for the safe implementation of an HDR program. A summary of HDR afterloaders available on the market and their existing applicators will be provided, with guidance on how to select the best fit for each institution’s needs. Finally, the use of checklists will be discussed as a means to implement a safe and efficient HDR program and as a method by which to verify the quality of an existing HDR program. This session will provide the perspective of expert HDR physicists as well as the perspective of a new HDR user. Learning Objectives: Summarize national and international safety and staffing guidelines for HDR implementation Discuss the process of afterloader and applicator selection for gynecologic, prostate, breast, interstitial, surface treatments Learn about the use of an audit checklist tool to measure of quality control of a new or existing HDR program Describe the evolving use of checklists within an HDR program.

  4. Proceedings of NEDO International Geothermal Symposium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-03-11

    This is a proceedings of the NEDO International Geothermal Symposium held in Sendai in 1997. The worldwide geothermal energy power generation capacity exceeds 7000 MW. Geothermal energy is widely used also for heating, snow melting, greenhouse cultivation as well as electric power generation. Geothermal energy generates far less CO2 causing the global warming than fossil fuels. The geothermal energy is clean and renewable. Considering the environmental issue and energy supply/demand of the world, we have to exert further efforts for the geothermal development. In this conference, discussions were made on each country`s experiences of the geothermal development, and future prediction and strategies for geothermal utilization in the Asia/Pacific region, in particular. Further, in the technical session, conducted were the IEA study and technical presentation/discussion for technical cooperation. The proceedings includes research reports of more than 30, which are clarified into three fields: impacts of the geothermal development on the environment, technical development of the hot dry rock power generation system, and development of technology for collecting deep-seated geothermal resource

  5. Hydrogen dressings HDR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosiak, J.M.

    1990-01-01

    Within the past several years new developments in biomaterials have enabled a significant progress in the healing of different kinds of wounds. One of such biomaterials is synthetic hydrogels. They can be formed by means of radiation technology which gives some advantages over chemical methods. Hydrogel dressings HDR have the shape of transparent foil, 3-4 mm thick, which contain over 90% water. They can be used for healing exuding wounds and especially burns, ulcers, bedsores and skin grafts. HDR dressings are sterile, transparent and mechanically resistant

  6. Lithium Isotopes in Geothermal Fluids from Iceland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millot, R.; Asmundsson, R.; Sanjuan, B.

    2008-12-01

    One of the main objectives of the HITI project (HIgh Temperature Instruments for supercritical geothermal reservoir characterization and exploitation), partially funded by the European Union, is to develop methods to characterize the reservoir and fluids of deep and very high temperature geothermal systems. The chemical composition of geothermal waters in terms of major and trace elements is related to the temperature, the degree of water/rock interaction and the mineralogical assemblage of the bedrock. Traditional geothermometers, such as silica, Na-K, Na-K-Ca or K-Mg applied to geothermal waters, make it possible to estimate the temperature at depth of the reservoir from which the waters are derived. However, the values estimated for deep temperature are not always concordant. The chemical geothermometer Na/Li which presents the singularity of associating two chemical elements, one a major element (sodium) and the other a trace element (Li), can be also used and gives an additional temperature estimation. The primary objective of this work was to better understand the behavior of this last geothermometer using the isotopic systematics of Li in order to apply it at very high temperature Icelandic geothermal systems. One particularly important aspect was to establish the nature, extent and mechanism of Li isotope fractionation between 100 and 350°C during water/rock interaction. For that purpose, we measured Li isotopes of about 25 geothermal waters from Iceland by using a Neptune MC-ICP-MS that enabled the analysis of Li isotopic ratios in geothermal waters with a level of precision of ±0.5‰ (2 standard deviations) on quantities of 10-50 ng of Li. Geothermal waters from Reykjanes, Svartsengi, Nesjavellir, Hveragerdi, Namafjall and Krafla geothermal systems were studied and particular emphasis was placed on the characterization of the behavior of Li isotopes in this volcanic context at high temperature with or without the presence of seawater during water/rock

  7. Geothermal Field Investigations of Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sayın, N.; Özer, N.

    2017-12-01

    Geothermal energy is a type of energy that are found in the accessible depth of the crust, in the reservoirs by way of the permeable rocks, specially in heated fluid. Geothermal system is made of 3 main components; heat source, reservoir, and fluid bearing heat. Geothermal system mechanism is comprise of fluid transmission. Convection current (heat transmission) is caused by heating and causes the fluid in the system to expand. Heated fluid with low density show tendency to rise in system. Geothermal system occurs with variable geophysics and geochemical properties. Geophysical methods can determine structural properties of shallow and deep reservoirs with temperature, mineralization, gas amount, fluid movement, faulting, and sudden change in lithostratigraphic strata. This study revealed possible reservoir structures and showed examples of geophysics and gas measuring results in Turkey which is wealthy in regard to Geothermal sources.

  8. Geothermal characteristics in Korean peninsula for the disposal concept of high level radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bae, Dae Seok; Kim, Chun Soo; Kim, Jin Woong; Han, Kyung Won; Chun, Kwan Sik

    2001-04-01

    In order to review the state-of-the-art of geothermal conditions and to supply the references for the concept development of high level radioactive waste disposal at deep geological formation in Korea. The existing data for the heat flow and geothermal gradient were evaluated and summarized over 300m in depth, which are mainly of the hot spring area. The heat flow in Korean peninsula is recorded as about 69mW/m 2 and has no significant differences, in general. This value is regarsed as similar as the average value over Korean peninsula, of 71mW/m 2 . This means The high geothermal anomalies are distributed around the south-western part of Korea and mainly covered with volcanic rocks. And, this value is within the range of the heat flow in Korean peninsula, as 50-80mW/m 2 . The geothermal gradient in each rock type are also shown a similar pattern by depth in Korea as belows. The sedimentary rock area: 25.34 deg C/km The plutonic rock area: 25.24 deg C/km (mainly granites) The metamorphic rock area: 23.56 deg C/km And, the geothermal gradient was measured as about 30 deg C/km around north- eastern part of Korea in 1996, where is distributed with granites. These values has been evaluated according to the existing data, which were mainly from the records of hot spring, in general. However, these properties would be abe to a propper references consideration with the low geothermal and areal characteristics of Korean peninsular. In the following stages, it is suggested that geothermal characteristics should be evaluated for the preferred host rocks

  9. Geothermal regimes of the Clearlake region, northern California

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amador, M. [ed.; Burns, K.L.; Potter, R.M.

    1998-06-01

    The first commercial production of power from geothermal energy, at The Geysers steamfield in northern California in June 1960, was a triumph for the geothermal exploration industry. Before and since, there has been a search for further sources of commercial geothermal power in The Geysers--Clear Lake geothermal area surrounding The Geysers. As with all exploration programs, these were driven by models. The models in this case were of geothermal regimes, that is, the geometric distribution of temperature and permeability at depth, and estimates of the physical conditions in subsurface fluids. Studies in microseismicity and heat flow, did yield geophysical information relevant to active geothermal systems. Studies in stable-element geochemistry found hiatuses or divides at the Stoney Creek Fault and at the Collayomi Fault. In the region between the two faults, early speculation as to the presence of steamfields was disproved from the geochemical data, and the potential existence of hot-water systems was predicted. Studies in isotope geochemistry found the region was characterized by an isotope mixing trend. The combined geochemical data have negative implications for the existence of extensive hydrothermal systems and imply that fluids of deep origin are confined to small, localized systems adjacent to faults that act as conduits. There are also shallow hot-water aquifers. Outside fault-localized systems and hot-water aquifers, the area is an expanse of impermeable rock. The extraction of energy from the impermeable rock will require the development and application of new methods of reservoir creation and heat extraction such as hot dry rock technology.

  10. Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) R&D Program: Monitoring EGS-Related Research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McLarty, Lynn; Entingh, Daniel; Carwile, Clifton

    2000-09-29

    This report reviews technologies that could be applicable to Enhanced Geothermal Systems development. EGS covers the spectrum of geothermal resources from hydrothermal to hot dry rock. We monitored recent and ongoing research, as reported in the technical literature, that would be useful in expanding current and future geothermal fields. The literature review was supplemented by input obtained through contacts with researchers throughout the United States. Technologies are emerging that have exceptional promise for finding fractures in nonhomogeneous rock, especially during and after episodes of stimulation to enhance natural permeability.

  11. Geothermal pilot study final report: creating an international geothermal energy community

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bresee, J.C.; Yen, W.W.S.; Metzler, J.E. (eds.)

    1978-06-01

    The Geothermal Pilot Study under the auspices of the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS) was established in 1973 to apply an action-oriented approach to international geothermal research and development, taking advantage of the established channels of governmental communication provided by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Pilot Study was composed of five substudies. They included: computer-based information systems; direct application of geothermal energy; reservoir assessment; small geothermal power plants; and hot dry rock concepts. The most significant overall result of the CCMS Geothermal Pilot Study, which is now complete, is the establishment of an identifiable community of geothermal experts in a dozen or more countries active in development programs. Specific accomplishments include the creation of an international computer file of technical information on geothermal wells and fields, the development of studies and reports on direct applications, geothermal fluid injection and small power plants, and the operation of the visiting scientist program. In the United States, the computer file has aready proven useful in the development of reservoir models and of chemical geothermometers. The state-of-the-art report on direct uses of geothermal energy is proving to be a valuable resource document for laypersons and experts in an area of increasing interest to many countries. Geothermal fluid injection studies in El Salvador, New Zealand, and the United States have been assisted by the Reservoir Assessment Substudy and have led to long-range reservoir engineering studies in Mexico. At least seven small geothermal power plants are in use or have been planned for construction around the world since the Small Power Plant Substudy was instituted--at least partial credit for this increased application can be assigned to the CCMS Geothermal Pilot Study. (JGB)

  12. Classification of public lands valuable for geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goodwin, L.H.; Haigler, L.B.; Rioux, R.L.; White, D.E.; Muffler, L.J.P.; Wayland, R.G.

    1973-01-01

    The Organic Act of 1879 (43 USC 31) that established the US Geological Survey provided, among other things, for the classification of the public lands and for the examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain. In order to provide uniform executive action in classifying public lands, standards for determining which lands are valuable for mineral resources, for example, leasable mineral lands, or for other products are prepared by the US Geological Survey. This report presents the classification standards for determining which Federal lands are classifiable as geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources lands under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (84 Stat. 1566). The concept of a geothermal resouces province is established for classification of lands for the purpose of retention in Federal ownership of rights to geothermal resources upon disposal of Federal lands. A geothermal resources province is defined as an area in which higher than normal temperatures are likely to occur with depth and in which there is a resonable possiblity of finding reservoir rocks that will yield steam or heated fluids to wells. The determination of a known geothermal resources area is made after careful evaluation of the available geologic, geochemical, and geophysical data and any evidence derived from nearby discoveries, competitive interests, and other indicia. The initial classification required by the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 is presented.

  13. Advanced Geothermal Turbodrill

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    W. C. Maurer

    2000-05-01

    Approximately 50% of the cost of a new geothermal power plant is in the wells that must be drilled. Compared to the majority of oil and gas wells, geothermal wells are more difficult and costly to drill for several reasons. First, most U.S. geothermal resources consist of hot, hard crystalline rock formations which drill much slower than the relatively soft sedimentary formations associated with most oil and gas production. Second, high downhole temperatures can greatly shorten equipment life or preclude the use of some technologies altogether. Third, producing viable levels of electricity from geothermal fields requires the use of large diameter bores and a high degree of fluid communication, both of which increase drilling and completion costs. Optimizing fluid communication often requires creation of a directional well to intersect the best and largest number of fracture capable of producing hot geothermal fluids. Moineau motor stators made with elastomers cannot operate at geothermal temperatures, so they are limited to the upper portion of the hole. To overcome these limitations, Maurer Engineering Inc. (MEI) has developed a turbodrill that does not use elastomers and therefore can operate at geothermal temperatures. This new turbodrill uses a special gear assembly to reduce the output speed, thus allowing a larger range of bit types, especially tri-cone roller bits, which are the bits of choice for drilling hard crystalline formations. The Advanced Geothermal Turbodrill (AGT) represents a significant improvement for drilling geothermal wells and has the potential to significantly reduce drilling costs while increasing production, thereby making geothermal energy less expensive and better able to compete with fossil fuels. The final field test of the AGT will prepare the tool for successful commercialization.

  14. Insight into the Geothermal Structure in Chingshui, Ilan, Taiwan

    OpenAIRE

    Lun-Tao Tong; Shoung Ouyang; Tai-Rong Guo; Ching-Ray Lee; Kou-Hsin Hu; Chun-Li Lee; Chun-Jao Wang

    2008-01-01

    The Chingshui geothermal field is the largest known productive geothermal area in Taiwan. The purpose of this paper is to delineate this geothermal structure by integrating geophysical data and borehole information. The existence of a magma chamber in the shallow crust and shallow intrusive igneous rock results in a high heat flow and geothermal gradient; furthermore, the NE deep fault system within the meta-sandstones provides meteoric recharge from a higher elevation to artesianally drive t...

  15. Insight into the Geothermal Structure in Chingshui, Ilan, Taiwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lun-Tao Tong

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The Chingshui geothermal field is the largest known productive geothermal area in Taiwan. The purpose of this paper is to delineate this geothermal structure by integrating geophysical data and borehole information. The existence of a magma chamber in the shallow crust and shallow intrusive igneous rock results in a high heat flow and geothermal gradient; furthermore, the NE deep fault system within the meta-sandstones provides meteoric recharge from a higher elevation to artesianally drive the geothermal system. There is evidence that geothermal fluid deeply circulated within the fracture zone and was heated by a deeply located body of hot rock. The geothermal reservoir of the Chingshui geothermal field might be related to the fracture zone of the Chingshuihsi fault. It is bounded by the C-fault in the north and Xiaonanao fault in the south. Based on information obtained from geophysical interpretations and well logs, a 3-D geothermal conceptual model is constructed in this study. Further, the geothermal reservoir is confined to an area that is 260 m in width, N21°W, 1.5 km in length, and has an 80° dip toward the NE. Ahigh-temperature zone is found in the SE region of the reservoir, which is about 500 m in length; this zone is located near the intersection of the Chingshuihsi and Xiaonanao faults. An area on the NE side of the high-temperature zone has been recommended for the drilling of production wells for future geothermal development.

  16. Geothermal energy and its application opportunities in Serbia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrić Nenad M.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Geothermal energy is accumulated heat in the fluid and rock masses in the Earth 's crust. The natural decay of radioactive elements (uranium, thorium and potassium in rocks produces heat energy. The simplest use of geothermal energy for heating is by heat pump. Geothermal energy can be used for production of electricity. It uses hot water and steam from the earth to run the generator. Serbia has significant potential for geothermal energy. The total amount of accumulated heat in geothermal resources in a depth of 3 km is two times higher than the equivalent thermal energy that could be obtained by burning all types of coal from all their sites in Serbia! The total abundance of geothermal resources in Serbia is 4000 l/s. Abundance of wells in Vojvodina is 10-20 l/s, and the temperature is from 40 to 60°C. Exploitation of thermal waters in Mačva could cause heating of following cities: Bogatić, Šabac, Sremska Mitrovica and Loznica, with a total population of 150.000 people. The richest hydrogeothermal resources are in Mačva, Vranje and Jošanička Banja. Using heat pumps, geothermal water can be exploited on the entire territory of Serbia! Although large producer, Serbia is importing food, ie., fruits and vegetables. With the construction of greenhouses, which will be heated with geothermal energy, Serbia can become an exporting country.

  17. Future directions and cycles for electricity production from geothermal resources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michaelides, Efstathios E.

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: 25% more power may be produced using binary-flashing geothermal cycles. - Highlights: • Power from geothermal power plants is continuously available and “dispatchable.” • The next generation of geothermal will include more binary plants. • Lower temperature geothermal resources will be utilized in the future. • Dry rock resources may produce a high fraction of electricity in several countries. - Abstract: Geothermal power production is economically competitive and capable to produce a high percentage of the electric power demand in several countries. The currently operating geothermal power plants utilize water from an aquifer at relatively higher temperatures and produce power using dry steam, flashing or binary cycles. A glance at the map of the global geothermal resources proves that there is a multitude of sites, where the aquifer temperature is lower. There are also many geothermal resources where a high geothermal gradient exists in the absence of an aquifer. It becomes apparent that the next generation of geothermal power plants will utilize more of the lower-temperature aquifer resources or the dry resources. For such power plants to be economically competitive, modified or new cycles with higher efficiencies must be used. This paper presents two methods to increase the efficiency of the currently used geothermal cycles. The first uses a binary-flashing system to reduce the overall entropy production, thus, producing more electric power from the resource. The second describes a heat extraction system to be used with dry hot-rock resources.

  18. Performance of deep geothermal energy systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manikonda, Nikhil

    Geothermal energy is an important source of clean and renewable energy. This project deals with the study of deep geothermal power plants for the generation of electricity. The design involves the extraction of heat from the Earth and its conversion into electricity. This is performed by allowing fluid deep into the Earth where it gets heated due to the surrounding rock. The fluid gets vaporized and returns to the surface in a heat pipe. Finally, the energy of the fluid is converted into electricity using turbine or organic rankine cycle (ORC). The main feature of the system is the employment of side channels to increase the amount of thermal energy extracted. A finite difference computer model is developed to solve the heat transport equation. The numerical model was employed to evaluate the performance of the design. The major goal was to optimize the output power as a function of parameters such as thermal diffusivity of the rock, depth of the main well, number and length of lateral channels. The sustainable lifetime of the system for a target output power of 2 MW has been calculated for deep geothermal systems with drilling depths of 8000 and 10000 meters, and a financial analysis has been performed to evaluate the economic feasibility of the system for a practical range of geothermal parameters. Results show promising an outlook for deep geothermal systems for practical applications.

  19. The economics of Plowshare geothermal power

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burnham, J B; Stewart, D H [Battelle-Northwest (United States)

    1970-05-15

    Geothermal energy is not a new concept. Naturally occurring hot water has been used for centuries in Iceland for heating purposes. About 20% of Klamath Falls, Oregon is today heated by hot water from geothermal wells. The generation of electricity is a relatively new use for geothermal energy which has developed over the last half century. There are plants in operation in Italy, New Zealand and the U. S.; these have a total capacity of more than 700 MWe. Geothermal generation is being explored and developed today in Japan, USSR, Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Whenever a favorable combination of recent magmatic intrusion and favorable groundwater conditions occurs to create the necessary steam conditions it is usually economic to build a generating plant. With fuel essentially free the plants are usually economically competitive even in small sizes. Naturally occurring geothermal steam sites are rather limited. Witness to this statement can be found in the small number of plants (less than a dozen) in operation or under construction. On the other hand, geothermal anomalies are prevalent in every one of the world's continents. The possible coupling of Plowshare with geothermal power tp produce electricity is based on the idea to use rock crushing power of nuclear device to produce large cavity filled with broken rock from which the sensible heat can be removed. This paper is based on preliminary analysis of the concept. It is recognized that a more in-depth feasibility study is required before firm conclusions can be drawn. Also, a demonstration experiment is required to prove the concept in practical application.

  20. The economics of Plowshare geothermal power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burnham, J.B.; Stewart, D.H.

    1970-01-01

    Geothermal energy is not a new concept. Naturally occurring hot water has been used for centuries in Iceland for heating purposes. About 20% of Klamath Falls, Oregon is today heated by hot water from geothermal wells. The generation of electricity is a relatively new use for geothermal energy which has developed over the last half century. There are plants in operation in Italy, New Zealand and the U. S.; these have a total capacity of more than 700 MWe. Geothermal generation is being explored and developed today in Japan, USSR, Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Whenever a favorable combination of recent magmatic intrusion and favorable groundwater conditions occurs to create the necessary steam conditions it is usually economic to build a generating plant. With fuel essentially free the plants are usually economically competitive even in small sizes. Naturally occurring geothermal steam sites are rather limited. Witness to this statement can be found in the small number of plants (less than a dozen) in operation or under construction. On the other hand, geothermal anomalies are prevalent in every one of the world's continents. The possible coupling of Plowshare with geothermal power tp produce electricity is based on the idea to use rock crushing power of nuclear device to produce large cavity filled with broken rock from which the sensible heat can be removed. This paper is based on preliminary analysis of the concept. It is recognized that a more in-depth feasibility study is required before firm conclusions can be drawn. Also, a demonstration experiment is required to prove the concept in practical application

  1. The evolution of the Cappadocia Geothermal Province, Anatolia (Turkey): geochemical and geochronological evidence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Şener, M. Furkan; Şener, Mehmet; Uysal, I. Tonguç

    2017-12-01

    Cappadocia Geothermal Province (CGP), central Turkey, consists of nine individual geothermal regions controlled by active regional fault systems. This paper examines the age dating of alteration minerals and the geochemistry (trace elements and isotopes) of the alteration minerals and geothermal waters, to assess the evolution of CGP in relation to regional tectonics. Ar-Ar age data of jarosite and alunite show that the host rocks were exposed to oxidizing conditions near the Earth's surface at about 5.30 Ma. Based on the δ18O-δD relationhip, water samples had a high altitude meteoric origin. The δ34S values of jarosite and alunite indicate that water samples from the southern part of the study area reached the surface after circulation through volcanic rocks, while northern samples had traveled to the surface after interacting with evaporates at greater depths. REY (rare earth elements and yttrium) diagrams of alteration minerals (especially illite, jarosite and alunite) from rock samples, taken from the same locations as the water samples, display a similar REY pattern to water samples. This suggests that thermal fluids, which reached the surface along a fault zone and caused the mineral alteration in the past, had similar chemical composition to the current geothermal water. The geothermal conceptual model, which defines a volcanically heated reservoir and cap rocks, suggests there are no structural drawbacks to the use of the CGP geothermal system as a resource. However, fluid is insufficient to drive the geothermal system as a result of scanty supply of meteoric water due to evaporation significantly exceeding rainfall.

  2. National Geothermal Data System: A Geothermal Data System for Exploration and Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Allison, Lee [Executive Office of the State of Arizona (Arizona Geological Survey); Richard, Stephen [Executive Office of the State of Arizona (Arizona Geological Survey); Patten, Kim [Executive Office of the State of Arizona (Arizona Geological Survey); Love, Diane [Executive Office of the State of Arizona (Arizona Geological Survey); Coleman, Celia [Executive Office of the State of Arizona (Arizona Geological Survey); Chen, Genhan [Executive Office of the State of Arizona (Arizona Geological Survey)

    2012-09-30

    Geothermal-relevant geosciences data from all 50 states (www.stategeothermaldata.org), federal agencies, national labs, and academic centers are being digitized and linked in a distributed online network funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Data System (GDS) to foster geothermal energy exploration and development through use of interactive online ‘mashups,’data integration, and applications. Emphasis is first to make as much information as possible accessible online, with a long range goal to make data interoperable through standardized services and interchange formats. A growing set of more than thirty geoscience data content models is in use or under development to define standardized interchange formats for: aqueous chemistry, borehole temperature data, direct use feature, drill stem test, seismic event hypocenter, fault feature, geologic contact feature, geologic unit feature, thermal/hot spring description, metadata, quaternary fault, volcanic vent description, well header feature, borehole lithology log, crustal stress, gravity, heat flow/temperature gradient, permeability, and feature description data like developed geothermal systems, geologic unit geothermal characterization, permeability, production data, rock alteration description, rock chemistry, and thermal conductivity. Map services are also being developed for isopach maps, aquifer temperature maps, and several states are working on geothermal resource overview maps. Content models are developed based on existing community datasets to encourage widespread adoption and promulgate content quality standards. Geoscience data and maps from other GDS participating institutions, or “nodes” (e.g., U.S. Geological Survey, Southern Methodist University, Oregon Institute of Technology, Stanford University, the University of Utah) are being supplemented with extensive land management and land use resources from the Western Regional Partnership (15 federal agencies and 5 Western states) to

  3. MO-B-BRC-02: Ultrasound Based Prostate HDR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chang, Z. [Duke University Medical Center (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Brachytherapy has proven to be an effective treatment option for prostate cancer. Initially, prostate brachytherapy was delivered through permanently implanted low dose rate (LDR) radioactive sources; however, high dose rate (HDR) temporary brachytherapy for prostate cancer is gaining popularity. Needle insertion during prostate brachytherapy is most commonly performed under ultrasound (U/S) guidance; however, treatment planning may be performed utilizing several imaging modalities either in an intra- or post-operative setting. During intra-operative prostate HDR, the needles are imaged during implantation, and planning may be performed in real time. At present, the most common imaging modality utilized for intra-operative prostate HDR is U/S. Alternatively, in the post-operative setting, following needle implantation, patients may be simulated with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each imaging modality and workflow provides its share of benefits and limitations. Prostate HDR has been adopted in a number of cancer centers across the nation. In this educational session, we will explore the role of U/S, CT, and MRI in HDR prostate brachytherapy. Example workflows and operational details will be shared, and we will discuss how to establish a prostate HDR program in a clinical setting. Learning Objectives: Review prostate HDR techniques based on the imaging modality Discuss the challenges and pitfalls introduced by the three imagebased options for prostate HDR brachytherapy Review the QA process and learn about the development of clinical workflows for these imaging options at different institutions.

  4. MO-B-BRC-02: Ultrasound Based Prostate HDR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Z.

    2016-01-01

    Brachytherapy has proven to be an effective treatment option for prostate cancer. Initially, prostate brachytherapy was delivered through permanently implanted low dose rate (LDR) radioactive sources; however, high dose rate (HDR) temporary brachytherapy for prostate cancer is gaining popularity. Needle insertion during prostate brachytherapy is most commonly performed under ultrasound (U/S) guidance; however, treatment planning may be performed utilizing several imaging modalities either in an intra- or post-operative setting. During intra-operative prostate HDR, the needles are imaged during implantation, and planning may be performed in real time. At present, the most common imaging modality utilized for intra-operative prostate HDR is U/S. Alternatively, in the post-operative setting, following needle implantation, patients may be simulated with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each imaging modality and workflow provides its share of benefits and limitations. Prostate HDR has been adopted in a number of cancer centers across the nation. In this educational session, we will explore the role of U/S, CT, and MRI in HDR prostate brachytherapy. Example workflows and operational details will be shared, and we will discuss how to establish a prostate HDR program in a clinical setting. Learning Objectives: Review prostate HDR techniques based on the imaging modality Discuss the challenges and pitfalls introduced by the three imagebased options for prostate HDR brachytherapy Review the QA process and learn about the development of clinical workflows for these imaging options at different institutions

  5. MO-B-BRC-04: MRI-Based Prostate HDR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mourtada, F.

    2016-01-01

    Brachytherapy has proven to be an effective treatment option for prostate cancer. Initially, prostate brachytherapy was delivered through permanently implanted low dose rate (LDR) radioactive sources; however, high dose rate (HDR) temporary brachytherapy for prostate cancer is gaining popularity. Needle insertion during prostate brachytherapy is most commonly performed under ultrasound (U/S) guidance; however, treatment planning may be performed utilizing several imaging modalities either in an intra- or post-operative setting. During intra-operative prostate HDR, the needles are imaged during implantation, and planning may be performed in real time. At present, the most common imaging modality utilized for intra-operative prostate HDR is U/S. Alternatively, in the post-operative setting, following needle implantation, patients may be simulated with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each imaging modality and workflow provides its share of benefits and limitations. Prostate HDR has been adopted in a number of cancer centers across the nation. In this educational session, we will explore the role of U/S, CT, and MRI in HDR prostate brachytherapy. Example workflows and operational details will be shared, and we will discuss how to establish a prostate HDR program in a clinical setting. Learning Objectives: Review prostate HDR techniques based on the imaging modality Discuss the challenges and pitfalls introduced by the three imagebased options for prostate HDR brachytherapy Review the QA process and learn about the development of clinical workflows for these imaging options at different institutions

  6. MO-B-BRC-03: CT-Based Prostate HDR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zoberi, J.

    2016-01-01

    Brachytherapy has proven to be an effective treatment option for prostate cancer. Initially, prostate brachytherapy was delivered through permanently implanted low dose rate (LDR) radioactive sources; however, high dose rate (HDR) temporary brachytherapy for prostate cancer is gaining popularity. Needle insertion during prostate brachytherapy is most commonly performed under ultrasound (U/S) guidance; however, treatment planning may be performed utilizing several imaging modalities either in an intra- or post-operative setting. During intra-operative prostate HDR, the needles are imaged during implantation, and planning may be performed in real time. At present, the most common imaging modality utilized for intra-operative prostate HDR is U/S. Alternatively, in the post-operative setting, following needle implantation, patients may be simulated with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each imaging modality and workflow provides its share of benefits and limitations. Prostate HDR has been adopted in a number of cancer centers across the nation. In this educational session, we will explore the role of U/S, CT, and MRI in HDR prostate brachytherapy. Example workflows and operational details will be shared, and we will discuss how to establish a prostate HDR program in a clinical setting. Learning Objectives: Review prostate HDR techniques based on the imaging modality Discuss the challenges and pitfalls introduced by the three imagebased options for prostate HDR brachytherapy Review the QA process and learn about the development of clinical workflows for these imaging options at different institutions

  7. MO-B-BRC-04: MRI-Based Prostate HDR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mourtada, F. [Christiana Care Hospital (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Brachytherapy has proven to be an effective treatment option for prostate cancer. Initially, prostate brachytherapy was delivered through permanently implanted low dose rate (LDR) radioactive sources; however, high dose rate (HDR) temporary brachytherapy for prostate cancer is gaining popularity. Needle insertion during prostate brachytherapy is most commonly performed under ultrasound (U/S) guidance; however, treatment planning may be performed utilizing several imaging modalities either in an intra- or post-operative setting. During intra-operative prostate HDR, the needles are imaged during implantation, and planning may be performed in real time. At present, the most common imaging modality utilized for intra-operative prostate HDR is U/S. Alternatively, in the post-operative setting, following needle implantation, patients may be simulated with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each imaging modality and workflow provides its share of benefits and limitations. Prostate HDR has been adopted in a number of cancer centers across the nation. In this educational session, we will explore the role of U/S, CT, and MRI in HDR prostate brachytherapy. Example workflows and operational details will be shared, and we will discuss how to establish a prostate HDR program in a clinical setting. Learning Objectives: Review prostate HDR techniques based on the imaging modality Discuss the challenges and pitfalls introduced by the three imagebased options for prostate HDR brachytherapy Review the QA process and learn about the development of clinical workflows for these imaging options at different institutions.

  8. MO-B-BRC-03: CT-Based Prostate HDR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zoberi, J. [Washington University School of Medicine (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Brachytherapy has proven to be an effective treatment option for prostate cancer. Initially, prostate brachytherapy was delivered through permanently implanted low dose rate (LDR) radioactive sources; however, high dose rate (HDR) temporary brachytherapy for prostate cancer is gaining popularity. Needle insertion during prostate brachytherapy is most commonly performed under ultrasound (U/S) guidance; however, treatment planning may be performed utilizing several imaging modalities either in an intra- or post-operative setting. During intra-operative prostate HDR, the needles are imaged during implantation, and planning may be performed in real time. At present, the most common imaging modality utilized for intra-operative prostate HDR is U/S. Alternatively, in the post-operative setting, following needle implantation, patients may be simulated with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each imaging modality and workflow provides its share of benefits and limitations. Prostate HDR has been adopted in a number of cancer centers across the nation. In this educational session, we will explore the role of U/S, CT, and MRI in HDR prostate brachytherapy. Example workflows and operational details will be shared, and we will discuss how to establish a prostate HDR program in a clinical setting. Learning Objectives: Review prostate HDR techniques based on the imaging modality Discuss the challenges and pitfalls introduced by the three imagebased options for prostate HDR brachytherapy Review the QA process and learn about the development of clinical workflows for these imaging options at different institutions.

  9. Geothermal and volcanism in west Java

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setiawan, I.; Indarto, S.; Sudarsono; Fauzi I, A.; Yuliyanti, A.; Lintjewas, L.; Alkausar, A.; Jakah

    2018-02-01

    Indonesian active volcanoes extend from Sumatra, Jawa, Bali, Lombok, Flores, North Sulawesi, and Halmahera. The volcanic arc hosts 276 volcanoes with 29 GWe of geothermal resources. Considering a wide distribution of geothermal potency, geothermal research is very important to be carried out especially to tackle high energy demand in Indonesia as an alternative energy sources aside from fossil fuel. Geothermal potency associated with volcanoes-hosted in West Java can be found in the West Java segment of Sunda Arc that is parallel with the subduction. The subduction of Indo-Australian oceanic plate beneath the Eurasian continental plate results in various volcanic products in a wide range of geochemical and mineralogical characteristics. The geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of volcanic and magmatic rocks associated with geothermal systems are ill-defined. Comprehensive study of geochemical signatures, mineralogical properties, and isotopes analysis might lead to the understanding of how large geothermal fields are found in West Java compared to ones in Central and East Java. The result can also provoke some valuable impacts on Java tectonic evolution and can suggest the key information for geothermal exploration enhancement.

  10. Long-term Sustainability of Fracture Conductivity in Geothermal Systems using Proppants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Earl D Mattson; Ghanashyam Neupane; Mitchell Plummer; Clay Jones; Joe Moore

    2016-02-01

    Long-term sustainability of fracture conductivity is critical for commercial success of engineered geothermal system (EGS) and hydrogeothermal field sites. The injection of proppants has been suggested as a means to enhance the conductivity in these systems. Several studies have examined the chemical behavior of proppants that are not at chemical equilibrium with the reservoir rock and water. These studies have suggested that in geothermal systems, geochemical reactions can lead to enhance proppant dissolution and deposition alteration minerals. We hypothesize that proppant dissolution will decrease the strength of the proppant and can potentially reduce the conductivity of the fracture. To examine the geomechanical strength of proppants, we have performed modified crushing tests of proppants and reservoir rock material that was subjected to geothermal reservoir temperature conditions. The batch reactor experiments heated crushed quartz monzonite rock material, proppants (either quartz sand, sintered bauxite or kryptospheres) with Raft River geothermal water to 250 ºC for a period of 2 months. Solid and liquid samples were shipped to University of Utah for chemical characterization with ICP-OES, ICP-MS, and SEM. A separate portion of the rock/proppant material was subjected to a modified American Petroleum Institute ISO 13503-2 proppant crushing test. This test is typically used to determine the maximum stress level that can be applied to a proppant pack without the occurrence of unacceptable proppant crushing. We will use the test results to examine potential changes in proppant/reservoir rock geomechanical properties as compared to samples that have not been subjected to geothermal conditions. These preliminary results will be used to screen the proppants for long term use in EGS and hot hydrogeothermal systems.

  11. Geothermal Progress Monitor, report No. 13

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-02-01

    Geothermal Progress Monitor (GPM) Issue No. 13 documents that most related factors favor the growth and geographic expansion of the US geothermal industry and that the industry is being technologically prepared to meet those challenges into the next century. It is the function of GPM to identify trends in the use of this resource and to provide a historical record of its development pathway. The information assembled for this issue of GPM indicates that trends in the use of geothermal energy in this country and abroad continue to be very positive. Favorable sentiments as well as pertinent actions on the part of both government and industry are documented in almost every section. The FEDERAL BEAT points up that the National Energy Strategy (NES) developed at the highest levels of the US government recognizes the environmental and energy security advantages of renewable energy, including geothermal, and makes a commitment to substantial diversification'' of US sources of energy. With the announcement of the construction of several new plants and plant expansions, the INDUSTRY SCENE illustrates industry's continued expectation tha the use of geothermal energy will prove profitable to investors. In DEVELOPMENT STATUS, spokesmen for both an investor-owned utility and a major geothermal developer express strong support for geothermal power, particularly emphasizing its environmental advantages. DEVELOPMENT STATUS also reports that early successes have been achieved by joint DOE/industry R D at The Geysers which will have important impacts on the future management of this mature field. Also there is increasing interest in hot dry rock. Analyses conducted in support of the NES indicate that if all the postulated technology developments occur in this field, the price of energy derived from hot dry rock in the US could drop.

  12. National Geothermal Data System: Interactive Assessment of Geothermal Energy Potential in the U.S.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Allison, Lee [Executive Office of the State of Arizona (Arizona Geological Survey); Richard, Stephen [Executive Office of the State of Arizona (Arizona Geological Survey); Clark, Ryan; Patten, Kim; Love, Diane; Coleman, Celia; Chen, Genhan; Matti, Jordan; Pape, Estelle; Musil, Leah

    2012-01-30

    Geothermal-relevant geosciences data from all 50 states (www.stategeothermaldata.org), federal agencies, national labs, and academic centers are being digitized and linked in a distributed online network via the U.S. Department of Energy-funded National Geothermal Data System (NGDS) to foster geothermal energy exploration and development through use of interactive online ‘mashups,’data integration, and applications. Emphasis is first to make as much information as possible accessible online, with a long range goal to make data interoperable through standardized services and interchange formats. An initial set of thirty geoscience data content models is in use or under development to define a standardized interchange format: aqueous chemistry, borehole temperature data, direct use feature, drill stem test, earthquake hypocenter, fault feature, geologic contact feature, geologic unit feature, thermal/hot spring description, metadata, quaternary fault, volcanic vent description, well header feature, borehole lithology log, crustal stress, gravity, heat flow/temperature gradient, permeability, and feature descriptions data like developed geothermal systems, geologic unit geothermal properties, permeability, production data, rock alteration description, rock chemistry, and thermal conductivity. Map services are also being developed for isopach maps, aquifer temperature maps, and several states are working on geothermal resource overview maps. Content models are developed preferentially from existing community use in order to encourage widespread adoption and promulgate minimum metadata quality standards. Geoscience data and maps from other NGDS participating institutions, or “nodes” (USGS, Southern Methodist University, Boise State University Geothermal Data Coalition) are being supplemented with extensive land management and land use resources from the Western Regional Partnership (15 federal agencies and 5 Western states) to provide access to a comprehensive

  13. Geological model of supercritical geothermal reservoir related to subduction system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuchiya, Noriyoshi

    2017-04-01

    Following the Great East Japan Earthquake and the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear power station on 3.11 (11th March) 2011, geothermal energy came to be considered one of the most promising sources of renewable energy for the future in Japan. The temperatures of geothermal fields operating in Japan range from 200 to 300 °C (average 250 °C), and the depths range from 1000 to 2000 m (average 1500 m). In conventional geothermal reservoirs, the mechanical behavior of the rocks is presumed to be brittle, and convection of the hydrothermal fluid through existing network is the main method of circulation in the reservoir. In order to minimize induced seismicity, a rock mass that is "beyond brittle" is one possible candidate, because the rock mechanics of "beyond brittle" material is one of plastic deformation rather than brittle failure. Supercritical geothermal resources could be evaluated in terms of present volcanic activities, thermal structure, dimension of hydrothermal circulation, properties of fracture system, depth of heat source, depth of brittle factures zone, dimension of geothermal reservoir. On the basis of the GIS, potential of supercritical geothermal resources could be characterized into the following four categories. 1. Promising: surface manifestation d shallow high temperature, 2 Probability: high geothermal gradient, 3 Possibility: Aseismic zone which indicates an existence of melt, 4 Potential : low velocity zone which indicates magma input. Base on geophysical data for geothermal reservoirs, we have propose adequate tectonic model of development of the supercritical geothermal reservoirs. To understand the geological model of a supercritical geothermal reservoir, granite-porphyry system, which had been formed in subduction zone, was investigated as a natural analog of the supercritical geothermal energy system. Quartz veins, hydrothermal breccia veins, and glassy veins are observed in a granitic body. The glassy veins formed at 500-550

  14. Radiator Enhanced Geothermal System - A Revolutionary Method for Extracting Geothermal Energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karimi, S.; Marsh, B. D.; Hilpert, M.

    2017-12-01

    A new method of extracting geothermal energy, the Radiator Enhanced Geothermal System (RAD-EGS) has been developed. RAD-EGS attempts to mimic natural hydrothermal systems by 1) generating a vertical vane of artificially produced high porosity/permeability material deep in a hot sedimentary aquifer, 2) injecting water at surface temperatures to the bottom of the vane, where the rock is the hottest, 3) extracting super-heated water at the top of the vane. The novel RAD-EGS differs greatly from the currently available Enhanced Geothermal Systems in vane orientation, determined in the governing local crustal stress field by Shmax and Sl (meaning it is vertical), and in the vane location in a hot sedimentary aquifer, which naturally increases the longevity of the system. In this study, we explore several parameters regimes affecting the water temperature in the extraction well, keeping in mind that the minimum temperature of the extracted water has to be 150 °C in order for a geothermal system to be commercially viable. We used the COMSOL finite element package to simulate coupled heat and fluid transfer within the RAD-EGS model. The following geologic layers from top to bottom are accounted for in the model: i) confining upper layer, ii) hot sedimentary aquifer, and iii) underlying basement rock. The vane is placed vertically within the sedimentary aquifer. An injection well and an extraction well are also included in the simulation. We tested the model for a wide range of various parameters including background heat flux, thickness of geologic layers, geometric properties of the vane, diameter and location of the wells, fluid flow within the wells, regional hydraulic gradient, and permeability and porosity of the layers. The results show that among the aforementioned parameters, background heat flux and the depth of vane emplacement are highly significant in determining the level of commercial viability of the geothermal system. These results indicate that for the

  15. HDR Efex Pro After the Shoot

    CERN Document Server

    Sholik, Stan

    2011-01-01

    A concise, on-the-go guide to the new HDR Efex Pro imaging toolkit for photographers Now that you've gone mobile and HDR, you want to be able to download and enhance your favorite photos on the run, without having to return to the mother ship (i.e., your desktop computer). This book shows you just how to do that using the amazing HDR Efex Pro, the image editing toolset from Nik Software. In brilliant color and using plenty of show-stopping examples, this practical guide explains all tools and features. Follow numbered steps and you'll soon be handling things like alignment, ghosting control, h

  16. Thermo-mechanical characterization of the lithosphere : Implications for geothermal resources

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Limberger, J.

    2018-01-01

    The two key ingredients needed to commercially exploit a geothermal energy system are (1) sufficiently high subsurface temperatures and (2) presence of rock formations suitable to act as a geothermal reservoir at reachable depths. Subsurface temperatures are controlled by the heat flowing from deep

  17. 2012 geothermal energy congress. Proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2012-01-01

    Within the Geothermal Energy Congress 2012 from 13th to 16th November 2012, in Karlsruhe (Federal Republic of Germany), the following lectures were held: (1) Comparison of different methods for the design of geothermal probes on the example of the thermal utilization of smouldering fires at heaps (Sylvia Kuerten); (2) Determination of the thermo-physical features of loose rocks (Johannes Stegner); (3) Tools for the planning and operation of district heating grids (Werner Seichter); (4) geo:build - System optimisation of the cooling mode of the ground-source heat and cooling supply (Franziska Bockelmann); (5) Successful and economic conception, planning and optimization of district heating grids (Werner Seichter); (6) Treacer / Heat transfer decoupling in a heterogeneous hydrothermal reservoir characterized by geological faults in the Upper Rhine Graben (I. Ghergut); (7) Determination of the porosity, thermal conductivity and particle size distribution in selected sections of the Meisenheim-1 drilling core (Saar-Nahe basin, Rheinland-Palatinate) under consideration of geothermally relevant formulation of questions (Gillian Inderwies); (8) Innovative technologies of exploration in the Jemez Geothermal project, New Mexico, USA (Michael Albrecht); (9) Geothermal energy, heat pump and TABS - optimization of planning, operational control and control (Franziska Bockelmann); (10) The impact of large-scale geothermal probes (storage probes) on the heat transfer and heat loss (Christopher Steins); (11) Numeric modelling of the permocarbon in the northern Upper Rhine Graben (L. Dohrer); (12) Engineering measurement solutions on quality assurance in the exploitation of geothermal fields (C. Lehr); (13) Evaluation and optimization of official buildings with the near-surface geothermal energy for heating and cooling (Franziska Bockelmann); (14) On-site filtration for a rapid and cost-effective quantification of the particle loading in the thermal water stream (Johannes Birner

  18. Exploitation of geothermal energy for the production of electric energy and warm for the town agglomeration of Litoměřice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vlastimil Myslil

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The Municipality of Litoměřice is very actively engaged in actions for an improvement of environmental conditions in the town as well as in its surroundings.The most appropriate solution seems to be the exploitation of geothermal energy using a HDR method for which there are good conditions near the town Litoměřice. Due to relatively high uncertainties of deep underground data as well as the innovativeness of the proposed HDR method, a preparatory exploration phase of the project is necessary.The estimated capacity of the drill is 50 MWt. It will be used for the electricity generation and the heat production. The proposed power plant design is 4 MWe and 15 MWt for heating. The proposed technology of the power plant is to be decided (Organic Rankine Cycle or Kalina Cycle.The structure is covered with deposits of the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin. Relics of Permian-Carboniferous basins are found beneath the Cretaceous strata. The sedimentary successions are underlain by relics of metamorphic rocks that, in turn, rest on granites. Several structural systems meet in this area. The systems include: southeastern margin of the Stredohori volcanic complex, the main axis of the “syncline” of the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin, north-south oriented relics of the Permian-Carboniferous basins, and SW-NE oriented Ohre rift. The Litomerice area was affected by four major phases of tectonic deformation: Cadomian, Caledonian, Hercynian, and Alpine phases

  19. Seismic properties of fluid bearing formations in magmatic geothermal systems: can we directly detect geothermal activity with seismic methods?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grab, Melchior; Scott, Samuel; Quintal, Beatriz; Caspari, Eva; Maurer, Hansruedi; Greenhalgh, Stewart

    2016-04-01

    Seismic methods are amongst the most common techniques to explore the earth's subsurface. Seismic properties such as velocities, impedance contrasts and attenuation enable the characterization of the rocks in a geothermal system. The most important goal of geothermal exploration, however, is to describe the enthalpy state of the pore fluids, which act as the main transport medium for the geothermal heat, and to detect permeable structures such as fracture networks, which control the movement of these pore fluids in the subsurface. Since the quantities measured with seismic methods are only indirectly related with the fluid state and the rock permeability, the interpretation of seismic datasets is difficult and usually delivers ambiguous results. To help overcome this problem, we use a numerical modeling tool that quantifies the seismic properties of fractured rock formations that are typically found in magmatic geothermal systems. We incorporate the physics of the pore fluids, ranging from the liquid to the boiling and ultimately vapor state. Furthermore, we consider the hydromechanics of permeable structures at different scales from small cooling joints to large caldera faults as are known to be present in volcanic systems. Our modeling techniques simulate oscillatory compressibility and shear tests and yield the P- and S-wave velocities and attenuation factors of fluid saturated fractured rock volumes. To apply this modeling technique to realistic scenarios, numerous input parameters need to be indentified. The properties of the rock matrix and individual fractures were derived from extensive literature research including a large number of laboratory-based studies. The geometries of fracture networks were provided by structural geologists from their published studies of outcrops. Finally, the physical properties of the pore fluid, ranging from those at ambient pressures and temperatures up to the supercritical conditions, were taken from the fluid physics

  20. Geophysical contribution to evaluate the subsurface structural setting using magnetic and geothermal data in El-Bahariya Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esmat Abd El All

    2015-12-01

    The geothermal studies in EL Bahariya-Oasis comprise subsurface temperature contour map which illustrates that the study area has geothermal groundwater reservoirs. The measurements of the geothermal properties for measured rock samples show that the rocks of the study area have moderate values of geothermal properties. This may be due to the seasonal variation in soil temperatures. These soil thermal properties depend on soil porosity and moisture content.

  1. Geophysical prospecting for the deep geothermal structure of the Zhangzhou basin, Southeast China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Chaofeng; Liu, Shuang; Hu, Xiangyun; Wang, Guiling; Lin, Wenjing

    2017-04-01

    Zhangzhou basin located at the Southeast margins of Asian plate is one of the largest geothermal fields in Fujian province, Southeast China. High-temperature natural springs and granite rocks are widely distributed in this region and the causes of geothermal are speculated to be involved the large number of magmatic activities from Jurassic to Cretaceous periods. To investigate the deep structure of Zhangzhou basin, magnetotelluric and gravity measurements were carried out and the joint inversion of magnetotelluric and gravity data delineated the faults and the granites distributions. The inversion results also indicated the backgrounds of heat reservoirs, heat fluid paths and whole geothermal system of the Zhangzhou basin. Combining with the surface geological investigation, the geophysical inversion results revealed that the faults activities and magma intrusions are the main reasons for the formation of geothermal resources of the Zhangzhou basin. Upwelling mantle provides enormous heats to the lower crust leading to metamorphic rocks to be partially melt generating voluminous magmas. Then the magmas migration and thermal convection along the faults warm up the upper crust. So finally, the cap rocks, basements and major faults are the three favorable conditions for the formation of geothermal fields of the Zhangzhou basin.

  2. Prospects of geothermal resource exploitation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bourrelier, P.H.; Cornet, F.; Fouillac, C.

    1994-01-01

    The use of geothermal energy to generate electricity has only occurred during the past 50 years by drilling wells in aquifers close to magmas and producing either dry steam or hot water. The world's production of electricity from geothermal energy is over 6000 MWe and is still growing. The direct use of geothermal energy for major urban communities has been developed recently by exploitation of aquifers in sedimentary basins under large towns. Scaling up the extraction of heat implies the exploitation of larger and better located fields requiring an appropriate method of extraction; the objective of present attempts in USA, Japan and Europe is to create heat exchangers by the circulation of water between several deep wells. Two field categories are considered: the extension of classical geothermal fields beyond the aquifer areas, and areas favoured by both a high geothermal gradient, fractures inducing a natural permeability at large scale, and good commercial prospects (such as in the Rhenan Graben). Hot dry rocks concept has gained a large interest. 1 fig., 5 tabs., 11 refs

  3. Geothermal properties of Swiss Molasse Basin (depth range 0-500 m) - 2006 upgrade of the thermal conductivity, heat capacity, rock density and porosity data base; Geothermische Eigenschaften der Schweizer Molasse (Tiefenbereich 0-500 m). Datenbank fuer Waermeleitfaehigkeit, spezifische Waermekapazitaet, Gesteinsdichte und Porositaet. Ueberarbeitung 2006

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leu, W. [Geoform AG, Minusio (Switzerland); Megel, T. [Geowatt, Zuerich (Switzerland); Schaerli, U. [Geologie und Geophysik, Zuerich (Switzerland)

    2006-07-01

    The main aim of this project is the preparation of a specific data base of geothermal properties for typical rocks of the Swiss Molasse Basin (depth interval 0-500 m). The project includes the development of a new laboratory tool for efficient heat capacity measurements on rock samples, numerous new measurements of geothermal rock properties in the laboratory and calculation of such data from geophysical borehole logs. In the geographical area under review, 282 rock samples, mainly from deep boreholes, were analyzed with the successfully calibrated new heat capacity device and conventional thermal conductivity measuring techniques (cuttings and cores). Based on sonic and density log data from exploration wells, 374 additional data points were generated. This new data base characterizes in detail the six main lithological rock types in the three Molasse groups OSM, OMM and USM within the Swiss Plateau Molasse. The statistical evaluation of all data illustrates the regional variation of the petrophysical and geothermal parameters. For most data groups bulk rock density and thermal conductivity increase, whereas heat capacity decreases in the direction towards the Alpine front. Thermal conductivity shows a distinct increase with depth. Based on this new information and with the aid of the evaluation software tool SwEWS, the costs of planned geothermal installations can be optimized thanks to more precise heat extraction simulations with existing software packages like COSOND, TRNSYS, EWS or WPcalc. (author)

  4. Geothermal Program Review XI: proceedings. Geothermal Energy - The Environmental Responsible Energy Technology for the Nineties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-10-01

    These proceedings contain papers pertaining to current research and development of geothermal energy in the USA. The seven sections of the document are: Overview, The Geysers, Exploration and Reservoir Characterization, Drilling, Energy Conversion, Advanced Systems, and Potpourri. The Overview presents current DOE energy policy and industry perspectives. Reservoir studies, injection, and seismic monitoring are reported for the geysers geothermal field. Aspects of geology, geochemistry and models of geothermal exploration are described. The Drilling section contains information on lost circulation, memory logging tools, and slim-hole drilling. Topics considered in energy conversion are efforts at NREL, condensation on turbines and geothermal materials. Advanced Systems include hot dry rock studies and Fenton Hill flow testing. The Potpourri section concludes the proceedings with reports on low-temperature resources, market analysis, brines, waste treatment biotechnology, and Bonneville Power Administration activities. Selected papers have been indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.

  5. Numerical investigation of the efficiency of emission reduction and heat extraction in a sedimentary geothermal reservoir: a case study of the Daming geothermal field in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Xuyang; Song, Hongqing; Killough, John; Du, Li; Sun, Pengguang

    2018-02-01

    The utilization of geothermal energy is clean and has great potential worldwide, and it is important to utilize geothermal energy in a sustainable manner. Mathematical modeling studies of geothermal reservoirs are important as they evaluate and quantify the complex multi-physical effects in geothermal reservoirs. However, previous modeling efforts lack the study focusing on the emission reduction efficiency and the deformation at geothermal wellbores caused by geothermal water extraction/circulation. Emission efficiency is rather relevant in geothermal projects introduced in areas characterized by elevated air pollution where the utilization of geothermal energy is as an alternative to burning fossil fuels. Deformation at geothermal wellbores is also relevant as significant deformation caused by water extraction can lead to geothermal wellbore instability and can consequently decrease the effectiveness of the heat extraction process in geothermal wells. In this study, the efficiency of emission reduction and heat extraction in a sedimentary geothermal reservoir in Daming County, China, are numerically investigated based on a coupled multi-physical model. Relationships between the efficiency of emission reduction and heat extraction, deformation at geothermal well locations, and geothermal field parameters including well spacing, heat production rate, re-injection temperature, rock stiffness, and geothermal well placement patterns are analyzed. Results show that, although large heat production rates and low re-injection temperatures can lead to decreased heat production in the last 8 years of heat extraction, they still improve the overall heat production capacity and emission reduction capacity. Also, the emission reduction capacity is positively correlated with the heat production capacity. Deformation at geothermal wellbore locations is alleviated by smaller well spacing, lower heat production rates, and smaller numbers of injectors in the well pattern, and by

  6. A Thermoelastic Hydraulic Fracture Design Tool for Geothermal Reservoir Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahmad Ghassemi

    2003-06-30

    Geothermal energy is recovered by circulating water through heat exchange areas within a hot rock mass. Geothermal reservoir rock masses generally consist of igneous and metamorphic rocks that have low matrix permeability. Therefore, cracks and fractures play a significant role in extraction of geothermal energy by providing the major pathways for fluid flow and heat exchange. Thus, knowledge of conditions leading to formation of fractures and fracture networks is of paramount importance. Furthermore, in the absence of natural fractures or adequate connectivity, artificial fracture are created in the reservoir using hydraulic fracturing. At times, the practice aims to create a number of parallel fractures connecting a pair of wells. Multiple fractures are preferred because of the large size necessary when using only a single fracture. Although the basic idea is rather simple, hydraulic fracturing is a complex process involving interactions of high pressure fluid injections with a stressed hot rock mass, mechanical interaction of induced fractures with existing natural fractures, and the spatial and temporal variations of in-situ stress. As a result it is necessary to develop tools that can be used to study these interactions as an integral part of a comprehensive approach to geothermal reservoir development, particularly enhanced geothermal systems. In response to this need we have set out to develop advanced thermo-mechanical models for design of artificial fractures and rock fracture research in geothermal reservoirs. These models consider the significant hydraulic and thermo-mechanical processes and their interaction with the in-situ stress state. Wellbore failure and fracture initiation is studied using a model that fully couples poro-mechanical and thermo-mechanical effects. The fracture propagation model is based on a complex variable and regular displacement discontinuity formulations. In the complex variable approach the displacement discontinuities are

  7. Minutes of the conference 'Geothermal energy in Asia '98'. Symposium on the current status and the future of developing geothermal energy in Asia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-10-22

    This paper summarizes the proceedings presented at the 'Geothermal energy in Asia '98' held on October 22, 1998 in the Philippines. The Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, and Vietnam presented proceedings on the current status and the future of developing geothermal energy in each country. Technical theses presented relate to the following matters: a geothermal development model in the Khoy geothermal area in Iran, the result of surveys on promotion of geothermal development in Japan, the thermal fluid sources in the geothermal fluid systems in the Hachijo volcanic island in Japan, strategies for heat reservoir management by using numerical simulation in the Hacchobari geothermal area in Japan, a geological model for the north Negros geothermal area in the center of the Philippines, application of the NEDO rock core analyzing method in the Wasabizawa geothermal development area in Japan, measurements of geomagnetism, geocurrent, and gravity in the north Negros in the center of the Philippines, geophysical studies in geothermal exploration in the Mataloko area in the Nustenggara island in the eastern Indonesia, and the background of magma/crust structure in the geothermal systems. (NEDO)

  8. A three-dimensional coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model for deformable fractured geothermal systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Salimzadeh, Saeed; Paluszny, Adriana; Nick, Hamidreza M.

    2018-01-01

    A fully coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) finite element model is presented for fractured geothermal reservoirs. Fractures are modelled as surface discontinuities within a three-dimensional matrix. Non-isothermal flow through the rock matrix and fractures are defined and coupled to a mec......A fully coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) finite element model is presented for fractured geothermal reservoirs. Fractures are modelled as surface discontinuities within a three-dimensional matrix. Non-isothermal flow through the rock matrix and fractures are defined and coupled....... The model has been validated against several analytical solutions, and applied to study the effects of the deformable fractures on the injection of cold water in fractured geothermal systems. Results show that the creation of flow channelling due to the thermal volumetric contraction of the rock matrix...

  9. Geothermal energy technology: issues, R and D needs, and cooperative arrangements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1987-01-01

    In 1986, the National Research Council, through its Energy Engineering Board, formed the Committee on Geothermal Energy Technology. The committee's study addressed major issues in geothermal energy technology, made recommendations for research and development, and considered cooperative arrangements among government, industry, and universities to facilitate RandD under current severe budget constraints. The report addresses four types of geothermal energy: hydrothermal, geopressured, hot dry rock, and magma systems. Hydrothermal systems are the only type that are now economically competitive commercially. Further technology development by the Department of Energy could make the uneconomical hydrothermal resources commercially attractive to the industry. The economics are more uncertain for the longer-term technologies for extracting energy from geopressured, hot dry rock, and magma systems. For some sites, the cost of energy derived from geopressured and hot dry rock systems is projected within a commercially competitive range. The use of magma energy is too far in the future to make reasonable economic calculations.

  10. Geothermal Program Review VII: proceedings. DOE Research and Development for the Geothermal Marketplace

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1989-01-01

    Each year the Geothermal Technology Division of the US Department of Energy conducts an indepth review of its entire geothermal R and D program. The 2--3 day conference serves several purposes: a status report on current R and D activities, an assessment of progress and problems, a review of management issues, and a technology transfer opportunity between DOE and the US geothermal industry. This year's conference, Program Review 7, was held in San Francisco on March 21--23, 1989. As indicated by its title, ''DOE Research and Development for the Geothermal Marketplace'', Program Review 7 emphasized developing technologies, concepts, and innovations having potential for commercial application in the foreseeable future. Program Review 7 was comprised of eight sessions including an opening session and a special presentation on the ''Role of Geothermal Energy in Minimizing Global Environmental Problems.'' The five technical sessions covered GTD-sponsored R and D in the areas of hydrothermal (two sessions), hot dry rock, geopressured, and magma. Presentations were made by the relevant field researchers, and sessions were chaired by the appropriate DOE Operations Office Geothermal Program Manager. The technical papers and commentary of invited speakers contained in these Proceedings have been compiled in the order in which they were presented at Program Review 7.

  11. Geothermal Program Review X: proceedings. Geothermal Energy and the Utility Market -- the Opportunities and Challenges for Expanding Geothermal Energy in a Competitive Supply Market

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-01-01

    Each year the Geothermal Division of the US Department of Energy conducts an in-depth review of its entire geothermal R&D program. The conference serves several purposes: a status report on current R&D activities, an assessment of progress and problems, a review of management issues, and a technology transfer opportunity between DOE and the US geothermal city. This year`s conference, Program Review X, was held in San Francisco on March 24--26, 1992. The theme of the review, ``Geothermal Energy and the Utility Market -- The Opportunities and Challenges for Expanding Geothermal Energy in a Competitive Supply Market,`` focused on the needs of the electric utility sector. Geothermal energy, with its power capacity potential of 10 GWe by the year 2010, can provide reliable, enviromentally clean electricity which can help offset the projected increase in demand. Program Review X consisted of seven sessions including an opening session with presentations by Mr. Vikram Budhraja, Vice President of System Planning and Operations, Southern California Edison Company, and Mr. Richard Jaros, President and Chief Operating Officer, California Energy Company. The six technical sessions included presentations by the relevant field researchers covering DOE-sponsored R&D in hydrothermal, hot dry rock, and geopressured energy. Individual projects are processed separately for the data bases.

  12. TU-C-201-02: Clinical Implementation of HDR: Afterloader and Applicator Selection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Esthappan, J. [Washington University School of Medicine (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Recent use of HDR has increased while planning has become more complex often necessitating 3D image-based planning. While many guidelines for the use of HDR exist, they have not kept pace with the increased complexity of 3D image-based planning. Furthermore, no comprehensive document exists to describe the wide variety of current HDR clinical indications. This educational session aims to summarize existing national and international guidelines for the safe implementation of an HDR program. A summary of HDR afterloaders available on the market and their existing applicators will be provided, with guidance on how to select the best fit for each institution’s needs. Finally, the use of checklists will be discussed as a means to implement a safe and efficient HDR program and as a method by which to verify the quality of an existing HDR program. This session will provide the perspective of expert HDR physicists as well as the perspective of a new HDR user. Learning Objectives: Summarize national and international safety and staffing guidelines for HDR implementation Discuss the process of afterloader and applicator selection for gynecologic, prostate, breast, interstitial, surface treatments Learn about the use of an audit checklist tool to measure of quality control of a new or existing HDR program Describe the evolving use of checklists within an HDR program.

  13. Geothermal Exploration By Using Time Domain IP Method:Balikesir (Gure) And Canakkale (Geyikli) Cases From Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tezel, O.; Ozcep, F.

    2017-12-01

    Geothermal energy is heat derived from the earth. It is the thermal energy contained in the rock and fluid (that fills the fractures and pores within the rock) in the earth's crust. These resources are always at a temperature higher than 20°C. Geothermal energy requires no fuel, and is therefore virtually emission free and independent of fluctuations in fuel cost. Since a geothermal power plant doesn't rely on transient sources of energy, unlike, for example, wind turbines or solar panels, its capacity factor can be quite large. Induced polarization (IP) results at geothermal regions show prominent, extended low resistivity zones. Environmental-IP methods can assist in the assessment of the acid generating potential of waste rock and tailings from mine operations. Resistivity can be used to map contamination plumes. Resistivity and chargeability values were determined using the IP method on geothermal resources in Balikesir Güre (Turkey). In this study we found low resistance values and high chargeability values at the geothermal resource. Finally drilling and IP results were correlated to verify our findings. After the positive results of obtained data, a similar study was carried out in Geyikli Area (Canakkale) and a geothermal resource with 450C temperature of 5 lt/sec was explored at a depth of 970 m.

  14. Geomagnetic Survey to Explore High-Temperature Geothermal System in Blawan-Ijen, East Java, Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daud Yunus

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Ijen geothermal area is high-temperature geothermal system located in Bondowoso regency, East Java. It is categorized as caldera-hosted geothermal system which is covered by quaternary andesitic volcanic rocks with steep topography at the surrounding. Several surface thermal manifestations are found, such as altered rocks near Mt. Kukusan and a group of Blawan hotsprings in the northern part of the caldera. Geomagnetic survey was conducted at 72 stations which is distributed inside the caldera to delineate the existence of hydrothermal activity. Magnetic anomaly was obtained by reducing total magnetic measured on the field by IGRF and diurnal variation. Reduction to pole (RTP method was applied with geomagnetic inclination of about -32°. In general, the result shows that high magnetic anomaly is distributed at the boundary of study area, while low magnetic anomaly is observed in the centre. The low anomaly indicates demagnetized rock that probably caused by hydrothermal activity. It has a good correlation with surface alteration observed close to Mt. Kukusan as well as high temperature reservoir drilled in the centre of caldera. Accordingly, the low magnetic anomaly also presents the possibility of geothermal reservoir in Ijen geothermal area.

  15. Geomagnetic Survey to Explore High-Temperature Geothermal System in Blawan-Ijen, East Java, Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daud, Yunus; Rosid, Syamsu; Fahmi, Fikri; Yunus, Faris Maulana; Muflihendri, Reza

    2018-02-01

    Ijen geothermal area is high-temperature geothermal system located in Bondowoso regency, East Java. It is categorized as caldera-hosted geothermal system which is covered by quaternary andesitic volcanic rocks with steep topography at the surrounding. Several surface thermal manifestations are found, such as altered rocks near Mt. Kukusan and a group of Blawan hotsprings in the northern part of the caldera. Geomagnetic survey was conducted at 72 stations which is distributed inside the caldera to delineate the existence of hydrothermal activity. Magnetic anomaly was obtained by reducing total magnetic measured on the field by IGRF and diurnal variation. Reduction to pole (RTP) method was applied with geomagnetic inclination of about -32°. In general, the result shows that high magnetic anomaly is distributed at the boundary of study area, while low magnetic anomaly is observed in the centre. The low anomaly indicates demagnetized rock that probably caused by hydrothermal activity. It has a good correlation with surface alteration observed close to Mt. Kukusan as well as high temperature reservoir drilled in the centre of caldera. Accordingly, the low magnetic anomaly also presents the possibility of geothermal reservoir in Ijen geothermal area.

  16. The role of boron-chloride and noble gas isotope ratios in TVZ geothermal systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hulston, J.R.

    1995-01-01

    The model of the geothermal system in which deep circulating groundwater containing noble gases, at air saturated water concentrations, mixes with hot fluids of mantle origin at depth, is extended to include the effect of interaction of the ascending fluid with both solid and gaseous phases of basement (or other) rocks en route to the surface. It is demonstrated that this interaction is responsible for most of the CO 2 in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) geothermal systems. It is proposed that the modelling of this interaction might be accomplished by techniques similar to those used for the understanding of the oxygen isotope shift found in geothermal systems. The water rock interaction experiments of Ellis and Mahon (1964, 1967) provides some data on the kinetic rates for B and Cl dissolution from rocks likely to be encountered in the geothermal system, but further information on the behaviour of B may be needed. If these problems can be overcome this modelling technique has promise for the estimation of the recharge of geothermal systems and hence the sustainability of these systems. (author). 17 refs., 4 figs

  17. Modeling research in low-medium temperature geothermal field, Tianjin

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    WANG; Kun(王坤); LI; Chunhua(李春华)

    2002-01-01

    The geothermal reservoir in Tianjin can be divided into two parts: the upper one is the porous medium reservoir in the Tertiary system; the lower one includes the basement reservoir in Lower Paleozoic and Middle-Upper Proterozoic. Hot springs are exposed in the northern mountain and confined geothermal water is imbedded in the southern plain. The geothermal reservoir is incised by several fractures. In recent years, TDS of the geothermal water have gone up along with the production rate increasing, along the eastern fracture zone (Cangdong Fracture and West Baitangkou Fracture). This means that the northern fracture system is the main seepage channel of the deep circulation geothermal water, and the reservoir has good connection in a certain area and definite direction. The isotopic research about hydrogen and carbon chronology indicates that the main recharge period of geothermal water is the Holocene Epoch, the pluvial and chilly period of 20 kaBP. The karst conduits in weathered carbonate rocks of the Proterozoic and Lower Paleozoic and the northeast regional fracture system are the main feeding channels of Tianjin geothermal water. Since the Holocene epoch, the geothermal water stayed at a sealed warm period. The tracer test in WR45 doublet system shows that the tracer test is a very effective measure for understanding the reservoir's transport nature and predicting the cooling time and transport velocity during the reinjection. 3-D numerical simulation shows that if the reinjection well keeps a suitable distance from the production well, reinjection will be a highly effective measure to extract more thermal energy from the rock matrix. The cooling of the production well will not be a problem.

  18. Hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of geothermal waters in the southern hachimantai area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsubaya, Osamu; Etchu, Hiroshi; Takenaka, Teruo; Yoshida, Yutaka.

    1985-01-01

    Geothermal waters from the Matsukawa and Kakkonda Geothermal Plants, wells at Amihari-Motoyu, and Nyuto and Tazawako areas were isotopically studied. The geothermal waters from Mutsukawa, Kakkonda and Amihari-Motoyu have hydrogen isotope ratios similar to the local meteoric waters, while have higher oxygen isotope ratios than the local meteoric waters. This relationship of hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios, that is called ''oxygen shift'', means that these geothermal waters are meteoric waters undergone the oxygen isotope exchange with rocks at high temperature of underground. The exygen shifts are 2 -- 3 per mil in Matsukawa and Kakkonda, and 7 per mil in Amihari-Motoyu. This difference may be important to understand the processe of water-rock interaction in this area. The geothermal waters at Nyuto and Tazawako areas also show 2 -- 3 per mil oxygen shift. The steam from the Tazawako-cho well and the hot spring water form the Tsurunoyu are estimated to be vapor and liquid phases separated form a single geothermal water of NaCl type, though the hot water from the Tsurunoyu is diluted with shallow meteoric water. (author)

  19. Dimensioning of Boreholes for Geothermal Heat Pumps

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryška Jiøí

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with determination of borehole depths for geothermal heat pumps. Basic formulae are stated for heat convection in rocks. Software EED 2.0 was used for calculation of borehole depth depending on different entering parameters. The crucial parameter is thermal conductivity of rocks. The thermal conductivity could be very variable for the same kind of rock. Therefore its in-situ determination by means of formation thermal conductivity testing is briefly described.

  20. Independent technique of verifying high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saw, Cheng B.; Korb, Leroy J.; Darnell, Brenda; Krishna, K. V.; Ulewicz, Dennis

    1998-01-01

    Purpose: An independent technique for verifying high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment plans has been formulated and validated clinically. Methods and Materials: In HDR brachytherapy, dwell times at respective dwell positions are computed, using an optimization algorithm in a HDR treatment-planning system to deliver a specified dose to many target points simultaneously. Because of the variability of dwell times, concerns have been expressed regarding the ability of the algorithm to compute the correct dose. To address this concern, a commercially available low-dose rate (LDR) algorithm was used to compute the doses at defined distances, based on the dwell times obtained from the HDR treatment plans. The percent deviation between doses computed using the HDR and LDR algorithms were reviewed for HDR procedures performed over the last year. Results: In this retrospective study, the difference between computed doses using the HDR and LDR algorithms was found to be within 5% for about 80% of the HDR procedures. All of the reviewed procedures have dose differences of less than 10%. Conclusion: An independent technique for verifying HDR brachytherapy treatment plans has been validated based on clinical data. Provided both systems are available, this technique is universal in its applications and not limited to either a particular implant applicator, implant site, or implant type

  1. Stable isotope studies of some low enthalpy geothermal systems in Kenya

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tole, Mwakio P.

    Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions of some low enthalpy geothermal systems in Kenya have been determined. Plots on δ 18O versus δD diagrams show that the compositions do not deviate appreciably from local meteoric water values. This would indicate that local meteoric waters are heated at depth and rise to the surface without much interaction with the country rocks. This is interpreted to be the case for the geothermal systems at Majimoto and Narosura, which have salinities of less than 350 ppm TDS and calculated reservoir temperatures of less than 110°C. The geothermal systems at Kapedo and Homa mountain which have high salinities (> 2 000 ppm TDS) and relatively higher calculated reservoir temperatures (> 150° C) are interpreted to have been operating for long periods of time, such that the rocks through which the present day geothermal waters are circulating have attained isotopic equilibrium with local meteoric waters.

  2. Convective heat transfer of supercritical CO_2 in a rock fracture for enhanced geothermal systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Le; Jiang, Peixue; Wang, Zhenchuan; Xu, Ruina

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Contrasting experiments between a rough and a smooth fracture were performed. • A numerical model of rough fracture was reconstructed based on CT scanning data. • Heat transfer in rough fracture was affected by channeling and disturbance effects. - Abstract: Convective heat transfer characteristics of supercritical pressure fluid in a rock fracture are important for building an accurate heat transfer model of enhanced geothermal systems. This paper presents experimental investigations of laminar convection heat transfer of supercritical pressure CO_2 in an artificial smooth parallel-plate fracture and a rough and tortuous fracture that was created using the Brazilian technique. Hot rock with a relatively high initial temperature reserves more heat, which can ensure a larger heat extraction rate for a longer time when cold fluid flows through the fracture. Compared with the smooth parallel-plate fracture, CO_2 flowing through the rough and tortuous fracture with an equivalent hydraulic aperture extracted less heat from the hot rock due to the less efficient heat exchange in a rough fracture caused by channeling effect. This was illustrated by numerical simulation results of the reconstructed fracture based on micro-computed tomography scan data. The overall Nusselt number obtained from the numerical results was larger in a rough fracture with a larger Reynolds number due to disturbance effect on the boundary layer development. The heat transfer performance in a rough fracture is therefore influenced by interactions of the channeling and disturbance effects caused by the tortuous flow path.

  3. Geochemistry of thermal/mineral waters in the Clear Lake region, California, and implications for hot dry rock geothermal development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goff, F.; Adams, A.I.; Trujillo, P.E.; Counce, D.; Mansfield, J.

    1993-02-01

    Thermal/mineral waters of the Clear Lake region are broadly classified as thermal meteoric and connote types based on chemical and isotopic criteria. Ratios of conservative components such as B/Cl are extremely different among all thermal/mineral waters of the Clear Lake region except for clusters of waters emerging from specific areas such as the Wilbur Springs district and the Agricultural Park area south of Mt. Konocti. In contrast, ratios of conservative components in large, homogeneous geothermal reservoirs are constant. Stable isotope values of Clear Lake region waters show a mixing trend between thermal meteoric and connote end-members. The latter end-member has enriched [delta]D as well as enriched d[sup l8]O, very different from typical high-temperature geothermal reservoir waters. Tritium data and modeling of ages indicate most Clear Lake region waters are 500 to > 10,000 yr., although mixing of old and young components is implied by the data. The age of end-member connate water is probably > 10,000 yr. Subsurface equilibration temperature of most thermal/mineral waters of the Clear Lake region is [le] 150[degrees]C based on chemical geothermometers but it is recognized that Clear Lake region waters are not typical geothermal fluids and that they violate rules of application of many geothermometers. The combined data indicate that no large geothermal reservoir underlies the Clear Lake region and that small localized reservoirs have equilibration temperatures [le] 150[degrees]C (except for Sulphur Bank Mine). Hot dry rock technologies are the best way to commercially exploit the known high temperatures existing beneath the Clear Lake region, particularly within the main Clear Lake volcanic field.

  4. Geothermal energy production with supercritical fluids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Donald W.

    2003-12-30

    There has been invented a method for producing geothermal energy using supercritical fluids for creation of the underground reservoir, production of the geothermal energy, and for heat transport. Underground reservoirs are created by pumping a supercritical fluid such as carbon dioxide into a formation to fracture the rock. Once the reservoir is formed, the same supercritical fluid is allowed to heat up and expand, then is pumped out of the reservoir to transfer the heat to a surface power generating plant or other application.

  5. The Role of Boron Chloride and noble gas isotope ratios in Taupo Volcanic Zone geothermal systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hulston, J.R.

    1995-01-01

    The model of the geothermal system in which deep circulating groundwater con noble gases, at air saturated water concentrations, mixes with hot fluids of man origin at depth, is extended to include the effect of interaction of the ascending fluid with both solid and gaseous phases of basement (or other) rocks 'en route' the surface. It is demonstrated that this interaction is responsible for most of CO/sub 2/ in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) geothermal systems. It is proposed th the modelling of this interaction might be accomplished by techniques similar to those used for the understanding of the oxygen isotope shift found in geothermal systems. The water rock interaction experiments of Ellis and Mahon (1964, 1967) provides some data on the kinetic rates for B and Cl dissolution from rocks like to be encountered in the geothermal system, but further information on the behaviour of B may be needed. If these problems can be overcome this modelling technique has promise for the estimation of the recharge of geothermal systems a hence the sustainability of these systems. (author). 17 refs., 4 figs

  6. Assessment of the geothermal/geopressure potential of the Gulf Coastal Plan of Alabama. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wilson, G.V.; Wang, G.C.; Mancini, E.A.; Benson, D.J.

    1980-01-01

    Geothermal and geopressure as well as geologic and geophysical data were studied to evaluate the potential for future development of geothermal resources underlying the Alabama Coastal Plain. Wire-line log data compiled and interpreted from more than 1300 oil and gas test wells included maximum recorded temperatures, mud weights, rock resistivities as related to geopressure, formation tops, fault locations, and depths to basement rock. The Alabama Coastal Plain area is underlain by a conduction dominated, deep sedimentary basin where geothermal gradients are low to moderate (1.0 to 1.8/sup 0/F/100 feet). In some areas of southwest Alabama, abnormally high temperatures are found in association with geopressured zones within the Haynesville Formation of Jurassic age; however, rocks of poor reservoir quality dominate this formation, with the exception of a 200-square-mile area centered in southernmost Clarke County where a porous and permeable sand unit is encased within massive salt deposits of the lower Haynesville. The results of a petrograhic study of the Smackover Formation, which underlies the Haynesville, indicate that this carbonate rock unit has sufficient porosity in some areas to be considered a potential geothermal reservoir. Future development of geothermal resources in south Alabama will be restricted to low or moderate temperature, non-electric applications, which constitute a significant potential energy source for applications in space heating and cooling and certain agricultural and industrial processes.

  7. Experimental thermomechanical damage as first approach to understand the petrophysical behavior of the granitic host-rocks from an active fractured-geothermal system (Liquiñe, Chile - 39º S)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molina Piernas, E.; Sepúlveda, J.; Arancibia, G.; Roquer, T.; Morata, D.; Bracke, R.; Vázquez, P.

    2017-12-01

    Chile's location along an active subduction zone has endowed it with a high geothermal potential. However, a better understanding of the thermomechanical and fluid transport properties of rocks is required to assess the potential of geothermal systems and thereby enhance the possibilities for their use. We have focused in the area surrounding Liquiñe, in the Southern Andean Volcanic Zone (Chile, 39º S). This area hosts several recent thermal manifestations, predominantly hot springs, and it is affected by the Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault Zone (LOFZ), which controls the position of the modern volcanic arc in southern Chile and cuts the Patagonian batholith. We have carried out experimental analyzes in order to understand this geothermal system and the influence of the thermomechanical features over the granitic host-rocks (low-porous crystalline rocks). To do this, physical properties such as capillary water absorption coefficient, Vp-wave velocity and compressive resistance were evaluated before and after heating rock samples at 150 ºC and 210 ºC (at ambient pressure) in an oven at a heating rate of 6 °C/min and maintaining the maximum temperature for 4 hours. The cooling rate was less than 2 °C/min to avoid shrinkage phenomena. The results show that the damage by heat was greater at 210 ºC than 150 ºC, likely due to an increased capillary coefficient ( 30% and 25%). On the contrary, Vpvelocity ( -19% and -13%) and compressive resistance ( -27% in both cases) decreased, with respect to unheated samples. Consequently, we can infer an inherent effect on the later fracture process due to the thermal stress when this granitic body was at depth. After that, and considering the local and regional strain-stress state, both factors have facilitated the fluid flow, increasing the permeability of this granitic host-rock allowing the presence of hot-springs. Future work will be to acquire complementary petrophysical parameters, such as porosity, permeability, thermal

  8. Geological Model of Supercritical Geothermal Reservoir on the Top of the Magma Chamber

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuchiya, N.

    2017-12-01

    We are conducting supercritical geothermal project, and deep drilling project named as "JBBP: Japan Beyond Brittle Project" The temperatures of geothermal fields operating in Japan range from 200 to 300 °C (average 250 °C), and the depths range from 1000 to 2000 m (average 1500 m). In conventional geothermal reservoirs, the mechanical behavior of the rocks is presumed to be brittle, and convection of the hydrothermal fluid through existing network is the main method of circulation in the reservoir. In order to minimize induced seismicity, a rock mass that is "beyond brittle" is one possible candidate, because the rock mechanics of "beyond brittle" material is one of plastic deformation rather than brittle failure. To understand the geological model of a supercritical geothermal reservoir, granite-porphyry system, which had been formed in subduction zone, was investigated as a natural analog of the supercritical geothermal energy system. Quartz veins, hydrothermal breccia veins, and glassy veins are observed in a granitic body. The glassy veins formed at 500-550 °C under lithostatic pressures, and then pressures dropped drastically. The solubility of silica also dropped, resulting in formation of quartz veins under a hydrostatic pressure regime. Connections between the lithostatic and hydrostatic pressure regimes were key to the formation of the hydrothermal breccia veins, and the granite-porphyry system provides useful information for creation of fracture clouds in supercritical geothermal reservoirs. A granite-porphyry system, associated with hydrothermal activity and mineralization, provides a suitable natural analog for studying a deep-seated geothermal reservoir where stockwork fracture systems are created in the presence of supercritical geothermal fluids. I describe fracture networks and their formation mechanisms using petrology and fluid inclusion studies in order to understand this "beyond brittle" supercritical geothermal reservoir, and a geological

  9. Compact, Deep-Penetrating Geothermal Heat Flow Instrumentation for Lunar Landers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagihara, S.; Zacny, K.; Hedlund, M.; Taylor, P. T.

    2012-01-01

    Geothermal heat flow is obtained as a product of the two separate measurements of geothermal gradient in, and thermal conductivity of, the vertical soi/rock/regolith interval penetrated by the instrument. Heat flow measurements are a high priority for the geophysical network missions to the Moon recommended by the latest Decadal Survey [I] and previously the International Lunar Network [2]. The two lunar-landing missions planned later this decade by JAXA [3] and ESA [4] also consider geothermal measurements a priority.

  10. Geothermal map of the Canton of Ticino; Geothermische Karte Tessin. Waerme aus Boden und Wasser im Kanton Tessin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thuering, M.

    2003-07-01

    This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy presents the results of a project carried out by the University of Applied Science in the Canton of Ticino in southern Switzerland. The project involved the production of a geothermal map of the Canton with the aim of promoting of the use of geothermal energy. The interactive map is available on CD-Rom as well as on the Internet and provides information on existing geothermal installations, ground water protection zones, thermal parameters of various types of rock and geothermal heat flow. The geothermal information is enhanced with the practical information necessary for the implementation of installations that use geothermal energy. An important part of the project - the measurement of thermal parameters of various rock types - is also discussed.

  11. MR-based source localization for MR-guided HDR brachytherapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beld, E.; Moerland, M. A.; Zijlstra, F.; Viergever, M. A.; Lagendijk, J. J. W.; Seevinck, P. R.

    2018-04-01

    For the purpose of MR-guided high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy, a method for real-time localization of an HDR brachytherapy source was developed, which requires high spatial and temporal resolutions. MR-based localization of an HDR source serves two main aims. First, it enables real-time treatment verification by determination of the HDR source positions during treatment. Second, when using a dummy source, MR-based source localization provides an automatic detection of the source dwell positions after catheter insertion, allowing elimination of the catheter reconstruction procedure. Localization of the HDR source was conducted by simulation of the MR artifacts, followed by a phase correlation localization algorithm applied to the MR images and the simulated images, to determine the position of the HDR source in the MR images. To increase the temporal resolution of the MR acquisition, the spatial resolution was decreased, and a subpixel localization operation was introduced. Furthermore, parallel imaging (sensitivity encoding) was applied to further decrease the MR scan time. The localization method was validated by a comparison with CT, and the accuracy and precision were investigated. The results demonstrated that the described method could be used to determine the HDR source position with a high accuracy (0.4–0.6 mm) and a high precision (⩽0.1 mm), at high temporal resolutions (0.15–1.2 s per slice). This would enable real-time treatment verification as well as an automatic detection of the source dwell positions.

  12. Hydrothermal alteration of Hercynian granites, its significance to the evolution of geothermal systems in granitic rocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marques, Jose M.; Matias, Maria J.; Basto, Maria J.; Aires-Barros, Luis A. [Instituto Superior Tecnico, Centro de Petrologia e Geoquimica, Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal); Carreira, Paula M. [Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, Estrada Nacional n 10, 2686 - 953 Sacavem (Portugal); Goff, Fraser E. [Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 (United States)

    2010-06-15

    We discuss geochemical and isotopic ({sup 18}O/{sup 16}O, {sup 2}H/{sup 1}H and {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr) data recording the hydrothermal alteration of northern Portuguese Hercynian granites by Na-HCO{sub 3}-CO{sub 2}-rich mineral waters. Whole-rock samples from drill cores of Vilarelho da Raia granite have {delta}{sup 18}O values in the +11.47 to +10.10 permille range. The lower values correspond to highly fractured granite samples displaying vein and pervasive alteration. In the pervasive alteration stage, which probably results from a convective hydrothermal system set up by the intrusion of the granites, the metamorphic waters are in equilibrium with hydrous minerals. In contrast, the vein alteration of these granitic rocks was caused by water of meteoric origin. The oxygen ratios between water (W) and rock (R), the so-called W/R ratios, obtained for the open system (where the heated water is lost from the system by escape to the surface) range between 0.05 and 0.11, suggesting that the recrystallization of the veins was influenced by a small flux of meteoric water. Stable isotope analyses performed on the cores show that the vein alteration stage relates to post-emplacement tectonic stresses acting on the granite, probably of late Hercynian age. Our results are consistent with the existence of two separate alteration events (pervasive and vein) caused by hydrothermal waters of different isotopic characteristics. The studies presented in this paper should be viewed as a natural analogue that uses the alteration features observed in a fossil geothermal system at Vilarelho da Raia to assess possible water-rock reactions presently occurring at depth in granitic rocks of the nearby Chaves area. (author)

  13. Hot Dry Rock energy annual report fiscal year 1992

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duchane, D.V.; Winchester, W.W.

    1993-04-01

    Hot Dry Rock technology took a giant leap forward this year as the long-awaited long-term flow test (LTFT) of the Phase II HDR reservoir at Fenton Hill got underway. Energy was produced on a twenty-four hour a day basis for a continuous period of nearly four months of steady-state testing. Hot water was brought to the surface at 90-100 gallons per minute (gpm) with temperatures of 180[degrees]C (356[degrees]F) and higher. During that time, the HDR plant achieved an on-line record of 98.8%. Surface temperature measurements and temperature logging deep within the wellbore confirmed that no decline in the average temperature of fluid produced from the reservoir occurred. Tracer experiments indicated that flow paths within the reservoir were undergoing continuous change during the test. Remarkably, it appeared that longer flow paths carried a larger proportion of the flow as the test proceeded, while more direct fluid pathways disappeared or carried a significantly reduced flow. In sum, access to hot rock appeared to improve over the span of the test. Water losses during the test averaged 10-12% and showed a slow long-term decline. These results confirmed what had been previously discovered in static pressurization testing: Water consumption declines significantly during extended operation of an HDR reservoir. In combination with a recent demonstration by the Japanese that water losses can be greatly reduced by the proper placement of multiple production wells, the recent results at Fenton Hill have effectively demonstrated that excessive water consumption should not be an issue for a properly engineered HDR facility at a well chosen site.

  14. Hot Dry Rock energy annual report fiscal year 1992

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Winchester, W.W.; Duchane, D.V.

    1993-04-01

    Hot Dry Rock technology took a giant leap forward this year as the long-awaited long-term flow test (LTFT) of the Phase 2 HDR reservoir at Fenton Hill got underway. Energy was produced on a twenty-four hour a day basis for a continuous period of nearly four months of steady-state testing. Hot water was brought to the surface at 90--100 gallons per minute (gpm) with temperatures of 180 degrees C (356 degrees F) and higher. During that time, the HDR plant achieved an on-line record of 98.8%. Surface temperature measurements and temperature logging deep within the wellbore confirmed that no decline in the average temperature of fluid produced from the reservoir occurred. Tracer experiments indicated that flow paths within the reservoir were undergoing continuous change during the test. Remarkably, it appeared that longer flow paths carried a larger proportion of the flow as the test proceeded, while more direct fluid pathways disappeared or carried a significantly reduced flow. In sum, access to hot rock appeared to improve over the span of the test. Water losses during the test averaged 10--12% and showed a slow long-term decline. These results confirmed what had been previously discovered in static pressurization testing: Water consumption declines significantly during extended operation of an HDR reservoir. In combination with a recent demonstration by the Japanese that water losses can be greatly reduced by the proper placement of multiple production wells, the recent results at Fenton Hill have effectively demonstrated that excessive water consumption should not be an issue for a properly engineered HDR facility at a well chosen site

  15. NEDO Forum 2000. Geothermal technology development session (new development of geothermal energy); Chinetsu gijutsu kaihatsu session. Chinetsu energy no shintenkai

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-09-01

    The following themes were presented at this session: (1) geothermal development in the future, (2) the current status of geothermal development and utilization, (3) surveys on the promotion of geothermal development, and (4) verification and investigation on geothermal exploration technologies, development of hot water utilizing power generation plants, and international cooperation on geothermal development and utilization. In Item 2, report was made on the current status of geothermal power plants in Japan and their future development targets, long-term overview of geothermal development, measures and budgets to achieve the targets of geothermal development. In Item 3, it is reported that out of 48 areas completed of the survey (including the new promotion surveyed areas), the areas possible of steam power generation and confirmed of temperatures higher than 200 degrees C are 30 areas, and the areas possible of binary power generation (using down hole pumps) and small to medium scale power generation, confirmed of temperatures of 100 to 200 degrees C are 13 areas. In Item 4, reports were made on the reservoir bed variation exploring method, surveys on deep geothermal resources, a 10-MW demonstration plant, a system to detect well bottom information during excavation of geothermal wells, a technology to collect deep geothermal resources, and a hot-rock using power generation system. In Item 5, geothermal exploration in remote islands in the eastern part of Indonesia, and the IEA cooperation projects were reported. (NEDO)

  16. Observation and simulation of non-laminar flow phenomena at the HDR site near Soulth-sous-forets; Beobachtung und Simulation von nicht-laminarem Fliessverhalten am HDR-Standort Soultz

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kohl, T [ETH Hoenggerberg, Zuerich (Switzerland). Inst. fuer Geophysik; Evans, K F; Hopkirk, R J [Polydynamics Engineering, Maennedorf (Switzerland); Jung, R [Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Hannover (Germany); Rybach, L [ETH Hoenggerberg, Zuerich (Switzerland). Inst. fuer Geophysik und Radiometrie

    1997-12-01

    Three independent multi-rate flow experiments were conducted in 1994 and 1995 in the open hole depth interval of a wellbore at the Hot-Dry-Rocks (HDR) test site Soultz. The steady state and transient dowmhole pressure records gave clear indications of non-Darcian flow. A numerical model has been set-up to evaluate these two measurements. An excellent fit of the transient pressure responses of all three flow tests could be achieved by assuming a simple model geometry. The models predict fluid transport along a conduit with substantial surface area in which fully-turbulent flow is occurring. The parameters required by our best-fit simulation all fall into a physically reasonable range. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates a non-Darcian flow regime along highly conductive features. The existence of high capacity far-field faults as postulated in our model confirms earlier characterisations of the Soultz test site. (orig.) [Deutsch] In den Jahren 1994 und 1995 wurden drei unabhaengige Druck- bzw. Fliessratentests in den Bohrungen GPK1 und GPK2 des HDR Standortes Soultz durchgefuehrt. Sowohl die stationaeren wie auch die instationaeren Druckaufzeichnungen gaben bereits klare Hinweise auf nichtlaminare, turbulent-aehnliche Stroemungsverhaeltnisse. Zur genaueren Interpretation dieser Daten wurde das numerische Programm FRACTure erweitert. Unter der Annahme eines geometrisch einfachen Modells konnten die instationaeren Druckantworten sehr gut angepasst werden. Es gelang sogar, die beiden in GPK1 durchgefuehrten Tests durch dieselben Modelle zu erklaeren. Die hierfuer benoetigten Modellparameter liegen in einem physikalisch sinnvollem Rahmen und bestaetigen z.T. fruehere Untersuchungen. Die Existenz grosser Stoerungszonen, welche von den Modellen vorausgesetzt werden, bestaetigt ebenfalls fruehere Charakterisierungen des HDR Standortes Soultz als ein teilweise offenes hydraulisches System. (orig.)

  17. Orthogonal Test Analysis on Conditions Affecting Electricity Generation Performance of an Enhanced Geothermal System at Yangbajing Geothermal Field

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuchao Zeng

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The main conditions affecting electricity generation performance of an enhanced geothermal system (EGS include reservoir porosity, reservoir permeability, rock heat conductivity, water production rate and injection temperature. Presently there is lack of systematic research the relative importance of the five aforementioned conditions. The orthogonal test method is a statistical approach to analyze multi-factor and multi-level influence on system performance. In this work, based on the geological data at Yangbajing geothermal field, we analyzed the five conditions affecting the electricity generation performance of EGS, and ranked the relative importance of the five factors. The results show that the order of the relative importance of the conditions on electric power is water production rate > injection temperature > reservoir porosity > rock heat conductivity > reservoir permeability; the order of the relative importance of the conditions on reservoir impedance is reservoir permeability > injection temperature > water production rate > reservoir porosity > rock heat conductivity; the order of the relative importance of the conditions on pump power is water production rate > reservoir permeability > injection temperature > reservoir porosity > rock heat conductivity, and; the order of the relative importance of the conditions on energy efficiency is water production rate > reservoir permeability > reservoir porosity > injection temperature > rock heat conductivity. The construction of an EGS reservoir should be located at a formation with higher reservoir porosity or rock heat conductivity, while the determination of reservoir permeability, water production rate and injection temperature should be based on the comprehensive target.

  18. Viewpoint adaptive display of HDR images

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Forchhammer, Søren; Mantel, Claire

    2017-01-01

    In this paper viewpoint adaptive display of HDR images incorporating the effects of ambient light is presented and evaluated. LED backlight displays may render HDR images, but while at a global scale a high dynamic range may be achieved, locally the contrast is limited by the leakage of light...... through the LC elements of the display. To render high quality images, the display with backlight dimming can compute the values of the LED backlight and LC elements based on the input image, information about the viewpoint of the observer(s) and information of the ambient light. The goal is to achieve...... the best perceptual reproduction of the specified target image derived from the HDR input image in the specific viewing situation including multiple viewers, possibly having different preferences. An optimization based approach is presented. Some tests with reproduced images are also evaluated subjectively...

  19. 36Cl/Cl ratios in geothermal systems: preliminary measurements from the Coso Field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nimz, G.J.; Moore, J.N.; Kasameyer, P.W.

    1997-01-01

    The 36 Cl/Cl isotopic composition of chlorine in geothermal systems can be a useful diagnostic tool in characterizing hydrologic structure, in determining the origins and age of waters within the systems, and in differentiating the sources of chlorine (and other solutes) in the thermal waters. The 36 Cl/Cl values for several geothermal water samples and reservoir host rock samples from the Coso, California geothermal field have been measured for these purposes. The results indicate that most of the chlorine is not derived from the dominant granitoid that host the geothermal system. If the chlorine was originally input into the Coso subsurface through meteoric recharge, that input occurred at least 1-1.25 million years ago. The results suggest that the thermal waters could be connate waters derived from sedimentary formations, presumably underlying and adjacent top the granitic rocks, which have recently migrated into the host rocks. Alternatively, most of the chlorine but not the water, may have recently input into the system from magmatic sources. In either case, the results indicate that most of the chlorine in the thermal waters has existed within the granitoid host rocks for no more than about 100,00-200,00 years. this residence time for the chlorine is similar to residence times suggested by other researchers for chlorine in deep groundwaters of the Mono Basin north of the Coso field

  20. 36Cl/Cl ratios in geothermal systems: preliminary measurements from the Coso Field

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nimz, G.J.; Moore, J.N.; Kasameyer, P.W.

    1997-07-01

    The {sub 36}Cl/Cl isotopic composition of chlorine in geothermal systems can be a useful diagnostic tool in characterizing hydrologic structure, in determining the origins and age of waters within the systems, and in differentiating the sources of chlorine (and other solutes) in the thermal waters. The {sub 36}Cl/Cl values for several geothermal water samples and reservoir host rock samples from the Coso, California geothermal field have been measured for these purposes. The results indicate that most of the chlorine is not derived from the dominant granitoid that host the geothermal system. If the chlorine was originally input into the Coso subsurface through meteoric recharge, that input occurred at least 1-1.25 million years ago. The results suggest that the thermal waters could be connate waters derived from sedimentary formations, presumably underlying and adjacent top the granitic rocks, which have recently migrated into the host rocks. Alternatively, most of the chlorine but not the water, may have recently input into the system from magmatic sources. In either case, the results indicate that most of the chlorine in the thermal waters has existed within the granitoid host rocks for no more than about 100,00-200,00 years. this residence time for the chlorine is similar to residence times suggested by other researchers for chlorine in deep groundwaters of the Mono Basin north of the Coso field.

  1. Heat flow and geothermal processes in Iceland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flóvenz, Ólafur G.; Saemundsson, Kristján

    1993-09-01

    Heat flow values, derived from temperature measurements in shallow boreholes in Iceland, vary substantially across the country. The near-surface temperature gradients range from almost 0 to 500°C/km. The thermal conductivity of water-saturated rocks varies from 1.6 to 2.0 W/m°C. The temperature gradient in Iceland is mainly dependent on four factors: (1) the regional heat flow through the crust, (2) hydrothermal activity, (3) the permeability of the rock, and (4) residual heat in extinct volcanic centers. As Iceland is mainly made of basaltic material the radiogenic heat production is almost negligible. The thermal conductivity is, on the other hand, mainly influenced by the porosity of the rock; it increases as the porosity decreases. Iceland is made of sequences of flood basalts that formed within the volcanic rift zone—a continuation of the axis of the Mid-Atlantic ridge—and subsequently drifted sideways. Fresh basaltic lava is usually highly porous (30%) and fractured, and heat is mainly transported by convection. Therefore, a very low or even no temperature gradient is observed at shallow levels within the volcanic rift zone. As the basalt becomes buried the pores close due to lithostatic pressure and formation of secondary minerals. Below 500-1000 m depth in an uneroded lava pile, the heat is mainly transported by conduction. In the lowlands and valleys of Iceland outside the volcanic rift zone, 1000-1500 m of the original lava pile has been eroded, leaving thermal conduction as the most important heat transport mechanism. The regional temperature gradient has been measured in drillholes in dense and poorly permeable rocks away from the geothermal fields. The results show that the temperature gradient varies from 50 to 150°C/km. The highest values are found close to the volcanic rift zone and the gradient decreases with distance from the spreading axis. This result is mainly based on numerous shallow boreholes (60-500 m) but in some cases the results

  2. Geothermal gradients in Iraqi Kurdistan deduced from bottom hole temperatures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rzger A. Abdula

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Bottom hole temperature (BHT data from 12 oil wells in Iraqi Kurdistan were used to obtain the thermal trend of Iraqi Kurdistan. Due to differences in thermal conductivity of rocks and groundwater movement, variations in geothermal gradients were observed. The highest geothermal gradient (29.2 °C/km was found for well Taq Taq-8 in the Low Folded Zone (central part of the area. The lowest geothermal gradients (14.9 °C/km were observed for well Bekhme-1 in the High Folded Zone (northern and northeastern parts of the area. The average regional geothermal gradient for Iraqi Kurdistan is 21 °C/km.

  3. Geothermal power plants principles, applications, case studies and environmental impact

    CERN Document Server

    DiPippo, Ronald

    2012-01-01

    Now in its 3e, this single resource covers all aspects of the utilization of geothermal energy for power generation using fundamental scientific and engineering principles. Its practical emphasis is enhanced by the use of case studies from real plants that increase the reader's understanding of geothermal energy conversion and provide a unique compilation of hard-to-obtain data and experience. Important new chapters cover Hot Dry Rock, Enhanced Geothermal Systems, and Deep Hydrothermal Systems. New, international case studies provide practical, hands-on knowledge.

  4. HDR video synthesis for vision systems in dynamic scenes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shopovska, Ivana; Jovanov, Ljubomir; Goossens, Bart; Philips, Wilfried

    2016-09-01

    High dynamic range (HDR) image generation from a number of differently exposed low dynamic range (LDR) images has been extensively explored in the past few decades, and as a result of these efforts a large number of HDR synthesis methods have been proposed. Since HDR images are synthesized by combining well-exposed regions of the input images, one of the main challenges is dealing with camera or object motion. In this paper we propose a method for the synthesis of HDR video from a single camera using multiple, differently exposed video frames, with circularly alternating exposure times. One of the potential applications of the system is in driver assistance systems and autonomous vehicles, involving significant camera and object movement, non- uniform and temporally varying illumination, and the requirement of real-time performance. To achieve these goals simultaneously, we propose a HDR synthesis approach based on weighted averaging of aligned radiance maps. The computational complexity of high-quality optical flow methods for motion compensation is still pro- hibitively high for real-time applications. Instead, we rely on more efficient global projective transformations to solve camera movement, while moving objects are detected by thresholding the differences between the trans- formed and brightness adapted images in the set. To attain temporal consistency of the camera motion in the consecutive HDR frames, the parameters of the perspective transformation are stabilized over time by means of computationally efficient temporal filtering. We evaluated our results on several reference HDR videos, on synthetic scenes, and using 14-bit raw images taken with a standard camera.

  5. Geothermal-Related Thermo-Elastic Fracture Analysis by Numerical Manifold Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun He

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available One significant factor influencing geothermal energy exploitation is the variation of the mechanical properties of rock in high temperature environments. Since rock is typically a heterogeneous granular material, thermal fracturing frequently occurs in the rock when the ambient temperature changes, which can greatly influence the geothermal energy exploitation. A numerical method based on the numerical manifold method (NMM is developed in this study to simulate the thermo-elastic fracturing of rocklike granular materials. The Voronoi tessellation is incorporated into the pre-processor of NMM to represent the grain structure. A contact-based heat transfer model is developed to reflect heat interaction among grains. Based on the model, the transient thermal conduction algorithm for granular materials is established. To simulate the cohesion effects among grains and the fracturing process between grains, a damage-based contact fracture model is developed to improve the contact algorithm of NMM. In the developed numerical method, the heat interaction among grains as well as the heat transfer inside each solid grain are both simulated. Additionally, as damage evolution and fracturing at grain interfaces are also considered, the developed numerical method is applicable to simulate the geothermal-related thermal fracturing process.

  6. Modeling of a deep-seated geothermal system near Tianjin, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xun, Z; Mingyou, C; Weiming, Z; Minglang, L

    2001-01-01

    A geothermal field is located in deep-seated basement aquifers in the northeastern part of the North China Plain near Tianjin, China. Carbonate rocks of Ordovician and Middle and Upper Proterozoic age on the Cangxian Uplift are capable of yielding 960 to 4200 m3/d of 57 degrees C to 96 degrees C water to wells from a depth of more than 1000 m. A three-dimensional nonisothermal numerical model was used to simulate and predict the spatial and temporal evolution of pressure and temperature in the geothermal system. The density of the geothermal water, which appears in the governing equations, can be expressed as a linear function of pressure, temperature, and total dissolved solids. A term describing the exchange of heat between water and rock is incorporated in the governing heat transport equation. Conductive heat flow from surrounding formations can be considered among the boundary conditions. Recent data of geothermal water production from the system were used for a first calibration of the numerical model. The calibrated model was used to predict the future changes in pressure and temperature of the geothermal water caused by two pumping schemes. The modeling results indicate that both pressure and temperature have a tendency to decrease with time and pumping. The current withdrawal rates and a pumping period of five months followed by a shut-off period of seven months are helpful in minimizing the degradation of the geothermal resource potential in the area.

  7. Geothermal waters from the Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand: Li, B and Sr isotopes characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Millot, Romain; Hegan, Aimee; Négrel, Philippe

    2012-01-01

    Chemical and isotopic data for 23 geothermal water samples collected in New Zealand within the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) are reported. Major and trace elements including Li, B and Sr and their isotopic compositions (δ 7 Li, δ 11 B, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) were determined in high temperature geothermal waters collected from deep boreholes in different geothermal fields (Ohaaki, Wairakei, Mokai, Kawerau and Rotokawa geothermal systems). Lithium concentrations are high (from 4.5 to 19.9 mg/L) and Li isotopic compositions (δ 7 Li) are homogeneous, ranging between −0.5‰ and +1.4‰. In particular, it is noteworthy that, except for the samples from the Kawerau geothermal field having slightly higher δ 7 Li values (+1.4%), the other geothermal waters have a near constant δ 7 Li signature around a mean value of 0‰ ± 0.6 (2σ, n = 21). Boron concentrations are also high and relatively homogeneous for the geothermal samples, falling between 17.5 and 82.1 mg/L. Boron isotopic compositions (δ 11 B) are all negative, and display a range between −6.7‰ and −1.9‰. These B isotope compositions are in agreement with those of the Ngawha geothermal field in New Zealand. Lithium and B isotope signatures are in a good agreement with a fluid signature mainly derived from water/rock interaction involving magmatic rocks with no evidence of seawater input. On the other hand, Sr concentrations are lower and more heterogeneous and fall between 2 and 165 μg/L. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios range from 0.70549 to 0.70961. These Sr isotope compositions overlap those of the Rotorua geothermal field in New Zealand, confirming that some geothermal waters (with more radiogenic Sr) have interacted with bedrocks from the metasedimentary basement. Each of these isotope systems on their own reveals important information about particular aspects of either water source or water/rock interaction processes, but, considered together, provide a more integrated understanding of the geothermal systems from

  8. Geothermal gradients in Iraqi Kurdistan deduced from bottom hole temperatures

    OpenAIRE

    Abdula, Rzger A.

    2016-01-01

    Bottom hole temperature (BHT) data from 12 oil wells in Iraqi Kurdistan were used to obtain the thermal trend of Iraqi Kurdistan. Due to differences in thermal conductivity of rocks and groundwater movement, variations in geothermal gradients were observed. The highest geothermal gradient (29.2 °C/km) was found for well Taq Taq-8 in the Low Folded Zone (central part of the area). The lowest geothermal gradients (14.9 °C/km) were observed for well Bekhme-1 in the High Folded Zone (northern and...

  9. Federal Geothermal Research Program Update Fiscal Year 1998

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Keller, J.G.

    1999-05-01

    This report reviews the specific objectives, status, and accomplishments of DOE's Geothermal Research Program for Fiscal Year 1998. The Exploration Technology research area focuses on developing instruments and techniques to discover hidden hydrothermal systems and to expose the deep portions of known systems. The Reservoir Technology research combines laboratory and analytical investigations with equipment development and field testing to establish practical tools for resource development and management for both hydrothermal and hot dry rock reservoirs. The Drilling Technology projects focus on developing improved, economic drilling and completion technology for geothermal wells. The Conversion Technology research focuses on reducing costs and improving binary conversion cycle efficiency, to permit greater use of the more abundant moderate-temperature geothermal resource, and on the development of materials that will improve the operating characteristics of many types of geothermal energy equipment. Direct use research covers the direct use of geothermal energy sources for applications in other than electrical production.

  10. Rock-brine chemical interactions. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1982-02-01

    The results of experimental interaction of powdered volcanic rock with aqueous solutions are presented at temperatures from 200 to 400/sup 0/C, 500 to 1000 bars fluid pressure, with reaction durations of approximately 30 days under controlled laboratory conditions. The aim of this research is to develop data on the kinetics and equilibria of rock solution interactions that will provide insight into the complex geochemical processes attending geothermal reservoir development, stimulation, and reinjection. The research was done in the Stanford Hydrothermal Lab using gold cell equipment of the Dickson design. This equipment inverts the solution rock mixture several times a minute to ensure thorough mixing. Solution samples were periodically withdrawn without interruption of the experimental conditions. The data from these experiments suggests a path dependent series of reactions by which geothermal fluids might evolve from meteoric or magmatic sources.

  11. Performance evaluation of objective quality metrics for HDR image compression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valenzise, Giuseppe; De Simone, Francesca; Lauga, Paul; Dufaux, Frederic

    2014-09-01

    Due to the much larger luminance and contrast characteristics of high dynamic range (HDR) images, well-known objective quality metrics, widely used for the assessment of low dynamic range (LDR) content, cannot be directly applied to HDR images in order to predict their perceptual fidelity. To overcome this limitation, advanced fidelity metrics, such as the HDR-VDP, have been proposed to accurately predict visually significant differences. However, their complex calibration may make them difficult to use in practice. A simpler approach consists in computing arithmetic or structural fidelity metrics, such as PSNR and SSIM, on perceptually encoded luminance values but the performance of quality prediction in this case has not been clearly studied. In this paper, we aim at providing a better comprehension of the limits and the potentialities of this approach, by means of a subjective study. We compare the performance of HDR-VDP to that of PSNR and SSIM computed on perceptually encoded luminance values, when considering compressed HDR images. Our results show that these simpler metrics can be effectively employed to assess image fidelity for applications such as HDR image compression.

  12. Geothermal energy program summary: Volume 1: Overview Fiscal Year 1988

    Science.gov (United States)

    1989-02-01

    Geothermal energy is a here-and-now technology for use with dry steam resources and high-quality hydrothermal liquids. These resources are supplying about 6 percent of all electricity used in California. However, the competitiveness of power generation using lower quality hydrothermal fluids, geopressured brines, hot dry rock, and magma still depends on the technology improvements sought by the DOE Geothermal Energy R and D Program. The successful outcome of the R and D initiatives will serve to benefit the U.S. public in a number of ways. First, if a substantial portion of our geothermal resources can be used economically, they will add a very large source of secure, indigenous energy to the nation's energy supply. In addition, geothermal plants can be brought on line quickly in case of a national energy emergency. Geothermal energy is also a highly reliable resource, with very high plant availability. For example, new dry steam plants at The Geysers are operable over 99 percent of the time, and the small flash plant in Hawaii, only the second in the United States, has an availability factor of 98 percent. Geothermal plants also offer a viable baseload alternative to fossil and nuclear plants -- they are on line 24 hours a day, unaffected by diurnal or seasonal variations. The hydrothermal power plants with modern emission control technology have proved to have minimal environmental impact. The results to date with geopressured and hot dry rock resources suggest that they, too, can be operated so as to reduce environmental effects to well within the limits of acceptability. Preliminary studies on magma are also encouraging. In summary, the character and potential of geothermal energy, together with the accomplishments of DOE's Geothermal R and D Program, ensure that this huge energy resource will play a major role in future U.S. energy markets.

  13. Minutes of the conference 'Geothermal energy in Asia '98'. Symposium on the current status and the future of developing geothermal energy in Asia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-10-22

    This paper summarizes the proceedings presented at the 'Geothermal energy in Asia '98' held on October 22, 1998 in the Philippines. The Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, and Vietnam presented proceedings on the current status and the future of developing geothermal energy in each country. Technical theses presented relate to the following matters: a geothermal development model in the Khoy geothermal area in Iran, the result of surveys on promotion of geothermal development in Japan, the thermal fluid sources in the geothermal fluid systems in the Hachijo volcanic island in Japan, strategies for heat reservoir management by using numerical simulation in the Hacchobari geothermal area in Japan, a geological model for the north Negros geothermal area in the center of the Philippines, application of the NEDO rock core analyzing method in the Wasabizawa geothermal development area in Japan, measurements of geomagnetism, geocurrent, and gravity in the north Negros in the center of the Philippines, geophysical studies in geothermal exploration in the Mataloko area in the Nustenggara island in the eastern Indonesia, and the background of magma/crust structure in the geothermal systems. (NEDO)

  14. Oxygen isotope studies of the Salton Sea geothermal field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olson, E.R.

    1978-01-01

    Interbedded shales and sandstones were drilled to a depth of 1588 metres in Sinclair Number Four Well, Salton Sea Geothermal Field. Bottom hole temperatures are approximately 290 0 C. The oxygen dels of hydrothermal and detrital calcite have a systematic relationship at any depth in the geothermal reservoir. Typical values are: vein calcite, +6 0 / 00 ; calcite in white sandstone, +10 0 / 00 ; calcite in dark gray shale, +11 0 / 00 ; calcite in light gray shale, +17 0 / 00 ; calcite in red-brown shale, +20 0 / 00 . This succession represents decreasing water-rock interaction that is also indicated by the clay mineralogy of the shales. Permeability has a marked effect on the equilibration of water and rocks at any given temperature. Original differences in permeability have resulted in partial preservation of original detrital sedimentary compositions. The fluids in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field are probabaly partially evaporated Colorado River water, and their oxygen del values vary as much as 4 0 / 00 throughout the field. Truesdell's (1974) data suggest that dissolved salts may make the water oxygen activity del as much as 6 0 / 00 greater than the concentration del in the geothermal reservoir. Such an uncertainty is a serious impediment to precise isotope geothermometry in this system.(auth.)

  15. Traceable calibration of hospital 192Ir HDR sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Govinda Rajan, K.N.; Bhatt, B.C.; Pendse, A.M.; Kannan, V.

    2002-01-01

    Presently, no primary standard exists for the standardization of remote afterloading 192 Ir HDR sources. These sources are, therefore, being standardized by a few Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs), in terms of Air Kerma Strength (AKS) or Reference Air Kerma Rate (RAKR) using a 0.6 cc Farmer type chamber, set up as an Interim Standard. These SSDLs offer calibration to well type of ionization chambers that are normally used by the hospitals for calibrating the 192 lr HDR source. Presently, in many countries, including India, well chambers are not commercially available. Nor do these countries offer any calibration service for 192 lr HDR source. With the result users make use of well chambers imported from different countries with their calibration traceable to the country of origin. Since no intercomparisons between these countries have been reported, the measurement consistency between hospitals becomes questionable. The problem is compounded by the fact that these chambers are used for several years without re-calibration since no calibration service is locally available. For instance, in India, the chambers have been in use in hospitals, since 1994, without a second calibration. Not all hospitals use the well chamber for the calibration of the 192 lr HDR source. Many hospitals make use of 0.6 cc chambers, in air, at short source to chamber distances, for measuring the AKS of the source. The latter method is prone to much larger inaccuracy due to the use of very short source to chamber distances without proper calibration jigs, use of 60 Co calibration factor for 192 Ir HDR source calibrations, neglecting correction factors for room scatter, fluence non-uniformity, use of arbitrary buildup factors for the buildup cap of the chamber etc. A comparison of the procedures used at hospitals revealed that various arbitrary methods are in use at hospitals. An indigenously developed well chamber was calibrated against a Reference Standard traceable to the

  16. Environmental monitoring for the hot dry rock geothermal energy development project. Annual report, July 1975--June 1976

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pettitt, R.A. (comp.)

    1976-09-01

    The objectives of this environmental monitoring report are to provide a brief conceptual and historical summary of the Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Project, a brief overview of the environmental monitoring responsibilities and activities of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, and descriptions of the studies, problems, and results obtained from the various monitoring programs. Included are descriptions of the work that has been done in three major monitoring areas: (1) water quality, both surface and subsurface; (2) seismicity, with a discussion of the monitoring strategy of regional, local, and close-in detection networks; and (3) climatology. The purpose of these programs is to record baseline data, define potential effects from the project activities, and determine and record any impacts that may occur.

  17. HDR Image Quality Enhancement Based on Spatially Variant Retinal Response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Horiuchi Takahiko

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available There is a growing demand for being able to display high dynamic range (HDR images on low dynamic range (LDR devices. Tone mapping is a process for enhancing HDR image quality on an LDR device by converting the tonal values of the original image from HDR to LDR. This paper proposes a new tone mapping algorithm for enhancing image quality by deriving a spatially-variant operator for imitating S-potential response in human retina, which efficiently improves local contrasts while conserving good global appearance. The proposed tone mapping operator is studied from a system construction point of view. It is found that the operator is regarded as a natural extension of the Retinex algorithm by adding a global adaptation process to the local adaptation. The feasibility of the proposed algorithm is examined in detail on experiments using standard HDR images and real HDR scene images, comparing with conventional tone mapping algorithms.

  18. Bibliographical review about Na/Li geo-thermometry and lithium isotopes applied to worldwide geothermal waters. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanjuan, B.; Millot, R.

    2009-09-01

    This study is performed within the framework of the FP6 European project HITI (High Temperature Instruments for supercritical geothermal reservoir characterization and exploitation). This research project, co-funded by EU and the different partners, aims to provide geophysical and geochemical sensors and methods to evaluate deep geothermal wells up to supercritical conditions (T > 370 deg. C), which are more cost-effective than those of the conventional wells. A deep geothermal well is currently being drilled for this purpose into the Krafla area, Iceland, as part of the IDDP ('Iceland Deep Drilling Project') and with joint funding from Icelandic industry and science Institutes. Another deep well will be drilled in the Reykjanes peninsula, Iceland, within the framework of the same project. This study, a bibliographical review about the Na/Li geo-thermometer and lithium isotopes applied on the world geothermal waters, is the first step of the task envisaged by BRGM to use and validate the sodium-lithium (Na-Li) chemical geo-thermometer on Icelandic geothermal waters at temperatures ranging from 25 to 500 deg. C. In this study, more than 120 temperature and chemical data from world geothermal and oil-fields, sedimentary basins, oceanic ridges, emerged rifts and island arcs have been collected and investigated. These additional data have allowed to confirm and refine the three existing Na/Li thermometric relationships. Moreover, a new Na/Li thermometric relationship relative to the processes of seawater or dilute seawater-basalt interaction occurring in the oceanic ridges and emerged rifts is proposed. Even if the running of Na/Li is still poorly understood, the existence of a new thermometric relationship confirms that the Na/Li ratios not only depend on the temperature but also on other parameters such as the fluid salinity and origin, or the nature of the reservoir rocks in contact with the geothermal fluids. For most of the geothermal waters in contact with

  19. NEDO Forum 2001. Session on development of geothermal energy (Prospect of geothermal energy); NEDO Forum 2001. Chinetsu kaihatsu session (chinetsu energy no tenbo)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-09-20

    The presentations made at the above-named session of the NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) forum held in Tokyo on September 20, 2001, are collected in this report. Director Noda of Institute for Geo-Resources and Environment, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, delivered a lecture entitled 'Future course of geothermal technology development,' and Executive Director Iikura of Tokyo Toshi Kaihatsu, Inc., a lecture entitled 'Thinking of geothermal energy.' Described in an achievement report entitled 'Present state and future trend of geothermal development' were the present state of geothermal power generation and characteristics of geothermal energy, signification of the introduction of binary cycle power generation, and the promotion of the introduction of ground heat utilizing heat pump systems. Stated in a lecture entitled 'Geothermal development promotion survey' were the geothermal development promotion survey and its result and how to implement such surveys in the future. Reported in a lecture entitled 'Verification survey of geothermal energy probing technology and the like and the development of geothermal water utilizing power plant and the like' were reservoir fluctuation probing, deep-seated thermal resource probing and collecting, 10-MW class demonstration plant, Measurement While Drilling System, and a hot rock power generation system. (NEDO)

  20. Preliminary interpretation of isotopic studies of geothermal waters from the Beijing region (P.R. China)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keyan, Zheng; Da-Lei, Ma; Changfang, Xie; Shangyao, Huang; Jianghua, Feng; Jingshu, Wu

    1982-01-01

    Isotopic studies of thermal and cold surface waters sampled in Beijing region have shown that the thermal waters are meteoric waters which have been precipitated in the mountainous area lying to the NW of Beijing. ΔD and over distances of more than 150 km in Sinian basement rocks which are 3 to 5 km in the SE sector of the region. Significant 18 O exchange with basement rocks occurs in the Jizhong Depression about 60 km to the SE of Beijing. On a smaller scale, a SE flow of thermal waters in basement rocks in corroborated by Δ 34 S data for the Beijing area and the Beijing geothermal field. The Beijing geothermal field and other geothermal fields in the SE sector of the Beijing region are an example for low temperature systems where the heat is derived from a normal or slightly greater than normal, terrestrial heat flow

  1. Quality assurance of Vari-source high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy- remote after loader and cost effectiveness of Vari-source HDR- brachytherapy: NORI, Islamabad experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, N.; Mahmood, H.; Jafri, S.R.A.

    2004-01-01

    A quality control of Vari-Source high dose rate (HDR) remote after loading brachytherapy machine was carried out and the cost effectiveness of HDR brachytherapy machine was also evaluated considering the cost of ten Iridium-192 wire sources at Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI), Islamabad, Pakistan. A total number of 253 intracavitary insertions were done in 98 patients from October 1996 to May 2001. The results of the quality control tests performed during 1996 to 2001 were within the acceptable limits. The cost effectiveness of Vari-Source HDR brachytherapy machine was also evaluated. The average cost per patient was calculated as US$ 491. Small number of patients was treated as the machine was used for gynecologic malignancies only. The objective was to assess the quality control status of HDR brachytherapy machine on patient treatment day, source exchange day and periodic day (monthly basis). It was found that the cost per patient can be minimized if other type of cancer patients are also treated on Vari-Source HDR machine. (author)

  2. Geothermal potential assessment of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano based on rock thermal conductivity measurements and numerical modeling of heat transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vélez, Maria Isabel; Blessent, Daniela; Córdoba, Sebastián; López-Sánchez, Jacqueline; Raymond, Jasmin; Parra-Palacio, Eduardo

    2018-01-01

    This work presents an estimation of the geothermal potential of the Nevado del Ruiz (NDR) volcano, bridging the knowledge gap to develop geothermal energy in Colombia and improve resource estimates in South America. Field work, laboratory measurements, geological interpretations, 2D numerical modeling, and uncertainty analysis were conducted to the northwest of the NDR to assess temperature at depth and define thermal energy content. About 60 rock samples were collected at outcrops to measure thermal conductivity with a needle probe. A 2D numerical model, built from an inferred geological cross-section, was developed with the software OpenGeoSys to simulate the underground temperature distribution and then estimate the geothermal potential of a 1 km2 area with sufficient temperature, assuming a recovery factor equal to 2.4% and a 30 years exploitation time. Coupled groundwater flow and heat transfer were simulated in steady-state considering two different thermal conductivity scenarios. Results show that the average estimated potential is 1.5 × 10-2 MWt m-1 of the reservoir thickness, considering temperatures greater than 150 °C located at a depth of approximately 2 km, in a selected area situated outside of the Los Nevados National Natural Park (NNP), to avoid any direct intervention on this protected area. According to a Monte Carlo analysis considering pessimist and optimist scenarios of thermal conductivity, the estimated geothermal power was 1.54 × 10-2 MW m-1 (σ = 2.91 × 10-3 MW m-1) and 1.88 × 10-2 MW/m (σ = 2.91 × 10-3 MW m-1) for the two modeling scenario considered.

  3. Successive hydrothermal events as indicated by oxygen isotope composition and petrography of greywacke basement rocks, Kawerau geothermal field, New Zealand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Absar, A.; Blattner, P.

    1985-01-01

    Fifteen drillholes at the Kawerau geothermal field penetrated a sequence of Quaternary volcanic rocks overlying Mesozoic greywackes and argillites in the depth range of 650 to 1220 m below sea level. Maximum temperature in the basement is 250 to 303 deg. C. Twelve greywacke cores were modally analysed in order to determine their intensity of alteration, which in turn was compared with their oxygen isotope composition. It is concluded that Kawerau geothermal field has experienced at least three hydrothermal regimes. The earliest was characterised by fluids with low m CO 2 and δ 18 O, as indicated by the wairakite-prehnite mineral assemblage in greywacke depleted by 5 ppm. This regime was followed by a period of hydraulic fracturing the formation of a mineral assemblage with abundant calcite indicative of fluids with high dissolved CO 2 . Precipitation of minerals during these two early successive hydrothermal regimes resulted in sealing of fractures in the southern part of the field. These two mineral assemblages are indicated to have formed prior to faulting. The latest mineral assemblage comprising quartz-calcite-adularia-calc silicates on the other hand, is related to a series of NE trending faults which enabled geothermal fluids to move northeastward after circulation was precluded in the southern part. This suggests that future exploration for production from the greywacke basement should be in the north where mineralogy and δ 18 O composition of calcite indicate that much better permeability occurs

  4. Combining water-rock interaction experiments with reaction path and reactive transport modelling to predict reservoir rock evolution in an enhanced geothermal system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuesters, Tim; Mueller, Thomas; Renner, Joerg

    2016-04-01

    Reliably predicting the evolution of mechanical and chemical properties of reservoir rocks is crucial for efficient exploitation of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). For example, dissolution and precipitation of individual rock forming minerals often result in significant volume changes, affecting the hydraulic rock properties and chemical composition of fluid and solid phases. Reactive transport models are typically used to evaluate and predict the effect of the internal feedback of these processes. However, a quantitative evaluation of chemo-mechanical interaction in polycrystalline environments is elusive due to poorly constrained kinetic data of complex mineral reactions. In addition, experimentally derived reaction rates are generally faster than reaction rates determined from natural systems, likely a consequence of the experimental design: a) determining the rate of a single process only, e.g. the dissolution of a mineral, and b) using powdered sample materials and thus providing an unrealistically high reaction surface and at the same time eliminating the restrictions on element transport faced in-situ for fairly dense rocks. In reality, multiple reactions are coupled during the alteration of a polymineralic rocks in the presence of a fluid and the rate determining process of the overall reactions is often difficult to identify. We present results of bulk rock-water interaction experiments quantifying alteration reactions between pure water and a granodiorite sample. The rock sample was chosen for its homogenous texture, small and uniform grain size (˜0.5 mm in diameter), and absence of pre-existing alteration features. The primary minerals are plagioclase (plg - 58 vol.%), quartz (qtz - 21 vol.%), K-feldspar (Kfs - 17 vol.%), biotite (bio - 3 vol.%) and white mica (wm - 1 vol.%). Three sets of batch experiments were conducted at 200 ° C to evaluate the effect of reactive surface area and different fluid path ways using (I) powders of the bulk rock with

  5. Symposium in the field of geothermal energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramirez, Miguel; Mock, John E.

    1989-04-01

    Mexico and the US are nations with abundant sources of geothermal energy, and both countries have progressed rapidly in developing their more accessible resources. For example, Mexico has developed over 600 MWe at Cerro Prieto, while US developers have brought in over 2000 MWe at the Geysers. These successes, however, are only a prologue to an exciting future. All forms of energy face technical and economic barriers that must be overcome if the resources are to play a significant role in satisfying national energy needs. Geothermal energy--except for the very highest grade resources--face a number of barriers, which must be surmounted through research and development. Sharing a common interest in solving the problems that impede the rapid utilization of geothermal energy, Mexico and the US agreed to exchange information and participate in joint research. An excellent example of this close and continuing collaboration is the geothermal research program conducted under the auspices of the 3-year agreement signed on April 7, 1986 by the US DOE and the Mexican Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE). The major objectives of this bilateral agreement are: (1) to achieve a thorough understanding of the nature of geothermal reservoirs in sedimentary and fractured igneous rocks; (2) to investigate how the geothermal resources of both nations can best be explored and utilized; and (3) to exchange information on geothermal topics of mutual interest.

  6. FY 1992 report on the survey of geothermal development promotion. Geochemical survey (Survey of geothermal water) (No.36 - Hongu area); 1992 nendo chinetsu kaihatsu sokushin chosa. Chikagaku chosa (Nessui no chosa) hokokusho (No.36 Hongu chiiki)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1993-07-01

    The test on jetting of geothermal water by the induced jetting, sampling of geothermal water and analysis/survey were carried out in the structure drilling well of N4-HG-2 in the Hongu area, Wakayama Prefecture. The induced jetting of the well was conducted by the Swabbing method up to the total pumping amount of 459.9m{sup 3} that is equal to about 24 times as much as the inner quantity of the well, but it did not result in jetting. The maximum temperature of geothermal water was 65.6 degrees C, pH was 6.6-7.5, electric conductivity was 2,800-2,900 {mu}S/cm, and Cl concentration was 500-700ppm. The geothermal water was classified into the HCO{sub 3} type that is neutral, and the spring quality and liquidity were the same as those of existing hot springs in this area. In the Hongu area, the distribution of new volcanic rocks has not known. The K-Ar age of quartz porphyry intrusive rocks was made about 13Ma, and it was considered that a possibility was low of the rocks being heat sources of geothermal activities. It was also considered that the geothermal water/hot spring water in this area, which originate in the surface water, were heated in heat transfer by magma activities in the deep underground and were flowing forming a small scale of hydrothermal convection system. (NEDO)

  7. Carbon sequestration potential of the Habanero reservoir when carbon dioxide is used as the heat exchange fluid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chaoshui Xu

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The use of sequestered carbon dioxide (CO2 as the heat exchange fluid in enhanced geothermal system (EGS has significant potential to increase their productivity, contribute further to reducing carbon emissions and increase the economic viability of geothermal power generation. Coupled CO2 sequestration and geothermal energy production from hot dry rock (HDR EGS were first proposed 15 years ago but have yet to be practically implemented. This paper reviews some of the issues in assessing these systems with particular focus on the power generation and CO2 sequestration capacity. The Habanero geothermal field in the Cooper Basin of South Australia is assessed for its potential CO2 storage capacity if supercritical CO2 is used as the working fluid for heat extraction. The analysis suggests that the major CO2 sequestration mechanisms are the storage in the fracture-stimulation damaged zone followed by diffusion into the pores within the rock matrix. The assessment indicates that 5% of working fluid loss commonly suggested as the storage capacity might be an over-estimate of the long-term CO2 sequestration capacity of EGS in which supercritical CO2 is used as the circulation fluid.

  8. Rock alteration in some geothermal areas of Japan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seki, Y

    1966-01-01

    Petrological studies were made of stable metamorphic mineral assemblages found in drill cores taken in Japan and New Zealand. These studies showed that the temperature and depth of the point at which zeolite assemblages are transformed into feldspar bearing assemblages can be used as indicators of water pressure or of the ratio of water pressure to total pressure in the deeper part of geothermal areas.

  9. Color sensitivity of the multi-exposure HDR imaging process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenseigne, Boris; Jacobs, Valéry Ann; Withouck, Martijn; Hanselaer, Peter; Jonker, Pieter P.

    2013-04-01

    Multi-exposure high dynamic range(HDR) imaging builds HDR radiance maps by stitching together different views of a same scene with varying exposures. Practically, this process involves converting raw sensor data into low dynamic range (LDR) images, estimate the camera response curves, and use them in order to recover the irradiance for every pixel. During the export, applying white balance settings and image stitching, which both have an influence on the color balance in the final image. In this paper, we use a calibrated quasi-monochromatic light source, an integrating sphere, and a spectrograph in order to evaluate and compare the average spectral response of the image sensor. We finally draw some conclusion about the color consistency of HDR imaging and the additional steps necessary to use multi-exposure HDR imaging as a tool to measure the physical quantities such as radiance and luminance.

  10. Geochemical study of water-rock interaction processes on geothermal systems of alkaline water in granitic massif; Estudio geoquimico de los procesos de interaccion agua-roca sobre sistemas goetermales de aguas alcalinas en granitoides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Buil gutierrez, B; Garcia Sanz, S; Lago San Jose, M; Arranz Uague, E; Auque Sanz, L [Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain)

    2002-07-01

    The study of geothermal systems developed within granitic massifs (with alkaline waters and reducing ORP values) is a topic of increasing scientific interest. These systems are a perfect natural laboratory for studying the water-rock interaction processes as they are defined by three main features: 1) long residence time of water within the system, 2) temperature in the reservoir high enough to favour reaction kinetics and finally, 3) the comparison of the chemistry of the incoming and outgoing waters of the system allows for the evaluation of the processes that have modified the water chemistry and its signature, The four geothermal systems considered in this paper are developed within granitic massifs of the Spanish Central Pyrenes; these systems were studied from a geochemical point of view, defining the major, trace and REE chemistry of both waters and host rocks and then characterizing the composition and geochemical evolution of the different waters. Bicarbonate-chloride-sodic and bicarbonate-sodic compositions are the most representative of the water chemistry in the deep geothermal system, as they are not affected by secondary processes (mixing, conductive cooling, etc). (Author)

  11. The Marsili Volcanic Seamount (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea: A Potential Offshore Geothermal Resource

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Italiano

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Italy has a strong geothermal potential for power generation, although, at present, the only two geothermal fields being exploited are Larderello-Travale/Radicondoli and Mt. Amiata in the Tyrrhenian pre-Apennine volcanic district of Southern Tuscany. A new target for geothermal exploration and exploitation in Italy is represented by the Southern Tyrrhenian submarine volcanic district, a geologically young basin (Upper Pliocene-Pleistocene characterised by tectonic extension where many seamounts have developed. Heat-flow data from that area show significant anomalies comparable to those of onshore geothermal fields. Fractured basaltic rocks facilitate seawater infiltration and circulation of hot water chemically altered by rock/water interactions, as shown by the widespread presence of hydrothermal deposits. The persistence of active hydrothermal activity is consistently shown by many different sources of evidence, including: heat-flow data, gravity and magnetic anomalies, widespread presence of hydrothermal-derived gases (CO2, CO, CH4, 3He/4He isotopic ratios, as well as broadband OBS/H seismological information, which demonstrates persistence of volcano-tectonic events and High Frequency Tremor (HFT. The Marsili and Tyrrhenian seamounts are thus an important—and likely long-lasting-renewable energy resource. This raises the possibility of future development of the world’s first offshore geothermal power plant.

  12. Guidelines for optimization of planar HDR implants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zwicker, R.D.; Schmidt-Ullrich, R.

    1996-01-01

    Purpose: Conventional low dose rate (LDR) planar Ir-192 implants are typically carried out using at most a few different source strengths. Remote afterloading offers a much higher degree of flexibility with individually programmable dwell times. Dedicated software is available to generate individual dwell times producing isodose surfaces which contour as closely as possible the target volume. The success of these algorithms in enclosing the target volume while sparing normal tissues is dependent on the positioning of the source guides which constrain the dwell points. In this work we provide source placement guidelines for optimal coverage and dose uniformity in planar high dose rate (HDR) implants. The resulting distributions are compared with LDR treatments in terms of dose uniformity and early and late tissue effects. Materials and methods: Computer studies were undertaken to determine source positions and dwell times for optimal dose uniformity in planar HDR implants, and the results were compared to those obtained using corresponding LDR implant geometries. The improvements in the dose distributions achieved with the remote after loader are expected to help offset the increased late tissue effects which can occur when LDR irradiation is replaced with a few large HDR fractions. Equivalent differential volume-dose (DVD) curves for early and late effects were calculated for different numbers of HDR fractions using a linear-quadratic model and compared to the corresponding curves for the LDR regime. Results: Tables of source placement parameters were generated as guidelines for achieving highly homogeneous planar HDR dose distributions. Differential volume-dose data generated inside the target volume provide a quantitative measure of the improvement in real dose homogeneity obtained with remote afterloading. The net result is a shift of the peak in the DVD curve toward lower doses relative to the LDR implant. The equivalent DVD curves for late effects obtained

  13. Groundwater Monitoring and Engineered Geothermal Systems: The Newberry EGS Demonstration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grasso, K.; Cladouhos, T. T.; Garrison, G.

    2013-12-01

    Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS) represent the next generation of geothermal energy development. Stimulation of multiple zones within a single geothermal reservoir could significantly reduce the cost of geothermal energy production. Newberry Volcano in central Oregon represents an ideal location for EGS research and development. As such, the goals of the Newberry EGS Demonstration, operated by AltaRock Energy, Inc., include stimulation of a multiple-zone EGS reservoir, testing of single-well tracers and a demonstration of EGS reservoir viability through flow-back and circulation tests. A shallow, local aquifer supplied the approximately 41,630 m3 (11 million gals) of water used during stimulation of NWG 55-29, a deep geothermal well on the western flank of Newberry Volcano. Protection of the local aquifer is of primary importance to both the Newberry EGS Demonstration and the public. As part of the Demonstration, AltaRock Energy, Inc. has developed and implemented a groundwater monitoring plan to characterize the geochemistry of the local aquifer before, during and after stimulation. Background geochemical conditions were established prior to stimulation of NWG 55-29, which was completed in 2012. Nine sites were chosen for groundwater monitoring. These include the water supply well used during stimulation of NWG 55-29, three monitoring wells, three domestic water wells and two hot seeps located in the Newberry Caldera. Together, these nine monitoring sites represent up-, down- and cross-gradient locations. Groundwater samples are analyzed for 25 chemical constituents, stable isotopes, and geothermal tracers used during stimulation. In addition, water level data is collected at three monitoring sites in order to better characterize the effects of stimulation on the shallow aquifer. To date, no significant geochemical changes and no geothermal tracers have been detected in groundwater samples from these monitoring sites. The Newberry EGS Demonstration groundwater

  14. Synthetic Modeling of A Geothermal System Using Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) and Magnetotelluric (MT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mega Saputra, Rifki; Widodo

    2017-04-01

    Indonesia has 40% of the world’s potential geothermal resources with estimated capacity of 28,910 MW. Generally, the characteristic of the geothermal system in Indonesia is liquid-dominated systems, which driven by volcanic activities. In geothermal exploration, electromagnetic methods are used to map structures that could host potential reservoirs and source rocks. We want to know the responses of a geothermal system using synthetic data of Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) and Magnetotelluric (MT). Due to frequency range, AMT and MT data can resolve the shallow and deeper structure, respectively. 1-D models have been performed using AMT and MT data. The results indicate that AMT and MT data give detailed conductivity distribution of geothermal structure.

  15. MO-B-BRC-00: Prostate HDR Treatment Planning - Considering Different Imaging Modalities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    Brachytherapy has proven to be an effective treatment option for prostate cancer. Initially, prostate brachytherapy was delivered through permanently implanted low dose rate (LDR) radioactive sources; however, high dose rate (HDR) temporary brachytherapy for prostate cancer is gaining popularity. Needle insertion during prostate brachytherapy is most commonly performed under ultrasound (U/S) guidance; however, treatment planning may be performed utilizing several imaging modalities either in an intra- or post-operative setting. During intra-operative prostate HDR, the needles are imaged during implantation, and planning may be performed in real time. At present, the most common imaging modality utilized for intra-operative prostate HDR is U/S. Alternatively, in the post-operative setting, following needle implantation, patients may be simulated with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each imaging modality and workflow provides its share of benefits and limitations. Prostate HDR has been adopted in a number of cancer centers across the nation. In this educational session, we will explore the role of U/S, CT, and MRI in HDR prostate brachytherapy. Example workflows and operational details will be shared, and we will discuss how to establish a prostate HDR program in a clinical setting. Learning Objectives: Review prostate HDR techniques based on the imaging modality Discuss the challenges and pitfalls introduced by the three imagebased options for prostate HDR brachytherapy Review the QA process and learn about the development of clinical workflows for these imaging options at different institutions

  16. MO-B-BRC-00: Prostate HDR Treatment Planning - Considering Different Imaging Modalities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2016-06-15

    Brachytherapy has proven to be an effective treatment option for prostate cancer. Initially, prostate brachytherapy was delivered through permanently implanted low dose rate (LDR) radioactive sources; however, high dose rate (HDR) temporary brachytherapy for prostate cancer is gaining popularity. Needle insertion during prostate brachytherapy is most commonly performed under ultrasound (U/S) guidance; however, treatment planning may be performed utilizing several imaging modalities either in an intra- or post-operative setting. During intra-operative prostate HDR, the needles are imaged during implantation, and planning may be performed in real time. At present, the most common imaging modality utilized for intra-operative prostate HDR is U/S. Alternatively, in the post-operative setting, following needle implantation, patients may be simulated with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each imaging modality and workflow provides its share of benefits and limitations. Prostate HDR has been adopted in a number of cancer centers across the nation. In this educational session, we will explore the role of U/S, CT, and MRI in HDR prostate brachytherapy. Example workflows and operational details will be shared, and we will discuss how to establish a prostate HDR program in a clinical setting. Learning Objectives: Review prostate HDR techniques based on the imaging modality Discuss the challenges and pitfalls introduced by the three imagebased options for prostate HDR brachytherapy Review the QA process and learn about the development of clinical workflows for these imaging options at different institutions.

  17. Geothermal investigations in Slovenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danilo Ravnik

    1991-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the methodology and the results of geothermal investigations, based on seventy-two boreholes in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia.The data of fundamental geothermal quantities: formation temperature, thermal conductivity, and radiogenic heat production of rocks as well as surface heat flow density are stored in a computerized data base. Their synthesis is given in the map of formation temperatures at 1000 m depth and in the map of surface heat flow density. In both maps the thermal difference between the Pannonian basin in theeastern and the Dinarides in the western part of Slovenia is clearly expressed.However, in the boundary area between these two tectonic units, for a distance of about 100 km in SW-NE direction, elevated horizontal gradients of formation temperature as well as heat flow density are evident. A small positive thermal anomaly in the Ljubljana depression is conspicuous.The low-temperature geothermal resources in Slovenia such as thermalsprings and thermal water from boreholes, are estimated to have a flow rate of 1120 kg/s, corresponding to the ideal total heat production of 144 MWt. In the geothermally promising areas amounting to 3200 km2 the rate of accessible resource base (ARB down to the depth of 3 km has been assessed to about 8.5 x lO 20» J.

  18. Geothermal technology in Australia: Investigating social acceptance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dowd, Anne-Maree; Boughen, Naomi; Ashworth, Peta; Carr-Cornish, Simone

    2011-01-01

    Issues of social acceptance, such as lack of awareness and negative community perceptions and reactions, can affect low emission energy technology development, despite general support observed for reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change. Negative community reactions and lack of understanding have affected geothermal developments, as demonstrated by the fearful community reactions and negative media experienced in response to seismic disturbances caused by 'hot rock' geothermal energy generation in Switzerland and Germany. Focusing on geothermal energy, this paper presents the results of using a participatory action research methodology to engage diverse groups within the Australian public. A key finding is that the majority of the Australian public report limited the knowledge or understanding of geothermal technology and have various concerns including water usage and seismic activity instigated by geothermal drilling. However, geothermal energy receives general support due to a common trend to champion renewable energy sources in preference to traditional forms of energy generation and controversial technologies. This paper also demonstrates the effectiveness of using an engagement process to explore public understanding of energy technologies in the context of climate change, and suggests a way forward for governments and industry to allocate resources for greatest impact when communicating about geothermal technology. - Highlights: → Majority of Australians have limited knowledge or understanding of geothermal technology. → Various concerns, including water usage and seismic activity instigated by drilling, were raised. → Geothermal energy has general support due to a common trend to champion renewable energy sources. → Methodology shows the effectiveness of an engagement process to explore public understanding. → Participants expressed intention to change behaviours, which can be a catalyst for change.

  19. Report on achievements in fiscal 1975 in Sunshine Project. Studies on physical and chemical properties of rocks in geothermal areas; 1975 nendo chinetsu chitai ni okeru ganseki no butsuri kagakuteki tokusei ni kansuru kenkyu seika hokokusho

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1976-03-01

    This paper reports the achievements of (A) studies on change in rock specific resistance due to temperature and water content, and (B) petrological, mineralogical and chemical studies on thermally transformed rocks. In the study (A), it was discovered that use of high-pressure capsules allow to obtain test samples in a condition of containing hot water as a result of studies on temperature change in rock specific resistance due to hot water content. In the measurements of geothermal gradient and heat conductivity of test drilled rock cores, the experiments revealed that there are different patterns of temperature restoration due to geological conditions and finish of wells, and properties of mud water used. The studies on thermal structures and underground structures decided shapes of measurement test samples of test drilled cores. In the measurements of heat conductivity and heat flow rate of test drilled rock cores, considerations were given on the relationship among sectional temperature increasing rate, heat conductivity and heat flow rate. The measurements of residual magnetism and magnetization in rocks described interpretation on the result of test drilled core measurement. In the study (B), aluminous sphere in the Hachimantai Onuma geothermal area is first described. Then, a description is given on the relationship between chemical constituents and electric conductivity of natural water in Mt. Akita Yakeyama and its vicinity. (NEDO)

  20. HDR-Clinical Data Service (CDS)

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Veterans Affairs — CDS is a SOAP/REST web service interface that supports Create, Retrieve, Update, and Delete (CRUD) operations against HDR data stores over secure Hypertext Transfer...

  1. Geothermal energy and the utility market -- the opportunities and challenges for expanding geothermal energy in a competitive supply market: Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-01-01

    Each year the Geothermal Division of the US Department of Energy conducts an in-depth review of its entire geothermal R D program. The conference serves several purposes: a status report on current R D activities, an assessment of progress and problems, a review of management issues, and a technology transfer opportunity between DOE and the US geothermal city. This year's conference, Program Review X, was held in San Francisco on March 24--26, 1992. The theme of the review, Geothermal Energy and the Utility Market -- The Opportunities and Challenges for Expanding Geothermal Energy in a Competitive Supply Market,'' focused on the needs of the electric utility sector. Geothermal energy, with its power capacity potential of 10 GWe by the year 2010, can provide reliable, enviromentally clean electricity which can help offset the projected increase in demand. Program Review X consisted of seven sessions including an opening session with presentations by Mr. Vikram Budhraja, Vice President of System Planning and Operations, Southern California Edison Company, and Mr. Richard Jaros, President and Chief Operating Officer, California Energy Company. The six technical sessions included presentations by the relevant field researchers covering DOE-sponsored R D in hydrothermal, hot dry rock, and geopressured energy. Individual projects are processed separately for the data bases.

  2. Outline of geothermal energy research and development in fiscal 1999; Heisei 11 nendo chinetsu enerugi kenkyu kaihatsu no gaiyo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Konishi, T. [Agency of Industrial Science and Tehcnology, Tokyo (Japan)

    1999-11-18

    In this paper, the outline of the budget of geothermal energy relation in fiscal 1999, the system of research and development and the outline of research and development are described. Budgets in fiscal 1999 are the general account 17 million yen, the power development special account 3,222 million yen, sum total 323,900 million yen and it is a 33 million yen decrease compared with the preceding year. Within research and development, the following are included as a survey investigation research; a geothermal energy survey and picking technology, a verification investigation of a geothermal energy exploration technique, a deep geothermal resource investigation and an analysis and evaluation therefor. As a development of geothermal energy power plants using hot water, the following are included; development of the 10 MW binary cycle power generation plant, development of the bottom hole information system (MWD) in geothermal well drilling, technology development of the geothermal hot dry rock source system. As an analysis and evaluation of the bottom hole information detection system in geothermal well drilling, the following are included; an analysis and evaluation of the hot dry rock thermal extraction system, an analysis and evaluation of the deep geothermal resources picking technology, an analysis and evaluation of metallic materials for the geothermal deep direction and an analysis and evaluation of high polymer materials for the geothermal deep direction. (NEDO)

  3. Evaluation of CO2-Fluid-Rock Interaction in Enhanced Geothermal Systems: Field-Scale Geochemical Simulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feng Pan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent studies suggest that using supercritical CO2 (scCO2 instead of water as a heat transmission fluid in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS may improve energy extraction. While CO2-fluid-rock interactions at “typical” temperatures and pressures of subsurface reservoirs are fairly well known, such understanding for the elevated conditions of EGS is relatively unresolved. Geochemical impacts of CO2 as a working fluid (“CO2-EGS” compared to those for water as a working fluid (H2O-EGS are needed. The primary objectives of this study are (1 constraining geochemical processes associated with CO2-fluid-rock interactions under the high pressures and temperatures of a typical CO2-EGS site and (2 comparing geochemical impacts of CO2-EGS to geochemical impacts of H2O-EGS. The St. John’s Dome CO2-EGS research site in Arizona was adopted as a case study. A 3D model of the site was developed. Net heat extraction and mass flow production rates for CO2-EGS were larger compared to H2O-EGS, suggesting that using scCO2 as a working fluid may enhance EGS heat extraction. More aqueous CO2 accumulates within upper- and lower-lying layers than in the injection/production layers, reducing pH values and leading to increased dissolution and precipitation of minerals in those upper and lower layers. Dissolution of oligoclase for water as a working fluid shows smaller magnitude in rates and different distributions in profile than those for scCO2 as a working fluid. It indicates that geochemical processes of scCO2-rock interaction have significant effects on mineral dissolution and precipitation in magnitudes and distributions.

  4. Evaluating HDR photos using Web 2.0 technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Guoping; Mei, Yujie; Duan, Jiang

    2011-01-01

    High dynamic range (HDR) photography is an emerging technology that has the potential to dramatically enhance the visual quality and realism of digital photos. One of the key technical challenges of HDR photography is displaying HDR photos on conventional devices through tone mapping or dynamic range compression. Although many different tone mapping techniques have been developed in recent years, evaluating tone mapping operators prove to be extremely difficult. Web2.0, social media and crowd-sourcing are emerging Internet technologies which can be harnessed to harvest the brain power of the mass to solve difficult problems in science, engineering and businesses. Paired comparison is used in the scientific study of preferences and attitudes and has been shown to be capable of obtaining an interval-scale ordering of items along a psychometric dimension such as preference or importance. In this paper, we exploit these technologies for evaluating HDR tone mapping algorithms. We have developed a Web2.0 style system that enables Internet users from anywhere to evaluate tone mapped HDR photos at any time. We adopt a simple paired comparison protocol, Internet users are presented a pair of tone mapped images and are simply asked to select the one that they think is better or click a "no difference" button. These user inputs are collected in the web server and analyzed by a rank aggregation algorithm which ranks the tone mapped photos according to the votes they received. We present experimental results which demonstrate that the emerging Internet technologies can be exploited as a new paradigm for evaluating HDR tone mapping algorithms. The advantages of this approach include the potential of collecting large user inputs under a variety of viewing environments rather than limited user participation under controlled laboratory environments thus enabling more robust and reliable quality assessment. We also present data analysis to correlate user generated qualitative

  5. Fourteenth workshop geothermal reservoir engineering: Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramey, H.J. Jr.; Kruger, P.; Horne, R.N.; Miller, F.G.; Brigham, W.E.; Cook, J.W.

    1989-01-01

    The Fourteenth Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering was held at Stanford University on January 24--26, 1989. Major areas of discussion include: (1) well testing; (2) various field results; (3) geoscience; (4) geochemistry; (5) reinjection; (6) hot dry rock; and (7) numerical modelling. For these workshop proceedings, individual papers are processed separately for the Energy Data Base.

  6. Fourteenth workshop geothermal reservoir engineering: Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramey, H.J. Jr.; Kruger, P.; Horne, R.N.; Miller, F.G.; Brigham, W.E.; Cook, J.W.

    1989-12-31

    The Fourteenth Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering was held at Stanford University on January 24--26, 1989. Major areas of discussion include: (1) well testing; (2) various field results; (3) geoscience; (4) geochemistry; (5) reinjection; (6) hot dry rock; and (7) numerical modelling. For these workshop proceedings, individual papers are processed separately for the Energy Data Base.

  7. The geochemistry of lithium-bearing geothermal water, Taupo Volcanic Zone, and shallow fluid processes in a very active silicic volcanic arc

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dean, A. S.; Hoskin, P. W.; Rudnick, R. L.; Liu, X.; Boseley, C.

    2011-12-01

    The Li abundances and isotopic systematics of Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) geothermal fluids preserves a record of processes occurring within shallow portions of geothermal reservoirs as well as deeper portions of the arc crust. Understanding Li cycling and isotopic fractionation in TVZ geothermal systems contributes to a more refined understanding of physicochemical processes affecting New Zealand's geothermal resources. A comprehensive dataset of 73 samples was compiled, with samples collected from geothermal surface features (springs, spouters, geysers, etc.) and electric-power industry production wells, collectively representing18 geothermal fields across the breadth and width the TVZ. No comparable dataset of fluid analyses exists. Ion chromatography, AAS, and quadrupole ICP-MS analyses were done for Li, Cl-, SiO2, SO42- K, Na, Ca, Mg, B, Sr and Pb concentrations. Lithium abundance in geothermal fluids from the TVZ have a dataset-wide average of 5.9 mg/L and range 4 μg/L to 29 mg/L. The Li abundance and Li/Cl ratios for geothermal water and steam condensates vary systematically as a result of boiling, mixing, and water/rock reaction. Lithium abundance and Li/Cl ratios are, therefore, indicators of shallow (above 2.5 km) and locally variable reservoir processes. δ7Li analysis of 63 samples was performed at the University of Maryland, College Park. Data quality was controlled by measurement of L-SVEC as a calibration standard and by multiple analysis of selected samples. The average δ7Li value for TVZ geothermal fluids is -0.8%. Most δ7Li values for geothermal water fall within a small range of about -3% to+2% indicating similar processes are causing similar isotopic fractionation throughout the region. Considered together, Li aundances and δ7Li values, in combination with numerical models, indicate possible evolution pathways and water/rock reactions in TVZ geothermal systems. Models based on rocks and surface water analysis indicate that Li cycles and

  8. TU-C-201-01: Clinical Implementation of HDR: A New User’s Perspective

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Al-Hallaq, H. [The University of Chicago (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Recent use of HDR has increased while planning has become more complex often necessitating 3D image-based planning. While many guidelines for the use of HDR exist, they have not kept pace with the increased complexity of 3D image-based planning. Furthermore, no comprehensive document exists to describe the wide variety of current HDR clinical indications. This educational session aims to summarize existing national and international guidelines for the safe implementation of an HDR program. A summary of HDR afterloaders available on the market and their existing applicators will be provided, with guidance on how to select the best fit for each institution’s needs. Finally, the use of checklists will be discussed as a means to implement a safe and efficient HDR program and as a method by which to verify the quality of an existing HDR program. This session will provide the perspective of expert HDR physicists as well as the perspective of a new HDR user. Learning Objectives: Summarize national and international safety and staffing guidelines for HDR implementation Discuss the process of afterloader and applicator selection for gynecologic, prostate, breast, interstitial, surface treatments Learn about the use of an audit checklist tool to measure of quality control of a new or existing HDR program Describe the evolving use of checklists within an HDR program.

  9. Volcanostratigraphic Approach for Evaluation of Geothermal Potential in Galunggung Volcano

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramadhan, Q. S.; Sianipar, J. Y.; Pratopo, A. K.

    2016-09-01

    he geothermal systems in Indonesia are primarily associated with volcanoes. There are over 100 volcanoes located on Sumatra, Java, and in the eastern part of Indonesia. Volcanostratigraphy is one of the methods that is used in the early stage for the exploration of volcanic geothermal system to identify the characteristics of the volcano. The stratigraphy of Galunggung Volcano is identified based on 1:100.000 scale topographic map of Tasikmalaya sheet, 1:50.000 scale topographic map and also geological map. The schematic flowchart for evaluation of geothermal exploration is used to interpret and evaluate geothermal potential in volcanic regions. Volcanostratigraphy study has been done on Galunggung Volcano and Talaga Bodas Volcano, West Java, Indonesia. Based on the interpretation of topographic map and analysis of the dimension, rock composition, age and stress regime, we conclude that both Galunggung Volcano and Talaga Bodas Volcano have a geothermal resource potential that deserve further investigation.

  10. Geothermal energy from deep sedimentary basins: The Valley of Mexico (Central Mexico)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenhardt, Nils; Götz, Annette E.

    2015-04-01

    The geothermal potential of the Valley of Mexico has not been addressed in the past, although volcaniclastic settings in other parts of the world contain promising target reservoir formations. A first assessment of the geothermal potential of the Valley of Mexico is based on thermophysical data gained from outcrop analogues, covering all lithofacies types, and evaluation of groundwater temperature and heat flow values from literature. Furthermore, the volumetric approach of Muffler and Cataldi (1978) leads to a first estimation of ca. 4000 TWh (14.4 EJ) of power generation from Neogene volcanic rocks within the Valley of Mexico. Comparison with data from other sedimentary basins where deep geothermal reservoirs are identified shows the high potential of the Valley of Mexico for future geothermal reservoir utilization. The mainly low permeable lithotypes may be operated as stimulated systems, depending on the fracture porosity in the deeper subsurface. In some areas also auto-convective thermal water circulation might be expected and direct heat use without artificial stimulation becomes reasonable. Thermophysical properties of tuffs and siliciclastic rocks qualify them as promising target horizons (Lenhardt and Götz, 2015). The here presented data serve to identify exploration areas and are valuable attributes for reservoir modelling, contributing to (1) a reliable reservoir prognosis, (2) the decision of potential reservoir stimulation, and (3) the planning of long-term efficient reservoir utilization. References Lenhardt, N., Götz, A.E., 2015. Geothermal reservoir potential of volcaniclastic settings: The Valley of Mexico, Central Mexico. Renewable Energy. [in press] Muffler, P., Cataldi, R., 1978. Methods for regional assessment of geothermal resources. Geothermics, 7, 53-89.

  11. Review and problem definition of water/rock reactions associated with injection of spent geothermal fluids from a geothermal plant into aquifers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elders, W.A.

    1986-07-01

    Among the technical problems faced by the burgeoning geothermal industry is the disposal of spent fluids from power plants. Except in unusual circumstances the normal practice, especially in the USA, is to pump these spent fluids into injection wells to prevent contamination of surface waters, and possibly in some cases, to reduce pressure drawdown in the producing aquifers. This report is a survey of experience in geothermal injection, emphasizing geochemical problems, and a discussion of approaches to their possible mitigation. The extraction of enthalpy from geothermal fluid in power plants may cause solutions to be strongly supersaturated in various dissolved components such as silica, carbonates, sulfates, and sulfides. Injection of such supersaturated solutions into disposal wells has the potential to cause scaling in the well bores and plugging of the aquifers, leading to loss of injectivity. Various aspects of the geochemistry of geothermal brines and their potential for mineral formation are discussed, drawing upon a literature survey. Experience of brine treatment and handling, and the economics of mineral extraction are also addressed in this report. Finally suggestions are made on future needs for possible experimental, field and theoretical studies to avoid or control mineral scaling.

  12. Structural Controls of Neal Hot Springs Geothermal Field, Malhuer County, Oregon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, J. H.; Faulds, J. E.

    2012-12-01

    Detailed mapping (1:24,000) of the Neal Hot Springs area (90 km2) in eastern Oregon is part of a larger study of geothermal systems in the Basin and Range, which focuses on the structural controls of geothermal activity. The study area lies within the intersection of two regional grabens, the middle-late Miocene, N-striking, Oregon-Idaho graben and younger late Miocene to Holocene, NW-striking, western Snake River Plain graben. The geothermal field is marked by Neal Hot Springs, which effuse from opaline sinter mounds just north of Bully Creek. Wells producing geothermal fluids, with temperatures at 138°C, intersect a major, W-dipping, NNW-striking, high-angle normal fault at depths of 850-915 m. Displacement along this structure dies southward, with likely horse-tailing, which commonly produces high fracture density and a zone of high permeability conducive for channeling hydrothermal fluids. Mapping reveals that the geothermal resource lies within a local, left step-over. 'Hard-linkage' between strands of the left-stepping normal fault, revealed through a study of well chips and well logs, occurs through two concealed structures. Both are W-striking faults, with one that runs parallel to Cottonwood Creek and one 0.5 km N of the creek. Injection wells intersect these two transverse structures within the step-over. Stepping and displacement continue to the NW of the known geothermal field, along W-dipping, N-striking faults that cut lower to middle Miocene Hog Creek Formation, consisting of silicic and mafic volcanic rocks. These N-striking faults were likely initiated during initial Oregon-Idaho graben subsidence (15.3-15.1 Ma), with continued development through late Miocene. Bully Creek Formation deposits, middle to upper Miocene lacustrine and pyroclastic rocks, concomitantly filled the sub half-grabens, and they dip gently to moderately eastward. Younger, western Snake River Plain deposits, upper Miocene to Pliocene fluvial, lacustrine, and pyroclastic rocks

  13. Biomass and electricity: the agricultural biomass. Geothermal energy from fractured rocks: prospective scenarios and impact on environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delacroix, S.; Whitwham, M.

    1999-09-01

    This publication contains two articles. The first one aims at giving an assessment of energy production potential of biomass in France at a regional level. It gives estimates of volumes of breeding effluents in the different French regions and according to a low and a high hypothesis, presents various technologies used to produce energy from these effluents (examples in Denmark and in Great-Britain), gives estimates of quantities of wheat or barley straws which could be used for energy production in the different French regions and describes straw-based Danish cogeneration plants, gives estimates for other energetic crops (some trees and herbaceous crops) and reports the Belgium experience. The second text reports a middle-term or long-term prospective and economical feasibility study on the production of geothermal energy from fractured rocks. Some researches have already demonstrated the feasibility of a heat exchanger on very deep and cracked granitic rocks which could supply hot water that could be used for energy production. The study examines the different possibilities of evolution of this concept (deepness, increase in the number of wells, transformation into heat, electricity or cogeneration) and describes their technical and economical characteristics within an industrial development perspective on the long term

  14. Numerical modeling of regional stress distributions for geothermal exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guillon, Theophile; Peter-Borie, Mariane; Gentier, Sylvie; Blaisonneau, Arnold

    2017-04-01

    Any high-enthalpy unconventional geothermal projectcan be jeopardized by the uncertainty on the presence of the geothermal resource at depth. Indeed, for the majority of such projects the geothermal resource is deeply seated and, with the drilling costs increasing accordingly, must be located as precisely as possible to increase the chance of their economic viability. In order to reduce the "geological risk", i.e., the chance to poorly locate the geothermal resource, a maximum amount of information must be gathered prior to any drilling of exploration and/or operational well. Cross-interpretation from multiple disciplines (e.g., geophysics, hydrology, geomechanics …) should improve locating the geothermal resource and so the position of exploration wells ; this is the objective of the European project IMAGE (grant agreement No. 608553), under which the work presented here was carried out. As far as geomechanics is concerned, in situ stresses can have a great impact on the presence of a geothermal resource since they condition both the regime within the rock mass, and the state of the major fault zones (and hence, the possible flow paths). In this work, we propose a geomechanical model to assess the stress distribution at the regional scale (characteristic length of 100 kilometers). Since they have a substantial impact on the stress distributions and on the possible creation of regional flow paths, the major fault zones are explicitly taken into account. The Distinct Element Method is used, where the medium is modeled as fully deformable blocks representing the rock mass interacting through mechanically active joints depicting the fault zones. The first step of the study is to build the model geometry based on geological and geophysical evidences. Geophysical and structural geology results help positioning the major fault zones in the first place. Then, outcrop observations, structural models and site-specific geological knowledge give information on the fault

  15. SU-E-T-124: Dosimetric Comparison of HDR Brachytherapy and Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, J [Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (United States); Wu, H [IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN (United States); Das, I [Indiana University- School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN (United States)

    2014-06-01

    Purpose: Brachytherapy is known to be able to deliver more radiation dose to tumor while minimizing radiation dose to surrounding normal tissues. Proton therapy also provides superior dose distribution due to Bragg peak. Since both HDR and Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT) are beneficial for their quick dose drop off, our goal in this study is to compare the pace of dose gradient drop-off between HDR and IMPT plans based on the same CT image data-set. In addition, normal tissues sparing were also compared among HDR, IMPT and SBRT. Methods: Five cervical cancer cases treated with EBRT + HDR boost combination with Tandem and Ovoid applicator were used for comparison purpose. Original HDR plans with prescribed dose of 5.5 Gy x 5 fractions were generated and optimized. The 100% isodose line of HDR plans was converted to a dose volume, and treated as CTV for IMPT and SBRT planning. The same HDR CT scans were also used for IMPT plan and SBRT plan for direct comparison. The philosophy of the IMPT and SBRT planning was to create the same CTV coverage as HDR plans. All three modalities treatment plans were compared to each other with a set of predetermined criteria. Results: With similar target volume coverage in cervix cancer boost treatment, HDR provides a slightly sharper dose drop-off from 100% to 50% isodose line, averagely in all directions compared to IMPT. However, IMPT demonstrated more dose gradient drop-off at the junction of the target and normal tissues by providing more normal tissue sparing and superior capability to reduce integral dose. Conclusion: IMPT is capable of providing comparable dose drop-off as HDR. IMPT can be explored as replacement for HDR brachytherapy in various applications.

  16. Simultaneous radiochemotherapy and endoluminal HDR brachytherapy in esophageal cancer; Simultane Radiochemotherapie mit intraluminaler HDR-Brachytherapie des Oesophaguskarzinoms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Patonay, P.; Naszaly, A.; Mayer, A. [Hauptstaedtisches Zentrum fuer Radioonkologie und Strahlentherapie, Budapest (Hungary)

    2007-02-15

    Purpose: to study efficacy and toxicity of radiochemotherapy in esophageal cancer including initial endoluminal high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT). Patients and methods: between 01/1995 and 06/2005, 61 patients with esophageal cancer were treated preoperatively with definitive and palliative intent. Treatment started with intraluminal HDR-BT for recanalization of the esophagus (single fraction size of 8 Gy in 0.5 cm depth, three times, q7d) followed by external-beam radiation therapy (50 Gy total dose, 5 x 2 Gy/week, 25 fractions in 5 weeks). Chemotherapy was started simultaneously with external irradiation (three courses of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil, q21d). Results: swallowing function improved in 55/61 patients (dysphagia classification according to the RTOG), and worsened in 6/61 patients, respectively. Median duration of symptomatic improvement was 11 months, median follow-up 12 months (range 3-68 months). Following simultaneous radiochemotherapy, tumor resectability was achieved in 7/25 patients of the neoadjuvant group, and the histological specimen showed complete remission in 6/7 patients. Conclusion: these results indicate a favorable effect of simultaneous radiochemotherapy starting with endoluminal HDR-after-loading-(AL-)BT in esophageal cancer. (orig.)

  17. Bibliographical review about Na/Li geo-thermometry and lithium isotopes applied to worldwide geothermal waters. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanjuan, B.; Millot, R.

    2009-09-15

    This study is performed within the framework of the FP6 European project HITI (High Temperature Instruments for supercritical geothermal reservoir characterization and exploitation). This research project, co-funded by EU and the different partners, aims to provide geophysical and geochemical sensors and methods to evaluate deep geothermal wells up to supercritical conditions (T > 370 deg. C), which are more cost-effective than those of the conventional wells. A deep geothermal well is currently being drilled for this purpose into the Krafla area, Iceland, as part of the IDDP ('Iceland Deep Drilling Project') and with joint funding from Icelandic industry and science Institutes. Another deep well will be drilled in the Reykjanes peninsula, Iceland, within the framework of the same project. This study, a bibliographical review about the Na/Li geo-thermometer and lithium isotopes applied on the world geothermal waters, is the first step of the task envisaged by BRGM to use and validate the sodium-lithium (Na-Li) chemical geo-thermometer on Icelandic geothermal waters at temperatures ranging from 25 to 500 deg. C. In this study, more than 120 temperature and chemical data from world geothermal and oil-fields, sedimentary basins, oceanic ridges, emerged rifts and island arcs have been collected and investigated. These additional data have allowed to confirm and refine the three existing Na/Li thermometric relationships. Moreover, a new Na/Li thermometric relationship relative to the processes of seawater or dilute seawater-basalt interaction occurring in the oceanic ridges and emerged rifts is proposed. Even if the running of Na/Li is still poorly understood, the existence of a new thermometric relationship confirms that the Na/Li ratios not only depend on the temperature but also on other parameters such as the fluid salinity and origin, or the nature of the reservoir rocks in contact with the geothermal fluids. For most of the geothermal waters in contact

  18. Radiobiological considerations in gynaecological HDR and LDR brachytherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bauer, M.; Schulz-Wendtland, R.

    1989-01-01

    In brachytherapy the advantages of high dose rate over low dose rate afterloading therapy were obvious. Out-patient treatment becomes possible, the position of the sources is reproducible and can be observed during the treatment and the patients have to be immobilised for only a short time, giving less psychological stress and a decreased risk of thrombosis and embolism. When changing from LDR to HDR afterloading therapy we are not yet able to evaluate its biological impact. Radiobiological considerations and our experimental data, however, give us the following clinical consequences by using HDR brachytherapy: There is a need for about 15 fractions or more and each increase in dose rate requires higher fractioning. Due to the steep dose rate decline and the inhomogeneous dose distribution, multiple equivalence factors are necessary when fractioning is not sufficiently high. Correction factors to reduce the dose close to the source are low, with increasing distance from the source they increase. If HDR radiation therapy is used, the percutaneous dose in the pelvic wall region should be reduced. The reduction of the dose in HDR brachytherapy is a compromise to limit the side effects caused by the radiation. The drawback is a small therapeutic range and reduced therapeutic effectivity at the tumour. (orig.) [de

  19. Dose rate considerations in brachytherapy: biological equivalence of LDR and HDR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orton, C.G.

    1994-01-01

    The linear-quadratic model for cell survival and bioeffect doses is discussed and equations for low dose rate (LDR), high dose rate (HDR) and intermediate situations are presented. The model, when used to define LDR and single fractions of HDR, shows, that these correspond to irradiations lasting longer than about 14 hours or shorter than about 0.7 hours, respectively. It is shown that, for HDR to be as safe and effective as LDR, the dose-rate effect of LDR has to be replaced by the fractionation-effect of HDR. This is necessary in order to take advantage of the differential repair characteristics between late-reacting normal tissue and tumor cells at low doses and low dose rates. Using the linear-quadratic model to simulate repair mathematically, it is shown that the number of fractions required is highly dependent upon what parameters are assumed for normal tissues and tumor, as well as whether or not there is any physical advantage gained by conversion from LDR to HDR. (author). 20 refs., 7 figs

  20. Traceable calibration of hospital 192Ir HDR sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Govinda Rajan, K.N.; Sharma, S.D.; Palaniselvam, T.; Vandana, S.; Bhatt, B.C.; Vinatha, S.; Patki, V.S.; Pendse, A.M.; Kannan, V.

    2004-01-01

    A HDR 1000 PLUS well type ionization chamber, procured from Standard Imaging, USA, and maintained by medical Physics and Safety Section (MPSS), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), India, as a reference well chamber 1 (RWCH1), was traceably calibrated against the primary standard established by Radiological Standards Laboratory (RSL), BARC for 192 Ir HDR source, in terms of air kerma strength (AKS). An indigenously developed well-type ionization chamber, reference well chamber 2 (RWCH2) and electrometer system, fabricated by CD High Tech (CDHT) Instruments Private Ltd., Bangalore, India, was in turn calibrated against RWCH1. The CDHT system (i.e. RWCH2 and CDHT electrometer system) was taken to several hospitals, in different regions of the country, to check the calibration status of 192 Ir HDR sources. The result of this calibration audit work is reported here. (author)

  1. HDR-Aggregate Read Service (ARS)

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Veterans Affairs — ARS is a SOAP web service exposed over HTTPS that provides an aggregated (report) view of HTH Survey, DMP and Census data stored in the HDR DB. ARS is deployed in...

  2. Potential for enhanced geothermal systems in Alberta, Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hofmann, Hannes; Weides, Simon; Babadagli, Tayfun; Zimmermann, Günter; Moeck, Inga; Majorowicz, Jacek; Unsworth, Martyn

    2014-01-01

    The province of Alberta has a high demand of thermal energy for both industrial and residential applications. Currently, the vast majority of the heat used in these applications is obtained by burning natural gas. Geothermal energy production from deep aquifer systems in the sedimentary basin could provide an alternative sustainable source of heat that would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To date there has been no geothermal field development in Alberta because the average geothermal gradient was considered to be too low for economic geothermal energy generation. However, with new technologies for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), it may be possible to develop geothermal resources from the sedimentary rocks in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). A numerical feasibility study based on a regional geological model and existing and newly gained data was conducted to identify scenarios for geothermal energy production in the region. In central Alberta, three Devonian carbonate formations (Cooking Lake, Nisku, Wabamun) and the Cambrian Basal Sandstone Unit were identified as the highest geothermal potential zones. Thermal-hydraulic reservoir simulations for a 5 km × 5 km site in the city of Edmonton were performed to evaluate reservoir development concepts for these four potential target formations; therefore, hydraulic fracturing treatments were also simulated. Different utilization concepts are presented for possible applications of geothermal energy generation in residential, industrial and agricultural areas. The Cooking Lake formation and the Basal Sandstone Unit are potentially the most promising reservoirs because the most heat can be extracted and the applications for the heat are widespread although the costs are higher than utilizing the shallower formations. Reservoir stimulation considerably improves the economics in all formations

  3. Modeling and Simulation of the Gonghe geothermal field (Qinghai, China) Constrained by Geophysical

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Z.; Wang, K.; Zhao, X.; Huai, N.; He, R.

    2017-12-01

    The Gonghe geothermal field in Qinghai is important because of its variety of geothermal resource types. Now, the Gonghe geothermal field has been a demonstration area of geothermal development and utilization in China. It has been the topic of numerous geophysical investigations conducted to determine the depth to and the nature of the heat source, and to image the channel of heat flow. This work focuses on the causes of geothermal fields used numerical simulation method constrained by geophysical data. At first, by analyzing and inverting an magnetotelluric (MT) measurements profile across this area we obtain the deep resistivity distribution. Using the gravity anomaly inversion constrained by the resistivity profile, the density of the basins and the underlying rocks can be calculated. Combined with the measured parameters of rock thermal conductivity, the 2D geothermal conceptual model of Gonghe area is constructed. Then, the unstructured finite element method is used to simulate the heat conduction equation and the geothermal field. Results of this model were calibrated with temperature data for the observation well. A good match was achieved between the measured values and the model's predicted values. At last, geothermal gradient and heat flow distribution of this model are calculated(fig.1.). According to the results of geophysical exploration, there is a low resistance and low density region (d5) below the geothermal field. We recognize that this anomaly is generated by tectonic motion, and this tectonic movement creates a mantle-derived heat upstream channel. So that the anomalous basement heat flow values are higher than in other regions. The model's predicted values simulated using that boundary condition has a good match with the measured values. The simulated heat flow values show that the mantle-derived heat flow migrates through the boundary of the low-resistance low-density anomaly area to the Gonghe geothermal field, with only a small fraction

  4. Fracture properties from tight reservoir outcrop analogues with application to geothermal exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Philipp, Sonja L.; Reyer, Dorothea; Afsar, Filiz; Bauer, Johanna F.; Meier, Silke; Reinecker, John

    2015-04-01

    In geothermal reservoirs, similar to other tight reservoirs, fluid flow may be intensely affected by fracture systems, in particular those associated with fault zones. When active (slipping) the fault core, that is, the inner part of a fault zone, which commonly consists of breccia or gouge, can suddenly develop high permeability. Fault cores of inactive fault zones, however, may have low permeabilities and even act as flow barriers. In the outer part of a fault zone, the damage zone, permeability depends mainly on the fracture properties, that is, the geometry (orientation, aperture, density, connectivity, etc.) of the fault-associated fracture system. Mineral vein networks in damage zones of deeply eroded fault zones in palaeogeothermal fields demonstrate their permeability. In geothermal exploration, particularly for hydrothermal reservoirs, the orientation of fault zones in relation to the current stress field as well as their internal structure, in particular the properties of the associated fracture system, must be known as accurately as possible for wellpath planning and reservoir engineering. Here we present results of detailed field studies and numerical models of fault zones and associated fracture systems in palaeogeo¬thermal fields and host rocks for geothermal reservoirs from various stratigraphies, lithologies and tectonic settings: (1) 74 fault zones in three coastal sections of Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic age (mudstones and limestone-marl alternations) in the Bristol Channel Basin, UK. (2) 58 fault zones in 22 outcrops from Upper Carboniferous to Upper Cretaceous in the Northwest German Basin (siliciclastic, carbonate and volcanic rocks); and (3) 16 fault zones in 9 outcrops in Lower Permian to Middle Triassic (mainly sandstone and limestone) in the Upper Rhine Graben shoulders. Whereas (1) represent palaeogeothermal fields with mineral veins, (2) and (3) are outcrop analogues of reservoir horizons from geothermal exploration. In the study

  5. Mechanical and physical properties of hydrothermally altered rocks, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wyering, L. D.; Villeneuve, M. C.; Wallis, I. C.; Siratovich, P. A.; Kennedy, B. M.; Gravley, D. M.; Cant, J. L.

    2014-11-01

    Mechanical characterization of hydrothermally altered rocks from geothermal reservoirs will lead to an improved understanding of rock mechanics in a geothermal environment. To characterize rock properties of the selected formations, we prepared samples from intact core for non-destructive (porosity, density and ultrasonic wave velocities) and destructive laboratory testing (uniaxial compressive strength). We characterised the hydrothermal alteration assemblage using optical mineralogy and existing petrography reports and showed that lithologies had a spread of secondary mineralisation that occurred across the smectite, argillic and propylitic alteration zones. The results from the three geothermal fields show a wide variety of physical rock properties. The testing results for the non-destructive testing shows that samples that originated from the shallow and low temperature section of the geothermal field had higher porosity (15 - 56%), lower density (1222 - 2114 kg/m3) and slower ultrasonic waves (1925 - 3512 m/s (vp) and 818 - 1980 m/s (vs)), than the samples from a deeper and higher temperature section of the field (1.5 - 20%, 2072 - 2837 kg/m3, 2639 - 4593 m/s (vp) and 1476 - 2752 m/s (vs), respectively). The shallow lithologies had uniaxial compressive strengths of 2 - 75 MPa, and the deep lithologies had strengths of 16 - 211 MPa. Typically samples of the same lithologies that originate from multiple wells across a field have variable rock properties because of the different alteration zones from which each sample originates. However, in addition to the alteration zones, the primary rock properties and burial depth of the samples also have an impact on the physical and mechanical properties of the rock. Where this data spread exists, we have been able to derive trends for this specific dataset and subsequently have gained an improved understanding of how hydrothermal alteration affects physical and mechanical properties.

  6. Geothermal technology development program. Annual progress report, October 1980-September 1981

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kelsey, J.R. (ed.)

    1982-09-01

    The status of ongoing Research and Development (R and D) within the Geothermal Technology Development Program is described. The program emphasizes research in rock penetration mechanics, fluid technology, borehole mechanics, and diagnostics technology.

  7. Geothermal gradients map of Hokkaido; Hokkaido no chion kobaizu ni tsuite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akita, F.; Matsunami, T.; Wakahama, H. [Hokkaido Geological Survey, Sapporo (Japan)

    1997-06-15

    This paper outlines the newly prepared geothermal gradient map (GGM) of Hokkaido which is important for survey on geothermal and hot spring resources. The temperature data of 687 wells were compiled by data collection and field survey. The geothermal gradient was calculated from the ratio of the temperature difference between the bottom (deepest well log) and the ground surface (10degC) to a bottom depth. GGM was prepared using data of 85 wells which show real geothermal temperatures through conductive temperature profiles, or SBHT (static bottom hole temperature) calculation is possible. Geological profiles were classified into three types based on base rocks. The thermal structure of GGM was clearly divided into a high geothermal gradient over 10degC/100m, and a low one within 3degC/100m. The former showed active volcano and high geothermal areas, while the latter showed a volcanic front arc area. This underground temperature structure relates to the formation process of volcanos and the origin of magma, and is also similar to the trend of a crust thermal flow rate. The geothermal gradient increases with a decrease in Curie point depth. 26 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs.

  8. SU-F-BRA-04: Prostate HDR Brachytherapy with Multichannel Robotic System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joseph, F Maria; Podder, T; Yu, Y

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy is gradually becoming popular in treating patients with prostate cancers. However, placement of the HDR needles at desired locations into the patient is challenging. Application of robotic system may improve the accuracy of the clinical procedure. This experimental study is to evaluate the feasibility of using a multichannel robotic system for prostate HDR brachytherapy. Methods: In this experimental study, the robotic system employed was a 6-DOF Multichannel Image-guided Robotic Assistant for Brachytherapy (MIRAB), which was designed and fabricated for prostate seed implantation. The MIRAB has the provision of rotating 16 needles while inserting them. Ten prostate HDR brachytherapy needles were simultaneously inserted using MIRAB into a commercially available prostate phantom. After inserting the needles into the prostate phantom at desired locations, 2mm thick CT slices were obtained for dosimetric planning. HDR plan was generated using Oncetra planning system with a total prescription dose of 34Gy in 4 fractions. Plan quality was evaluated considering dose coverage to prostate and planning target volume (PTV), with 3mm margin around prostate, as well as the dose limit to the organs at risk (OARs) following the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) guidelines. Results: From the CT scan, it is observed that the needles were inserted straight into the desired locations and they were adequately spaced and distributed for a clinically acceptable HDR plan. Coverage to PTV and prostate were about 91% (V100= 91%) and 96% (V100=96%), respectively. Dose to 1cc of urethra, rectum, and bladder were within the ABS specified limits. Conclusion: The MIRAB was able to insert multiple needles simultaneously into the prostate precisely. By controlling the MIRAB to insert all the ten utilized needles into the prostate phantom, we could achieve the robotic HDR brachytherapy successfully. Further study for assessing the system

  9. Development of optimized dosimetric models for HDR brachytherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thayalan, K.; Jagadeesan, M.

    2003-01-01

    High dose rate brachytherapy (HDRB) systems are in clinical use for more than four decades particularly in cervical cancer. Optimization is the method to produce dose distribution which assures that doses are not compromised at the treatment sites whilst reducing the risk of overdosing critical organs. Hence HDRB optimization begins with the desired dose distribution and requires the calculations of the relative weighting factors for each dwell position with out changing the source activity. The optimization for Ca. uterine cervix treatment is simply duplication of the dose distribution used for Low dose rate (LDR) applications. In the present work, two optimized dosimetric models were proposed and studied thoroughly, to suit the local clinical conditions. These models are named as HDR-C and HDR-D, where C and D represent configuration and distance respectively. These models duplicate exactly the LDR pear shaped dose distribution, which is a golden standard. The validity of these models is tested in different clinical situations and in actual patients (n=92). These models: HDR-C and HDR-D reduce bladder dose by 11.11% and 10% and rectal dose by 8% and 7% respectively. The treatment time is also reduced by 12-14%. In a busy hospital setup, these models find a place to cater large number of patients, while addressing individual patients geometry. (author)

  10. Origin, evolution and geothermometry of the thermal waters in the Gölemezli Geothermal Field, Denizli Basin (SW Anatolia, Turkey)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alçiçek, Hülya; Bülbül, Ali; Brogi, Andrea; Liotta, Domenico; Ruggieri, Giovanni; Capezzuoli, Enrico; Meccheri, Marco; Yavuzer, İbrahim; Alçiçek, Mehmet Cihat

    2018-01-01

    The Gölemezli Geothermal Field (GGF) is one of the best known geothermal fields in western Anatolia (Turkey). The exploited fluids are of meteoric origin, mixed with deep magmatic fluids, which interacted with the metamorphic rocks of the Menderes Massif. The geothermal fluids are channeled along Quaternary faults belonging to the main normal faults system delimiting the northern side of the Denizli Basin and their associated transfer zones. In this study, hydrochemical and isotopic analyses of the thermal and cold waters allow us to determine water-rock interactions, fluid paths and mixing processes. Two groups of thermal waters have been distinguished: (i) Group 1A, comprising Na-SO4 type and Ca-SO4 type and (ii) Group 1B, only consisting Ca-HCO3 type waters. Differently, two groups were recognized in the cold waters: (i) Group 2A, corresponding to Ca-HCO3 type and (ii) Group 2B, including Mg-HCO3 type. Their geochemical characteristics indicate interactions with the Paleozoic metamorphic rocks of the Menderes Massif and with the Neogene lacustrine sedimentary rocks. Dissolution of host rock and ion-exchange reactions modify thermal water composition in the reservoir of the GGF. High correlation in some ionic ratios and high concentrations of some minor elements suggest an enhanced water-rock interaction. None of the thermal waters has been reached a complete chemical re-equilibrium, possibly as a result of mixing with cold water during their pathways. Geothermal reservoir temperatures are calculated in the range of 130-210°C for the Gölemezli field. Very negative δ18O and δ2H isotopic ratios are respectively between -8.37 and -8.13‰ and -61.09 and -59.34‰ for the SO4-rich thermal waters, and ca. - 8.40 and -8.32‰ and - 57.80 and -57.41‰ for the HCO3-rich thermal waters. Low tritium (link existing between fractures and fluid convection in the extensional settings. In this view, the GGF is a very good example of geothermal field associated to active

  11. Three-Dimensional Modeling of Fracture Clusters in Geothermal Reservoirs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghassemi, Ahmad [Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States)

    2017-08-11

    The objective of this is to develop a 3-D numerical model for simulating mode I, II, and III (tensile, shear, and out-of-plane) propagation of multiple fractures and fracture clusters to accurately predict geothermal reservoir stimulation using the virtual multi-dimensional internal bond (VMIB). Effective development of enhanced geothermal systems can significantly benefit from improved modeling of hydraulic fracturing. In geothermal reservoirs, where the temperature can reach or exceed 350oC, thermal and poro-mechanical processes play an important role in fracture initiation and propagation. In this project hydraulic fracturing of hot subsurface rock mass will be numerically modeled by extending the virtual multiple internal bond theory and implementing it in a finite element code, WARP3D, a three-dimensional finite element code for solid mechanics. The new constitutive model along with the poro-thermoelastic computational algorithms will allow modeling the initiation and propagation of clusters of fractures, and extension of pre-existing fractures. The work will enable the industry to realistically model stimulation of geothermal reservoirs. The project addresses the Geothermal Technologies Office objective of accurately predicting geothermal reservoir stimulation (GTO technology priority item). The project goal will be attained by: (i) development of the VMIB method for application to 3D analysis of fracture clusters; (ii) development of poro- and thermoelastic material sub-routines for use in 3D finite element code WARP3D; (iii) implementation of VMIB and the new material routines in WARP3D to enable simulation of clusters of fractures while accounting for the effects of the pore pressure, thermal stress and inelastic deformation; (iv) simulation of 3D fracture propagation and coalescence and formation of clusters, and comparison with laboratory compression tests; and (v) application of the model to interpretation of injection experiments (planned by our

  12. Robust Estimation of HDR in fMRI using H-infinity Filters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Puthusserypady, Sadasivan; Jue, R.; Ratnarajah, T.

    2010-01-01

    Estimation and detection of the hemodynamic response (HDR) are of great importance in functional MRI (fMRI) data analysis. In this paper, we propose the use of three H-infinity adaptive filters (finite memory, exponentially weighted, and timevarying) for accurate estimation and detection of the HDR......-1487]. Performances of the proposed techniques are compared to the conventional t-test method as well as the well-known LMSs and recursive least squares algorithms. Extensive numerical simulations show that the proposed methods result in better HDR estimations and activation detections....

  13. Numerical investigation on the implications of spring temperature and discharge rate with respect to the geothermal background in a fault zone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Zhenjiao; Xu, Tianfu; Mariethoz, Gregoire

    2018-04-01

    Geothermal springs are some of the most obvious indicators of the existence of high-temperature geothermal resources in the subsurface. However, geothermal springs can also occur in areas of low average subsurface temperatures, which makes it difficult to assess exploitable zones. To address this problem, this study quantitatively analyzes the conditions associated with the formation of geothermal springs in fault zones, and numerically investigates the implications that outflow temperature and discharge rate from geothermal springs have on the geothermal background in the subsurface. It is concluded that the temperature of geothermal springs in fault zones is mainly controlled by the recharge rate from the country rock and the hydraulic conductivity in the fault damage zone. Importantly, the topography of the fault trace on the land surface plays an important role in determining the thermal temperature. In fault zones with a permeability higher than 1 mD and a lateral recharge rate from the country rock higher than 1 m3/day, convection plays a dominant role in the heat transport rather than thermal conduction. The geothermal springs do not necessarily occur in the place having an abnormal geothermal background (with the temperature at certain depth exceeding the temperature inferred by the global average continental geothermal gradient of 30 °C/km). Assuming a constant temperature (90 °C here, to represent a normal geothermal background in the subsurface at a depth of 3,000 m), the conditions required for the occurrence of geothermal springs were quantitatively determined.

  14. Hydrogeochemical Characteristics and Evolution of Hot Springs in Eastern Tibetan Plateau Geothermal Belt, Western China: Insight from Multivariate Statistical Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zheming Shi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The eastern Tibetan Plateau geothermal belt is one of the important medium-high temperature geothermal belts in China. However, less work has been done on the hydrochemical characteristic and its geological origin. Understanding the chemical characteristics and the hydrochemical evolution processes is important in evaluating the geothermal energy potential in this area. In the present study, we discussed the hydrochemical properties and their origins of 39 hot springs located in the eastern Tibetan Plateau geothermal belt (Kangding-Litang-Batang geothermal belt. Cluster analysis and factor analysis are employed to character the hydrochemical properties of hot springs in different fault zones and the possible hydrochemical evolution processes of these hot springs. Our study shows that the hot springs can be divided into three groups based on their locations. The hot springs in the first group mainly originate from the volcanic rock and the springs in the second group originate from the metamorphic rock while the springs in the third group originate from the result of mixture of shallow water. Water-rock interaction, cation exchange, and the water environment are the three dominant factors that control the hydrochemical evolution process in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. These results are also in well agreement with the isotopic and chemical analysis.

  15. The characteristics of geothermal field of Qiabuqia town in Gonghe basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, C.; Shi, Y.; Jiang, G.

    2017-12-01

    Located in the northeastern margin of Gonghe basin, Qiabuqia town displays the most potential of hot dry rock geothermal resources exploration and development in China so far. Although large quantities of geophysical exploration work have been down since 2013, the study of present geothermal field is almost empty, which is seriously restricting the evaluation and utilization of geothermal resources in Qiabuqia town. This study is to revel the geothermal characteristics of four hot dry rock boreholes (DR4, DR3, GR1 and GR2) though continuous steady temperature logging and thermal conductivity measurements of core samples. The main stratum of study area are Indosinian granitic rocks (below 1400 m) which is overlain by thick Paleogene, Neogene and Quaternary lacustrine strata (0 1400 m). Continuous temperature logs display that the bottom hole temperature of DR3 borehole is up to 180 oC at the depth of 3000 m and it is the first successfully verification of the existence of hot dry rock geothermal resources in China. The temperature gradients of these for boreholes are obtained by the linear least squares regression method and it turns out that the temperature gradient varies from 38 to 45.2 oC • km-1 with an average of 40.4 oC • km-1. Average thermal conductivity of bedrocks ranges from 2.07 to 3.10 W/(m • K) with an mean of 2.52 W/(m • K). Heat flow values are calculated as the product of least-square thermal gradients and corresponding thermal conductivity. By the result of the calculation, the heat flow are 98.9 mW • m-2, 114.7 mW • m-2, 96.2 mW • m-2, 97.8 mW • m-2 for DR4, DR3, GR1 and GR2 borehole, respectively. Compared to the adjacent Qaidam basin, Sichuan basin and Ordos basin, the study area appear to be a thermal abnormal area with high temperature gradient and high heat flow.

  16. Structural investigations of Great Basin geothermal fields: Applications and implications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Faulds, James E [Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV (United States); Hinz, Nicholas H. [Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV (United States); Coolbaugh, Mark F [Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy, Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV (United States)

    2010-11-01

    Because fractures and faults are commonly the primary pathway for deeply circulating hydrothermal fluids, structural studies are critical to assessing geothermal systems and selecting drilling targets for geothermal wells. Important tools for structural analysis include detailed geologic mapping, kinematic analysis of faults, and estimations of stress orientations. Structural assessments are especially useful for evaluating geothermal fields in the Great Basin of the western USA, where regional extension and transtension combine with high heat flow to generate abundant geothermal activity in regions having little recent volcanic activity. The northwestern Great Basin is one of the most geothermally active areas in the USA. The prolific geothermal activity is probably due to enhanced dilation on N- to NNE-striking normal faults induced by a transfer of NW-directed dextral shear from the Walker Lane to NW-directed extension. Analysis of several geothermal fields suggests that most systems occupy discrete steps in normal fault zones or lie in belts of intersecting, overlapping, and/or terminating faults. Most fields are associated with steeply dipping faults and, in many cases, with Quaternary faults. The structural settings favoring geothermal activity are characterized by subvertical conduits of highly fractured rock along fault zones oriented approximately perpendicular to the WNW-trending least principal stress. Features indicative of these settings that may be helpful in guiding exploration for geothermal resources include major steps in normal faults, interbasinal highs, groups of relatively low discontinuous ridges, and lateral jogs or terminations of mountain ranges.

  17. Hot rock energy projects : Australian context

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goldstein, B.A.; Malavazos, M. [Society of Petroleum Engineers, Richardson, TX (United States); Hill, A.J.; Coda, J. [Primary Industries and Resources South Australia, Adelaide (Australia)]|[Australian Geothermal Energy Group, Adelaide (Australia); Budd, A.R.; Holgate, F.L. [Australian Geothermal Energy Group, Adelaide (Australia)]|[Geoscience Australia, Adelaide (Australia)

    2008-10-15

    The Australia Geothermal Energy Group is an alliance of companies, government agencies and research organizations with an interest in promoting geothermal energy use. Hot rocks (HR) geothermal energy is a valued addition to the portfolio of safe, secure and competitive energy supplies because it offers the potential of inexhaustible geothermal heat energy with zero emissions. Australia's vast HR resources have attracted global interest and government support for HR projects, which call upon integrated expertise from the petroleum minerals and power industries. Funding from the Australian government is aimed at reducing critical, sector-wide uncertainties and equates to nearly 25 per cent of the cost of the private sector's field efforts to date. A national HR resource assessment and a road-map for the commercialization of Australian HR plays will be published in 2008 to help in the decision making process by portfolio managers. The challenges and prospects for HR projects in Australia were presented. It has been estimated that converting only 1 per cent of Australia's crustal energy from depths of 5 km and 150 degrees C to electricity would supply 26,000 years of Australia's 2005 primary power use. The factors that distinguish Australian HR resources include abundant radioactive granites and areas of recent volcanic activity; and, Australia is converging with Indonesia on a plate scale resulting in common, naturally occurring subhorizontally fractured basement rocks that are susceptible to hydraulic fracture stimulation. Most projects are focused on HR to develop enhanced or engineered geothermal systems (EGS) to fuel binary power plants. Approximately 80 percent of these projects are located in South Australia. 14 refs., 3 tabs., 3 figs.

  18. A Sr-isotopic comparison between thermal waters, rocks, and hydrothermal calcites, Long Valley caldera, California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goff, F.; Wollenberg, H.A.; Brookins, D.C.; Kistler, R.W.

    1991-01-01

    The 87Sr/86Sr values of thermal waters and hydrothermal calcites of the Long Valley caldera geothermal system are more radiogenic than those of young intracaldera volcanic rocks. Five thermal waters display 87Sr/86Sr of 0.7081-0.7078 but show systematically lighter values from west to east in the direction of lateral flow. We believe the decrease in ratio from west to east signifies increased interaction of deeply circulating thermal water with relatively fresh volcanic rocks filling the caldera depression. All types of pre-, syn-, and post-caldera volcanic rocks in the west and central caldera have (87Sr/86Sr)m between about 0.7060 and 0.7072 and values for Sierra Nevada granodiorites adjacent to the caldera are similar. Sierran pre-intrusive metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks can have considerably higher Sr-isotope ratios (0.7061-0.7246 and 0.7090-0.7250, respectively). Hydrothermally altered volcanic rocks inside the caldera have (87Sr/86Sr)m slightly heavier than their fresh volcanic equivalents and hydrothermal calcites (0.7068-0.7105) occupy a midrange of values between the volcanic/plutonic rocks and the Sierran metamorphic rocks. These data indicate that the Long Valley geothermal reservoir is first equilibrated in a basement complex that contains at least some metasedimentary rocks. Reequilibration of Sr-isotope ratios to lower values occurs in thermal waters as convecting geothermal fluids flow through the isotopically lighter volcanic rocks of the caldera fill. ?? 1991.

  19. Broadband Magnetotelluric Investigations of Crustal Resistivity Structure in North-Eastern Alberta: Implications for Engineered Geothermal Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liddell, M. V.; Unsworth, M. J.; Nieuwenhuis, G.

    2013-12-01

    Greenhouse gas emissions from hydrocarbon consumption produce profound changes in the global climate, and the implementation of alternative energy sources is needed. The oilsands industry in Alberta (Canada) is a major producer of greenhouse gases as natural gas is burnt to produce the heat required to extract and process bitumen. Geothermal energy could be utilized to provide this necessary heat and has the potential to reduce both financial costs and environmental impacts of the oilsands industry. In order to determine the geothermal potential the details of the reservoir must be understood. Conventional hydrothermal reservoirs have been detected using geophysical techniques such as magnetotellurics (MT) which measures the electrical conductivity of the Earth. However, in Northern Alberta the geothermal gradient is relatively low, and heat must be extracted from deep inside the basement rocks using Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS) and therefore an alternative exploration technique is required. MT can be useful in this context as it can detect fracture zones and regions of elevated porosity. MT data were recorded near Fort McMurray with the goal of determining the geothermal potential by understanding the crustal resistivity structure beneath the Athabasca Oilsands. The MT data are being used to locate targets of significance for geothermal exploration such as regions of low resistivity in the basement rocks which can relate to in situ fluids or fracture zones which can facilitate efficient heat extraction or het transport. A total of 93 stations were collected ~500m apart on two profiles stretching 30 and 20km respectively. Signals were recorded using Phoenix Geophysics V5-2000 systems over frequency bands from 1000 to 0.001 Hz, corresponding to depths of penetration approximately 50m to 50km. Groom-Bailey tensor decomposition and phase tensor analysis shows a well defined geoelectric strike direction that varied along the profile from N60°E to N45

  20. Advanced Percussive Drilling Technology for Geothermal Exploration and Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Su, Jiann [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Raymond, David [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Prasad, Somuri [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Wolfer, Dale [Atlas-Copco Secoroc LLC, Fagersta (Sweden)

    2017-06-12

    Percussive hammers are a promising advance in drilling technology for geothermal since they rely upon rock reduction mechanisms that are well-suited for use in the hard, brittle rock characteristic of geothermal formations. The project research approach and work plan includes a critical path to development of a high-temperature (HT) percussive hammer using a two phase approach. The work completed in Phase I of the project demonstrated the viability of percussive hammers and that solutions to technical challenges in design, material technology, and performance are likely to be resolved. Work completed in Phase II focused on testing the findings from Phase I and evaluating performance of the materials and designs at high operating temperatures. A high-operating temperature (HOT) drilling facility was designed, built, and used to test the performance of the DTH under extreme conditions. Results from the testing indicate that a high-temperature capable hammer can be developed and is a viable alternative for use in the driller’s toolbox.

  1. Fracture Propagation and Permeability Change under Poro-thermoelastic Loads & Silica Reactivity in Enhanced Geothermal Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahmad Ghassemi

    2009-10-01

    Geothermal energy is recovered by circulating water through heat exchange areas within a hot rock mass. Geothermal reservoir rock masses generally consist of igneous and metamorphic rocks that have low matrix permeability. Therefore, cracks and fractures play a significant role in extraction of geothermal energy by providing the major pathways for fluid flow and heat exchange. Therefore, knowledge of the conditions leading to formation of fractures and fracture networks is of paramount importance. Furthermore, in the absence of natural fractures or adequate connectivity, artificial fractures are created in the reservoir using hydraulic fracturing. Multiple fractures are preferred because of the large size necessary when using only a single fracture. Although the basic idea is rather simple, hydraulic fracturing is a complex process involving interactions of high pressure fluid injections with a stressed hot rock mass, mechanical interaction of induced fractures with existing natural fractures, and the spatial and temporal variations of in-situ stress. As a result, it is necessary to develop tools that can be used to study these interactions as an integral part of a comprehensive approach to geothermal reservoir development, particularly enhanced geothermal systems. In response to this need we have developed advanced poro-thermo-chemo-mechanical fracture models for rock fracture research in support of EGS design. The fracture propagation models are based on a regular displacement discontinuity formulation. The fracture propagation studies include modeling interaction of induced fractures. In addition to the fracture propagation studies, two-dimensional solution algorithms have been developed and used to estimate the impact of pro-thermo-chemical processes on fracture permeability and reservoir pressure. Fracture permeability variation is studied using a coupled thermo-chemical model with quartz reaction kinetics. The model is applied to study quartz precipitation

  2. Coexistence Mechanism for Colocated HDR/LDR WPANs Air Interfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prasad Ramjee

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper addresses the issues of interference management among Low Data Rate (LDR and High Data Rate (HDR WPAN air interfaces that are located in close-proximity (up to 10 cm and eventually on the same multimode device. After showing the noticeable performance degradation in terms of Bit Error Rate (BER and goodput due to the out-of-band interference of an HDR air interface over an LDR air interface, the paper presents a novel coexistence mechanism, named Alternating Wireless Activity (AWA, which is shown to greatly improve the performance in terms of goodput of the most interference vulnerable air interface (i.e., the LDR air interface. The main difference of the proposed mechanism with respect to other collaborative mechanisms based on time-scheduling is that it synchronizes the transmission of the LDR and HDR WPANs at the superframe level instead of packet level. Advantages and limitations of this choice are presented in the paper. Furthermore the functionalities of the AWA mechanism are positioned in a common protocol layer over the Medium Access Control (MAC sublayers of the HDR and LDR devices and it can be used with any standard whose MAC is based on a superframe structure.

  3. Deep Unconventional Geothermal Resources: a major opportunity to harness new sources of sustainable energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fridleifsson, G.O.; Albertsson, A.; Stefansson, B.; Gunnlaugsson, E.; Adalsteinsson, H.

    2007-07-01

    The Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) is a long-term program to improve the efficiency and economics of geothermal energy by harnessing Deep Unconventional Geothermal Resources (DUGR). Its aim is to produce electricity from natural supercritical hydrous fluids from drillable depths. Producing supercritical fluids will require drilling wells and sampling fluids and rocks to depths of 3.5 to 5 km, and at temperatures of 450-600{sup o}C. The long-term plan is to drill and test a series of such deep boreholes in Iceland at the Krafla, the Hengill, and the Reykjanes high temperature geothermal systems. Beneath these three developed drill fields temperatures should exceed 550-650{sup o}C, and the occurrence of frequent seismic activity below 5 km, indicates that the rocks are brittle and therefore likely to be permeable. Modeling indicates that if the wellhead enthalpy is to exceed that of conventionally produced geothermal steam, the reservoir temperature must be higher than 450{sup o}C. A deep well producing 0.67 m3/sec steam ({approx}2400 m3/h) from a reservoir with a temperature significantly above 450{sup o}C could yield enough high-enthalpy steam to generate 40-50 MW of electric power. This exceeds by an order of magnitude the power typically obtained from conventional geothermal wells. (auth)

  4. 17th Symposium of NEDO projects. Geothermal subcommittee; Chinetsu bunkakai. Dai 17 kai jigyo hokokukai

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-09-01

    Described herein are the reports presented to the geothermal subcommittee. The NEDO's Geothermal Research Department is developing the technologies for accurately predicting the reservoir changes in the future by the geothermal development promotion investigations for distributed conditions of geothermal resources and related environmental impacts, and also by clarifying the hydrogic characteristics of the fracture systems which form the reservoirs. The department is also implementing the projects for investigating/ researching possibilities of resources distribution conditions and utilization for eventual commercialization of the deep underground geothermal resources, and also investigating utilization of small- to medium-sized geothermal binary power generation systems for effective utilization of unutilized geothermal energy. The geothermal technology development group is developing the technologies for the binary cycle power generation plants which effectively utilize unutilized medium- to high-temperature geothermal water for power generation, and also the technologies for collecting conditions at the bottom of a geothermal well being excavated in real time to improve efficiency and precision of the excavation. The other technologies being developed include those for excavation and production essential for development of power generation systems using high-temperature rocks and deep underground geothermal resources, the former being expected to contribute to expanded utilization of geothermal resources and the latter to increased geothermal power generation capacity. (NEDO)

  5. 17th Symposium of NEDO projects. Geothermal subcommittee; Chinetsu bunkakai. Dai 17 kai jigyo hokokukai

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-09-01

    Described herein are the reports presented to the geothermal subcommittee. The NEDO's Geothermal Research Department is developing the technologies for accurately predicting the reservoir changes in the future by the geothermal development promotion investigations for distributed conditions of geothermal resources and related environmental impacts, and also by clarifying the hydrogic characteristics of the fracture systems which form the reservoirs. The department is also implementing the projects for investigating/ researching possibilities of resources distribution conditions and utilization for eventual commercialization of the deep underground geothermal resources, and also investigating utilization of small- to medium-sized geothermal binary power generation systems for effective utilization of unutilized geothermal energy. The geothermal technology development group is developing the technologies for the binary cycle power generation plants which effectively utilize unutilized medium- to high-temperature geothermal water for power generation, and also the technologies for collecting conditions at the bottom of a geothermal well being excavated in real time to improve efficiency and precision of the excavation. The other technologies being developed include those for excavation and production essential for development of power generation systems using high-temperature rocks and deep underground geothermal resources, the former being expected to contribute to expanded utilization of geothermal resources and the latter to increased geothermal power generation capacity. (NEDO)

  6. Report on fiscal 1999 survey for geothermal exploration technology verification. Survey of deep-seated geothermal resources; 1999 nendo chinetsu tansa gijutsu nado kensho chosa hokokusho. Shinbu chinetsu shigen chosa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-03-01

    To promote the development of deep-seated geothermal resources in a rationalized way, studies were conducted about deep-seated geothermal resource assessment techniques, development guidelines, and the like. For the development of techniques for estimating deep-seated geothermal reservoir parameters, the Uenotai district, Akita Prefecture, and the Hatchobaru district, Oita Prefecture, were designated as model fields, and a geothermal system conceptual model was fabricated. Data of the two districts were registered in a database. Using these data, verification was performed of the validity of stochastic estimation techniques, large area flow simulation, rock/water equilibrium reaction simulation, and the like. As for the technique of deep-seated resource amount estimation, a simplified reservoir model was experimentally constructed based on parameters determined by the stochastic estimation of deep-seated reservoirs and on the conceptual model, and a method was studied for TOUGH2-based production prediction. Studies were also made about deep-seated geothermal resource development guidelines, such as exploration guidelines, exploration well boring guidelines, and geothermal fluid production guidelines. (NEDO)

  7. HDR ühest kaadrist? / Janno Loide

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Loide, Janno

    2008-01-01

    HDR-töötluse (High dynamic range - pildi kõrge dünaamiline ulatus) ja toonide kohandamise (tone mapping) meetodite kasutamisest pildi digitaalsel salvestusel ning sobiva hele-tumeduse leidmisel loodusfotode parema kvaliteedi saamiseks

  8. A dosimetric selectivity intercomparison of HDR brachytherapy, IMRT and helical tomotherapy in prostate cancer radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hermesse, Johanne; Biver, Sylvie; Jansen, Nicolas; Coucke, Philippe [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Liege Univ. Hospital (Belgium); Lenaerts, Eric [Dept. of Medical Physics, Liege Univ. Hospital (Belgium); De Patoul, Nathalie; Vynckier, Stefaan [Dept. of Medical Physics, St Luc Univ. Hospital, Brussels (Belgium); Scalliet, Pierre [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, St Luc Univ. Hospital, Brussels (Belgium); Nickers, Philippe [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Oscar Lambret Center, Lille (France)

    2009-11-15

    Background and purpose: dose escalation in order to improve the biochemical control in prostate cancer requires the application of irradiation techniques with high conformality. The dosimetric selectivity of three radiation modalities is compared: high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT), intensity-modulated radiation radiotherapy (IMRT), and helical tomotherapy (HT). Patients and methods: ten patients with prostate adenocarcinoma treated by a 10-Gy HDR-BT boost after external-beam radiotherapy were investigated. For each patient, HDR-BT, IMRT and HT theoretical treatment plans were realized using common contour sets. A 10-Gy dose was prescribed to the planning target volume (PTV). The PTVs and critical organs' dose-volume histograms obtained were compared using Student's t-test. Results: HDR-BT delivers spontaneously higher mean doses to the PTV with smaller cold spots compared to IMRT and HT. 33% of the rectal volume received a mean HDR-BT dose of 3.86 {+-} 0.3 Gy in comparison with a mean IMRT dose of 6.57 {+-} 0.68 Gy and a mean HT dose of 5.58 {+-} 0.71 Gy (p < 0.0001). HDR-BT also enables to better spare the bladder. The hot spots inside the urethra are greater with HDR-BT. The volume of healthy tissue receiving 10% of the prescribed dose is reduced at least by a factor of 8 with HDR-BT (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: HDR-BT offers better conformality in comparison with HT and IMRT and reduces the volume of healthy tissue receiving a low dose. (orig.)

  9. Use of TOUGHREACT to Simulate Effects of Fluid Chemistry onInjectivity in Fractured Geothermal Reservoirs with High Ionic StrengthFluids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Tianfu; Zhang, Guoxiang; Pruess, Karsten

    2005-02-09

    Recent studies suggest that mineral dissolution/precipitation and clay swelling effects could have a major impact on the performance of hot dry rock (HDR) and hot fractured rock (HFR) reservoirs. A major concern is achieving and maintaining adequate injectivity, while avoiding the development of preferential short-circuiting flow paths. A Pitzer ionic interaction model has been introduced into the publicly available TOUGHREACT code for solving non-isothermal multi-phase reactive geochemical transport problems under conditions of high ionic strength, expected in typical HDR and HFR systems. To explore chemically-induced effects of fluid circulation in these systems, we examine ways in which the chemical composition of reinjected waters can be modified to improve reservoir performance. We performed a number of coupled thermo-hydrologic-chemical simulations in which the fractured medium was represented by a one-dimensional MINC model (multiple interacting continua). Results obtained with the Pitzer activity coefficient model were compared with those using an extended Debye-Hueckel equation. Our simulations show that non-ideal activity effects can be significant even at modest ionic strength, and can have major impacts on permeability evolution in injection-production systems. Alteration of injection water chemistry, for example by dilution with fresh water, can greatly alter precipitation and dissolution effects, and can offer a powerful tool for operating hot dry rock and hot fractured rock reservoirs in a sustainable manner.

  10. Simulation of the Heber geothermal field, a TOUGH2/PC application

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Antunez, E.; Lippmann, M. [Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (United States); Ali Khan, M. [California Department of Conservation, Santa Rosa, CA (United States)

    1995-03-01

    A numerical simulation model for the Heber geothermal field in southern California is being developed under a technology transfer agreement between the Department of Energy/LBL and the California Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (Division). The two objectives of the cooperation are: (1) to train Division personnel in the use of the TOUGH2/PC computer code; and (2) to develop a module compatible with TOUGH2 to investigate the effects of production/injection operations on the ground surface subsidence-rebound phenomenon observed in the field. The compaction of the rock formation will be handled assuming an elastic behavior of the rock-fluid system. Considered will be changes in pore volume and in-grid block dimensions, as well as, the process by which the change in formation volume is transmitted to the surface (vertical deformation; subsidence and rebound).

  11. FY 2000 report on the results of the data processing in the geothermal development promotion survey. Tertiary. No.B-7 Kuwanosawa area; 2000 nendo chinetsu kaihatsu sokushin chosa data shori hokokusho. No. B-7 Kuwanosawa chiiki (Dai 3 ji)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2002-01-01

    The comprehensive analysis was conducted of various data obtained in the geothermal development promotion survey conducted in the Kuwanosawa area, Yuzawa city, Akita prefecture, from FY 1998 to FY 2000. The geology of the Kuwanosawa area consists of the Pretertiary system and Quarternary system, through which intrusive rocks are recognized. Basement rocks are composed of the Paleozoic-origin crystalline schist and the Cretaceous-period granites which intruded into the schist. In the Kuwanosawa area, there were recognized no clear geothermal signs such as the discharge of geothermal fluids like hot spring, fumarolic gas, etc., places of high temperature and new geothermal alteration zones. The geothermal water of borehole N11-KN-1 is a low temperature/low CL concentration geothermal water which was stored in basement rocks, which is supposed to be the one conductively heated in the process of the meteoric water penetrating deep-underground. The geothermal system heat source in the Kuwanosawa area and the periphery is regarded as the relic magma which spewed out the volcanic rocks of Mt. Takamatsu-dake in the Quaternary period. However, the geothermal fluid included no components originating in high temperature volcanic emissions, and therefore, it is considered that the geothermal fluid was formed by the meteoric water conductively heated by volcanic heat source. (NEDO)

  12. Determination of the thermophysical properties of loose rocks; Bestimmung der thermophysikalischen Kennwerte von Lockergesteinen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stegner, Johannes; Seehaus, Rainer; Sass, Ingo [Technische Univ. Darmstadt (Germany). Fachgebiet Angewandte Geothermie

    2012-10-16

    The heat conductivity as well as the temperature conductivity of loose rocks are the most important properties for the quantification of the yields of near-surface geothermal power plants. The more details on the heat conductivity are available, the more economical and sustainable is the dimensioning of a plant. The heat conductivity of loose rocks depends on the heat conductivity of the individual grain size fractions, water content, air pore volume, dry density, pressure conditions and temperature. Actually, a standardized procedure for the determination of geothermal parameters is missing. Thus, a measurement device for the investigation of the heat conductivity and thermal conductivity is developed. This measurement device enables a reproducible investigation of loose rocks optionally at a pressure consistency of up to 7.6 MPa, or at a volume consistency in the temperature range from -10 to +80 Celsius. The functionality of this measurement device can be validated by means of a comparison of measurements and finite element method simulations using loose rock standards. Additionally, the results of the field tests were correlated with in-situ values. In addition to validation of measurement devices, the measurement results are used to create calculation models for the geothermal parameters of loose rocks based on soil mechanical properties.

  13. Modeling thermal stress propagation during hydraulic stimulation of geothermal wells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jansen, Gunnar; Miller, Stephen A.

    2017-04-01

    A large fraction of the world's water and energy resources are located in naturally fractured reservoirs within the earth's crust. Depending on the lithology and tectonic history of a formation, fracture networks can range from dense and homogeneous highly fractured networks to single large scale fractures dominating the flow behavior. Understanding the dynamics of such reservoirs in terms of flow and transport is crucial to successful application of engineered geothermal systems (also known as enhanced geothermal systems or EGS) for geothermal energy production in the future. Fractured reservoirs are considered to consist of two distinct separate media, namely the fracture and matrix space respectively. Fractures are generally thin, highly conductive containing only small amounts of fluid, whereas the matrix rock provides high fluid storage but typically has much smaller permeability. Simulation of flow and transport through fractured porous media is challenging due to the high permeability contrast between the fractures and the surrounding rock matrix. However, accurate and efficient simulation of flow through a fracture network is crucial in order to understand, optimize and engineer reservoirs. It has been a research topic for several decades and is still under active research. Accurate fluid flow simulations through field-scale fractured reservoirs are still limited by the power of current computer processing units (CPU). We present an efficient implementation of the embedded discrete fracture model, which is a promising new technique in modeling the behavior of enhanced geothermal systems. An efficient coupling strategy is determined for numerical performance of the model. We provide new insight into the coupled modeling of fluid flow, heat transport of engineered geothermal reservoirs with focus on the thermal stress changes during the stimulation process. We further investigate the interplay of thermal and poro-elastic stress changes in the reservoir

  14. A 3-D wellbore simulator (WELLTHER-SIM) to determine the thermal diffusivity of rock-formations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong-Loya, J. A.; Santoyo, E.; Andaverde, J.

    2017-06-01

    Acquiring thermophysical properties of rock-formations in geothermal systems is an essential task required for the well drilling and completion. Wellbore thermal simulators require such properties for predicting the thermal behavior of a wellbore and the formation under drilling and shut-in conditions. The estimation of static formation temperatures also needs the use of these properties for the wellbore and formation materials (drilling fluids and pipes, cements, casings, and rocks). A numerical simulator (WELLTHER-SIM) has been developed for modeling the drilling fluid circulation and shut-in processes of geothermal wellbores, and for the in-situ determination of thermal diffusivities of rocks. Bottomhole temperatures logged under shut-in conditions (BHTm), and thermophysical and transport properties of drilling fluids were used as main input data. To model the thermal disturbance and recovery processes in the wellbore and rock-formation, initial drilling fluid and static formation temperatures were used as initial and boundary conditions. WELLTHER-SIM uses these temperatures together with an initial thermal diffusivity for the rock-formation to solve the governing equations of the heat transfer model. WELLTHER-SIM was programmed using the finite volume technique to solve the heat conduction equations under 3-D and transient conditions. Thermal diffusivities of rock-formations were inversely computed by using an iterative and efficient numerical simulation, where simulated thermal recovery data sets (BHTs) were statistically compared with those temperature measurements (BHTm) logged in some geothermal wellbores. The simulator was validated using a well-documented case reported in the literature, where the thermophysical properties of the rock-formation are known with accuracy. The new numerical simulator has been successfully applied to two wellbores drilled in geothermal fields of Japan and Mexico. Details of the physical conceptual model, the numerical

  15. Magnetotelluric-Geochemistry Investigations of Blawan Geothermal Field, East Java, Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sukir Maryanto

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available An integrated magnetotelluric (MT and geochemical study of the Blawan geothermal field has been performed. The character of the hot springs, the reservoir temperature, and geothermal reserve potential of Blawan geothermal field are assessed. MT measurements, with 250 m up to 1200 m spacings, were made at 19 sites, and 6 locations at the Blawan hot springs have been sampled for geochemical survey. The results of 2D modelling indicated that the geothermal system in the research area consisted of a cap rock zone (≤32 Ω•m, reservoir zone (>32 – ≤512 Ω•m, and heat source zone (>512 Ω•m, and also identified faults. The characteristics of the hot spring water were identified through analyzing the major and minor elements. A ternary diagram (Cl-SO4-HCO3 showed that the Blawan hot springs consist of bicarbonate water (at locations of AP-01, AP-02, AP-03 and chloride water (at locations of AP-04, AP-05, and AP-06, with a reservoir temperature of approximately 90 °C based on the Na–K–Ca geothermometer results. An estimate of the geothermal energy using the volumetric method, gave a total geothermal reserve potential of 1.823 MWe.

  16. New geochemical investigations in Platanares and Azacualpa geothermal sites (Honduras)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barberi, Franco; Carapezza, Maria Luisa; Cioni, Roberto; Lelli, Matteo; Menichini, Matia; Ranaldi, Massimo; Ricci, Tullio; Tarchini, Luca

    2013-05-01

    Platanares and Azacualpa geothermal sites of Honduras are located in an inner part of the Caribbean Plate far from the active volcanic front of Central America. Here geology indicates that there are not the conditions for the occurrence of shallow magmatic heat sources for high-enthalpy geothermal resources. Geothermal perspectives are related to the possibility of a deep circulation of meteoric water along faults and the storage of the heated fluid in fractured permeable reservoirs. Geochemical geothermometers indicate a temperature for the deeper part of the geothermal reservoir close to 200 °C for Platanares and of 150-170 °C for Azacualpa. Calcite scaling, with subordinate silica deposition has to be expected in both sites. CO2 soil flux investigations have been carried out in both areas and reveal the presence of positive anomalies likely corresponding to the presence at depth of fractured degassing geothermal reservoirs. Compared with the geothermal areas of Central Italy whose reservoirs are hosted in carbonate rocks, e.g. Latera (Chiodini et al., 2007), the CO2 soil flux measured in Honduras is significantly lower (mean of 17 g/m2day at Platanares and of 163 g/m2day at Azacualpa) probably because of the dominant silicate nature of the deep reservoirs.

  17. Experimental study on plaeo-geothermal and its history in the central and northern part of Huanghua depression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan Wei; Xia Yuliang; Ou Guangxi; Liu Dechang; Zhao Yunlong

    1999-11-01

    Started with the research on the unification of material source and pre-stage thermal history of Tertiary sedimentary rocks, the authors firstly analyse and discuss the paleo-geothermal and its gradient of the representative drilling well, identifies the temperature which the strata experienced at different period and the geologic factor that controls the geothermal field with fission track dating; then comprehensively analyse the paleo-geothermal field and its history in the concerned area after restoring the sedimentary and burying history; finally proposed some suggestion for oil- gas exploration in this area and for paleo-geothermal study method

  18. Seventeenth workshop on geothermal reservoir engineering: Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramey, H.J. Jr.; Kruger, P.; Miller, F.G.; Horne, R.N.; Brigham, W.E.; Cook, J.W. (Stanford Geothermal Program)

    1992-01-31

    PREFACE The Seventeenth Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering was held at Stanford University on January 29-31, 1992. There were one hundred sixteen registered participants which equaled the attendance last year. Participants were from seven foreign countries: Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Mexico and New Zealand. Performance of many geothermal fields outside the United States was described in the papers. The Workshop Banquet Speaker was Dr. Raffaele Cataldi. Dr. Cataldi gave a talk on the highlights of his geothermal career. The Stanford Geothermal Program Reservoir Engineering Award for Excellence in Development of Geothermal Energy was awarded to Dr. Cataldi. Dr. Frank Miller presented the award at the banquet. Thirty-eight papers were presented at the Workshop with two papers submitted for publication only. Dr. Roland Horne opened the meeting and the key note speaker was J.E. ''Ted'' Mock who discussed the DOE Geothermal R. & D. Program. The talk focused on aiding long-term, cost effective private resource development. Technical papers were organized in twelve sessions concerning: geochemistry, hot dry rock, injection, geysers, modeling, and reservoir mechanics. Session chairmen were major contributors to the program and we thank: Sabodh Garg., Jim Lovekin, Jim Combs, Ben Barker, Marcel Lippmann, Glenn Horton, Steve Enedy, and John Counsil. The Workshop was organized by the Stanford Geothermal Program faculty, staff, and graduate students. We wish to thank Pat Ota, Ted Sumida, and Terri A. Ramey who also produces the Proceedings Volumes for publication. We owe a great deal of thanks to our students who operate audiovisual equipment and to Francois Groff who coordinated the meeting arrangements for the Workshop. Henry J. Ramey, Jr. Roland N. Horne Frank G. Miller Paul Kruger William E. Brigham Jean W. Cook -vii

  19. Thermo-mechanical ratcheting in jointed rock masses

    KAUST Repository

    Pasten, C.

    2015-09-01

    Thermo-mechanical coupling takes place in jointed rock masses subjected to large thermal oscillations. Examples range from exposed surfaces under daily and seasonal thermal fluctuations to subsurface rock masses affected by engineered systems such as geothermal operations. Experimental, numerical and analytical results show that thermo-mechanical coupling can lead to wedging and ratcheting mechanisms that result in deformation accumulation when the rock mass is subjected to a biased static-force condition. Analytical and numerical models help in identifying the parameter domain where thermo-mechanical ratcheting can take place.

  20. Thermo-mechanical ratcheting in jointed rock masses

    KAUST Repository

    Pasten, C.; Garcí a, M.; Santamarina, Carlos

    2015-01-01

    Thermo-mechanical coupling takes place in jointed rock masses subjected to large thermal oscillations. Examples range from exposed surfaces under daily and seasonal thermal fluctuations to subsurface rock masses affected by engineered systems such as geothermal operations. Experimental, numerical and analytical results show that thermo-mechanical coupling can lead to wedging and ratcheting mechanisms that result in deformation accumulation when the rock mass is subjected to a biased static-force condition. Analytical and numerical models help in identifying the parameter domain where thermo-mechanical ratcheting can take place.

  1. Preliminary results of study comparing HDR with LDR brachytherapy for IIIb cervical cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trippe, N.; Pellizzon, A.C.A.; Novaes, P.; Salvajoli, J.V.; Fogaroli, R.; Maia, M.A.C.; Baraldi, H.; Ferrigno, R.

    1996-01-01

    Since 1992 we have been using a Micro-Selectron HDR device, working with Iridium 192 to treat the cervical cancer and some others pathologies. With a minimum follow up of 24 months, 59 patients with cervical cancer were randomizated for one of the following schedule of treatment: EBRT - 45Gy - fx 1,8Gy plus Brachytherapy 1-HDR - 36 (61%) - 4 weekly insertions of 6,0Gy at point A 2-LDR - 29 (39%) - two insertions fifteen days apart of 17,5Gy at point A EBRT was performed with a Linac 4MV, in box arrangement and parametrial complementation of dose with AP-PA fields. For Brachytherapy Fletcher Colpostats are used in association with intrauterine tamdens, in both arms. Brachyterapy starts in HDR group after ten days of the beginning of the treatment. The total time of treatment is shortened here in two weeks. LDR brachytherapy starts only after the end of EBRT. Results - local control was 61% in 12 months and 50% in 24 months for HDR group, versus 52,6% and 47,8% for LDR group. Local failures of 39% and 50% in 12 and 24 months for HDR and 47,8% and 52,8% for LDR groups respectively. Complications were restricted to rectites and cistites - 8,3% for HDR and 13% for LDR. Conclusions - HDR brachytherapy has an equivalent local control when compared to LDR, can treat a larger number of patients in a shorter period, has possibilities of dose optimizations and decrease the radiation exposure to the staff

  2. Hydraulic fracturing in granite under geothermal conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solberg, P.; Lockner, D.; Byerlee, J.D.

    1980-01-01

    The experimental hydraulic fracturing of granite under geothermal conditions produces tensile fracture at rapid fluid injection rates and shear fracture at slow injection rates and elevated differential stress levels. A sudden burst of acoustic emission activity accompanies tensile fracture formation whereas the acoustic emission rate increases exponentially prior to shear fracture. Temperature does not significantly affect the failure mechanism, and the experimental results have not demonstrated the occurrence of thermal fracturing. A critical result of these experiments is that fluid injection at intermediate rates and elevated differential stress levels increases permeability by more than an order of magnitude without producing macroscopic fractures, and low-level acoustic emission activity occurs simultaneously near the borehole and propagates outward into the specimen with time. Permeability measurements conducted at atmospheric pressure both before and after these experiments show that increased permeability is produced by permanent structural changes in the rock. Although results of this study have not demonstrated the occurrence of thermal fracturing, they suggest that fluid injection at certain rates in situ may markedly increase local permeability. This could prove critical to increasing the efficiency of heat exchange for geothermal energy extraction from hot dry rock. ?? 1980.

  3. France in the front line for geothermal energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richard, Aude; Talpin, Juliette

    2016-01-01

    A set of articles illustrates that France is among the European leaders in heat networks fed by deep aquifers in sedimentary basins, and will soon possess new types of plants to valorise this hot water. A first article describes the operation principle and the distinction between the different geothermal energy levels (very low, low and medium, high). The still slow but actual development of geothermal energy is commented. It notably concerns local communities and industries, but not yet individuals. A brief focus is proposed on the case of the Aquitaine basin and of Bordeaux, and on the use of geothermal energy to cool the wine. The case of Ferney-Voltaire is then discussed: a whole district will be supplied with probe-based tempered water loops. The interest of the ADEME in geo-cooling is evoked. An article comments the development of a new model of deep geothermal energy developed by France and Germany: a dozen of plants are planned to be built by 2020, and the Ecogi plant in Rittershoffen is a showcase of a first application of fractured rock geothermal technology (the operation is described). A map indicates locations of geothermal search permits which have been awarded for 16 sites in France. An overview is given of various initiatives in Ile-de-France. The case of Geothermie Bouillante plant in Guadeloupe is evoked: it has been purchased by an American group and will multiply its electricity production by a factor 4 by 2025. The two last articles respectively address the need to boost the very low geothermal energy sector, and the use of geothermal energy in cities near Paris (Grigny and Viry-Chatillon) which aim at supplying energy at lower prices, and thus struggle against energy poverty

  4. Current and future geothermal research in New Zealand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Graham, I.J.; Browne, P.; Christenson, B.W.; Hunt, T.M.; Weir, G.

    2000-01-01

    Research programs by Crown Research Institutes (Geological and Nuclear Sciences Ltd. and Industrial Research Ltd.), university departments (Auckland, Massey and Victoria), power companies and private consultancies aim to obtain a better understanding of currently producing geothermal fields in New Zealand, and of deep geothermal systems which might have potential for future resource development. Research is also being directed at industrial and environmental issues related to exploitation, water-rock alteration processes, changes in shallow geothermal systems with time, and mineralisation as it relates to epithermal ore formation. The chemical and physical environment of geothermal reservoirs in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (e.g. Thames, Kawerau, Ohaaki, Ngatamariki, Wairakei, Tongariro, Tauhara and Tokaanu-Waihi) is being quantified with the aim of developing a suite of magma to ambient production scenarios using numerical, reactive transport models. A variety of geological, geochemical and geophysical techniques including fluid inclusion geothermometry, stable isotope analysis, electromagnetic, micro-seismic and magnetotelluric analysis is providing high quality input data. Through experimentation and computer modelling, criteria for assessing the optimal depths for re-injection of production effluents are being developed, and related problems such as silica and calcite scaling, pipeline insulation and chemical corrosion investigated. Paths, flow mechanisms and flow rates of re-injection plumes are being modelled using electrical resistivity, micro-gravity and radioisotope tracer methods. Environmental effects related to testing and development, presently causing concern amongst local authorities and the public, are being quantitatively assessed, and recommendations made to mitigate them. The mechanical and petrological properties of rocks in shallow aquifers undergoing ground subsidence are being determined, and the extent and style of ground deformation investigated

  5. LDR vs. HDR brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer: the view from radiobiological models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    King, Christopher R

    2002-01-01

    Permanent LDR brachytherapy and temporary HDR brachytherapy are competitive techniques for clinically localized prostate radiotherapy. Although a randomized trial will likely never be conducted comparing these two forms of brachytherapy, a comparative radiobiological modeling analysis proves useful in understanding some of their intrinsic differences, several of which could be exploited to improve outcomes. Radiobiological models based upon the linear quadratic equations are presented for fractionated external beam, fractionated (192)Ir HDR brachytherapy, and (125)I and (103)Pd LDR brachytherapy. These models incorporate the dose heterogeneities present in brachytherapy based upon patient-derived dose volume histograms (DVH) as well as tumor doubling times and repair kinetics. Radiobiological parameters are normalized to correspond to three accepted clinical risk factors based upon T-stage, PSA, and Gleason score to compare models with clinical series. Tumor control probabilities (TCP) for LDR and HDR brachytherapy (as monotherapy or combined with external beam) are compared with clinical bNED survival rates. Predictions are made for dose escalation with HDR brachytherapy regimens. Model predictions for dose escalation with external beam agree with clinical data and validate the models and their underlying assumptions. Both LDR and HDR brachytherapy achieve superior tumor control when compared with external beam at conventional doses (LDR brachytherapy as boost achieves superior tumor control than when used as monotherapy. Stage for stage, both LDR and current HDR regimens achieve similar tumor control rates, in agreement with current clinical data. HDR monotherapy with large-dose fraction sizes might achieve superior tumor control compared with LDR, especially if prostate cancer possesses a high sensitivity to dose fractionation (i.e., if the alpha/beta ratio is low). Radiobiological models support the current clinical evidence for equivalent outcomes in localized

  6. Numerical simulation of the heat extraction in EGS with thermal-hydraulic-mechanical coupling method based on discrete fractures model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Zhi-xue; Zhang, Xu; Xu, Yi; Yao, Jun; Wang, Hao-xuan; Lv, Shuhuan; Sun, Zhi-lei; Huang, Yong; Cai, Ming-yu; Huang, Xiaoxue

    2017-01-01

    The Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) creates an artificial geothermal reservoir by hydraulic fracturing which allows heat transmission through the fractures by the circulating fluids as they extract heat from Hot Dry Rock (HDR). The technique involves complex thermal–hydraulic–mechanical (THM) coupling process. A numerical approach is presented in this paper to simulate and analyze the heat extraction process in EGS. The reservoir is regarded as fractured porous media consisting of rock matrix blocks and discrete fracture networks. Based on thermal non-equilibrium theory, the mathematical model of THM coupling process in fractured rock mass is used. The proposed model is validated by comparing it with several analytical solutions. An EGS case from Cooper Basin, Australia is simulated with 2D stochastically generated fracture model to study the characteristics of fluid flow, heat transfer and mechanical response in geothermal reservoir. The main parameters controlling the outlet temperature of EGS are also studied by sensitivity analysis. The results shows the significance of taking into account the THM coupling effects when investigating the efficiency and performance of EGS. - Highlights: • EGS reservoir comprising discrete fracture networks and matrix rock is modeled. • A THM coupling model is proposed for simulating the heat extraction in EGS. • The numerical model is validated by comparing with several analytical solutions. • A case study is presented for understanding the main characteristics of EGS. • The THM coupling effects are shown to be significant factors to EGS's running performance.

  7. Hydrogeological Modelling of the Geothermal Waters of Alaşehir in the Continental Rift Zone of the Gediz, Western Anatolia, Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ӧzgür, Nevzat; Bostancı, Yesim; Anilır Yürük, Ezgi

    2017-12-01

    In western Anatolia, Turkey, the continental rift zones of the Büyük Menderes, Küçük Menderes and Gediz were formed by extensional tectonic features striking E-W generally and representing a great number of active geothermal systems, epithermal mineralizations and volcanic rocks from Middle Miocene to recent. The geothermal waters are associated with the faults which strike preferentially NW-SE and NE-SW and locate diagonal to general strike of the rift zones of the Menderes Massif. These NW-SE and NE-SW striking faults were probably generated by compressional tectonic regimes which leads to the deformation of uplift between two extensional rift zones in the Menderes Massif. The one of these rift zones is Gediz which is distinguished by a great number of geothermal waters such as Alaşehir, Kurşunlu, Çamurlu, Pamukkale and Urganlı. The geothermal waters of Alaşehir form the biggest potential in the rift zone of Gediz with a capacity of about 100 to 200 MWe. Geologically, the gneisses from the basement rocks in the study area which are overlain by an Paleozoic to Mesozoic intercalation of mica schists, quartzites and marbles, a Miocene intercalation of conglomerates, sandstones and clay stones and Plio-Quaternary intercalation of conglomerates, sandstones and clay stones discordantly. In the study area, Paleozoic to Mesozoic quartzites and marbles form the reservoir rocks hydrogeologically. The geothermal waters anions with Na+K>Ca>Mg dominant cations and HCO3>Cl> dominant anions are of Na-HCO3 type and can be considered as partial equilibrated waters. According to the results of geochemical thermometers, the reservoir temperatures area of about 185°C in accordance with measured reservoir temperatures. Stabile isotopes of δ18O versus δ2H of geothermal waters of Alaşehir deviate from the meteoric water line showing an intensive water-rock interaction under high temperature conditions. These data are well correlated with the results of the

  8. Geothermal Energy R&D Program Annual Progress Report Fiscal Year 1993

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1994-04-01

    In this report, the DOE Geothermal Program activities were split between Core Research and Industrial Development. The technical areas covered are: Exploration Technology, Drilling Technology, Reservoir Technology (including Hot Dry Rock Research and The Geyser Cooperation), and Conversion Technology (power plants, materials, and direct use/direct heat). Work to design the Lake County effluent pipeline to help recharge The Geysers shows up here for the first time. This Progress Report is another of the documents that are reasonable starting points in understanding many of the details of the DOE Geothermal Program. (DJE 2005)

  9. A Resource Assessment Of Geothermal Energy Resources For Converting Deep Gas Wells In Carbonate Strata Into Geothermal Extraction Wells: A Permian Basin Evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Erdlac, Richard J., Jr.

    2006-10-12

    Previously conducted preliminary investigations within the deep Delaware and Val Verde sub-basins of the Permian Basin complex documented bottom hole temperatures from oil and gas wells that reach the 120-180C temperature range, and occasionally beyond. With large abundances of subsurface brine water, and known porosity and permeability, the deep carbonate strata of the region possess a good potential for future geothermal power development. This work was designed as a 3-year project to investigate a new, undeveloped geographic region for establishing geothermal energy production focused on electric power generation. Identifying optimum geologic and geographic sites for converting depleted deep gas wells and fields within a carbonate environment into geothermal energy extraction wells was part of the project goals. The importance of this work was to affect the three factors limiting the expansion of geothermal development: distribution, field size and accompanying resource availability, and cost. Historically, power production from geothermal energy has been relegated to shallow heat plumes near active volcanic or geyser activity, or in areas where volcanic rocks still retain heat from their formation. Thus geothermal development is spatially variable and site specific. Additionally, existing geothermal fields are only a few 10’s of square km in size, controlled by the extent of the heat plume and the availability of water for heat movement. This plume radiates heat both vertically as well as laterally into the enclosing country rock. Heat withdrawal at too rapid a rate eventually results in a decrease in electrical power generation as the thermal energy is “mined”. The depletion rate of subsurface heat directly controls the lifetime of geothermal energy production. Finally, the cost of developing deep (greater than 4 km) reservoirs of geothermal energy is perceived as being too costly to justify corporate investment. Thus further development opportunities

  10. Spatial data analysis and integration for regional-scale geothermal potential mapping, West Java, Indonesia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carranza, Emmanuel John M.; Barritt, Sally D. [Department of Earth Systems Analysis, International Institute for Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), Enschede (Netherlands); Wibowo, Hendro; Sumintadireja, Prihadi [Laboratory of Volcanology and Geothermal, Geology Department, Institute of Technology Bandung (ITB), Bandung (Indonesia)

    2008-06-15

    Conceptual modeling and predictive mapping of potential for geothermal resources at the regional-scale in West Java are supported by analysis of the spatial distribution of geothermal prospects and thermal springs, and their spatial associations with geologic features derived from publicly available regional-scale spatial data sets. Fry analysis shows that geothermal occurrences have regional-scale spatial distributions that are related to Quaternary volcanic centers and shallow earthquake epicenters. Spatial frequency distribution analysis shows that geothermal occurrences have strong positive spatial associations with Quaternary volcanic centers, Quaternary volcanic rocks, quasi-gravity lows, and NE-, NNW-, WNW-trending faults. These geological features, with their strong positive spatial associations with geothermal occurrences, constitute spatial recognition criteria of regional-scale geothermal potential in a study area. Application of data-driven evidential belief functions in GIS-based predictive mapping of regional-scale geothermal potential resulted in delineation of high potential zones occupying 25% of West Java, which is a substantial reduction of the search area for further exploration of geothermal resources. The predicted high potential zones delineate about 53-58% of the training geothermal areas and 94% of the validated geothermal occurrences. The results of this study demonstrate the value of regional-scale geothermal potential mapping in: (a) data-poor situations, such as West Java, and (b) regions with geotectonic environments similar to the study area. (author)

  11. The Pawsey Supercomputer geothermal cooling project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regenauer-Lieb, K.; Horowitz, F.; Western Australian Geothermal Centre Of Excellence, T.

    2010-12-01

    The Australian Government has funded the Pawsey supercomputer in Perth, Western Australia, providing computational infrastructure intended to support the future operations of the Australian Square Kilometre Array radiotelescope and to boost next-generation computational geosciences in Australia. Supplementary funds have been directed to the development of a geothermal exploration well to research the potential for direct heat use applications at the Pawsey Centre site. Cooling the Pawsey supercomputer may be achieved by geothermal heat exchange rather than by conventional electrical power cooling, thus reducing the carbon footprint of the Pawsey Centre and demonstrating an innovative green technology that is widely applicable in industry and urban centres across the world. The exploration well is scheduled to be completed in 2013, with drilling due to commence in the third quarter of 2011. One year is allocated to finalizing the design of the exploration, monitoring and research well. Success in the geothermal exploration and research program will result in an industrial-scale geothermal cooling facility at the Pawsey Centre, and will provide a world-class student training environment in geothermal energy systems. A similar system is partially funded and in advanced planning to provide base-load air-conditioning for the main campus of the University of Western Australia. Both systems are expected to draw ~80-95 degrees C water from aquifers lying between 2000 and 3000 meters depth from naturally permeable rocks of the Perth sedimentary basin. The geothermal water will be run through absorption chilling devices, which only require heat (as opposed to mechanical work) to power a chilled water stream adequate to meet the cooling requirements. Once the heat has been removed from the geothermal water, licensing issues require the water to be re-injected back into the aquifer system. These systems are intended to demonstrate the feasibility of powering large-scale air

  12. Numerical Simulations of Thermo-Mechanical Processes during Thermal Spallation Drilling for Geothermal Reservoirs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogler, D.; Walsh, S. D. C.; Rudolf von Rohr, P.; Saar, M. O.

    2017-12-01

    Drilling expenses constitute a significant share of the upfront capital costs and thereby the associated risks of geothermal energy production. This is especially true for deep boreholes, as drilling costs per meter increase significantly with depth. Thermal spallation drilling is a relatively new drilling technique, particularly suited to the hard crystalline (e.g., basement) rocks in which many deep geothermal resources are located. The method uses a hot jet-flame to rapidly heat the rock surface, which leads to large temperature gradients in the rock. These temperature gradients cause localized thermal stresses that, in combination with the in situ stress field, lead to the formation and ejection of spalls. These spalls are then transported out of the borehole with the drilling mud. Thermal spallation not only in principle enables much faster rates of penetration than traditional rotary drilling, but is also contact-less, which significantly reduces the long tripping times associated with conventional rotary head drilling. We present numerical simulations investigating the influence of rock heterogeneities on the thermal spallation process. Special emphasis is put on different mineral compositions, stress regimes, and heat sources.

  13. Energy R and D. Geothermal energy and underground reservoirs; R et D energie. Geothermie et reservoirs souterrains

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-07-01

    Geothermal energy appears as a viable economic alternative among the different renewable energy sources. The French bureau of geological and mining researches (BRGM) is involved in several research and development programs in the domain of geothermal energy and underground reservoirs. This document presents the content of 5 programs: the deep hot dry rock system of Soultz-sous-Forets (construction and testing of the scientific pilot, modeling of the reservoir structure), the development of low and high enthalpy geothermal energy in the French West Indies, the comparison of the geothermal development success of Bouillante (Guadeloupe, French West Indies) with the check of the geothermal development of Nyssiros (Greece) and Pantelleria (Italy), the development of the high enthalpy geothermal potentialities of Reunion Island, and the underground storage of CO{sub 2} emissions in geologic formations (deep aquifers, geothermal reservoirs, abandoned mines or oil reservoirs). (J.S.)

  14. Evaluation of a HDR image sensor with logarithmic response for mobile video-based applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tektonidis, Marco; Pietrzak, Mateusz; Monnin, David

    2017-10-01

    The performance of mobile video-based applications using conventional LDR (Low Dynamic Range) image sensors highly depends on the illumination conditions. As an alternative, HDR (High Dynamic Range) image sensors with logarithmic response are capable to acquire illumination-invariant HDR images in a single shot. We have implemented a complete image processing framework for a HDR sensor, including preprocessing methods (nonuniformity correction (NUC), cross-talk correction (CTC), and demosaicing) as well as tone mapping (TM). We have evaluated the HDR sensor for video-based applications w.r.t. the display of images and w.r.t. image analysis techniques. Regarding the display we have investigated the image intensity statistics over time, and regarding image analysis we assessed the number of feature correspondences between consecutive frames of temporal image sequences. For the evaluation we used HDR image data recorded from a vehicle on outdoor or combined outdoor/indoor itineraries, and we performed a comparison with corresponding conventional LDR image data.

  15. Resistivity imaging of Aluto-Langano geothermal field using 3-D magnetotelluric inversion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherkose, Biruk Abera; Mizunaga, Hideki

    2018-03-01

    Magnetotelluric (MT) method is a widely used geophysical method in geothermal exploration. It is used to image subsurface resistivity structures from shallow depths up to several kilometers of depth. Resistivity imaging using MT method in high-enthalpy geothermal systems is an effective tool to identify conductive clay layers that cover the geothermal systems and to detect a potential reservoir. A resistivity model is vital for deciding the location of pilot and production sites at the early stages of a geothermal project. In this study, a 3-D resistivity model of Aluto-Langano geothermal field was constructed to map structures related to a geothermal resource. The inversion program, ModEM was used to recover the 3-D resistivity model of the study area. The 3-D inversion result revealed the three main resistivity structures: a high-resistivity surface layer related to unaltered volcanic rocks at shallow depth, underlain by a conductive zone associated with the presence of conductive clay minerals, predominantly smectite. Beneath the conductive layer, the resistivity increases gradually to higher values related to the formation of high-temperature alteration minerals such as chlorite and epidote. The resistivity model recovered from 3-D inversion in Aluto-Langano corresponds very well to the conceptual model for high-enthalpy volcanic geothermal systems. The conductive clay cap is overlying the resistive propylitic upflow zone as confirmed by the geothermal wells in the area.

  16. Characteristics of hearing loss in HDR (hypoparathyroidism, sensorineural deafness, renal dysplasia) syndrome

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Looij, Marjolein A. J.; Meijers-Heijboer, Hanne; Beetz, Rolf; Thakker, Rajesh V.; Christie, Paul T.; Feenstra, Lou W.; van Zanten, Bert G. A.

    2006-01-01

    Haploinsufficiency of the zinc finger transcription factor GATA3 causes the triad of hypoparathyroidism, deafness and renal dysplasia, known by its acronym HDR syndrome. The purpose of the current study was to describe in detail the auditory phenotype in human HDR patients and compare these to

  17. Application of subsurface temperature measurements in geothermal prospecting in Iceland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flóvenz, Ólafur G.

    1985-12-01

    In geothermal areas in Iceland aquifers are in most cases found to occur in highly permeable near-vertical fractures in the low permeability basaltic crust. Therefore heat transfer in the rocks surrounding the aquifers is mainly conductive. Temperature profiles in shallow non-flowing boreholes are used to construct a two dimensional model of the temperature distribution in the vicinity of near vertical aquifers. This is done by finite element solution of the equation of heat transfer which requires knowledge of the regional temperature gradient outside the area of geothermal activity and some constraints on the temperature within the aquifers. The model is helpful in estimating dip and location of near-vertical water bearing fractures and thus in siting production wells. An example of successful use to the method and of soil temperature measurements from a geothermal field in North-Iceland is demonstrated.

  18. Sixteenth workshop on geothermal reservoir engineering: Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramey, H.J. Jr.; Kruger, P.; Miller, F.G.; Horne, R.N.; Brigham, W.E.; Cook, J.W. (Stanford Geothermal Program)

    1991-01-25

    The Sixteenth Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering was held at Stanford University on January 23-25, 1991. The Workshop Banquet Speaker was Dr. Mohinder Gulati of UNOCAL Geothermal. Dr. Gulati gave an inspiring talk on the impact of numerical simulation on development of geothermal energy both in The Geysers and the Philippines. Dr. Gulati was the first recipient of The Stanford Geothermal Program Reservoir Engineering Award for Excellence in Development of Geothermal Energy. Dr. Frank Miller presented the award. The registered attendance figure of one hundred fifteen participants was up slightly from last year. There were seven foreign countries represented: Iceland, Italy, Philippines, Kenya, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Japan. As last year, papers on about a dozen geothermal fields outside the United States were presented. There were thirty-six papers presented at the Workshop, and two papers were submitted for publication only. Attendees were welcomed by Dr. Khalid Aziz, Chairman of the Petroleum Engineering Department at Stanford. Opening remarks were presented by Dr. Roland Horne, followed by a discussion of the California Energy Commission's Geothermal Activities by Barbara Crowley, Vice Chairman; and J.E. ''Ted'' Mock's presentation of the DOE Geothermal Program: New Emphasis on Industrial Participation. Technical papers were organized in twelve sessions concerning: hot dry rock, geochemistry, tracer injection, field performance, modeling, and chemistry/gas. As in previous workshops, session chairpersons made major contributions to the program. Special thanks are due to Joel Renner, Jeff Tester, Jim Combs, Kathy Enedy, Elwood Baldwin, Sabodh Garg, Marcel0 Lippman, John Counsil, and Eduardo Iglesias. The Workshop was organized by the Stanford Geothermal Program faculty, staff, and graduate students. We wish to thank Pat Ota, Angharad Jones, Rosalee Benelli, Jeanne Mankinen, Ted Sumida, and Terri A. Ramey who also

  19. Models of Geothermal Brine Chemistry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nancy Moller Weare; John H. Weare

    2002-03-29

    Many significant expenses encountered by the geothermal energy industry are related to chemical effects. When the composition, temperature of pressure of the fluids in the geological formation are changed, during reservoir evolution, well production, energy extraction or injection processes, the fluids that were originally at equilibrium with the formation minerals come to a new equilibrium composition, temperature and pressure. As a result, solid material can be precipitated, dissolved gases released and/or heat lost. Most geothermal energy operations experience these phenomena. For some resources, they create only minor problems. For others, they can have serious results, such as major scaling or corrosion of wells and plant equipment, reservoir permeability losses and toxic gas emission, that can significantly increase the costs of energy production and sometimes lead to site abandonment. In future operations that exploit deep heat sources and low permeability reservoirs, new chemical problems involving very high T, P rock/water interactions and unknown injection effects will arise.

  20. NEDO geothermal energy subcommittee. 18th project report meeting; NEDO chinetsu bunkakai. Dai 18 kai jigyo hokokukai

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-09-01

    Reporting on geothermal energy-related efforts, Taro Yamayasu, a NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) director, explains the promotion of researches on geothermal energy exploitation, researches on small and medium scale geothermal binary power system utilization, researches on geothermal exploration technology verification, and joint researches on small scale geothermal exploration on remote islands. Achievement reports are delivered concerning geothermal survey technology verification involving the development of reservoir fluctuation probing technology, deep-seated geothermal resources survey, and international joint projects. Concerning the research cooperation promotion project, a joint research program is reported involving a comprehensive geothermal resources analysis system for a remote island in the eastern part of Indonesia. In relation with the development of thermal water power plants, reports are delivered on the development of a 10MW class demonstration plant, development of technologies (study of elements) for a hot dry rock power system, development of a hole bottom data detection system for drilling in thermal water, and the development of deep-seated geothermal resources sampling technologies. (NEDO)

  1. Technology for Increasing Geothermal Energy Productivity. Computer Models to Characterize the Chemical Interactions of Geothermal Fluids and Injectates with Reservoir Rocks, Wells, Surface Equipment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nancy Moller Weare

    2006-01-01

    This final report describes the results of a research program we carried out over a five-year (3/1999-9/2004) period with funding from a Department of Energy geothermal FDP grant (DE-FG07-99ID13745) and from other agencies. The goal of research projects in this program were to develop modeling technologies that can increase the understanding of geothermal reservoir chemistry and chemistry-related energy production processes. The ability of computer models to handle many chemical variables and complex interactions makes them an essential tool for building a fundamental understanding of a wide variety of complex geothermal resource and production chemistry. With careful choice of methodology and parameterization, research objectives were to show that chemical models can correctly simulate behavior for the ranges of fluid compositions, formation minerals, temperature and pressure associated with present and near future geothermal systems as well as for the very high PT chemistry of deep resources that is intractable with traditional experimental methods. Our research results successfully met these objectives. We demonstrated that advances in physical chemistry theory can be used to accurately describe the thermodynamics of solid-liquid-gas systems via their free energies for wide ranges of composition (X), temperature and pressure. Eight articles on this work were published in peer-reviewed journals and in conference proceedings. Four are in preparation. Our work has been presented at many workshops and conferences. We also considerably improved our interactive web site (geotherm.ucsd.edu), which was in preliminary form prior to the grant. This site, which includes several model codes treating different XPT conditions, is an effective means to transfer our technologies and is used by the geothermal community and other researchers worldwide. Our models have wide application to many energy related and other important problems (e.g., scaling prediction in petroleum

  2. Effects of potential geothermal development in the Corwin Springs Known Geothermal Resources Area, Montana, on the thermal features of Yellowstone National Park. Water Resources Investigation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sorey, M.L.

    1991-01-01

    A two-year study by the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the National Park Service, Argonne National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory was initiated in 1988 to determine the effects of potential geothermal development in the Corwin Springs Known Geothermal Resources Area (KGRA), Montana, on the thermal features of Yellowstone National Park. The study addressed three principal issues: (1) the sources of thermal water in the hot springs at Mammoth, La Duke, and Bear Creek; (2) the degree of subsurface connection between these areas; and (3) the effects of geothermal development in the Corwin Springs KGRA on the Park's thermal features. The authors investigations included, but were not limited to, geologic mapping, electrical geophysical surveys, chemical sampling and analyses of waters and rocks, determinations of the rates of discharge of various thermal springs, and hydrologic tracer tests

  3. HDR imaging and color constancy: two sides of the same coin?

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCann, John J.

    2011-01-01

    At first, we think that High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging is a technique for improved recordings of scene radiances. Many of us think that human color constancy is a variation of a camera's automatic white balance algorithm. However, on closer inspection, glare limits the range of light we can detect in cameras and on retinas. All scene regions below middle gray are influenced, more or less, by the glare from the bright scene segments. Instead of accurate radiance reproduction, HDR imaging works well because it preserves the details in the scene's spatial contrast. Similarly, on closer inspection, human color constancy depends on spatial comparisons that synthesize appearances from all the scene segments. Can spatial image processing play similar principle roles in both HDR imaging and color constancy?

  4. Geothermal energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rummel, F.; Kappelmeyer, O.; Herde, O.A.

    1992-01-01

    Objective of this brochure is to present the subject Geothermics and the possible use of geothermal energy to the public. The following aspects will be refered to: -present energy situation -geothermal potential -use of geothermal energy -environemental aspects -economics. In addition, it presents an up-dated overview of geothermal projects funded by the German government, and a list of institutions and companies active in geothermal research and developments. (orig./HP) [de

  5. Geochemical and isotopic evidence on the recharge and circulation of geothermal water in the Tangshan Geothermal System near Nanjing, China: implications for sustainable development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Lianghua; Pang, Zhonghe; Kong, Yanlong; Guo, Qi; Wang, Yingchun; Xu, Chenghua; Gu, Wen; Zhou, Lingling; Yu, Dandan

    2018-01-01

    Geothermal resources are practical and competitive clean-energy alternatives to fossil fuels, and study on the recharge sources of geothermal water supports its sustainable exploitation. In order to provide evidence on the recharge source of water and circulation dynamics of the Tangshan Geothermal System (TGS) near Nanjing (China), a comprehensive investigation was carried out using multiple chemical and isotopic tracers (δ2H, δ18O, δ34S, 87Sr/86Sr, δ13C, 14C and 3H). The results confirm that a local (rather than regional) recharge source feeds the system from the exposed Cambrian and Ordovician carbonate rocks area on the upper part of Tangshan Mountain. The reservoir temperature up to 87 °C, obtained using empirical as well as theoretical chemical geothermometers, requires a groundwater circulation depth of around 2.5 km. The temperature of the geothermal water is lowered during upwelling as a consequence of mixing with shallow cold water up to a 63% dilution. The corrected 14C age shows that the geothermal water travels at a very slow pace (millennial scale) and has a low circulation rate, allowing sufficient time for the water to become heated in the system. This study has provided key information on the genesis of TGS and the results are instructive to the effective management of the geothermal resources. Further confirmation and even prediction associated with the sustainability of the system could be achieved through continuous monitoring and modeling of the responses of the karstic geothermal reservoir to hot-water mining.

  6. Needle displacement during HDR brachytherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Damore, Steven J.; Syed, A.M. Nisar; Puthawala, Ajmel A.; Sharma, Anil

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: We used clinical patient data to examine implant displacement between high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy fractions for prostate cancer to determine its impact on treatment delivery. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the verification films taken prior to each fraction for 96 consecutive patients treated with HDR brachytherapy boosts as part of their radiation therapy for definitive treatment of organ-confined prostate cancer at our institution. Patients were treated with 18-24 Gy in 4 fractions of HDR delivered in 40 hours followed by 36-39.6 Gy external beam radiation to the prostate. We determined the mean and maximum displacement distances of marker seeds placed in the prostate and of the implanted needles between HDR fractions. Results: Mean and maximum displacement distances between fractions were documented up to 7.6 mm and 28.5 mm, respectively, for the implant needles and 3.6 mm and 11.4 mm, respectively, for the gold marker seeds. All displacement of implant needles occurred in the caudal direction. At least 1 cm caudal displacement of needles occurred prior to 15.5% all fractions. Manual adjustment of needles was required prior to 15% of fractions, and adjustment of the CLP only was required in 24%. Most of the displacement for both the marker seeds and needles occurred between the first and second fractions. Conclusions: There is significant caudal displacement of interstitial implant needles between HDR fractions in our prostate cancer patients. Obtaining verification films and making adjustments in the treatment volume prior to each fraction is necessary to avoid significant inaccuracies in treatment delivery

  7. MeProRisk - a Joint Venture for Minimizing Risk in Geothermal Reservoir Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clauser, C.; Marquart, G.

    2009-12-01

    Exploration and development of geothermal reservoirs for the generation of electric energy involves high engineering and economic risks due to the need for 3-D geophysical surface surveys and deep boreholes. The MeProRisk project provides a strategy guideline for reducing these risks by combining cross-disciplinary information from different specialists: Scientists from three German universities and two private companies contribute with new methods in seismic modeling and interpretation, numerical reservoir simulation, estimation of petrophysical parameters, and 3-D visualization. The approach chosen in MeProRisk consists in considering prospecting and developing of geothermal reservoirs as an iterative process. A first conceptual model for fluid flow and heat transport simulation can be developed based on limited available initial information on geology and rock properties. In the next step, additional data is incorporated which is based on (a) new seismic interpretation methods designed for delineating fracture systems, (b) statistical studies on large numbers of rock samples for estimating reliable rock parameters, (c) in situ estimates of the hydraulic conductivity tensor. This results in a continuous refinement of the reservoir model where inverse modelling of fluid flow and heat transport allows infering the uncertainty and resolution of the model at each iteration step. This finally yields a calibrated reservoir model which may be used to direct further exploration by optimizing additional borehole locations, estimate the uncertainty of key operational and economic parameters, and optimize the long-term operation of a geothermal resrvoir.

  8. Evaluation of geothermal energy as a heat source for the oilsands industry in Northern Alberta (Canada)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majorowicz, J. A.; Unsworth, M.; Gray, A.; Nieuwenhuis, G.; Babadagli, T.; Walsh, N.; Weides, S.; Verveda, R.

    2012-12-01

    The extraction and processing of bitumen from the oilsands of Northern Alberta requires very large amounts of heat that is obtained by burning natural gas. At current levels, the gas used represents 6% of Canada's natural gas production. Geothermal energy could potentially provide this heat, thereby reducing both the financial costs and environmental impact of the oilsands industry. The Helmholtz Alberta Initiative is evaluating this application of geothermal energy through an integrated program of geology, geophysics, reservoir simulation and calculations of the cost benefit. A first stage in this evaluation is refining estimates of subsurface temperature beneath Northern Alberta. This has involved three stages: (1) Corrected industrial thermal data have been used to revise estimates of the upper crustal temperatures beneath the oilsands regions in Alberta. The geothermal gradient map produced using heat flow and thermal conductivity for the entire Phanerozoic column suggests that the overall gradient of the entire column is less than the gradients calculated directly from industry measurements. (2) Paleoclimatic corrections must be applied , since this region has experienced a significant increase in surface temperatures since the end of the last ice age causing a perturbation of shallow heat flow. For this reason, estimates of geothermal gradient based on shallow data are not necessarily characteristic of the whole sedimentary column and can lead to errors in temperature prediction at depth. (3) Improved measurements have been made of the thermal conductivity of the crystalline basement rocks (average = 2.9±0.8 W/m K). Thermal conductivity exhibits significant spatial variability and to a large degree controls the temperature conditions in the Precambrian crystalline basement rocks and its heat content at given heat flow-heat generation. When these steps are used to calculate subsurface temperatures, it can be shown that the temperatures required for geothermal

  9. Analysis of technologies and economics for geothermal energy utilization of electric power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haijie, C.

    1993-01-01

    Geothermal energy -- it is a kind of heat energy which pertains to the internal heat of the earth. It carries the heat of the earth outward by the underground water of the rock section of the earth. Normally, the temperature of the thermal water is 50 degrees-140 degrees. During the 20th century, the rapid development of industry and agriculture quickly increased the need for large amounts of electric power. Now, although there are coal power plants, oil and nature gas power plants, hydroelectric power and nuclear power plants, all countries of the world attach importance to the prospect of geothermal power plants. It is the most economic (no consumption fuel) and safe (no pollution) power plant. (Present author considered that the chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants such as RII, R12, and etc. are not used). In 1904, Italy established the first geothermal power plant in the world. Soon afterwards, the U.S.A., Iceland, Japan, Russia, and New Zealand also established geothermal power plants. In 1970, China, North China, Jiang province and Guangdong province also established geothermal power plants. In 1975, the U.S.A. geothermal power plant capacity of 522mw was the first in the world

  10. Quality assurance of HDR prostate plans: Program implementation at a community hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rush, Jennifer B.; Thomas, Michael D.

    2005-01-01

    Adenocarcinoma of the prostate is currently the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the United States, and the second leading cause of cancer mortality. The utilization of radiation therapy is regarded as the definitive local therapy of choice for intermediate- and high-risk disease, in which there is increased risk for extracapsular extension, seminal vesicle invasion, or regional node involvement. High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy is a logical treatment modality to deliver the boost dose to an external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) treatment to increase local control rates. From a treatment perspective, the utilization of a complicated treatment delivery system, the compressed time frame in which the procedure is performed, and the small number of large dose fractions make the implementation of a comprehensive quality assurance (QA) program imperative. One aspect of this program is the QA of the HDR treatment plan. Review of regulatory and medical physics professional publications shows that substantial general guidance is available. We provide some insight to the implementation of an HDR prostate plan program at a community hospital. One aspect addressed is the utilization of the low-dose-rate (LDR) planning system and the use of existing ultrasound image sets to familiarize the radiation therapy team with respect to acceptable HDR implant geometries. Additionally, the use of the LDR treatment planning system provided a means to prospectively determine the relationship between the treated isodose volume and the product of activity and time for the department's planning protocol prior to the first HDR implant. For the first 12 HDR prostate implants, the root-mean-square (RMS) deviation was 3.05% between the predicted product of activity and time vs. the actual plan values. Retrospective re-evaluation of the actual implant data reduced the RMS deviation to 2.36%

  11. Quality assurance of HDR prostate plans: program implementation at a community hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rush, Jennifer B; Thomas, Michael D

    2005-01-01

    Adenocarcinoma of the prostate is currently the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the United States, and the second leading cause of cancer mortality. The utilization of radiation therapy is regarded as the definitive local therapy of choice for intermediate- and high-risk disease, in which there is increased risk for extracapsular extension, seminal vesicle invasion, or regional node involvement. High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy is a logical treatment modality to deliver the boost dose to an external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) treatment to increase local control rates. From a treatment perspective, the utilization of a complicated treatment delivery system, the compressed time frame in which the procedure is performed, and the small number of large dose fractions make the implementation of a comprehensive quality assurance (QA) program imperative. One aspect of this program is the QA of the HDR treatment plan. Review of regulatory and medical physics professional publications shows that substantial general guidance is available. We provide some insight to the implementation of an HDR prostate plan program at a community hospital. One aspect addressed is the utilization of the low-dose-rate (LDR) planning system and the use of existing ultrasound image sets to familiarize the radiation therapy team with respect to acceptable HDR implant geometries. Additionally, the use of the LDR treatment planning system provided a means to prospectively determine the relationship between the treated isodose volume and the product of activity and time for the department's planning protocol prior to the first HDR implant. For the first 12 HDR prostate implants, the root-mean-square (RMS) deviation was 3.05% between the predicted product of activity and time vs. the actual plan values. Retrospective re-evaluation of the actual implant data reduced the RMS deviation to 2.36%.

  12. 1. expert congress on geothermal power: On the way to a new energy future. Proceedings; 1. Fachkongress Geothermischer Strom: Start in eine neue Energiezukunft. Tagungsband

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2003-07-01

    Subjects: The role of geothermal power in future energy supply; Efficient funding instruments for renewable energies; Geothermal resources for electric power generation (TAB study); From potential to utilisation: Concepts for geothermal power supply in Germany; Geothermal power in the German power supply system - comparative analysis of technologies, state of the art, marketing potential and experience so far; Exploration, development, construction and operation of the Neustadt-Glewe geothermal plant; Technical concept of the Neustadt-Glewe geothermal power plant; Predicting success of geothermal drilling; Seismic exploration, reservoir modelling and reservoir simulation in the context of the geothermal power project; Drilling technology and drilling cost for sediment rock and crystalline rock; Frac technology in crystalline rock; Frac technology in sediments; New technology MWD and LWD Systems Designed for Ultra-Deepwater and Geothermal Drilling; Further development of geothermal power generation in southern German crystalline rock; Efficiency of geothermal power generation; Dual heating station using medium-enthalpy geothermal water; The geothermal field on the Greek island of Milos: Current geothermal exploration and development; UGGW, the innovative concept for power generation independent of site; Russia's geothermal potential and its forecasted utilisation through 2020; On the learning curve to geothermal power: The Gross Schoenebeck in situ geothermal laboratory; Heat-resistant cements for deep drilling: Compositions, method of investigation, evaluation of results; Status and development of the Speyer geothermal project; Geothermal investigations accompanying construction of the Unterhaching geothermal plant; A power plant with an underground geothermal heat store; Investigation of a closed-circuit underground heat exchanger for environment-friendly supply of renewable energy independent of site - tools and energy conversion. (orig.) [German] Der

  13. Geothermal Today: 2003 Geothermal Technologies Program Highlights (Revised)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2004-05-01

    This outreach publication highlights milestones and accomplishments of the DOE Geothermal Technologies Program for 2003. Included in this publication are discussions of geothermal fundamentals, enhanced geothermal systems, direct-use applications, geothermal potential in Idaho, coating technology, energy conversion R&D, and the GeoPowering the West initiative.

  14. The use of nomograms in LDR-HDR prostate brachytherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pujades, Ma Carmen; Camacho, Cristina; Perez-Calatayud, Jose; Richart, José; Gimeno, Jose; Lliso, Françoise; Carmona, Vicente; Ballester, Facundo; Crispín, Vicente; Rodríguez, Silvia; Tormo, Alejandro

    2011-09-01

    The common use of nomograms in Low Dose Rate (LDR) permanent prostate brachytherapy (BT) allows to estimate the number of seeds required for an implant. Independent dosimetry verification is recommended for each clinical dosimetry in BT. Also, nomograms can be useful for dose calculation quality assurance and they could be adapted to High Dose Rate (HDR). This work sets nomograms for LDR and HDR prostate-BT implants, which are applied to three different institutions that use different implant techniques. Patients treated throughout 2010 till April 2011 were considered for this study. This example was chosen to be the representative of the latest implant techniques and to ensure consistency in the planning. A sufficient number of cases for both BT modalities, prescription dose and different work methodology (depending on the institution) were taken into account. The specific nomograms were built using the correlation between the prostate volume and some characteristic parameters of each BT modality, such as the source Air Kerma Strength, number of implanted seeds in LDR or total radiation time in HDR. For each institution and BT modality, nomograms normalized to the prescribed dose were obtained and fitted to a linear function. The parameters of the adjustment show a good agreement between data and the fitting. It should be noted that for each institution these linear function parameters are different, indicating that each centre should construct its own nomograms. Nomograms for LDR and HDR prostate brachytherapy are simple quality assurance tools, specific for each institution. Nevertheless, their use should be complementary to the necessary independent verification.

  15. The use of nomograms in LDR-HDR prostate brachytherapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ma Carmen Pujades

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The common use of nomograms in Low Dose Rate (LDR permanent prostate brachytherapy (BT allowsto estimate the number of seeds required for an implant. Independent dosimetry verification is recommended for eachclinical dosimetry in BT. Also, nomograms can be useful for dose calculation quality assurance and they could be adaptedto High Dose Rate (HDR. This work sets nomograms for LDR and HDR prostate-BT implants, which are applied tothree different institutions that use different implant techniques. Material and methods: Patients treated throughout 2010 till April 2011 were considered for this study. This examplewas chosen to be the representative of the latest implant techniques and to ensure consistency in the planning. A sufficientnumber of cases for both BT modalities, prescription dose and different work methodology (depending on theinstitution were taken into account. The specific nomograms were built using the correlation between the prostatevo lume and some characteristic parameters of each BT modality, such as the source Air Kerma Strength, numberof implanted seeds in LDR or total radiation time in HDR. Results: For each institution and BT modality, nomograms normalized to the prescribed dose were obtained andfitted to a linear function. The parameters of the adjustment show a good agreement between data and the fitting.It should be noted that for each institution these linear function parameters are different, indicating that each centreshould construct its own nomograms. Conclusions: Nomograms for LDR and HDR prostate brachytherapy are simple quality assurance tools, specific foreach institution. Nevertheless, their use should be complementary to the necessary independent verification.

  16. Fluid and rock interaction in permeable volcanic rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindley, J.I.

    1985-01-01

    Four types of interrelated changes -geochemical, mineralogic, isotopic, and physical - occur in Oligocene volcanic units of the Mogollon-Datil volcanic field, New Mexico. These changes resulted from the operation of a geothermal system that, through fluid-rock interaction, affected 5 rhyolite ash-flow tuffs and an intercalated basaltic andesite lava flow causing a potassium metasomatism type of alteration. (1) Previous studies have shown enrichment of rocks in K 2 O as much as 130% of their original values at the expense of Na 2 O and CaO with an accompanying increase in Rb and decreases in MgO and Sr. (2) X-ray diffraction results of this study show that phenocrystic plagioclase and groundmass feldspar have been replaced with pure potassium feldspar and quartz in altered rock. Phenocrystic potassium feldspar, biotite, and quartz are unaffected. Pyroxene in basaltic andesite is replaced by iron oxide. (3) delta 18 O increases for rhyolitic units from values of 8-10 permil, typical of unaltered rock, to 13-15 permil, typical of altered rock. Basaltic andesite, however, shows opposite behavior with a delta 18 of 9 permil in unaltered rock and 6 permit in altered. (4) Alteration results in a density decrease. SEM revealed that replacement of plagioclase by fine-grained quartz and potassium feldspar is not a volume for volume replacement. Secondary porosity is created in the volcanics by the chaotic arrangement of secondary crystals

  17. Combined geophysical, geochemical and geological investigations of geothermal reservoir characteristics in Lower Saxony, Germany

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hahne, B.; Thomas, R.

    2012-04-01

    The North German basin provides a significant geothermal potential, although temperature gradients are moderate. However, deep drilling up to several thousand meters is required to reach temperatures high enough for efficient generation of geothermal heat and electric power. In these depths we have not much information yet about relevant physical properties like porosity or permeability of the rock formations. Therefore the costs of developing a geothermal reservoir and the risk of missing the optimum drilling location are high. The collaborative research association "Geothermal Energy and High Performance Drilling" (gebo) unites several universities and research institutes in Lower Saxony, Germany. It aims at a significant increase of economic efficiency by introducing innovative technology and high tech materials resisting temperatures up to 200 °C in the drilling process. Furthermore, a better understanding of the geothermal reservoir is essential. gebo is structured into four main fields: Drilling Technology, Materials, Technical Systems and Geosystem. Here, we show the combined work of the Geosystem group, which focuses on the exploration of geological fault zones as a potential geothermal reservoir as well as on modeling the stress field, heat transport, coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes, geochemical interactions and prediction of the long-term behavior of the reservoir. First results include combined seismic and geoelectric images of the Leinetalgraben fault system, a comparison of seismic images from P- and S-wave measurements, mechanical properties of North German rocks from field and laboratory measurements as well as from drill cores, seismological characterization of stimulated reservoirs, a thermodynamic "gebo" database for modeling hydrogeochemical processes in North German formation waters with high salinity and at high temperatures, stress models for specific sites in northern Germany, and modeling results of permeability and heat transport

  18. Experimental and theoretical investigations of soil-structure interaction effect at HDR-reactor-building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wassermann, K.

    1983-01-01

    Full-scale dynamic testing on intermediate and high levels was performed at the Heissdampfreaktor (HDR) in 1979. Various types of dynamic forces were applied and response of the reactor containment structure and internal components was measured. Precalculations of dynamic behaviour and response of the structure were made through different mathematical models for the structure and the underlying soil. Soil-Structure Interaction effects are investigated and different theoretical models are compared with experimental results. In each model, the soil is represented by springs attached to the structural model. Stiffnesses of springs are calculated by different finite-element idealizations and half-space approximations. Eigenfrequencies and damping values related to interaction effects (translation, rocking, torsion) are identified from test results. The comparisons of dynamic characteristic of the soil-structure system between precalculations and test results show good agreement in general. (orig.)

  19. A hybrid geothermal energy conversion technology: Auxiliary heating of geothermally preheated water or CO2 - a potential solution for low-temperature resources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saar, Martin; Garapati, Nagasree; Adams, Benjamin; Randolph, Jimmy; Kuehn, Thomas

    2016-04-01

    Safe, sustainable, and economic development of deep geothermal resources, particularly in less favourable regions, often requires employment of unconventional geothermal energy extraction and utilization methods. Often "unconventional geothermal methods" is synonymously and solely used as meaning enhanced geothermal systems, where the permeability of hot, dry rock with naturally low permeability at greater depths (4-6 km), is enhanced. Here we present an alternative unconventional geothermal energy utilization approach that uses low-temperature regions that are shallower, thereby drastically reducing drilling costs. While not a pure geothermal energy system, this hybrid approach may enable utilization of geothermal energy in many regions worldwide that can otherwise not be used for geothermal electricity generation, thereby increasing the global geothermal resource base. Moreover, in some realizations of this hybrid approach that generate carbon dioxide (CO2), the technology may be combined with carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) and CO2-based geothermal energy utilization, resulting in a high-efficiency (hybrid) geothermal power plant with a negative carbon footprint. Typically, low- to moderate-temperature geothermal resources are more effectively used for direct heat energy applications. However, due to high thermal losses during transport, direct use requires that the heat resource is located near the user. Alternatively, we show here that if such a low-temperature geothermal resource is combined with an additional or secondary energy resource, the power production is increased compared to the sum from two separate (geothermal and secondary fuel) power plants (DiPippo et al. 1978) and the thermal losses are minimized because the thermal energy is utilized where it is produced. Since Adams et al. (2015) found that using CO2 as a subsurface working fluid produces more net power than brine at low- to moderate-temperature geothermal resource conditions, we

  20. Potential for a significant deep basin geothermal system in Tintic Valley, Utah

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardwick, C.; Kirby, S.

    2014-12-01

    The combination of regionally high heat flow, deep basins, and permeable reservoir rocks in the eastern Great Basin may yield substantial new geothermal resources. We explore a deep sedimentary basin geothermal prospect beneath Tintic Valley in central Utah using new 2D and 3D models coupled with existing estimates of heat flow, geothermometry, and shallow hydrologic data. Tintic Valley is a sediment-filled basin bounded to the east and west by bedrock mountain ranges where heat-flow values vary from 85 to over 240 mW/m2. Based on modeling of new and existing gravity data, a prominent 30 mGal low indicates basin fill thickness may exceed 2 km. The insulating effect of relatively low thermal conductivity basin fill in Tintic Valley, combined with typical Great Basin heat flow, predict temperatures greater than 150 °C at 3 km depth. The potential reservoir beneath the basin fill is comprised of Paleozoic carbonate and clastic rocks. The hydrology of the Tintic Valley is characterized by a shallow, cool groundwater system that recharges along the upper reaches of the basin and discharges along the valley axis and to a series of wells. The east mountain block is warm and dry, with groundwater levels just above the basin floor and temperatures >50 °C at depth. The west mountain block contains a shallow, cool meteoric groundwater system. Fluid temperatures over 50 °C are sufficient for direct-use applications, such as greenhouses and aquaculture, while temperatures exceeding 140°C are suitable for binary geothermal power plants. The geologic setting and regionally high heat flow in Tintic Valley suggest a geothermal resource capable of supporting direct-use geothermal applications and binary power production could be present.

  1. Heat Conductivity Model in the Rock Masses of the Kochani Depression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karakashev, Deljo; Delipetrov, Todor

    2006-01-01

    The numerous regional geologic and hydrogeological explorations carried out in the Kochani depression by the end of the last century and those carried out lately indicate that the area possesses large thermal potentiality. The physical analysis presents one physical model which explain the thermal flow and heat conductivity who fluidity yielding in the rock masses of the Kochani depression. The models offer a clear picture on the geothermal energy, which becomes important for the economics in developing and developed countries. The results obtained and the calculations carried out on the heat flow in individual geothermal zones in the Kochani depression made it possible to conclude that the central zone possesses the highest heat flow. This points out to the higher heat circulation in the central part than in the periphery. Based on this it can be said that the major source and the main heat supply in the valley comes from the central part. The north-eastern part of the depression distinguished as a geothermal source is of high capacity in which large amounts of geothermal energy can be exploited. On the other hand, the south-west of the depression is the poorest with regard to thermal energy and heat flow in the rocks compared with the other two zones in the depression. (Author)

  2. Further Development and Application of GEOFRAC-FLOW to a Geothermal Reservoir

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Einstein, Herbert [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Vecchiarelli, Alessandra [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

    2014-05-01

    GEOFRAC is a three-dimensional, geology-based, geometric-mechanical, hierarchical, stochastic model of natural rock fracture systems. The main characteristics of GEOFRAC are its use of statistical input representing fracture patterns in the field in form of the fracture intensity P32 (fracture area per volume) and the best estimate fracture size E(A). This information can be obtained from boreholes or scanlines on the surface, on the one hand, and from window sampling of fracture traces on the other hand. In the context of this project, “Recovery Act - Decision Aids for Geothermal Systems”, GEOFRAC was further developed into GEOFRAC-FLOW as has been reported in the reports, “Decision Aids for Geothermal Systems - Fracture Pattern Modelling” and “Decision Aids for Geothermal Systems - Fracture Flow Modeling”. GEOFRAC-FLOW allows one to determine preferred, interconnected fracture paths and the flow through them.

  3. Better temperature predictions in geothermal modelling by improved quality of input parameters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fuchs, Sven; Bording, Thue Sylvester; Balling, N.

    2015-01-01

    Thermal modelling is used to examine the subsurface temperature field and geothermal conditions at various scales (e.g. sedimentary basins, deep crust) and in the framework of different problem settings (e.g. scientific or industrial use). In such models, knowledge of rock thermal properties...

  4. The relative efficacy of HDR and LDR interstitial brachytherapy in squamous cell carcinoma of vagina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Demanes, D. J.; Hsu, I-C.; Lin, S.; Ewing, T.; Rodriguez, R.

    1996-01-01

    Introduction: Beginning in 1982 we performed low dose rate (LDR) interstitial template brachytherapy (ISTB) for carcinoma of the vagina. High dose rate (HDR) remote afterloading has been used exclusively since 1991. We compare the results LDR and HDR brachytherapy. Material and Methods: Between 1982 and 1994, 30 patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of vagina received external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and brachytherapy. The AJCC stage distribution was 3 stage I, 25 stage II, and 2 stage III. The average central pelvic EBRT dose was 35 Gy. Pelvic side wall EBRT doses ranged from 45 to 50.4 Gy. Nineteen patients had LDR treatment; 3 intracavitary brachytherapy (ICB) and 16 ISTB. Eleven patients had HDR treatment; 2 ICB and 9 ISB. The average dose delivered by LDR was 41.2 Gy usually in 2 fractions, and by HDR 32.5 Gy in 6 fractions of 500-550 cGy. Local failures were confirmed pathologically. The absolute survival (AS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) were calculated using Kaplan-Meier method and compared with logrank statistics. Results: The mean follow-up was 77 months for LDR and 23 months for HDR. Local and regional control was achieved in 90% (27/30) of the patients. Three year AS was 84% and RFS was 87%. There was no significant difference between LDR and HDR in AS, RFS or local-regional control, (log rank p=0.85, p=0.12 and p=0.35 respectively). The single HDR local failure presented in a patient with extensive stage II disease who declined ISTB. There were fewer complications following HDR. The 1 case of extensive vaginal necrosis and the 3 cases of rectovaginal fistula that required surgery occurred only with LDR brachytherapy. Discussion: Excellent local and regional control of carcinoma of the vagina can be achieved by administering limited doses of external radiation and brachytherapy. Interstitial template implants are the best means of encompassing paravaginal disease while sparing the adjacent uninvolved normal tissues from high doses of

  5. Direct utilization of geothermal energy in the Peoples Republic of China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lund, J. W.

    1980-12-01

    A brief review of the direct utilization of geothermal energy in three regions of the Peoples' Republic of China is presented, stressing a development outline for the next five to ten years. The geothermal resource of the Tianjin-Beijing area is mainly to be developed for space heating, whereas along the coastal area of Fujian and Guangdong, it will be developed for agriculture, and industrial and residential use. Electric power generation will be the main concern in the southwest at Tengchong. Most theoretical research will be done on geologic structure interpretation, corrosion of pump shafts and buried pipelines, and heat flow, with some interest in the study of geopressure and hot dry rock systems. Specific examples from the Tianjin area include a wool factory; a wool rug weaving shop; heating of a hotel; public bathing; and well drilling for apartment heating, fish breeding, and greenhouses. Direct use of geothermal energy in the Beijing area includes cotton dyeing, humidifying, medical purposes, and animal husbandry. Experimental geothermal electric power plants are summarized in table form.

  6. Comparison of radiation shielding requirements for HDR brachytherapy using 169Yb and 192Ir sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lymperopoulou, G.; Papagiannis, P.; Sakelliou, L.; Georgiou, E.; Hourdakis, C. J.; Baltas, D.

    2006-01-01

    169 Yb has received a renewed focus lately as an alternative to 192 Ir sources for high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. Following the results of a recent work by our group which proved 169 Yb to be a good candidate for HDR prostate brachytherapy, this work seeks to quantify the radiation shielding requirements for 169 Yb HDR brachytherapy applications in comparison to the corresponding requirements for the current 192 Ir HDR brachytherapy standard. Monte Carlo simulation (MC) is used to obtain 169 Yb and 192 Ir broad beam transmission data through lead and concrete. Results are fitted to an analytical equation which can be used to readily calculate the barrier thickness required to achieve a given dose rate reduction. Shielding requirements for a HDR brachytherapy treatment room facility are presented as a function of distance, occupancy, dose limit, and facility workload, using analytical calculations for both 169 Yb and 192 Ir HDR sources. The barrier thickness required for 169 Yb is lower than that for 192 Ir by a factor of 4-5 for lead and 1.5-2 for concrete. Regarding 169 Yb HDR brachytherapy applications, the lead shielding requirements do not exceed 15 mm, even in highly conservative case scenarios. This allows for the construction of a lead door in most cases, thus avoiding the construction of a space consuming, specially designed maze. The effects of source structure, attenuation by the patient, and scatter conditions within an actual treatment room on the above-noted findings are also discussed using corresponding MC simulation results

  7. The Hydrogeochemistry of Qingshui Geothermal Field, Northeastern Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu-Wen, Chen; Cheng-Kuo, Lin; Wayne, Lin; Yu-Te, Chang; Pei-Shan, Hsieh

    2015-04-01

    The Qingshui geothermal field is located at the upstream valley of Lanyang Creek, northeastern Taiwan. It is renowned as a geothermal field. The previous studies demonstrated a higher geothermal gradient, 100oC/km warmer than a normal geotherm. However, Qingshui geothermal field has not been well developed due to the higher mining costs. In the recent years, the Taiwan government has been focusing on developing alternative and renewable energy and initiated a 10 year project, Nation Energy Program. This study is part of this project In general, it is very difficult to collect deep downhole samples without considerable change of hydro- and gas- chemistry of water under high temperature and pressure. A new sampling tool, GTF Sampler, was designed by the research team, Green Energy and Environment Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute. This tool can simultaneously collect high quality geothermal water and gas sample and moreover, the sampling depth can reach up to 800 meters. Accordingly, a more accurate measurements can be conducted in the laboratory. In this study, 10 geothermal samples were collected and measured. The results demonstrate that geothermal water samples are characterized with Na(K)-HCO3 water type and located at the mature water area in Giggenbach Na-K-Mg diagram. Several geothermometers, including silica and cation geothermometry, were used to estimate potential temperature in the geothermal reservoir systems. In general, the geothermoters of Na-K and Na-K-Ca obtain reservoir temperatures between 120-190oC and 130-210oC, respectively, but the silica geothermometer indicates a lower reservoir temperature between 90 and 170oC. There is no big difference among them. It is worth to note that all calculated temperatures are lower than those of in-situ downhole measurements; therefore, more detailed and advanced researches would be needed for the inconsistency. To examine the argument about igneous heat source in the previous studies, rare

  8. Hydrothermal Alteration in an Acid-Sulphate Geothermal Field: Sulphur Springs, Saint Lucia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joseph, E. P.; Barrett, T. J.

    2017-12-01

    Sulphur Springs is a vigorous geothermal field associated with the Soufrière Volcanic Centre in southern Saint Lucia. Bubbling hydrothermal pools are rich in sodium-calcium sulphate, with pHs of 3-7 and temperatures of 41-97ºC. Fumaroles have temperatures up to, and at times above, 100°C. Gases from bubbling pools and fumaroles have high contents of CO2 (601-993 mmol/mol) and H2S (3-190 mmol/mol). To investigate the nature and extent of hydrothermal alteration, detailed chemical analysis was carried out on 25 altered rocks, 10 sediments from pools and creeks in the main discharge area, and 15 little-altered rocks up to 2 km away from geothermal field. Eight altered samples were also analysed for stable isotope compositions, with mineralogy determined by X-ray diffraction and mineral liberation analysis. Least-altered host rocks comprise calc-alkaline feldspar-quartz-porphyritic dacites of near-uniform composition that form massive domes and volcaniclastic units. These rocks were emplaced 10-30 Ka ago (Lindsay et al. 2013). Within the geothermal field, the dacites have been highly altered to kaolinite, quartz, cristobalite, alunite, natroalunite, smectite, native sulphur, jarosite, gypsum and amorphous compounds. Muds from grey to blackish hydrothermal pools additionally contain iron sulphides, mainly pyrite. Despite intense alteration of the original dacites, Zr and Ti have remained essentially immobile, allowing the calculation of mass changes. Major depletions of Fe, Mg, Ca, Na and commonly Si occur over an area of at least 200 x 400 m. The most altered rocks also show losses of Al, light REE and Y, implying leaching by highly acidic waters. A few altered rocks have, however, gained Al together with Si and P. Also present are m-scale zones of silica + native sulphur, wherein the silica appears to represent a residue from the leaching of dacite, rather than a hydrothermal addition. Delta-34S values of samples containing mixtures of sulphates, native sulphur and

  9. SU-D-19A-07: Dosimetric Comparison of HDR Plesiotherapy and Electron Beam Therapy for Superficial Lesions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mitchell, A; Jacob, D; Andreou, K; Raben, A; Chen, H; Koprowski, C; Mourtada, F [Christiana Care Hospital, Newark, DE (United States)

    2014-06-01

    Purpose: Large superficial (skin, soft tissue sarcoma) lesions located on curved areas are hard to treat with electrons. The Freiburg Flap (Nucletron, Netherlands) is a flexible mesh style surface which can be easily shaped to fit curved surfaces for reproducible HDR fraction delivery. To understand the fundamental dosimetric differences, a dosimetric comparison was made between HDR plesiotherapy (Freiburg applicator for lesions over 4cm) and external electron beam radiotherapy over cases with varying target curvature (both stylized and clinical cases). Methods: Four stylized cases with variable complexity were created using artificial DICOM axial CT slices and RT structures (a square and three curved structures on a 4.5cm radius cylinder). They were planned using Oncentra v4.3 and exported to Pinnacle v9.6 for electrons planning. The HDR source dwell positions were optimized for the best coverage of the targets using graphical optimization. Electron treatment plans were created in Pinnacle using the same CT and RT structures of three HDR cases with surface lesions previously treated with the Freiburg flap. The En face electron plans used 6-12 MeV electrons and 0.5–1 cm bolus was added to increase surface dose. The electron plans were prescribed to an isodose line to conform to the target. Results: For all lesions, the average target dose coverage was similar (D90ave of 100% for HDR vs 101% for electrons). For lesions with high curvature, the HDR coverage was better (D90 102% vs D90 97% for electron). For all cases, adjacent structures high dose region was lower for HDR than electrons (D1cc 100% for HDR vs D1cc 111% for electrons). Conclusion: HDR plesiotherapy offers excellent target conformity for superficial targets similar to electrons. However, for lesions with complex curved surfaces, HDR has the advantage to achieve better dose distributions using graphical optimization to spare adjacent normal tissue while maximizing target coverage.

  10. Investigations of Very High Enthalpy Geothermal Resources in Iceland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elders, W. A.; Fridleifsson, G. O.

    2012-12-01

    reservoir, without increasing its environmental foot print. If these efforts are successful, in future such very high enthalpy geothermal systems worldwide could become significant energy resources, where ever suitable young volcanic rocks occur, such as in the western USA, Hawaii, and Alaska.

  11. Vibrational experiments at the HDR [Heissdampfreaktor] German/US cooperation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kot, C.A.; Malcher, L.; Costello, J.F.

    1987-04-01

    As part of an overall effort on the validation of seismic calculational methods, the US NRC/RES is collaborating with the Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, FRG, in the vibrational/earthquake experiments conducted at the HDR (Heissdampfreaktor) Test Facility in Kahl/Main, FRG. In the most recent experiments (SHAG), high level excitations were produced in the HDR by means of an eccentric-mass coastdown shaker capable of developing 1000 tons of force. The purpose of the experiments was to investigate full-scale structural response, soil-structure interaction, and piping and equipment response. Data obtained in the tests serve to evaluate analysis methods. In the SHAG experiments, loadings of the HDR soil-structure system approached incipient failure levels as evidenced by high peak accelerations and displacements, local damage, nonlinear behavior, soil subsidence, and wall strains which exceeded estimated limit values. Also, the performance of different pipe hanger configurations for the VKL piping system was compared in these tests under high excitation levels. The support configurations ranged from very rigid systems (strut/snubbers) to very flexible configurations (spring and constant force supports). Pretest and post-test analyses for the building/soil and piping response were performed and are being validated with the test data

  12. Geological investigation of hydrothermal alteration haloes in Toyoha geothermal field, Hakkaido

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Igarashi, T; Furukawa, Y; Sugawara, K; Nishimura, S; Okabe, K

    1978-01-01

    In Toyoha geothermal field, the altered haloes are located along a tectonic line extending on a NW-SE direction along the Yunosawa River, east of the Toyoha Mine, a well known Neogene epithermal ore deposit. The investigation was carried out to clarify the stage of alteration, based on the altered haloes geologic structure, composition, and size. The Quaternary distribution at the eastern foot of Mt. Yotei was also studied. The field is covered by various kinds of Miocene sediments but the altered haloes are found only in an area covered by the Takinosawa formation and its older formations. Among the Yunosawa, Koyanagizawa and Takinosawa alteration haloes, the Yunosawa is the most important. It is composed of blocky silicified rock extending along a river and surrounding argillaceous rock. The silicified rock is composed primarily of quartz and subordinate alunite and opal, while the argillaceous rock consists chiefly of kaloin and is characterized by the occasional presence of sericite and montmorillinite. Fission-track and /sup 14/C methods were employed to determine the stage of alteration, but the results were unsatisfactory. The sublimation sulfur ore deposits in the Yunosawa and Koyanagizawa areas were comparatively small, but their original depositional features remain intact, indicating that geothermal activity continued until recently. Yunosawa is the most promising area as it is closely related to the tectonic line and also it has extraordinarily high ground temperature determined by a recent heat flow survey. Twenty-three references are provided.

  13. Geothermal Energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haluska, Oscar P.; Tangir, Daniel; Perri, Matias S.

    2002-01-01

    A general overview of geothermal energy is given that includes a short description of the active and stable areas in the world. The possibilities of geothermal development in Argentina are analyzed taking into account the geothermal fields of the country. The environmental benefits of geothermal energy are outlined

  14. Developing A Directional High-Dose Rate (d-HDR) Brachytherapy Source

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heredia, Athena Yvonne

    Conventional sources used in brachytherapy provide nearly isotropic or radially symmetric dose distributions. Optimizations of dose distributions have been limited to varied dwell times at specified locations within a given treatment volume, or manipulations in source position for seed implantation techniques. In years past, intensity modulated brachytherapy (IMBT) has been used to reduce the amount of radiation to surrounding sensitive structures in select intracavitary cases by adding space or partial shields. Previous work done by Lin et al., at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has shown potential improvements in conformality for brachytherapy treatments using a directionally shielded low dose rate (LDR) source for treatments in breast and prostate. Directional brachytherapy sources irradiate approximately half of the radial angles around the source, and adequately shield a quarter of the radial angles on the opposite side, with sharp gradient zones between the treated half and shielded quarter. With internally shielded sources, the radiation can be preferentially emitted in such a way as to reduce toxicities in surrounding critical organs. The objective of this work is to present findings obtained in the development of a new directional high dose rate (d-HDR) source. To this goal, 103Pd (Z = 46) is reintroduced as a potential radionuclide for use in HDR brachytherapy. 103Pd has a low average photon energy (21 keV) and relatively short half -life (17 days), which is why it has historically been used in low dose rate applications and implantation techniques. Pd-103 has a carrier-free specific activity of 75000 Ci/g. Using cyclotron produced 103Pd, near carrier-free specific activities can be achieved, providing suitability for high dose rate applications. The evolution of the d-HDR source using Monte Carlo simulations is presented, along with dosimetric parameters used to fully characterize the source. In addition, a discussion on how to obtain elemental

  15. Low temperature geothermal systems in carbonate-evaporitic rocks: Mineral equilibria assumptions and geothermometrical calculations. Insights from the Arnedillo thermal waters (Spain).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blasco, Mónica; Gimeno, María J; Auqué, Luis F

    2018-02-15

    Geothermometrical calculations in low-medium temperature geothermal systems hosted in carbonate-evaporitic rocks are complicated because 1) some of the classical chemical geothermometers are, usually, inadequate (since they were developed for higher temperature systems with different mineral-water equilibria at depth) and 2) the chemical geothermometers calibrated for these systems (based on the Ca and Mg or SO 4 and F contents) are not free of problems either. The case study of the Arnedillo thermal system, a carbonate-evaporitic system of low temperature, will be used to deal with these problems through the combination of several geothermometrical techniques (chemical and isotopic geothermometers and geochemical modelling). The reservoir temperature of the Arnedillo geothermal system has been established to be in the range of 87±13°C being the waters in equilibrium with respect to calcite, dolomite, anhydrite, quartz, albite, K-feldspar and other aluminosilicates. Anhydrite and quartz equilibria are highly reliable to stablish the reservoir temperature. Additionally, the anhydrite equilibrium explains the coherent results obtained with the δ 18 O anhydrite - water geothermometer. The equilibrium with respect to feldspars and other aluminosilicates is unusual in carbonate-evaporitic systems and it is probably related to the presence of detrital material in the aquifer. The identification of the expected equilibria with calcite and dolomite presents an interesting problem associated to dolomite. Variable order degrees of dolomite can be found in natural systems and this fact affects the associated equilibrium temperature in the geothermometrical modelling and also the results from the Ca-Mg geothermometer. To avoid this uncertainty, the order degree of the dolomite present in the Arnedillo reservoir has been determined and the results indicate 18.4% of ordered dolomite and 81.6% of disordered dolomite. Overall, the results suggest that this multi

  16. Geotherm: the U.S. geological survey geothermal information system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bliss, J.D.; Rapport, A.

    1983-01-01

    GEOTHERM is a comprehensive system of public databases and software used to store, locate, and evaluate information on the geology, geochemistry, and hydrology of geothermal systems. Three main databases address the general characteristics of geothermal wells and fields, and the chemical properties of geothermal fluids; the last database is currently the most active. System tasks are divided into four areas: (1) data acquisition and entry, involving data entry via word processors and magnetic tape; (2) quality assurance, including the criteria and standards handbook and front-end data-screening programs; (3) operation, involving database backups and information extraction; and (4) user assistance, preparation of such items as application programs, and a quarterly newsletter. The principal task of GEOTHERM is to provide information and research support for the conduct of national geothermal-resource assessments. The principal users of GEOTHERM are those involved with the Geothermal Research Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. Information in the system is available to the public on request. ?? 1983.

  17. Sustainable renewable energy seawater desalination using combined-cycle solar and geothermal heat sources

    KAUST Repository

    Missimer, Thomas M.

    2013-01-01

    Key goals in the improvement of desalination technology are to reduce overall energy consumption, make the process "greener," and reduce the cost of the delivered water. Adsorption desalination (AD) is a promising new technology that has great potential to reduce the need for conventional power, to use solely renewable energy sources, and to reduce the overall cost of water treatment. This technology can desalt seawater or water of even higher salinity using waste heat, solar heat, or geothermal heat. An AD system can operate effectively at temperatures ranging from 55 to 80 °C with perhaps an optimal temperature of 80 °C. The generally low temperature requirement for the feedwater allows the system to operate quite efficiently using an alternative energy source, such as solar power. Solar power, particularly in warm dry regions, can generate a consistent water temperature of about 90 °C. Although this temperature is more than adequate to run the system, solar energy collection only can occur during daylight hours, thereby necessitating the use of heat storage during nighttime or very cloudy days. With increasing capacity, the need for extensive thermal storage may be problematic and could add substantial cost to the development of an AD system. However, in many parts of the world, there are subsurface geothermal energy sources that have not been extensively used. Combining a low to moderate geothermal energy recovery system to an AD system would provide a solution to the thermal storage issue. However, geothermal energy development from particularly Hot Dry Rock is limited by the magnitude of the heat flow required for the process and the thermal conductivity of the rock material forming the heat reservoir. Combining solar and geothermal energy using an alternating 12-h cycle would reduce the probability of depleting the heat source within the geothermal reservoir and provide the most effective use of renewable energy. © 2013 Desalination Publications.

  18. Transition from LDR to HDR brachytherapy for cervical cancer: Evaluation of tumor control, survival, and toxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romano, K D; Pugh, K J; Trifiletti, D M; Libby, B; Showalter, T N

    In 2012, our institution transitioned from low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy to high dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy. We report clinical outcomes after brachytherapy for cervical cancer at our institution over a continuous 10-year period. From 2004 to 2014, 258 women (184 LDR and 74 HDR) were treated with tandem and ovoid brachytherapy in the multidisciplinary management of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stages IA-IVB cervical cancer. Clinical and treatment-related prognostic factors including age, stage, smoking status, relevant doses, and toxicity data were recorded. Median followup for the LDR and HDR groups was 46 months and 12 months, respectively. The majority of patients (92%) received external beam radiotherapy as well as concurrent chemotherapy (83%) before the start of brachytherapy. For all stages, the 1-year local control and overall survival (OS) rates were comparable between the LDR and HDR groups (87% vs. 81%, p = 0.12; and 75% vs. 85%, p = 0.16), respectively. Factors associated with OS on multivariate analysis include age, stage, and nodal involvement. On multivariate analysis, severe toxicity (acute or chronic) was higher with HDR than LDR (24% vs. 10%, p = 0.04). Additional prognostic factors associated with increased severe toxicity include former/current smokers and total dose to lymph nodes. This comparative retrospective analysis of a large cohort of women treated with brachytherapy demonstrates no significant difference in OS or local control between the LDR and HDR. Acute and chronic toxicity increased shortly after the implementation of HDR, highlighting the importance of continued refinement of HDR methods, including integrating advanced imaging. Copyright © 2016 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. The effect of offset on fracture permeability of rocks from the Southern Andes Volcanic Zone, Chile

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérez-Flores, P.; Wang, G.; Mitchell, T. M.; Meredith, P. G.; Nara, Y.; Sarkar, V.; Cembrano, J.

    2017-11-01

    The Southern Andes Volcanic Zone (SVZ) represents one of the largest undeveloped geothermal provinces in the world. Development of the geothermal potential requires a detailed understanding of fluid transport properties of its main lithologies. The permeability of SVZ rocks is altered by the presence of fracture damage zones produced by the Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault System (LOFS) and the Andean Transverse Faults (ATF). We have therefore measured the permeability of four representative lithologies from the volcanic basement in this area: crystalline tuff, andesitic dike, altered andesite and granodiorite. For comparative purposes, we have also measured the permeability of samples of Seljadalur basalt, an Icelandic rock with widely studied and reported hydraulic properties. Specifically, we present the results of a systematic study of the effect of fractures and fracture offsets on permeability as a function of increasing effective pressure. Baseline measurements on intact samples of SVZ rocks show that the granodiorite has a permeability (10-18 m2), two orders of magnitude higher than that of the volcanic rocks (10-20 m2). The presence of throughgoing mated macro-fractures increases permeability by between four and six orders of magnitude, with the highest permeability recorded for the crystalline tuff. Increasing fracture offset to produce unmated fractures results in large increases in permeability up to some characteristic value of offset, beyond which permeability changes only marginally. The increase in permeability with offset appears to depend on fracture roughness and aperture, and these are different for each lithology. Overall, fractured SVZ rocks with finite offsets record permeability values consistent with those commonly found in geothermal reservoirs (>10-16 m2), which potentially allow convective/advective flow to develop. Hence, our results demonstrate that the fracture damage zones developed within the SVZ produce permeable regions, especially within the

  20. Hydrothermal surface alteration in the Copahue Geothermal Field (Argentina)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mas, Graciela R.; Mas, Luis C.; Bengochea, Leandro

    1996-01-24

    In the area of the Copahue Geothermal Field, there are five active geothermal manifestations, which mainly consist of fumaroles, hot springs and mud pots. Four of these manifestations are located in Argentina: Las Máquinas, Termas de Copahue, Las Maquinitas and El Anfiteatro, and the fifth on the Chilean side: Chancho Co. All of them present a strong acid sulfate country rock alteration, characterized by the assemblage alunite + kaolinite + quartz + cristobalite + pyrite + sulfur + jarosite, as the result of the base leaching by fluids concentrated in H2SO4 by atmospheric oxidation at the water table in a steam heated environment of H2S released by deeper boiling fluids. Another alteration zone in this area, called COP-2, is a fossil geothermal manifestation which shows characteristics of neutral to alkaline alteration represented mainly by the siliceous sinter superimposed over the acid alteration. The mineralogy and zoning of these alteration zones, and their relation with the hidrothermal solutions and the major structures of the area are analized.

  1. Rendering of HDR content on LDR displays: an objective approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krasula, Lukáš; Narwaria, Manish; Fliegel, Karel; Le Callet, Patrick

    2015-09-01

    Dynamic range compression (or tone mapping) of HDR content is an essential step towards rendering it on traditional LDR displays in a meaningful way. This is however non-trivial and one of the reasons is that tone mapping operators (TMOs) usually need content-specific parameters to achieve the said goal. While subjective TMO parameter adjustment is the most accurate, it may not be easily deployable in many practical applications. Its subjective nature can also influence the comparison of different operators. Thus, there is a need for objective TMO parameter selection to automate the rendering process. To that end, we investigate into a new objective method for TMO parameters optimization. Our method is based on quantification of contrast reversal and naturalness. As an important advantage, it does not require any prior knowledge about the input HDR image and works independently on the used TMO. Experimental results using a variety of HDR images and several popular TMOs demonstrate the value of our method in comparison to default TMO parameter settings.

  2. Quality assurance of HDR 192Ir sources using a Fricke dosimeter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Austerlitz, C; Mota, H; Almeida, C E; Allison, R; Sibata, C

    2007-04-01

    A prototype of a Fricke dosimetry system consisting of a 15 x 15 x 15 cm3 water phantom made of Plexiglas and a 11.3-ml Pyrex balloon fitted with a 0.2 cm thick Pyrex sleeve in its center was created to assess source strength and treatment planning algorithms for use in high dose rate (HDR) 192Ir afterloading units. In routine operation, the radioactive source is positioned at the end of a sleeve, which coincides with the center of the spherical balloon that is filled with Fricke solution, so that the solution is nearly isotropically irradiated. The Fricke system was calibrated in terms of source strength against a reference well-type ionization chamber, and in terms of radial dose by means of an existing algorithm from the HDR's treatment planning system. Because the system is based on the Fricke dosimeter itself, for a given type and model of 192Ir source, the system needs initial calibration but no recalibration. The results from measurements made over a 10 month period, including source decay and source substitutions, have shown the feasibility of using such a system for quality control (QC) of HDR afterloading equipment, including both the source activity and treatment planning parameters. The benefit of a large scale production and the use of this device for clinical HDR QC audits via mail are also discussed.

  3. Hydrochemical and isotopic (2H, 18O and 37Cl) constraints on evolution of geothermal water in coastal plain of Southwestern Guangdong Province, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Liuzhu; Ma, Teng; Du, Yao; Xiao, Cong; Chen, Xinming; Liu, Cunfu; Wang, Yanxin

    2016-05-01

    Geothermal energy is abundant in Guangdong Province of China, however, majority of it is still unexploited. To take full advantage of this energy, it is essential to know the information of geothermal system. Here, physical parameters such as pH and temperature, major ion (Na+, Ca2 +, Mg2 +, Cl-, SO42 - and HCO3-), trace elements (Br-, Sr2 +, Li+ and B3 +) and stable isotopes (2H, 18O and 37Cl) in geothermal water, non-geothermal water (river water, cold groundwater) and seawater were used to identify the origin and evolution of geothermal water in coastal plain of Southwest of Guangdong. Two separate groups of geothermal water have been identified in study area. Group A, located in inland of study area, is characterized by Na+ and HCO3-. Group B, located in coastal area, is characterized by Na+ and Cl-. The relationships of components vs. Cl for different water samples clearly suggest the hydrochemical differences caused by mixing with seawater and water-rock interactions. It's evident that water-rock interactions under high temperature make a significant contribution to hydrochemistry of geothermal water for both Group A and Group B. Besides, seawater also plays an important role during geothermal water evolution for Group B. Mixing ratios of seawater with geothermal water for Group B are calculated by Cl and Br binary diagram, the estimated results show that about < 1% to < 35% of seawater has mixed into geothermal water, and seawater might get into the geothermal system by deep faults. Molar Na/Cl ratios also support these two processes. Geothermal and non-geothermal water samples plot around GMWL in the δ2H vs. δ18O diagram, indicating that these samples have a predominant origin from meteoric water. Most of geothermal water samples display δ37Cl values between those of the non-geothermal water and seawater samples, further reveals three sources of elements supply for geothermal water, including atmospheric deposition, bedrocks and seawater, which show a

  4. Hydrogeochemistry of high-temperature geothermal systems in China: A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo, Qinghai

    2012-01-01

    As an important part of the Mediterranean-Himalayas geothermal belt, southern Tibet and western Yunnan are the regions of China where high-temperature hydrothermal systems are intensively distributed, of which Rehai, Yangbajing and Yangyi have been investigated systematically during the past several decades. Although much work has been undertaken at Rehai, Yangbajing and Yangyi to study the regional geology, hydrogeology, geothermal geology and geophysics, the emphasis of this review is on hydrogeochemical studies carried out in these geothermal fields. Understanding the geochemistry of geothermal fluids and their environmental impact is critical for sustainable exploitation of high-temperature hydrothermal resources in China. For comparison, the hydrogeochemistry of several similar high-temperature hydrothermal systems in other parts of the world are also included in this review. It has been confirmed by studies on Cl − and stable isotope geochemistry that magma degassing makes an important contribution to the geothermal fluids from Rehai, Yangbajing and Yangyi, though meteoric water is still the major source of recharge for these hydrothermal systems. However, the mechanisms of magma heat sources appear to be quite different in the three systems, as recorded by the 3 He/ 4 He ratios of escaping geothermal gases. A mantle-derived magma intrusion to shallow crust is present below Rehai, although the intruding magma has been heavily hybridized by crustal material. By contrast, the heat sources below Yangbajing and Yangyi are inferred to be remelted continental crust. Besides original sources, the geochemistry of characteristic constituents in the geothermal fluids have also been affected by temperature-dependent fluid–rock interactions, boiling and redox condition changes occurring in the upper part of hydrothermal systems, and mixing with cold near-surface waters. The geothermal fluids from Rehai, Yangbajing and Yangyi contain very high concentrations of some

  5. GEODAT. Development of thermodynamic data for the thermodynamic equilibrium modeling of processes in deep geothermal formations. Combined report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moog, Helge C.; Regenspurg, Simona; Voigt, Wolfgang

    2015-02-01

    The concept for geothermal energy application for electricity generation can be differentiated into three compartments: In the geologic compartment cooled fluid is pressed into a porous or fractured rock formation, in the borehole compartment a hot fluid is pumped to the surface and back into the geothermal reservoir, in the aboveground facility the energy is extracted from the geothermal fluid by heat exchangers. Pressure and temperature changes influence the thermodynamic equilibrium of a system. The modeling of a geothermal system has therefore to consider besides the mass transport the heat transport and consequently changing solution compositions and the pressure/temperature effected chemical equilibrium. The GEODAT project is aimed to simulate the reactive mass transport in a geothermal reservoir in the North German basin (Gross Schoenebeck). The project was performed by the cooperation of three partners: Geoforschungsinstitut Potsdam, Bergakademie Freiberg and GRS.

  6. Insights to Engineered Geothermal System Performance Using Gringarten-Witherspoon-Ohnishi Analytical Solutions and Fracture Network Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doe, T.; McLaren, R.; Finilla, A.

    2017-12-01

    An enduring legacy of Paul Witherspoon and his students and colleagues has been both the development of geothermal energy and the bases of modern fractured-rock hydrogeology. One of the seminal contributions to the geothermal field was Gringarten, Witherspoon, and Ohnishi's analytical models for enhanced geothermal systems. Although discrete fracture network (DFN) modeling developed somewhat independently in the late 1970s, Paul Witherspoon's foresight in promoting underground in situ testing at the Stripa Mine in Sweden was a major driver in Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory's contributions to its development.This presentation looks extensions of Gringarten's analytical model into discrete fracture network modeling as a basis for providing further insights into the challenges and opportunities of engineered geothermal systems. The analytical solution itself has many insightful applications beyond those presented in the original paper. The definition of dimensionless time by itself shows that thermal breakthrough has a second power dependence on surface area and on flow rate. The fracture intensity also plays a strong role, as it both increases the surface area and decrease his flow rate per fracture. The improvement of EGS performance with fracture intensity reaches a limit where thermal depletion of the rock lags only slightly behind the thermal breakthrough of cold water in the fracture network.Simple network models, which couple a DFN generator (FracMan) with a hydrothermally coupled flow solver (HydroGeoSphere) expand on Gringarten's concepts to show that realistic heterogeneity of spacing and transmissivity significantly degrades EGS performance. EGS production in networks of stimulated fractures initially follows Gringarten's type curves, with a later deviation is the smaller rock blocks thermally deplete and the entire stimulated volume acts as a single sink. Three-dimensional models of EGS performance show the critical importance of the relative magnitudes of

  7. Prostate CT segmentation method based on nonrigid registration in ultrasound-guided CT-based HDR prostate brachytherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Xiaofeng, E-mail: xyang43@emory.edu; Rossi, Peter; Ogunleye, Tomi; Marcus, David M.; Jani, Ashesh B.; Curran, Walter J.; Liu, Tian [Department of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 (United States); Mao, Hui [Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 (United States)

    2014-11-01

    Purpose: The technological advances in real-time ultrasound image guidance for high-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy have placed this treatment modality at the forefront of innovation in cancer radiotherapy. Prostate HDR treatment often involves placing the HDR catheters (needles) into the prostate gland under the transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guidance, then generating a radiation treatment plan based on CT prostate images, and subsequently delivering high dose of radiation through these catheters. The main challenge for this HDR procedure is to accurately segment the prostate volume in the CT images for the radiation treatment planning. In this study, the authors propose a novel approach that integrates the prostate volume from 3D TRUS images into the treatment planning CT images to provide an accurate prostate delineation for prostate HDR treatment. Methods: The authors’ approach requires acquisition of 3D TRUS prostate images in the operating room right after the HDR catheters are inserted, which takes 1–3 min. These TRUS images are used to create prostate contours. The HDR catheters are reconstructed from the intraoperative TRUS and postoperative CT images, and subsequently used as landmarks for the TRUS–CT image fusion. After TRUS–CT fusion, the TRUS-based prostate volume is deformed to the CT images for treatment planning. This method was first validated with a prostate-phantom study. In addition, a pilot study of ten patients undergoing HDR prostate brachytherapy was conducted to test its clinical feasibility. The accuracy of their approach was assessed through the locations of three implanted fiducial (gold) markers, as well as T2-weighted MR prostate images of patients. Results: For the phantom study, the target registration error (TRE) of gold-markers was 0.41 ± 0.11 mm. For the ten patients, the TRE of gold markers was 1.18 ± 0.26 mm; the prostate volume difference between the authors’ approach and the MRI-based volume was 7.28% ± 0

  8. Prostate CT segmentation method based on nonrigid registration in ultrasound-guided CT-based HDR prostate brachytherapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xiaofeng; Rossi, Peter; Ogunleye, Tomi; Marcus, David M.; Jani, Ashesh B.; Mao, Hui; Curran, Walter J.; Liu, Tian

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The technological advances in real-time ultrasound image guidance for high-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy have placed this treatment modality at the forefront of innovation in cancer radiotherapy. Prostate HDR treatment often involves placing the HDR catheters (needles) into the prostate gland under the transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guidance, then generating a radiation treatment plan based on CT prostate images, and subsequently delivering high dose of radiation through these catheters. The main challenge for this HDR procedure is to accurately segment the prostate volume in the CT images for the radiation treatment planning. In this study, the authors propose a novel approach that integrates the prostate volume from 3D TRUS images into the treatment planning CT images to provide an accurate prostate delineation for prostate HDR treatment. Methods: The authors’ approach requires acquisition of 3D TRUS prostate images in the operating room right after the HDR catheters are inserted, which takes 1–3 min. These TRUS images are used to create prostate contours. The HDR catheters are reconstructed from the intraoperative TRUS and postoperative CT images, and subsequently used as landmarks for the TRUS–CT image fusion. After TRUS–CT fusion, the TRUS-based prostate volume is deformed to the CT images for treatment planning. This method was first validated with a prostate-phantom study. In addition, a pilot study of ten patients undergoing HDR prostate brachytherapy was conducted to test its clinical feasibility. The accuracy of their approach was assessed through the locations of three implanted fiducial (gold) markers, as well as T2-weighted MR prostate images of patients. Results: For the phantom study, the target registration error (TRE) of gold-markers was 0.41 ± 0.11 mm. For the ten patients, the TRE of gold markers was 1.18 ± 0.26 mm; the prostate volume difference between the authors’ approach and the MRI-based volume was 7.28% ± 0

  9. NATIONAL GEOTHERMAL DATA SYSTEM (NGDS) GEOTHERMAL DATA DOMAIN: ASSESSMENT OF GEOTHERMAL COMMUNITY DATA NEEDS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anderson, Arlene [United States Department of Energy; Blackwell, David [Southern Methodist University; Chickering, Cathy [Southern Methodist University; Boyd, Toni [Oregon Institute of Technology; Horne, Roland [Stanford University; MacKenzie, Matthew [Uberity Technology Corporation; Moore, Joseph [University of Utah; Nickull, Duane [Uberity Technology Corporation; Richard, Stephen [Arizona Geological survey; Shevenell, Lisa A. [University of Nevada, Reno

    2013-01-01

    To satisfy the critical need for geothermal data to ad- vance geothermal energy as a viable renewable ener- gy contender, the U.S. Department of Energy is in- vesting in the development of the National Geother- mal Data System (NGDS). This paper outlines efforts among geothermal data providers nationwide to sup- ply cutting edge geo-informatics. NGDS geothermal data acquisition, delivery, and methodology are dis- cussed. In particular, this paper addresses the various types of data required to effectively assess geother- mal energy potential and why simple links to existing data are insufficient. To create a platform for ready access by all geothermal stakeholders, the NGDS in- cludes a work plan that addresses data assets and re- sources of interest to users, a survey of data provid- ers, data content models, and how data will be ex- changed and promoted, as well as lessons learned within the geothermal community.

  10. Intraoperative HDR implant boost for breast cancer (preliminary results)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez, I.; Torre, M. de la; Gonzalez, E.; Bourel, V.

    1996-01-01

    Introduction: In spite of the fact that it is been discussed whether or not a boost is necessary for all conservative treated breast cancer patients, it is a generalized radiotherapy practice. Since september 1993 we developed a breast conservative protocol for early stage breast cancer (T1-T2) with intraoperative HDR implant boost. Side effects, cosmetic results and recurrence rates are reviewed. Method and Material: From September 1993 we treated 55 patients with intraoperative HDR implant boost to the lumpectomy site for clinical T1 or T2 invasive breast cancer, followed by external megavoltage radiotherapy to the entire breast. We used the Nucletron microselectron HDR remote afterloading system with flexible implant tubes. The geometric distribution of the tubes was performed according to the 'Paris' configuration. Each implant was evaluated by calculating the dose-volume natural histograms. The HDR fractionation schedule consists of three fractions of 4.5Gy each given at least 48 hs apart, and starting between 48-72hs from surgical procedure. The external radiotherapy to the entire breast started one week after the completion of brachytherapy, using conventional fractionation of 5 fractions per week, 1,8Gy per fraction up to 45-50Gy. Results: So far there is not any local recurrence, but medium follow up is only 18 months. We did not observe any acute damage and the cosmetic outcome was 60% excellent, 30% good and 10% acceptable. Two patients developed localized fibrosis, in both the implant involved the submamary fold. Conclusion: The intraoperative implant is the most accurate way to localize the lumpectomy site, to define the target volume, decrease the total treatment time and avoid a second anesthetic procedure without delaying the inpatient time or the initial wound healing process

  11. Application of Fusion Gyrotrons to Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woskov, P.; Einstein, H.; Oglesby, K.

    2013-10-01

    The potential size of geothermal energy resources is second only to fusion energy. Advances are needed in drilling technology and heat reservoir formation to realize this potential. Millimeter-wave (MMW) gyrotrons and related technologies developed for fusion energy research could contribute to enabling EGS. Directed MMW energy can be used to advance rock penetration capabilities, borehole casing, and fracking. MMWs are ideally suited because they can penetrate through small particulate extraction plumes, can be efficiently guided long distances in borehole dimensions, and continuous megawatt sources are commercially available. Laboratory experiments with a 10 kW, 28 GHz CPI gyrotron have shown that granite rock can be fractured and melted with power intensities of about 1 kW/cm2 and minute exposure times. Observed melted rock MMW emissivity and estimated thermodynamics suggest that penetrating hot, hard crystalline rock formations may be economic with fusion research developed MMW sources. Supported by USDOE, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and Impact Technologies, LLC.

  12. Hydrological and geochemical investigation on the volcanic rock and gneissic rock area

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koh, Yong Kwon; Jeong, Chan Ho; Ryu, Kun Seok; Kim, Byoung Yeop; Park, Hyung Kun; Yu, Sang Woo; Jang, Hyu Kun; Lee, Suk Chi; Choi, Ki Young; Jeon, Hyu Woong; Kim, Do Hyoung [Daejong University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-01-15

    The purpose of this study is to supply the basic data and optimum study site among volcanic rock area and gneissic rock area for high-level radioactive waste disposal. For this purpose, geological, hydrogeological and geochemical data from previously published literatures were collected and analyzed. In this study, we selected 36 volcanic rock sites and 26 gneissic sites as the candidate sites for high level radwaste disposal. Finally, for four sites(M-1, M-13, V-1 and V-13 sites) were selected as the study sites. The geochemical characteristics of groundwaters of each study site were statistically analyzed. The nitrate contamination and the sea water mixing will be important factors on the assessment of behaviour of radionuclides under groundwater environment. From the deep geothermal study, alkaline and sodium-bicarbonate chemical environment, and sea water mixing should be considered as the key factors for the deep disposal of high-level radioactive waste

  13. Geothermal energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laplaige, Ph.; Lemale, J.

    2008-01-01

    Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source which consists in exploiting the heat coming from the Earth. It covers a wide range of techniques and applications which are presented in this article: 1 - the Earth, source of heat: structure of the Earth, geodynamic model and plate tectonics, origin of heat, geothermal gradient and terrestrial heat flux; 2 - geothermal fields and resources; 3 - implementation of geothermal resources: exploration, main characteristic parameters, resource exploitation; 4 - uses of geothermal resources: power generation, thermal uses, space heating and air conditioning heat pumps, district heating, addition of heat pumps; 5 - economical aspects: power generation, heat generation for district heating; 6 - environmental aspects: conditions of implementation, impacts as substitute to fossil fuels; 7 - geothermal energy in France: resources, organisation; 8 - conclusion. (J.S.)

  14. Seismic velocity uncertainties and their effect on geothermal predictions: A case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabbel, Wolfgang; Köhn, Daniel; Bahadur Motra, Hem; Niederau, Jan; Thorwart, Martin; Wuttke, Frank; Descramble Working Group

    2017-04-01

    Geothermal exploration relies in large parts on geophysical subsurface models derived from seismic reflection profiling. These models are the framework of hydro-geothermal modeling, which further requires estimating thermal and hydraulic parameters to be attributed to the seismic strata. All petrophysical and structural properties involved in this process can be determined only with limited accuracy and thus impose uncertainties onto the resulting model predictions of temperature-depth profiles and hydraulic flow, too. In the present study we analyze sources and effects of uncertainties of the seismic velocity field, which translate directly into depth uncertainties of the hydraulically and thermally relevant horizons. Geological sources of these uncertainties are subsurface heterogeneity and seismic anisotropy, methodical sources are limitations in spread length and physical resolution. We demonstrate these effects using data of the EU-Horizon 2020 project DESCRAMBLE investigating a shallow super-critical geothermal reservoir in the Larderello area. The study is based on 2D- and 3D seismic reflection data and laboratory measurements on representative rock samples under simulated in-situ conditions. The rock samples consistently show P-wave anisotropy values of 10-20% order of magnitude. However, the uncertainty of layer depths induced by anisotropy is likely to be lower depending on the accuracy, with which the spatial orientation of bedding planes can be determined from the seismic reflection images.

  15. 3D seismic modeling in geothermal reservoirs with a distribution of steam patch sizes, permeabilities and saturations, including ductility of the rock frame

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carcione, José M.; Poletto, Flavio; Farina, Biancamaria; Bellezza, Cinzia

    2018-06-01

    Seismic propagation in the upper part of the crust, where geothermal reservoirs are located, shows generally strong velocity dispersion and attenuation due to varying permeability and saturation conditions and is affected by the brittleness and/or ductility of the rocks, including zones of partial melting. From the elastic-plastic aspect, the seismic properties (seismic velocity, quality factor and density) depend on effective pressure and temperature. We describe the related effects with a Burgers mechanical element for the shear modulus of the dry-rock frame. The Arrhenius equation combined to the octahedral stress criterion define the Burgers viscosity responsible of the brittle-ductile behaviour. The effects of permeability, partial saturation, varying porosity and mineral composition on the seismic properties is described by a generalization of the White mesoscopic-loss model to the case of a distribution of heterogeneities of those properties. White model involves the wave-induced fluid flow attenuation mechanism, by which seismic waves propagating through small-scale heterogeneities, induce pressure gradients between regions of dissimilar properties, where part of the energy of the fast P-wave is converted to slow P (Biot)-wave. We consider a range of variations of the radius and size of the patches and thin layers whose probability density function is defined by different distributions. The White models used here are that of spherical patches (for partial saturation) and thin layers (for permeability heterogeneities). The complex bulk modulus of the composite medium is obtained with the Voigt-Reuss-Hill average. Effective pressure effects are taken into account by using exponential functions. We then solve the 3D equation of motion in the space-time domain, by approximating the White complex bulk modulus with that of a set of Zener elements connected in series. The Burgers and generalized Zener models allows us to solve the equations with a direct grid

  16. Eighteenth workshop on geothermal reservoir engineering: Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramey, H.J. Jr.; Horne, R.J.; Kruger, P.; Miller, F.G.; Brigham, W.E.; Cook, J.W. (Stanford Geothermal Program)

    1993-01-28

    PREFACE The Eighteenth Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering was held at Stanford University on January 26-28, 1993. There were one hundred and seventeen registered participants which was greater than the attendance last year. Participants were from eight foreign countries: Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Guatemala, and Iceland. Performance of many geothermal fields outside the United States was described in several of the papers. Dean Gary Ernst opened the meeting and welcomed the visitors to the campus. The key note speaker was J.E. ''Ted'' Mock who gave a brief overview of the Department of Energy's current plan. The Stanford Geothermal Program Reservoir Engineering Award for Excellence in Development of Geothermal Energy was awarded to Dr. Mock who also spoke at the banquet. Thirty-nine papers were presented at the Workshop with two papers submitted for publication only. Technical papers were organized in twelve sessions concerning: field operations, The Geysers, geoscience, hot-dry-rock, injection, modeling, slim hole wells, geochemistry, well test and wellbore. Session chairmen were major contributors to the program and we thank: John Counsil, Kathleen Enedy, Harry Olson, Eduardo Iglesias, Marcelo Lippmann, Paul Atkinson, Jim Lovekin, Marshall Reed, Antonio Correa, and David Faulder. The Workshop was organized by the Stanford Geothermal Program faculty, staff, and graduate students. We wish to thank Pat Ota, Ted Sumida, and Terri A. Ramey who also produces the Proceedings Volumes for publication. We owe a great deal of thanks to our students who operate audiovisual equipment and to John Hornbrook who coordinated the meeting arrangements for the Workshop. Henry J. Ramey, Jr. Roland N. Horne Frank G. Miller Paul Kruger William E. Brigham Jean W. Cook

  17. Hydrogeochemistry Characteristics and Daily Variation of Geothermal Water in the Moxi Fault,Southwest of China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Jihong; Xu, Mo; An, Chenjiao; Zhang, Yunhui; Zhang, Qiang

    2017-04-01

    The Xianshuihe Fault with frequent earthquakes activities is the regional deep fault in China. The Moxi Fault is the southern part of the Xianshuihe Fault, where the strong activities of geothermal water could bring abundant information of deep crust. In this article, some typical geothermal springs were collected along the Moxi fault from Kangding to Shimian. Using the the Na-K-Mg equilibrium diagram, it explains the state of water-rock equilibrium, and estimates the reservoir temperature basing appropriate geothermometers. Basing on the relationship between the enthalpy and chlorine concentration of geothermal water, it analyze the mixing progress of thermal water with shallow groundwater. Moreover, the responses of variation of geothermal water to the solid tides are considered to study the hydrothermal activities of this fault. The Guanding in Kangding are considered as the center of the geothermal system, and the hydrothermal activities decrease southward extending. Geothermal water maybe is heated by the deep heat source of the Himalayan granites, while the springs in the south area perform the mixture with thermal water in the sub-reservoir of the Permian crystalline limestone. It improves the research of hydrothermal activities in the Moxi Fault, meanwhile using the variation of geothermal water maybe become a important method to study the environment of deep earth in the future.

  18. Geothermal spas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woodruff, J.L.; Takahashi, P.K.

    1990-01-01

    The spa business, part of the health and fitness industry that has sprung up in recent years, is highly successful world-wide. The most traditional type of spa is the geothermal spa, found in geothermal areas around the world. In Japan, for example, some 2,000 geothermal spas and resorts generate $6 billion annually. Hawaii has an ideal environment for geothermal spas, and several locations in the islands could supply warm mineral water for spa development. Hawaii receives about 6 million visitors annually, a high percentage of whom are familiar with the relaxing and therapeutic value of geothermal spas, virtually guaranteeing the success of this industry in Hawaii. Presently, Hawaii does not have a single geothermal spa. This paper reports that the geothermal spa business is an industry whose time has come, an industry that offers very promising investment opportunities, and one that would improve the economy while expanding the diversity of pleasurable vacation options in Hawaii

  19. Experience of the first application of HDR brachytherapy in nasopharynx

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vega Hernandez, Manuel I.; Alfonso Laguardia, Rodolfo; Silvestre Patallo, Ileana; Roca Muchuli, Carlos; Garcia Heredia, Gilda

    2006-01-01

    A research was made by applying boost on the area of the nasopharynx relapse with high dose rate (HDR) in a diagnosis of nasopharynx carcinoma previously treated with telecobalt therapy, at a dose of 70 Gy. There was persistence of the injury. Three sessions were planned, with consecutive fractions of 6.5 Gy in 15 days, with optimization, using a personal mould of autopolymerizable acrylic. The successful possibility to apply the high rate modern brachytherapy was reaffirmed, as a treatment complementary to teletherapy in case of persistence or relapse. A Micro Selectron HDR equipment was used

  20. Development of technologies for utilizing geothermal energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-09-01

    In verifying the effectiveness of the deep geothermal resource exploration technology, development is being carried out on a fracture-type reservoir exploration method. The seismic exploration method investigates detailed structures of underground fracture systems by using seismic waves generated on the ground surface. Verification experiments for fiscal 1994 were carried out by selecting the Kakkonda area in which small fracture networks form reservoir beds. Geothermal resources in deep sections (deeper than 2000 m with temperatures higher than 350{degree}C) are promising in terms of amount of the resources, but anticipated with difficulty in exploration and impediments in drilling. To avoid these risks, studies are being progressed on the availability of resources in deep sections, their utilization possibility, and technologies of effective exploration and drilling. This paper summarizes the results of deep resource investigations during fiscal 1994. It also describes such technological development as hot water utilizing power generation. Development is performed on a binary cycle power generation plant which pumps and utilizes hot water of 150 to 200{degree}C by using a downhole pump. The paper also reports development on element technologies for hot rock power generation systems. It also dwells on development of safe and effective drilling and production technologies for deep geothermal resources.

  1. Icelandic basaltic geothermal field: A natural analog for nuclear waste isolation in basalt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ulmer, G.C.; Grandstaff, D.E.

    1984-01-01

    Analog studies of Icelandic geothermal fields have shown that the design of nuclear waste repositories in basalt can benefit by comparison to the data base already available from the development of these geothermal fields. A high degree of similarity exists between these two systems: their petrology, groundwater geochemistry, mineral solubilities, hydrologic parameters, temperature ranges, water-rock redox equilibria, hydrothermal pH values, and secondary mineralogies all show considerable overlap in the range of values. The experimentally-simulated hydrothermal studies of the basaltic nuclear waste repository rocks have, at this time, produced a data base that receives a strong confirmation from the Icelandic analog. Furthermore, the Icelandic analog should eventually be employed to extrapolate into higher and lower temperatures, into longer time-base chemical comparisons, and into more realistic mineral deposition studies, than have been possible in the laboratory evaluations of the nuclear waste repository designs. This eventual use of the Icelandic analog will require cooperative work with the Icelandic Geological Survey. 46 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

  2. Geothermal energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Du, H.; Bouchot, V.; Lopez, S.; Bialkowski, A.; Colnot, A.; Rigollet, C.; Sanjuan, B.; Millot, R.; Brach, M.; Asmundsson, R.; Giroud, N.

    2010-01-01

    Geothermal energy has shown a revival for several years and should strongly develop in a near future. Its potentiality is virtually unexhaustible. Its uses are multiple and various: individual and collective space heating, heat networks, power generation, heat storage, heat exchanges etc.. Re-launched by the demand of renewable energy sources, geothermal energy has become credible thanks to the scientific works published recently which have demonstrated its economical and technical relevance. Its image to the public is changing as well. However, lot of work remains to do to make geothermal energy a real industry in France. Several brakes have to be removed rapidly which concern the noise pollution of geothermal facilities, the risk of bad results of drillings, the electricity costs etc. This dossier gives an overview of today's main research paths in the domain of geothermal energy: 1 - geothermal energy in France: historical development, surface and deep resources, ambitions of the French national energy plan (pluri-annual investment plan for heat generation, incentives, regional 'climate-air-energy' schemes), specific regulations; 2 - geothermal energy at the city scale - sedimentary basins: Ile-de-France 40 years of Dogger reservoir exploitation, potentialities of clastic reservoirs - the Chaunoy sandstones example; 3 - geothermal power generation: conventional reservoirs - the Bouillante model (Guadeloupe, French Indies); the Soultz-sous-Forets pilot plant (Bas-Rhin, France); the supercritical reservoirs - the Krafla geothermal area (Iceland). (J.S.)

  3. Structurally Controlled Geothermal Systems in the Central Cascades Arc-Backarc Regime, Oregon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wannamaker, Philip E. [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Energy and Geoscience Inst. (EGI)

    2016-07-31

    The goal of this project has been to analyze available magnetotelluric (MT) geophysical surveys, structural geology based on mapping and LiDAR, and fluid geochemical data, to identify high-temperature fluid upwellings, critically stressed rock volumes, and other evidence of structurally-controlled geothermal resources. Data were to be integrated to create conceptual models of volcanic-hosted geothermal resources along the Central Cascades arc segment, especially in the vicinity of Mt. Jefferson to Three Sisters. LiDAR data sets available at Oregon State University (OSU) allowed detailed structural geology modeling through forest canopy. Copious spring and well fluid chemistries, including isotopes, were modeled using Geo-T and TOUGHREACT software.

  4. New approaches in the indirect quantification of thermal rock properties in sedimentary basins: the well-log perspective

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fuchs, Sven; Balling, Niels; Förster, Andrea

    Numerical temperature models generated for geodynamic studies as well as for geothermal energy solutions heavily depend on rock thermal properties. Best practice for the determination of those parameters is the measurement of rock samples in the laboratory. Given the necessity to enlarge databases...

  5. A segmentation and point-matching enhanced efficient deformable image registration method for dose accumulation between HDR CT images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhen, Xin; Chen, Haibin; Zhou, Linghong; Yan, Hao; Jiang, Steve; Jia, Xun; Gu, Xuejun; Mell, Loren K; Yashar, Catheryn M; Cervino, Laura

    2015-01-01

    Deformable image registration (DIR) of fractional high-dose-rate (HDR) CT images is challenging due to the presence of applicators in the brachytherapy image. Point-to-point correspondence fails because of the undesired deformation vector fields (DVF) propagated from the applicator region (AR) to the surrounding tissues, which can potentially introduce significant DIR errors in dose mapping. This paper proposes a novel segmentation and point-matching enhanced efficient DIR (named SPEED) scheme to facilitate dose accumulation among HDR treatment fractions. In SPEED, a semi-automatic seed point generation approach is developed to obtain the incremented fore/background point sets to feed the random walks algorithm, which is used to segment and remove the AR, leaving empty AR cavities in the HDR CT images. A feature-based ‘thin-plate-spline robust point matching’ algorithm is then employed for AR cavity surface points matching. With the resulting mapping, a DVF defining on each voxel is estimated by B-spline approximation, which serves as the initial DVF for the subsequent Demons-based DIR between the AR-free HDR CT images. The calculated DVF via Demons combined with the initial one serve as the final DVF to map doses between HDR fractions. The segmentation and registration accuracy are quantitatively assessed by nine clinical HDR cases from three gynecological cancer patients. The quantitative analysis and visual inspection of the DIR results indicate that SPEED can suppress the impact of applicator on DIR, and accurately register HDR CT images as well as deform and add interfractional HDR doses. (paper)

  6. A segmentation and point-matching enhanced efficient deformable image registration method for dose accumulation between HDR CT images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhen, Xin; Chen, Haibin; Yan, Hao; Zhou, Linghong; Mell, Loren K.; Yashar, Catheryn M.; Jiang, Steve; Jia, Xun; Gu, Xuejun; Cervino, Laura

    2015-04-01

    Deformable image registration (DIR) of fractional high-dose-rate (HDR) CT images is challenging due to the presence of applicators in the brachytherapy image. Point-to-point correspondence fails because of the undesired deformation vector fields (DVF) propagated from the applicator region (AR) to the surrounding tissues, which can potentially introduce significant DIR errors in dose mapping. This paper proposes a novel segmentation and point-matching enhanced efficient DIR (named SPEED) scheme to facilitate dose accumulation among HDR treatment fractions. In SPEED, a semi-automatic seed point generation approach is developed to obtain the incremented fore/background point sets to feed the random walks algorithm, which is used to segment and remove the AR, leaving empty AR cavities in the HDR CT images. A feature-based ‘thin-plate-spline robust point matching’ algorithm is then employed for AR cavity surface points matching. With the resulting mapping, a DVF defining on each voxel is estimated by B-spline approximation, which serves as the initial DVF for the subsequent Demons-based DIR between the AR-free HDR CT images. The calculated DVF via Demons combined with the initial one serve as the final DVF to map doses between HDR fractions. The segmentation and registration accuracy are quantitatively assessed by nine clinical HDR cases from three gynecological cancer patients. The quantitative analysis and visual inspection of the DIR results indicate that SPEED can suppress the impact of applicator on DIR, and accurately register HDR CT images as well as deform and add interfractional HDR doses.

  7. High-temperature explosive development for geothermal well stimulation. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmidt, E.W.; Mars, J.E.; Wang, C.

    1978-03-31

    A two-component, temperature-resistant liquid explosive called HITEX has been developed which is capable of withstanding 561/sup 0/K (550/sup 0/F) for 24 hours in a geothermal environment. The explosive is intended for the stimulation of nonproducing or marginally producing geothermal (hot dry rock, vapor-dominated or hydrothermal) reservoirs by fracturing the strata in the vicinity of a borehole. The explosive is inherently safe because it is mixed below ground downhole from two nondetonable liquid components. Development and safety tests included differential scanning calorimetry, thermal stability, minerals compatibility, drop-weight sensitivity, adiabatic compression, electrostatic discharge sensitivity, friction sensitivity, detonation arrest capability, cook-off tests, detonability at ambient and elevated pressure, detonation velocity and thin film propagation in a wedge.

  8. A Survey on the Acceptance and the Use of HDR Photography Among Croatian Photographers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maja Strgar Kurecic

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available The emerging field of high dynamic range (HDR imaging is directly linked to diverse existing disciplines such as radiometry, photometry, colorimetry and colour appearance - each dealing with specific aspects of light and its perception by humans. Although the idea is not new, it has not been widely used until just a few years ago when digital cameras gained popularity and the computers processing power increased significantly. Now this photographic technique is widely spread and used, but even more often – misused. A research was conducted by means of a questionnaire in order to get some actual information about how Croatian photographers see the HDR photography and how they employ it. The results of the survey proved that indeed a great interest exists in the technique, but that many photographers are scared away from the HDR photography because of the misconception that the artificial look is an unavoidable side effect of the HDR processing. The fact is, however, that the final HDR image is a result of the tone mapping process and post-corrections and adjustments, entirely dependent on the photographer’s intent and vision, as well as his understanding of various adjustments available. The results of the questionnaire have also pointed out to other widely spread misconceptions which are discussed in this paper.

  9. Highly efficient CRISPR/HDR-mediated knock-in for mouse embryonic stem cells and zygotes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Bangmei; Li, Kunyu; Wang, Amy; Reiser, Michelle; Saunders, Thom; Lockey, Richard F; Wang, Jia-Wang

    2015-10-01

    The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) gene editing technique, based on the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair pathway, has been used to generate gene knock-outs with variable sizes of small insertion/deletions with high efficiency. More precise genome editing, either the insertion or deletion of a desired fragment, can be done by combining the homology-directed-repair (HDR) pathway with CRISPR cleavage. However, HDR-mediated gene knock-in experiments are typically inefficient, and there have been no reports of successful gene knock-in with DNA fragments larger than 4 kb. Here, we describe the targeted insertion of large DNA fragments (7.4 and 5.8 kb) into the genomes of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and zygotes, respectively, using the CRISPR/HDR technique without NHEJ inhibitors. Our data show that CRISPR/HDR without NHEJ inhibitors can result in highly efficient gene knock-in, equivalent to CRISPR/HDR with NHEJ inhibitors. Although NHEJ is the dominant repair pathway associated with CRISPR-mediated double-strand breaks (DSBs), and biallelic gene knock-ins are common, NHEJ and biallelic gene knock-ins were not detected. Our results demonstrate that efficient targeted insertion of large DNA fragments without NHEJ inhibitors is possible, a result that should stimulate interest in understanding the mechanisms of high efficiency CRISPR targeting in general.

  10. Precise measurement of remanent magnetism of rocks under non-magnetic fields; Mujikaika deno ganseki zanryu jiki no seimitsu sokutei

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oda, Y; Nakatsuka, K [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan)

    1997-10-22

    Various magnetic information data from solidification or deposition up to date are contained in rocks. For the analysis of remanent magnetism, in general, the stable thermal remanent magnetization and the secondary magnetization are separately evaluated using vector variations determined by the location changes of magnetic pole from ac demagnetization or thermal demagnetization. Especially, in geothermal fields, the remanent magnetism in rocks is complicated due to the predominant alteration. When the remanent magnetism of rocks can be precisely measured and the primary and secondary magnetization can be evaluated, important data can be obtained, which represent oriented core samples required for evaluating the geothermal reservoirs. A rock remanent magnetism measuring system using superconductive magnetic shield has been developed, to evaluate the location of magnetic pole. This system can distinguish the remanent magnetization in rocks, and can be applied to the remanent magnetism in rocks in which the location of dipole model is shifted from the center of core. Important basic data of orientation information in rocks can be provided. 6 figs.

  11. Faulting mechanisms and stress regime at the European HDR site of Soultz-sous-Forets, France

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuenot, Nicolas; Charlety, Jean; Haessler, Henri; Dorbath, Louis

    2006-01-01

    The state of stress and its implications for shear on fault planes during fluid injection are crucial issues for the HDR (Hot Dry Rock) or EGS (Enhanced or Engineered Geothermal System) concept. This is especially true for hydraulic stimulation experiments, aimed at enhancing the connectivity of a borehole to the natural fracture network, since they tend to induce the shearing of fractures, which is controlled by the local stress regime. During the 2000 and 2003 stimulation tests at Soultz-sous-Forets, France, about 10,000 microearthquakes were located with a surface seismological network. Hundreds of double-couple (DC) focal mechanisms were automatically determined from first-motion polarities using the FPFIT program [Reasenberg, P.A., Oppenheimer, D., 1985. FPFIT, FPPLOT and FPPAGE: Fortran computer programs for calculating and displaying earthquake fault-plane solutions. US Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-739, 25 pp.]. The majority of these mechanisms indicate normal-faulting movement with a more or less pronounced strike-slip component. Some quasi-pure strike-slip events also occurred, especially in the deeper part of the stimulated rock volume, at more than 5 km depth. Although we found a double-couple solution for all events, we tried to observe and quantify the proportion of the non-double-couple (NDC) component in the seismic moment tensor for several microseisms from the 2003 data. The study shows that the NDC is higher for the events in the vicinity of the injection well than for the events far from the well. We used the method of Rivera and Cisternas [Rivera, L., Cisternas, A., 1990. Stress tensor and fault-plane solutions for a population of earthquakes. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 80, 600-614.] to perform the inversion of the deviatoric part of the stress tensor from P-wave polarities. This method was applied to different datasets from the 2000 test, taken from the shallower and deeper parts of the stimulated region. The results show a stable

  12. Faulting mechanisms and stress regime at the European HDR site of Soultz-sous-Forets, France

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cuenot, Nicolas; Charlety, Jean; Haessler, Henri [Institut de Physique du Globe de Strasbourg, Ecole et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre (IPGS-EOST), 5 rue Rene Descartes, 67084 Strasbourg Cedex (France); Dorbath, Louis [Institut de Physique du Globe de Strasbourg, Ecole et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre (IPGS-EOST), 5 rue Rene Descartes, 67084 Strasbourg Cedex (France); Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement, Laboratoire des Mecanismes et Transferts en Geologie (IRD, LMTG), 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse (France)

    2006-10-15

    The state of stress and its implications for shear on fault planes during fluid injection are crucial issues for the HDR (Hot Dry Rock) or EGS (Enhanced or Engineered Geothermal System) concept. This is especially true for hydraulic stimulation experiments, aimed at enhancing the connectivity of a borehole to the natural fracture network, since they tend to induce the shearing of fractures, which is controlled by the local stress regime. During the 2000 and 2003 stimulation tests at Soultz-sous-Forets, France, about 10,000 microearthquakes were located with a surface seismological network. Hundreds of double-couple (DC) focal mechanisms were automatically determined from first-motion polarities using the FPFIT program [Reasenberg, P.A., Oppenheimer, D., 1985. FPFIT, FPPLOT and FPPAGE: Fortran computer programs for calculating and displaying earthquake fault-plane solutions. US Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-739, 25 pp.]. The majority of these mechanisms indicate normal-faulting movement with a more or less pronounced strike-slip component. Some quasi-pure strike-slip events also occurred, especially in the deeper part of the stimulated rock volume, at more than 5 km depth. Although we found a double-couple solution for all events, we tried to observe and quantify the proportion of the non-double-couple (NDC) component in the seismic moment tensor for several microseisms from the 2003 data. The study shows that the NDC is higher for the events in the vicinity of the injection well than for the events far from the well. We used the method of Rivera and Cisternas [Rivera, L., Cisternas, A., 1990. Stress tensor and fault-plane solutions for a population of earthquakes. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 80, 600-614.] to perform the inversion of the deviatoric part of the stress tensor from P-wave polarities. This method was applied to different datasets from the 2000 test, taken from the shallower and deeper parts of the stimulated region. The results show a stable

  13. Genitourinary Toxicity After High-Dose-Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy Combined With Hypofractionated External Beam Radiotherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer: An Analysis to Determine the Correlation Between Dose-Volume Histogram Parameters in HDR Brachytherapy and Severity of Toxicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishiyama, Hiromichi; Kitano, Masashi; Satoh, Takefumi; Kotani, Shouko; Uemae, Mineko; Matsumoto, Kazumasa; Okusa, Hiroshi; Tabata, Ken-ichi; Baba, Shiro; Hayakawa, Kazushige

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the severity of genitourinary (GU) toxicity in high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy combined with hypofractionated external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer and to explore factors that might affect the severity of GU toxicity. Methods and Materials: A total of 100 Japanese men with prostate cancer underwent 192 Ir HDR brachytherapy combined with hypofractionated EBRT. Mean (SD) dose to 90% of the planning target volume was 6.3 (0.7) Gy per fraction of HDR. After 5 fractions of HDR treatment, EBRT with 10 fractions of 3 Gy was administrated. The urethral volume receiving 1-15 Gy per fraction in HDR brachytherapy (V1-V15) and the dose to at least 5-100% of urethral volume in HDR brachytherapy (D5-D100) were compared between patients with Grade 3 toxicity and those with Grade 0-2 toxicity. Prostate volume, patient age, and International Prostate Symptom Score were also compared between the two groups. Results: Of the 100 patients, 6 displayed Grade 3 acute GU toxicity, and 12 displayed Grade 3 late GU toxicity. Regarding acute GU toxicity, values of V1, V2, V3, and V4 were significantly higher in patients with Grade 3 toxicity than in those with Grade 0-2 toxicity. Regarding late GU toxicity, values of D70, D80, V12, and V13 were significantly higher in patients with Grade 3 toxicity than in those with Grade 0-2 toxicity. Conclusions: The severity of GU toxicity in HDR brachytherapy combined with hypofractionated EBRT for prostate cancer was relatively high. The volume of prostatic urethra was associated with grade of acute GU toxicity, and urethral dose was associated with grade of late GU toxicity.

  14. A simplified fracture network model for studying the efficiency of a single well semi open loop heat exchanger in fractured crystalline rock

    Science.gov (United States)

    de La Bernardie, Jérôme; de Dreuzy, Jean-Raynald; Bour, Olivier; Thierion, Charlotte; Ausseur, Jean-Yves; Lesuer, Hervé; Le Borgne, Tanguy

    2016-04-01

    Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source particularly attractive due to associated low greenhouse gas emission rates. Crystalline rocks are in general considered of poor interest for geothermal applications at shallow depths (structure, heat exchanges and storage may be highlighted.

  15. SU-F-T-55: Reproducibility of Interstitial HDR Brachytherapy Plans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, S; Ellis, R; Traughber, B; Podder, T [University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Treating gynecological cancers with interstitial high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy requires precise reconstruction of catheter positions to obtain accurate dosimetric plans. In this study, we investigated the degree of reproducibility of dosimetric plans for Syed HDR brachytherapy. Methods: We randomly selected five patients having cervix-vaginal cancer who were recently treated in our clinic with interstitial HDR brachytherapy with a prescription dose of 25–30 Gy in five fractions. Interstitial needles/catheters were placed under fluoroscopic guidance and intra-operative 3T MRI scan was performed to confirm the desired catheter placement for adequate target volume coverage. A CT scan was performed and fused with the MRI for delineating high-risk CTV (HR-CTV), intermediate-risk CTV (IR-CTV) and OARs. HDR treatment plans were generated using Oncentra planning software. A single plan was used for all five fractions of treatment for each patient. For this study, we took the original clinical plan and removed all the reconstructed catheters from the plan keeping the original contours unchanged. Then, we manually reconstructed all the catheters and entered the same dwell time from the first original clinical plan. The dosimetric parameters studied were: D90 for HR-CTV and IR-CV, and D2cc for bladder, rectum, sigmoid and bowel. Results: The mean of absolute differences in dosimetric coverage (D90) were (range): 1.3% (1.0–2.0%) and 2.0% (0.9–3.6%) for HR-CTV and IR-CTV, respectively. In case of OARs, the mean of absolute variations in D2cc were (range): 4.7% (0.7–8.9%) for bladder, 1.60% (0.3–3.2%) for rectum, 1.6% (0–3.9%) for sigmoid, and 1.8% (0–5.1%) for bowel. Conclusion: Overall, the reproducibility of interstitial HDR plans was within clinically acceptable limit. Observed maximum variation in D2cc for bladder. If number of catchers and dwell points were relatively low or any one catheter was heavily loaded, then reproducibility of the plan

  16. Geothermal potential of Caledonian granites underlying Upper Palaeozoic sedimentary basins astride the Iapetus Suture Zone in Ireland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fritschle, Tobias; Daly, J. Stephen; Whitehouse, Martin J.; McConnell, Brian; Buhre, Stephan

    2014-05-01

    Upper Palaeozoic sedimentary basins in Ireland overlie crystalline rocks within the Caledonian Iapetus Suture Zone. Beneath these basins, Lower Palaeozoic rocks, formed and deformed during the Caledonian orogenic cycle, were intruded by c. 420-390 Ma late-tectonic granites at various tectonic levels. These include the subsurface Kentstown and Glenamaddy granites discovered by mineral exploration drilling. While these granites comprise actual targets for Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) exploration, several others likely exist based on geophysical considerations. In order to test the regional geothermal potential, the buried granites as well as analogue exposed rocks are being investigated geochemically. The geothermal potential of the intrusives depends on their heat production rate (HPR), which is calculated using rock density and concentrations of the heat producing elements (HPE) uranium, thorium and potassium. In spite of their close spacing and similar ages, the whole-rock geochemistry of the granites varies significantly, but with no obvious geographical control (Fritschle et al., 2013; 2014). The granite HPR values range from 1.4 μW/m3 for the Dhoon Granite (Isle of Man) to 4.9 μW/m3 for the Drogheda Granite (Ireland). This compares with the average HPR for a 'typical' granite of 2.7 μW/m3 (Goldstein et al., 2009). It is demonstrated that an elevated HPR of a granite can be related to enrichment in one of the HPE alone (e.g., uranium-enrichment in the Foxdale Granite (Isle of Man), or thorium-enrichment in the Drogheda Granite). Enrichment in HPE in a granite may occur due to different reasons including hydrothermal (re-) distribution of uranium, or the assimilation of thorium-rich wall-rocks. Hence, the distribution of the HPE in particular minerals, veins and source lithologies, along with the petrophysical characteristics of the sedimentary basins and the granites' petrogenesis, are currently being investigated as possible mechanisms controlling their

  17. Geothermal Money Book [Geothermal Outreach and Project Financing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elizabeth Battocletti

    2004-02-01

    Small business lending is big business and growing. Loans under $1 million totaled $460 billion in June 2001, up $23 billion from 2000. The number of loans under $100,000 continued to grow at a rapid rate, growing by 10.1%. The dollar value of loans under $100,000 increased 4.4%; those of $100,000-$250,000 by 4.1%; and those between $250,000 and $1 million by 6.4%. But getting a loan can be difficult if a business owner does not know how to find small business-friendly lenders, how to best approach them, and the specific criteria they use to evaluate a loan application. This is where the Geothermal Money Book comes in. Once a business and financing plan and financial proposal are written, the Geothermal Money Book takes the next step, helping small geothermal businesses locate and obtain financing. The Geothermal Money Book will: Explain the specific criteria potential financing sources use to evaluate a proposal for debt financing; Describe the Small Business Administration's (SBA) programs to promote lending to small businesses; List specific small-business friendly lenders for small geothermal businesses, including those which participate in SBA programs; Identify federal and state incentives which are relevant to direct use and small-scale (< 1 megawatt) power generation geothermal projects; and Provide an extensive state directory of financing sources and state financial incentives for the 19 states involved in the GeoPowering the West (GPW). GPW is a U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored activity to dramatically increase the use of geothermal energy in the western United States by promoting environmentally compatible heat and power, along with industrial growth and economic development. The Geothermal Money Book will not: Substitute for financial advice; Overcome the high exploration, development, and financing costs associated with smaller geothermal projects; Remedy the lack of financing for the exploration stage of a geothermal project; or Solve

  18. Perioperative high dose rate (HDR brachytherapy in unresectable locally advanced pancreatic tumors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brygida Białas

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of the study was to present an original technique of catheter implantation for perioperative HDR-Ir192 brachytherapy in patients after palliative operations of unresectable locally advanced pancreatic tumors and to estimate the influence of perioperative HDR-Ir192 brachytherapy on pain relief in terminal pancreatic cancer patients. Material and methods: Eight patients with pancreatic tumors located in the head of pancreas underwent palliative operations with the use of HDR-Ir192 brachytherapy. All patients qualified for surgery reported pain of high intensity and had received narcotic painkillers prior to operation. During the last phase of the surgery, the Nucletron® catheters were implanted in patients to prepare them for later perioperative brachytherapy. Since the 6th day after surgery HDR brachytherapy was performed. Before each brachytherapy fraction the location of implants were checked using fluoroscopy. A fractional dose was 5 Gy and a total dose was 20 Gy in the area of radiation. A comparative study of two groups of patients (with and without brachytherapy with stage III pancreatic cancer according to the TNM scale was taken in consideration. Results and Conclusions: The authors claim that the modification of catheter implantation using specially designed cannula, facilitates the process of inserting the catheter into the tumor, shortens the time needed for the procedure, and reduces the risk of complications. Mean survival time was 5.7 months. In the group of performed brachytherapy, the mean survival time was 6.7 months, while in the group of no brachytherapy performed – 4.4 months. In the group of brachytherapy, only one patient increased the dose of painkillers in the last month of his life. Remaining patients took constant doses of medicines. Perioperative HDR-Ir192 brachytherapy could be considered as a practical application of adjuvant therapy for pain relief in patients with an advanced pancreatic cancer.

  19. Multidisciplinary exploratory study of a geothermal resource in the active volcanic arc of Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navelot, Vivien; Favier, Alexiane; Géraud, Yves; Diraison, Marc; Corsini, Michel; Verati, Chrystèle; Lardeaux, Jean-Marc; Mercier de Lépinay, Jeanne; Munschy, Marc

    2017-04-01

    The GEOTREF project (high enthalpy geothermal energy in fractured reservoirs), supported by the French government program, "Investissements d'avenir" develops a sustainable geothermal resource in the Vieux Habitants area, 8-km south of the currently exploited Bouillante geothermal field. The Basse Terre Island is a recent volcanic arc (meta-andesite. This metamorphism forms cleavage plans thanks to a pressure-solution mechanism. Mineralogical transformations associated with these cleavage planes have an impact on petrophysical properties. The solid phase density and porosity decrease. An anisotropy of permeability develops due to cleavage plans. Thermodynamics modelling based on the rock chemical composition and petrography observations emphasizes a steady-state mineral assemblage between 1.5 - 2 kbar and 280 - 320˚ C. This is consistent with an in situ measured volcanic arc conductive geothermal gradient of 70 ˚ C/km.

  20. Fractal analysis for heat extraction in geothermal system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shang Xiaoji

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Heat conduction and convection play a key role in geothermal development. These two processes are coupled and influenced by fluid seepage in hot porous rock. A number of integer dimension thermal fluid models have been proposed to describe this coupling mechanism. However, fluid flow, heat conduction and convection in porous rock are usually non-linear, tortuous and fractal, thus the integer dimension thermal fluid flow models can not well describe these phenomena. In this study, a fractal thermal fluid coupling model is proposed to describe the heat conduction and flow behaviors in fractal hot porous rock in terms of local fractional time and space derivatives. This coupling equation is analytically solved through the fractal travelling wave transformation method. Analytical solutions of Darcy’s velocity, fluid temperature with fractal time and space are obtained. The solutions show that the introduction of fractional parameters is essential to describe the mechanism of heat conduction and convection.

  1. High dynamic range adaptive real-time smart camera: an overview of the HDR-ARTiST project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapray, Pierre-Jean; Heyrman, Barthélémy; Ginhac, Dominique

    2015-04-01

    Standard cameras capture only a fraction of the information that is visible to the human visual system. This is specifically true for natural scenes including areas of low and high illumination due to transitions between sunlit and shaded areas. When capturing such a scene, many cameras are unable to store the full Dynamic Range (DR) resulting in low quality video where details are concealed in shadows or washed out by sunlight. The imaging technique that can overcome this problem is called HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging. This paper describes a complete smart camera built around a standard off-the-shelf LDR (Low Dynamic Range) sensor and a Virtex-6 FPGA board. This smart camera called HDR-ARtiSt (High Dynamic Range Adaptive Real-time Smart camera) is able to produce a real-time HDR live video color stream by recording and combining multiple acquisitions of the same scene while varying the exposure time. This technique appears as one of the most appropriate and cheapest solution to enhance the dynamic range of real-life environments. HDR-ARtiSt embeds real-time multiple captures, HDR processing, data display and transfer of a HDR color video for a full sensor resolution (1280 1024 pixels) at 60 frames per second. The main contributions of this work are: (1) Multiple Exposure Control (MEC) dedicated to the smart image capture with alternating three exposure times that are dynamically evaluated from frame to frame, (2) Multi-streaming Memory Management Unit (MMMU) dedicated to the memory read/write operations of the three parallel video streams, corresponding to the different exposure times, (3) HRD creating by combining the video streams using a specific hardware version of the Devebecs technique, and (4) Global Tone Mapping (GTM) of the HDR scene for display on a standard LCD monitor.

  2. Geothermal Small Business Workbook [Geothermal Outreach and Project Financing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elizabeth Battocletti

    2003-05-01

    Small businesses are the cornerstone of the American economy. Over 22 million small businesses account for approximately 99% of employers, employ about half of the private sector workforce, and are responsible for about two-thirds of net new jobs. Many small businesses fared better than the Fortune 500 in 2001. Non-farm proprietors income rose 2.4% in 2001 while corporate profits declined 7.2%. Yet not all is rosy for small businesses, particularly new ones. One-third close within two years of opening. From 1989 to 1992, almost half closed within four years; only 39.5% were still open after six years. Why do some new businesses thrive and some fail? What helps a new business succeed? Industry knowledge, business and financial planning, and good management. Small geothermal businesses are no different. Low- and medium-temperature geothermal resources exist throughout the western United States, the majority not yet tapped. A recent survey of ten western states identified more than 9,000 thermal wells and springs, over 900 low- to moderate-temperature geothermal resource areas, and hundreds of direct-use sites. Many opportunities exist for geothermal entrepreneurs to develop many of these sites into thriving small businesses. The ''Geothermal Small Business Workbook'' (''Workbook'') was written to give geothermal entrepreneurs, small businesses, and developers the tools they need to understand geothermal applications--both direct use and small-scale power generation--and to write a business and financing plan. The Workbook will: Provide background, market, and regulatory data for direct use and small-scale (< 1 megawatt) power generation geothermal projects; Refer you to several sources of useful information including owners of existing geothermal businesses, trade associations, and other organizations; Break down the complicated and sometimes tedious process of writing a business plan into five easy steps; Lead you

  3. 2008 Gordon Research Conference on Rock Deformation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hirth, James G.; Gray, Nancy Ryan

    2009-09-21

    The GRC on Rock Deformation highlights the latest research in brittle and ductile rock mechanics from experimental, field and theoretical perspectives. The conference promotes a multi-disciplinary forum for assessing our understanding of rock strength and related physical properties in the Earth. The theme for the 2008 conference is 'Real-time Rheology'. Using ever-improving geophysical techniques, our ability to constrain the rheological behavior during earthquakes and post-seismic creep has improved significantly. Such data are used to investigate the frictional behavior of faults, processes responsible for strain localization, the viscosity of the lower crust, and viscous coupling between the crust and mantle. Seismological data also provide information on the rheology of the lower crust and mantle through analysis of seismic attenuation and anisotropy. Geologists are improving our understanding of rheology by combining novel analyses of microstructures in naturally deformed rocks with petrologic data. This conference will bring together experts and students in these research areas with experimentalists and theoreticians studying the same processes. We will discuss and assess where agreement exists on rheological constraints derived at different length/time scales using different techniques - and where new insight is required. To encompass the elements of these topics, speakers and discussion leaders with backgrounds in geodesy, experimental rock deformation, structural geology, earthquake seismology, geodynamics, glaciology, materials science, and mineral physics will be invited to the conference. Thematic sessions will be organized on the dynamics of earthquake rupture, the rheology of the lower crust and coupling with the upper mantle, the measurement and interpretation of seismic attenuation and anisotropy, the dynamics of ice sheets and the coupling of reactive porous flow and brittle deformation for understanding geothermal and chemical

  4. Geothermal properties of deep crystalline rock formations in the Rhone valley - Preliminary study; Geothermie du cristallin profond de la vallee du Rhone - Etude preliminaire

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bianchetti, G; Crestin, G [Alpgeo Sarl, Sierre (Switzerland); Kohl, T [Geowatt AG, Zuerich (Switzerland); Graf, G [Bureau de service et d' ingenierie BSI SA, Lausanne (Switzerland)

    2006-07-01

    This report prepared for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) examines the possibility of cogenerating electric power and heat from geothermal energy stored in deep aquifers in the southwestern Swiss Alps. The project AGEPP (Alpine Geothermal Power Production) investigates an alternative to the well known Hot-Dry-Rock systems by looking at the crystalline formations in the alpine Rhone valley. Since centuries, these formations have been utilized for thermal spas. Two locations, Brigerbad and Lavey-les-Bains have been evaluated in the present report by the companies ALPGEO Sarl, GEOWATT AG and BSI SA. Existing boreholes at both locations show ample flow and substantial temperature gradients down to 600 meters, suggesting possible reservoir temperatures above 110 {sup o}C and a low mineralization (below 5 grams per liter). Flow rates of 50 to 75 liters/s at 110 {sup o}C seem possible and could be utilized in an ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) for power production up to 1.3 MW. The power production costs are estimated at 0.08 CHF/kWh (singlet system) and 0.27 CHF/kWh (doublet system) respectively. The study implies that cogenerated heat is sold at a price of 0.08 CHF/kWh. These prices could compete with other alternative energies. Phase 2 of the project will evaluate the feasibility at the location of Lavey-les-Bains.

  5. NOTE: Monte Carlo evaluation of kerma in an HDR brachytherapy bunker

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérez-Calatayud, J.; Granero, D.; Ballester, F.; Casal, E.; Crispin, V.; Puchades, V.; León, A.; Verdú, G.

    2004-12-01

    In recent years, the use of high dose rate (HDR) after-loader machines has greatly increased due to the shift from traditional Cs-137/Ir-192 low dose rate (LDR) to HDR brachytherapy. The method used to calculate the required concrete and, where appropriate, lead shielding in the door is based on analytical methods provided by documents published by the ICRP, the IAEA and the NCRP. The purpose of this study is to perform a more realistic kerma evaluation at the entrance maze door of an HDR bunker using the Monte Carlo code GEANT4. The Monte Carlo results were validated experimentally. The spectrum at the maze entrance door, obtained with Monte Carlo, has an average energy of about 110 keV, maintaining a similar value along the length of the maze. The comparison of results from the aforementioned values with the Monte Carlo ones shows that results obtained using the albedo coefficient from the ICRP document more closely match those given by the Monte Carlo method, although the maximum value given by MC calculations is 30% greater.

  6. The geothermal partnership: Industry, utilities, and government meeting the challenges of the 90's

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1991-01-01

    Each year the Geothermal Division of the US Department of Energy conducts an in-depth review of its entire geothermal R D program. The conference serves several purposes: a status report on current R D activities, an assessment of progress and problems, a review of management issues, and a technology transfer opportunity between DOE and the US geothermal community. This year's conference, Program Review IX, was held in San Francisco on March 19--21, 1991. The theme of this review was The Geothermal Partnership -- Industry, Utilities, and Government Meeting the Challenges of the 90's.'' The importance of this partnership has increased markedly as demands for improved technology must be balanced with available research resources. By working cooperatively, the geothermal community, including industry, utilities, DOE, and other state and federal agencies, can more effectively address common research needs. The challenge currently facing the geothermal partnership is to strengthen the bonds that ultimately will enhance opportunities for future development of geothermal resources. Program Review IX consisted of eight sessions including an opening session. The seven technical sessions included presentations by the relevant field researchers covering DOE-sponsored R D in hydrothermal, hot dry rock, and geopressured energy and the progress associated with the Long Valley Exploratory Well. Individual papers have been cataloged separately.

  7. Quantitative impact of hydrothermal alteration on electrical resistivity in geothermal systems from a joint analysis of laboratory measurements and borehole data in Krafla area, N-E Iceland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lévy, Léa; Páll Hersir, Gylfi; Flóvenz, Ólafur; Gibert, Benoit; Pézard, Philippe; Sigmundsson, Freysteinn; Briole, Pierre

    2016-04-01

    Rock permeability and fluid temperature are the two most decisive factors for a successful geothermal drilling. While those parameters are only measured from drilling, they might be estimated on the basis of their impact on electrical resistivity that might be imaged from surface soundings, for example through TEM (Transient Electro Magnetic) down to one km depth. The electrical conductivity of reservoir rocks is the sum of a volume term depending on fluid parameters and a surface term related to rock alteration. Understanding the link between electrical resistivity and geothermal key parameters requires the knowledge of hydrothermal alteration and its petrophysical signature with the Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC). Fluid-rock interactions related to hydrothermal circulation trigger the precipitation of alteration minerals, which are both witnesses of the temperature at the time of reaction and new paths for the electrical current. Alteration minerals include zeolites, smectites, chlorites, epidotes and amphiboles among which low temperatures parageneses are often the most conductive. The CEC of these mineral phases contributes to account for surface conductivity occuring at the water-rock interface. In cooling geothermal systems, these minerals constitute in petrophysical terms and from surface electrical conduction a memory of the equilibrium phase revealed from electrical probing at all scales. The qualitative impact of alteration minerals on resistivity structure has been studied over the years in the Icelandic geothermal context. In this work, the CEC impact on pore surfaces electrical conductivity is studied quantitatively at the borehole scale, where several types of volcanic rocks are mixed together, with various degrees of alteration and porosity. Five boreholes located within a few km at the Krafla volcano, Northeast Iceland, constitute the basis for this study. The deepest and reference hole, KJ-18, provides cuttings of rock and logging data down to 2215

  8. Determination of the Geothermal Potential by Geophysical Investigations in the Karbinci-Tarinci Area, in the Vicinity of Shtip

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petrov, Goshe; Panovska, Sanja; Delipetrov, Marjan; Dimov, Gjorgji; Jovanovski, Vlatko

    2005-01-01

    Geophysical methods used in the determination of geothermal potential by geophysical investigations in the Karbinci-Tarinci area included as follows: detailed reflective seismic scanning, geomagnetic profiling, geo electric probe and electromagnetic VLF prospecting. The site investigated consists of rocks of Precambrian, Mesozoic (Jurassic), Tertiary (Paleogene Neogene) and Quaternary age. From earlier investigations carried out in the wider vicinity and from investigations carried out by the present authors, one can expect occurrence geothermal water in the area. (Author)

  9. Detection and Characterization of Natural and Induced Fractures for the Development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toksoz, M. Nafi [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences

    2013-04-06

    The objective of this 3-year project is to use various geophysical methods for reservoir and fracture characterization. The targeted field is the Cove Fort-Sulphurdale Geothermal Field in Utah operated by ENEL North America (ENA). Our effort has been focused on 1) understanding the regional and local geological settings around the geothermal field; 2) collecting and assembling various geophysical data sets including heat flow, gravity, magnetotelluric (MT) and seismic surface and body wave data; 3) installing the local temporary seismic network around the geothermal site; 4) imaging the regional and local seismic velocity structure around the geothermal field using seismic travel time tomography; and (5) determining the fracture direction using the shear-wave splitting analysis and focal mechanism analysis. Various geophysical data sets indicate that beneath the Cove Fort-Sulphurdale Geothermal Field, there is a strong anomaly of low seismic velocity, low gravity, high heat flow and high electrical conductivity. These suggest that there is a heat source in the crust beneath the geothermal field. The high-temperature body is on average 150 °C – 200 °C hotter than the surrounding rock. The local seismic velocity and attenuation tomography gives a detailed velocity and attenuation model around the geothermal site, which shows that the major geothermal development target is a high velocity body near surface, composed mainly of monzonite. The major fracture direction points to NNE. The detailed velocity model along with the fracture direction will be helpful for guiding the geothermal development in the Cove Fort area.

  10. Geothermal for kids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nemzer, M.; Condy, M.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports that educating children about geothermal energy is crucial to the future growth of the geothermal industry. The Geothermal Education Office (GEO) was founded in 1989 to provide materials and support to teachers and the geothermal community in educating grades K-12 about geothermal energy. GEO's goals are to: provide easy access to or referral to appropriate sources of geothermal information; foster teacher interest; create posters, booklets, lesson plans and other educational materials; monitor and review textbooks, encyclopedias and other educational materials distributed by educational groups to ensure inclusion of appropriate, accurate information and to encourage fair treatment of alternative energy resources; contribute articles to industry, science and educational publications; and foster communication and cooperation among GEO, the geothermal industry, government agencies, and educational and environmental groups

  11. Geothermal studies in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Ji-Yang; Chen Mo-Xiang; Wang Ji-An; Deng Xiao; Wang Jun; Shen Hsien-Chieh; Hsiung Liang-Ping; Yan Shu-Zhen; Fan Zhi-Cheng; Liu Xiu-Wen

    1981-01-01

    Geothermal studies have been conducted in China continuosly since the end of the 1950's with renewed activity since 1970. Three areas of research are defined: (1) fundamental theoretical research of geothermics, including subsurface temperatures, terrestrial heat flow and geothermal modeling; (2) exploration for geothermal resources and exploitation of geothermal energy; (3) geothermal studies in mines. (orig./ME)

  12. Dosimetric comparison between the microSelectron HDR 192Ir v2 source and the BEBIG 60Co source for HDR brachytherapy using the EGSnrc Monte Carlo transport code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anwarul Islam, M.; Akramuzzaman, M.M.; Zakaria, G.A.

    2012-01-01

    Manufacturing of miniaturized high activity 192 Ir sources have been made a market preference in modern brachytherapy. The smaller dimensions of the sources are flexible for smaller diameter of the applicators and it is also suitable for interstitial implants. Presently, miniaturized 60 Co HDR sources have been made available with identical dimensions to those of 192 Ir sources. 60 Co sources have an advantage of longer half life while comparing with 192 Ir source. High dose rate brachytherapy sources with longer half life are logically pragmatic solution for developing country in economic point of view. This study is aimed to compare the TG-43U1 dosimetric parameters for new BEBIG 60 Co HDR and new microSelectron 192 Ir HDR sources. Dosimetric parameters are calculated using EGSnrc-based Monte Carlo simulation code accordance with the AAPM TG-43 formalism for microSelectron HDR 192 Ir v2 and new BEBIG 60 Co HDR sources. Air-kerma strength per unit source activity, calculated in dry air are 9.698x10 -8 ± 0.55% U Bq -1 and 3.039x10 -7 ± 0.41% U Bq -1 for the above mentioned two sources, respectively. The calculated dose rate constants per unit air-kerma strength in water medium are 1.116±0.12% cGy h -1 U -1 and 1.097±0.12% cGy h -1 U -1 , respectively, for the two sources. The values of radial dose function for distances up to 1 cm and more than 22 cm for BEBIG 60 Co HDR source are higher than that of other source. The anisotropic values are sharply increased to the longitudinal sides of the BEBIG 60 Co source and the rise is comparatively sharper than that of the other source. Tissue dependence of the absorbed dose has been investigated with vacuum phantom for breast, compact bone, blood, lung, thyroid, soft tissue, testis, and muscle. No significant variation is noted at 5 cm of radial distance in this regard while comparing the two sources except for lung tissues. The true dose rates are calculated with considering photon as well as electron transport using

  13. A review of the HDR research programme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Talja, H.; Koski, K.; Rintamaa, R.; Keskinen, R.

    1995-10-01

    In the German HDR (Heissdampfreaktor, hot steam reactor) reactor safety programme, experiments and simulating numerical analyses have been undertaken since 1976 to study the integrity and safety of light water reactors under operational and faulted conditions. The last experiments of the programme were conducted in 1991. The post test analyses have been finished by March 1994 and the last final reports were obtained a few months later. The report aims to inform the utilities and the regulatory body of Finland about the contents of the lokset HDR research programme and to consider the applicability of the results to safety analyses of Finnish nuclear power plants. The report centers around the thermal shock and piping component experiments within the last or third phase of the HDR programme. Investigations into severe reactor accidents, fire safety and non-destructive testing, also conducted during the third phase, are not considered. The report presents a review of the following experiment groups: E21 (crack growth under corrosive conditions, loading due to thermal stratification), E22 (leak rate and leak detection experiments of through-cracked piping), E23 (thermal transient and stratification experiments for a pipe nozzle), E31 (vibration of cracked piping due to blow down and closure of isolation valve), E32 (seismically induced vibrations of cracked piping), E33 (condensation phenomena in horizontal piping during emergency cooling). A comprehensive list of reference reports, received by VTT and containing a VTT more detailed description, is given for each experiment group. The review is focused on the loading conditions and their theoretical modelling. A comparison of theoretical and experimental results is presented for each experiment group. The safety margins are finally assessed with special reference to leak-before-break, a well known principle for assuring the integrity of primary circuit piping of nuclear power plants. (orig.) (71 figs., 5 tabs.)

  14. Oilfield geothermal exploitation in China-A case study from the Liaohe oilfield in Bohai Bay Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shejiao; Yao, Yanhua; Fan, Xianli; Yan, Jiahong

    2017-04-01

    The clean geothermal energy can play a huge role in solving the problem of severe smog in China as it can replace large coal-fired heating in winter. Chinese government has paid close attention on the development and utilization of geothermal energy. In the "13th Five-Year" plan, the geothermal development is included into the national plan for the first time. China is very rich in the medium and low-temperature geothermal resources, ranking first in the geothermal direct use in the world for a long time. The geothermal resources are mainly concentrated in sedimentary basins, especially in petroliferous basins distributed in North China (in North China, heating is needed in winter). These basins are usually close to the large- and medium-sized cities. Therefore, tapping oilfield geothermal energy have attracted a great attention in the last few years as the watercut achieved above 90% in most oilfields and significant progress has been made. In this paper, taking the Liaohe Oilfield in the Bohai Bay Basin as an example, we discussed the distribution and potential of the geothermal resources, discussed how to use the existed technology to harness geothermal energy more effectively, and forecasted the development prospect of the oilfield geothermal energy. By using the volumetric method, we calculated the geothermal resources of the Guantao Formation, Dongying Formation, Shahejie Formation and basement rock in the Liaohe depression. We tested the geothermal energy utilization efficiency in different conditions by applying different pump technologies and utilizing geothermal energy in different depth, such as shallow geothermal energy (0-200m), middle-deep depth geothermal energy (200-4000m), and oilfield sewage heat produced with oil production. For the heat pump systems, we tested the conventional heat pump system, high-temperature heat pump system, super high-temperature heat pump system, and gas heat pump system. Finally, based on the analysis of national policy

  15. HDR brachytherapy for superficial non-melanoma skin cancers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gauden, Ruth; Pracy, Martin; Avery, Anne-Marie; Hodgetts, Ian; Gauden, Stan

    2013-01-01

    Our initial experience using recommended high dose per fraction skin brachytherapy (BT) treatment schedules, resulted in poor cosmesis. This study aimed to assess in a prospective group of patients the use of Leipzig surface applicators for High Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy, for the treatment of small non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) using a protracted treatment schedule. Treatment was delivered by HDR brachytherapy with Leipzig applicators. 36Gy, prescribed to between 3 to 4mm, was given in daily 3Gy fractions. Acute skin toxicity was evaluated weekly during irradiation using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group criteria. Local response, late skin effects and cosmetic results were monitored at periodic intervals after treatment completion. From March 2002, 200 patients with 236 lesions were treated. Median follow-up was 66 months (range 25–121 months). A total of 162 lesions were macroscopic, while in 74 cases, BT was given after resection because of positive microscopic margins. There were 121 lesions that were basal cell carcinomas, and 115 were squamous cell carcinomas. Lesions were located on the head and neck (198), the extremities (26) and trunk (12). Local control was 232/236 (98%). Four patients required further surgery to treat recurrence. Grade 1 acute skin toxicity was detected in 168 treated lesions (71%) and grade 2 in 81 (34%). Cosmesis was good or excellent in 208 cases (88%). Late skin hypopigmentation changes were observed in 13 cases (5.5%). Delivering 36Gy over 2 weeks to superficial NMSC using HDR brachytherapy is well tolerated and provides a high local control rate without significant toxicity.

  16. Geothermal energy in Italy and abroad; La geotermia in Italia e all'estero

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Caputo di Calvisi, C. [Rome Univ. La Sapienza, Rome (Italy). Dipt. di Meccanica

    2001-04-01

    Geothermal systems and fields are analysed giving particular evidence to the value of the geothermal source as an important natural source of energy. The paper analyses hydrothermal systems and describes the international experimental studies on the use of geothermal reservoirs in hot rocks with geopressured and magmatic systems. Experts are optimistic as far as the use of this innovative source of energy is possible in the medium-short term. [Italian] Si analizzano i sistemi e i campi geotermici, sottolineando il valore della fonte geotermica come risorsa naturale ragguardevole d'energia. Vengono descritti i sistemi idrotermali e gli esperimenti condotti a livello internazionale sull'utilizzo di serbatoi geotermici in rocce calde con sistemi geopressurizzati e magmatici. L'ottimismo degli esperti sull'utilizzo di questa innovativa sorgente d'energia in tempi medio-brevi.

  17. Time to PSA rise differentiates the PSA bounce after HDR and LDR brachytherapy of prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burchardt, Wojciech; Skowronek, Janusz

    2018-02-01

    To investigate the differences in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) bounce (PB) after high-dose-rate (HDR-BT) or low-dose-rate (LDR-BT) brachytherapy alone in prostate cancer patients. Ninety-four patients with localized prostate cancer (T1-T2cN0), age ranged 50-81 years, were treated with brachytherapy alone between 2008 and 2010. Patients were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, Gleason score ≤ 7. The LDR-BT total dose was 144-145 Gy, in HDR-BT - 3 fractions of 10.5 or 15 Gy. The initial PSA level (iPSA) was assessed before treatment, then PSA was rated every 3 months over the first 2 years, and every 6 months during the next 3 years. Median follow-up was 3.0 years. Mean iPSA was 7.8 ng/ml. In 58 cases, PSA decreased gradually without PB or biochemical failure (BF). In 24% of patients, PB was observed. In 23 cases (24%), PB was observed using 0.2 ng/ml definition; in 10 cases (11%), BF was diagnosed using nadir + 2 ng/ml definition. The HDR-BT and LDR-BT techniques were not associated with higher level of PB (26 vs. 22%, p = 0.497). Time to the first PSA rise finished with PB was significantly shorter after HDR-BT then after LDR-BT (median, 10.5 vs. 18.0 months) during follow-up. Predictors for PB were observed only after HDR-BT. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and higher Gleason score decreased the risk of PB (HR = 0.11, p = 0.03; HR = 0.51, p = 0.01). The higher PSA nadir and longer time to PSA nadir increased the risk of PB (HR 3.46, p = 0.02; HR 1.04, p = 0.04). There was no predictors for PB after LDR-BT. HDR-BT and LDR-BT for low and intermediate risk prostate cancer had similar PB rate. The PB occurred earlier after HDR-BT than after LDR-BT. ADT and higher Gleason score decreased, and higher PSA nadir and longer time to PSA nadir increased the risk of PB after HDR-BT.

  18. Exploration of joint systems and major horizontal stress direction in HDR drillholes of the Soultz site (Alsace, France)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Genter, A [BRGM/GIG, Orleans (France); Tenzer, H [Stadtwerke Bad Urach (Germany)

    1997-12-01

    Borehole imaging logs enable continuous recording of natural and artificial planar discontinuities on the drillhole wall and data of the drillhole geometry to be made. Efforts were made to resolve the orientation and characterization of the natural joint system, the active fault pattern, the alteration zones, the orientation of microcracks and the direction of maximum horizontal stress. Intense logging operations and measurements were carried out in the HDR drillholes GPK1 and EPS1 between 1000 and 3600 m depth in the Muschelkalk, Bunter and Granite at Soultz sous Forets. With the help of investigations on subvertical fractures the orientation of the maximum horizontal stress direction was determined as N175 E{+-}17 . These results are consistent with previous investigations performed in the horeholes GPK-1 and EPS-1. (orig./AKF) [Deutsch] Bohrlochmessungen mit dem akustschen Borehole Televiewer und elektrischen Formation MicroScanner (Imager) sowie dem Azimuthal Resistivity Imager und verschiedenen Sonic-Sonden ermoeglichen eine kontinuierliche Aufnahme sowohl von natuerlichen und kuenstlich erzeugten planaren Diskontinuitaeten an der Bohrlochwand als auch der Bohrlochgeometrie. Es wurden die Orientierung und Charakterisierung des natuerlichen Kluftsystems, das aktive Stoerungsmuster, die Alterationszonen, die Orientierung von Mikrorissen und die Orientierung der maximalen horizontalen Hauptspannungsrichtung ermittelt. Die Verfuegbarkeit von Strukturdaten aus Bohrloechern durch Bohrlochmessungen und hydraulischen Testen ermoeglicht die Bestimmung von hydraulisch aktiven Klueften und deren Beziehung zum regionalen Spannungsfeld. Mit Hilfe spezieller Bohrloch-Logs wurden die Orientierung und Haeufigkeit planarer Diskontinuitaeten und ihre scheinbare Oeffnungsweite sowie die Vorzugsrichtung der verschiedenen scheinbaren Weiten bestimmt. Innerhalb des gemeinsamen europaeischen Hot-Dry-Rock-Geothermal-Forschungsprogramms wurden vielfaeltige Bohrlochmessungen in den

  19. The Oryza sativa Regulator HDR1 Associates with the Kinase OsK4 to Control Photoperiodic Flowering.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuehui Sun

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Rice is a facultative short-day plant (SDP, and the regulatory pathways for flowering time are conserved, but functionally modified, in Arabidopsis and rice. Heading date 1 (Hd1, an ortholog of Arabidopsis CONSTANS (CO, is a key regulator that suppresses flowering under long-day conditions (LDs, but promotes flowering under short-day conditions (SDs by influencing the expression of the florigen gene Heading date 3a (Hd3a. Another key regulator, Early heading date 1 (Ehd1, is an evolutionarily unique gene with no orthologs in Arabidopsis, which acts as a flowering activator under both SD and LD by promoting the rice florigen genes Hd3a and RICE FLOWERING LOCUST 1 (RFT1. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of the flowering regulator Heading Date Repressor1 (HDR1 in rice. The hdr1 mutant exhibits an early flowering phenotype under natural LD in a paddy field in Beijing, China (39°54'N, 116°23'E, as well as under LD but not SD in a growth chamber, indicating that HDR1 may functionally regulate flowering time via the photoperiod-dependent pathway. HDR1 encodes a nuclear protein that is most active in leaves and floral organs and exhibits a typical diurnal expression pattern. We determined that HDR1 is a novel suppressor of flowering that upregulates Hd1 and downregulates Ehd1, leading to the downregulation of Hd3a and RFT1 under LDs. We have further identified an HDR1-interacting kinase, OsK4, another suppressor of rice flowering under LDs. OsK4 acts similarly to HDR1, suppressing flowering by upregulating Hd1 and downregulating Ehd1 under LDs, and OsK4 can phosphorylate HD1 with HDR1 presents. These results collectively reveal the transcriptional regulators of Hd1 for the day-length-dependent control of flowering time in rice.

  20. Novel use of disequilibrium ages in geothermal energy exploration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goles, G.G.; Seymour, R.S.

    1984-01-01

    Geothermal exploration commonly involves estimation of ages of young volcanic rocks. Few reliable techniques are available for this purpose, uranium-series disequilibrium being one. Several activity ratios may be used to estimate disequilibrium ages. Th-230/U-238 were used because of the convenient half-life of Th-230 and because excess Th-230 in volcanic rocks has been found and used to obtain reasonable ages. By analyzing mafic and felsic fractions of each rock studied, data were obtained to construct quasi-isochrons, assuming that minerals in each fraction had the same initial Th-230/Th-232 activity ratio. Analyses were done via epithermal instrumental activation analysis (Th-232, and U-238) and alpha spectrometry (Th-230 and Th-232), an approach that is simple, rapid and allows explicit estimation of chemical yields. Four rocks from the Oregon High Cascades yielded ages or a limit on age consistent with known geological relations. Several improvements in the method could be implemented without serious impact on its simplicity. 15 references, 1 figure, 1 table

  1. Geothermal and heavy-oil resources in Texas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seni, S.J.; Walter, T.G.

    1994-01-01

    In a five-county area of South Texas, geopressured-geothermal reservoirs in the Paleocene-Eocene Wilcox Group lie below medium- to heavy-oil reservoirs in the Eocene Jackson Group. This fortuitous association suggests the use of geothermal fluids for thermally enhanced oil recovery (TEOR). Geothermal fairways are formed where thick deltaic sandstones are compartmentalized by growth faults. Wilcox geothermal reservoirs in South Texas are present at depths of 11,000 to 15,000 ft (3,350 to 4,570 m) in laterally continuous sandstones 100 to 200 ft (30 to 60 m) thick. Permeability is generally low (typically 1 md), porosity ranges from 12 to 24 percent, and temperature exceeds 250{degrees}F (121{degrees}C). Reservoirs containing medium (20{degrees} to 25{degrees} API gravity) to heavy (10{degrees} to 20{degrees} API gravity) oil are concentrated along the Texas Coastal Plain in the Jackson-Yegua Barrier/Strandplain (Mirando Trend), Cap Rock, and Piercement Salt Dome plays and in the East Texas Basin in Woodbine Fluvial/Deltaic Strandplain and Paluxy Fault Line plays. Injection of hot, moderately fresh to saline brines will improve oil recovery by lowering viscosity and decreasing residual oil saturation. Smectite clay matrix could swell and clog pore throats if injected waters have low salinity. The high temperature of injected fluids will collapse some of the interlayer clays, thus increasing porosity and permeability. Reservoir heterogeneity resulting from facies variation and diagenesis must be considered when siting production and injection wells within the heavy-oil reservoir. The ability of abandoned gas wells to produce sufficient volumes of hot water over the long term will also affect the economics of TEOR.

  2. BeTemper: thermal characterisation of the Belgian subsoil for shallow geothermal applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petitclerc, Estelle; Dusar, Michiel; Declercq, Pierre-Yves; Vanbrabant, Yves

    2015-04-01

    The current energy transition towards Renewable Energy Sources (RES) is mainly driven in Belgium by intermittent sources such as wind turbines and photovoltaic panels. Other sources are however available, such as biomass and geothermal resources. The latter can take various forms among which Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP). This Geothermal RES could be an important supply for the heating/cooling market, which represents 48% of the energy consumption in Belgium. The interest in using the ground as a source or storage device for thermal energy has grown considerably in the last few years and the market is expected to grow significantly by 2020 (Petitclerc, 2013). However, research in the thermal characteristics of the soil and subsoil is lagging behind the industrial technological development. Sizing errors of installations increasing the budget are therefore frequent and promising projects are abandoned. BeTemper was launched in 2014 for a period of 2 years. It aims to assess the shallow geothermal potential in Belgium through analysis of rock thermal properties from the surface to a depth of 150 m, which covers the standard depth for a vertical loop system currently installed in Belgium (75% of the GSHP market). The project focuses on laboratory thermal properties analyses (thermal conductivity (λ in W/m.K) and diffusivity (m²/s)) of about 400 rock samples corresponding to 30 different lithologies. Influences of water content, of porosity, of mineralogical composition and of mineralogical texture on these thermal parameters are studied. Thermal parameters measurements are performed with the high-resolution Thermal Conductivity Scanning method (Popov 1999, 2012) for both saturated and dry conditions. The mineralogical and petrological analyses are conducted thanks to different analytical equipments of the mineralogical and petrological laboratory at the RBINS-GSB. The proportion of the different mineralogical phases of samples are evaluated with the Panalytical X

  3. Geothermal prospection in the Greater Geneva Basin (Switzerland and France). Impact of diagenesis on reservoir properties of the Upper Jurassic carbonate sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makhloufi, Yasin; Rusillon, Elme; Brentini, Maud; Clerc, Nicolas; Meyer, Michel; Samankassou, Elias

    2017-04-01

    Diagenesis of carbonate rocks is known to affect the petrophysical properties (porosity, permeability) of the host rock. Assessing the diagenetic history of the rock is thus essential when evaluating any reservoir exploitation project. The Canton of Geneva (Switzerland) is currently exploring the opportunities for geothermal energy exploitation in the Great Geneva Basin (GGB) sub-surface. In this context, a structural analysis of the basin (Clerc et al., 2016) associated with reservoir appraisal (Brentini et al., 2017) and rock-typing of reservoir bodies of potential interest were conducted (Rusillon et al., 2017). Other geothermal exploitation projects elsewhere (e.g. Bavaria, south Germany, Paris Basin, France) showed that dolomitized carbonate rocks have good reservoir properties and are suitable for geothermal energy production. The objectives of this work are to (1) describe and characterize the dolomitized bodies in the GGB and especially their diagenetic history and (2) quantify the reservoir properties of those bodies (porosity, permeability). Currently, our study focuses on the Upper Jurassic sedimentary bodies of the GGB. Field and well data show that the dolomitization is not ubiquitous in the GGB. Results from the petrographical analyses of the Kimmeridgian cores (Humilly-2) and of field analogues (Jura, Saleve and Vuache mountains) display complex diagenetic histories, dependent of the study sites. The paragenesis exhibits several stages of interparticular calcite cementation as well as different stages of dolomitization and/or dedolomitization. Those processes seem to follow constrained path of fluid migrations through burial, faulting or exhumation during the basin's history. These complex diagenetic histories affected the petrophysical and microstructural properties via porogenesis (conservation of initial porosity, moldic porosity) and/or poronecrosis events. The best reservoir properties appear to be recorded in patch reef and peri

  4. Geothermal in transition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, J.L.

    1991-01-01

    This article examines the current market for geothermal projects in the US and overseas. The topics of the article include future capacity needs, upgrading the Coso Geothermal project, the productivity of the Geysers area of Northern California, the future of geothermal, and new projects at Soda Lake, Carson Basin, Unalaska Island, and the Puna Geothermal Venture in Hilo, Hawaii

  5. Structural and petrophysical characterization: from outcrop rock analogue to reservoir model of deep geothermal prospect in Eastern France

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertrand, Lionel; Géraud, Yves; Diraison, Marc; Damy, Pierre-Clément

    2017-04-01

    The Scientific Interest Group (GIS) GEODENERGIES with the REFLET project aims to develop a geological and reservoir model for fault zones that are the main targets for deep geothermal prospects in the West European Rift system. In this project, several areas are studied with an integrated methodology combining field studies, boreholes and geophysical data acquisition and 3D modelling. In this study, we present the results of reservoir rock analogues characterization of one of these prospects in the Valence Graben (Eastern France). The approach used is a structural and petrophysical characterization of the rocks outcropping at the shoulders of the rift in order to model the buried targeted fault zone. The reservoir rocks are composed of fractured granites, gneiss and schists of the Hercynian basement of the graben. The matrix porosity, permeability, P-waves velocities and thermal conductivities have been characterized on hand samples coming from fault zones at the outcrop. Furthermore, fault organization has been mapped with the aim to identify the characteristic fault orientation, spacing and width. The fractures statistics like the orientation, density, and length have been identified in the damaged zones and unfaulted blocks regarding the regional fault pattern. All theses data have been included in a reservoir model with a double porosity model. The field study shows that the fault pattern in the outcrop area can be classified in different fault orders, with first order scale, larger faults distribution controls the first order structural and lithological organization. Between theses faults, the first order blocks are divided in second and third order faults, smaller structures, with characteristic spacing and width. Third order fault zones in granitic rocks show a significant porosity development in the fault cores until 25 % in the most locally altered material, as the damaged zones develop mostly fractures permeabilities. In the gneiss and schists units, the

  6. Interstratified Illite/Montmorillonite in Kamojang Geothermal Field, Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. F. Yudiantoro

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available DOI: 10.17014/ijog.v8i4.167Kamojang geothermal field located in West Java Province, falls under the Pangkalan Subregency, Bandung Regency. The researched area is a geothermal field located in the Quaternary volcanic caldera system of about 0.452 to 1.2 Ma. The volcanic activity generated hydrothermal fluids, interacting with rocks producing mineral alteration. The minerals formed in the areas of research are interstratified illite/montmorillonite (I/M. Analyses to identify interstratified I/M have been performed by X-ray diffraction using ethylene glycol, while the determination of the type and percentage of interstratified I/M was based on the calculation method of Watanabe. The methodology was applied on core and cutting samples from Wells KMJ-8, 9, 11, 13, 16, 23, 49, 51, and 54. The result of analysis of the samples shows that the type of clay is interstratified illite/montmorillonite and the minerals are formed at temperatures ranging from 180 to 220° C. The type of interstratified I/M in the studied area is S = 0 and S = 1. The percentage of illite type S = 0 is between 20 - 35% illite, whereas type S = 1 has about 45 - 72% illite. Along with the increasing depth, the percentage of illite is getting greater. This is consistent with the vertical distribution of temperature which increases according to the depth. This correlation results in an interpretation that the upflow zone of the geothermal reservoir is located in the centre of the Kamojang geothermal field.

  7. Twenty-first workshop on geothermal reservoir engineering: Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1996-01-26

    PREFACE The Twenty-First Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering was held at the Holiday Inn, Palo Alto on January 22-24, 1996. There were one-hundred fifty-five registered participants. Participants came from twenty foreign countries: Argentina, Austria, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK. The performance of many geothermal reservoirs outside the United States was described in several of the papers. Professor Roland N. Horne opened the meeting and welcomed visitors. The key note speaker was Marshall Reed, who gave a brief overview of the Department of Energy's current plan. Sixty-six papers were presented in the technical sessions of the workshop. Technical papers were organized into twenty sessions concerning: reservoir assessment, modeling, geology/geochemistry, fracture modeling hot dry rock, geoscience, low enthalpy, injection, well testing, drilling, adsorption and stimulation. Session chairmen were major contributors to the workshop, and we thank: Ben Barker, Bobbie Bishop-Gollan, Tom Box, Jim Combs, John Counsil, Sabodh Garg, Malcolm Grant, Marcel0 Lippmann, Jim Lovekin, John Pritchett, Marshall Reed, Joel Renner, Subir Sanyal, Mike Shook, Alfred Truesdell and Ken Williamson. Jim Lovekin gave the post-dinner speech at the banquet and highlighted the exciting developments in the geothermal field which are taking place worldwide. The Workshop was organized by the Stanford Geothermal Program faculty, staff, and graduate students. We wish to thank our students who operated the audiovisual equipment. Shaun D. Fitzgerald Program Manager.

  8. Overview of naturally permeable fractured reservoirs in the central and southern Upper Rhine Graben: Insights from geothermal wells

    OpenAIRE

    Vidal , Jeanne; Genter , Albert

    2018-01-01

    International audience; Since the 1980′s, more than 15 geothermal wells have been drilled in the Upper Rhine Graben (URG), representing more than 60 km of drill length. Although some early concepts were related to purely matrix-porosity reservoirs or Hot Dry Rock systems, most projects in the URG are currently exploiting the geothermal resources that are trapped in fracture networks at the base of the sedimentary cover and in the granitic basement. Lessons-learnt from the European EGS referen...

  9. Final Report: Geothermal dual acoustic tool for measurement of rock stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Normann, Randy A. [Perma Works LLC, Pattonville, TX (United States)

    2014-12-01

    This paper outlines the technology need for a rock formation stress measurement in future EGS wells. This paper reports on the results of work undertaken under a Phase I, DOE/SBIR on the feasibility to build an acoustic well logging tool for measuring rock formation stress.

  10. Final Report. Geothermal Dual Acoustic Tool for Measurement of Rock Stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Normann, Randy A [Perma Works LLC, Pattonville, TX (United States)

    2014-12-01

    This paper outlines the technology need for a rock formation stress measurement in future EGS wells. This paper reports on the results of work undertaken under a Phase I, DOE/SBIR on the feasibility to build an acoustic well logging tool for measuring rock formation stress.

  11. Geothermal tomorrow 2008

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None, None

    2009-01-18

    Contributors from the Geothermal Technologies Program and the geothermal community highlight the current status and activities of the Program and the development of the global resource of geothermal energy.

  12. National Geothermal Data System (NGDS) Geothermal Data: Community Requirements and Information Engineering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anderson, Arlene [United States Department of Energy; Blackwell, David [Southern Methodist University; Chickering, Cathy [Southern Methodist University; Boyd, Toni [Oregon Institute of Technology; Horne, Roland [Stanford University; MacKenzie, Matthew [Uberity Technology Corporation; Moore, Joseph [University of Utah; Nickull, Duane [Uberity Technology Corporation; Richard, Stephen [Arizona Geological survey; Shevenell, Lisa A. [University of Nevada, Reno

    2013-10-01

    To satisfy the critical need for geothermal data to advance geothermal energy as a viable renewable energy contender, the U.S. Department of Energy is investing in the development of the National Geothermal Data System (NGDS). This paper outlines efforts among geothermal data providers nationwide to supply cutting edge geo-informatics. NGDS geothermal data acquisition, delivery, and methodology are discussed. In particular, this paper addresses the various types of data required to effectively assess geothermal energy potential and why simple links to existing data are insufficient. To create a platform for ready access by all geothermal stakeholders, the NGDS includes a work plan that addresses data assets and resources of interest to users, a survey of data providers, data content models, and how data will be exchanged and promoted, as well as lessons learned within the geothermal community.

  13. Hydraulic fracturing to enhance geothermal energy recovery in deep and tight formations. Modell approach in petrothermy research project OPTIRISS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rafiee, M.M.; Schmitz, S.; Barsch, M. [DBI - Gastechnologisches Institut gGmbH, Freiberg (Germany)

    2013-08-01

    In Germany numerous projects were successfully conducted in developments of geothermal energy which applied so far mostly for the hydrothermal deposit type. In Thuringia and Saxony there are currently project developments of geothermal resource taking into account for deep, tight formations in petrothermy and Enhanced geothermal system, (EGS). One of the potential tasks in generating these petrothermal producers and in the design of the underground power plant appears to be hydraulic fracturing with multi frac method. This is to create the heat exchanger surfaces in the rock and ensure maximum volumetric flow through it. Therefore it is very important for a sustainable heat production. However the promise of its adequate conductivity in the deep formation is one of the dominant contests in geothermal energy industry. In a multi frac method, two wells (normally horizontal wellbores at different depths) are drilled in direction of minimum horizontal stress of the formation rock. By multiple frac operation in separate sections, flow paths are generated between the wells through which it is possible to extract the heat from the rock. The numerical simulation of hydraulic fracture propagation processes in the rock is mainly from the research in the area of oil and gas industry. These techniques are mainly used for very low permeable formations in petroleum engineering (e.g. Shale gas). The development is at the beginning for EGS (e.g. granites). In this work single and multi fracking propagation processes in a synthetic example of deep hard formation are investigated. The numerical simulation is carried out to design and characterize frac processes and frac dimensions. Sensitivities to various rock parameters and different process designs are examined and optimum criteria are concluded. This shows that the minimum stress profile has the most effective role and should be modelled properly. The analysis indicates the optimum fracture length and height for adequate thermal

  14. Characterization of the natural radioactivity of the first deep geothermal doublet in Flanders, Belgium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasile, M; Bruggeman, M; Van Meensel, S; Bos, S; Laenen, B

    2017-08-01

    Deep geothermal energy is a local energy resource that is based on the heat generated by the Earth. As the heat is continuously regenerated, geothermal exploitation can be considered as a renewable and, depending on the techniques used, a sustainable energy production system. In September 2015, the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) started drilling an exploration well targeting a hot water reservoir at a depth of about 3km on the Balmatt site near Mol. Geothermal hot water contains naturally occurring gases, chemicals and radionuclides at variable concentrations. The actual concentrations and potentially related hazards strongly depend on local geological and hydrogeological conditions. This paper summarizes the radiological characterization of several rock samples obtained from different depths during the drilling, the formation water, the salt and the sediment fraction. The results of our analyses show low values for the activity concentration for uranium and thorium in the formation water and in the precipitate/sediment fraction. Also, the activity concentrations of 210 Pb and 210 Po are low in these samples and the activity concentration of 226 Ra is dominant. From the analysis of the rock samples, it was found that the layer above the reservoir has a higher uranium and thorium concentration than the layer of the reservoir, which on the other hand contains more radium than the layer above it. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. World geothermal congress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Povarov, O.A.; Tomarov, G.V.

    2001-01-01

    The World geothermal congress took place in the period from 28 May up to 10 June 2000 in Japan. About 2000 men from 43 countries, including specialists in the area of developing geothermal fields, creating and operating geothermal electrical and thermal plants and various systems for the earth heat application, participated in the work of the Congress. It was noted at the Congress, that development of the geothermal power engineering in the world is characterized by the large-scale application of geothermal resources for the electrical energy generation [ru

  16. Variations of 3/He/4He isotope ratios within the Broadlands geothermal field, New Zealand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hulston, John; Lupton, John; University of California, Santa Barbara; Rosenberg, Nina

    1986-01-01

    The Broadlands-Ohaaki geothermal field is located 20 km NE of Wairakei on the Central Volcanic Zone of New Zealand. It falls within a resistivity low extending 4 km by 3 km. A study of 3 He/ 4 He ratios within this field has shown R/R A ratios close to 6.0 in the Ohaaki production area (NW). In contrast the production area to the SE on the east bank of the Waikato River has R/R A values close to 3.5. Differences in chemical ratios reported previously are found to correlate with the 3 He/ 4 He measurements. A tentative interpretation of the results indicate that there is a contribution of 3 He from the mantle and that the variations in the 3 He/ 4 He ratios are probably related to differences in the geochemistry of the rocks through which the geothermal fluids flow to the surface. Preliminary measurements of the argon isotopes also show a contribution from radiogenic rocks at depth

  17. Optimization of geothermal well trajectory in order to minimize borehole failure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahrabou, A.; Valley, B.; Ladner, F.; Guinot, F.; Meier, P.

    2017-12-01

    In projects based on Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) principle, deep boreholes are drilled to low permeability rock masses. As part of the completion operations, the permeability of existing fractures in the rock mass is enhanced by injecting large volumes of water. These stimulation treatments aim at achieving enough water circulation for heat extraction at commercial rates which makes the stimulation operations critical to the project success. The accurate placement of the stimulation treatments requires well completion with effective zonal isolation, and wellbore stability is a prerequisite to all zonal isolation techniques, be it packer sealing or cement placement. In this project, a workflow allowing a fast decision-making process for selecting an optimal well trajectory for EGS projects is developed. In fact, the well is first drilled vertically then based on logging data which are costly (100 KCHF/day), the direction in which the strongly deviated borehole section will be drilled needs to be determined in order to optimize borehole stability and to intersect the highest number of fractures that are oriented favorably for stimulation. The workflow applies to crystalline rock and includes an uncertainty and risk assessment framework. An initial sensitivity study was performed to identify the most influential parameters on borehole stability. The main challenge in these analyses is that the strength and stress profiles are unknown independently. Calibration of a geomechanical model on the observed borehole failure has been performed using data from the Basel Geothermal well BS-1. In a first approximation, a purely elastic-static analytical solution in combination with a purely cohesive failure criterion were used as it provides the most consistent prediction across failure indicators. A systematic analysis of the uncertainty on all parameters was performed to assess the reliability of the optimal trajectory selection. To each drilling scenario, failure

  18. Determinación de la distribución de dosis en tratamientos de cáncer de mama con fuentes de 192 Ir HDR / Determination of doses distributions on breast cancer treatments with 192 Ir HDR sources

    OpenAIRE

    Beltrán Gómez, Cristian Camilo

    2010-01-01

    La Braquiterapia de alta tasa de dosis HDR es una moderna técnica de tratamiento que ha venido teniendo un rápido crecimiento en su uso clínico, reemplazando a la braquiterapia de baja tasa de dosis LDR. La braquiterapia HDR se caracteriza por utilizar fuentes radiactivas con tasas de dosis mayores a 12 Gy/h, por tanto con propósitos de protección radiológica debe ser realizada con equipos de carga remota, es común en los tratamientos de braquiterapia HDR depositar altas dosis por fracción, c...

  19. Dosimetry experience of 192IR sources used In HDR brachytherapy for cervical cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daci, Lulzime; Myrku, Rodina Cela

    2013-01-01

    Purpose/Objective: The 192IR Sources are the most commonly used in radiotherapy treatments HDR worldwide. According to international recommendations on quality assurance in HDR brachytherapy, an acceptance test based on the determination of the source strength of any new source shall be carried out before first application to verify the manufacturer’s calibration data. The present paper gives the experimental determination of the source strength for our brachytherapy sources used until now in brachytherapy treatments. Materials/Methods: At Mother Teresa University Hospital we have a cost-effective gynecological brachytherapy unit from Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG named GyneSource® that is a five channel HDR after loader equipped with an 192IR source. The software used is HDR plus™ 2.5 that delivers an optimized treatment plan and makes the process especially fast and we use intracavitary BEBIG applicators. From April 2009 up to December 2012, we have imported nine HDR 192IR Sources. The exchange of the source and acceptance test is done by the physicist of the clinic once the source is imported. The measurements are done with a Well-type ionization chamber HDR1000 Plus and the electrometer used is MAX4000. Only seven sources are compared as we miss the dosimetry data of the first source, and the forth source was not measured and not used because the machine was not working in that time. Results/Conclusions: Eight sources were accepted for clinically use as the measurement were within the tolerance. The source number four with e deviation of -1.92% has been double checked compared with a free in-air measurement with farmer type chamber that gave a deviation to source certificate of 4% that is still inside the tolerance to accept a source for clinical use. The deviations of measured Air Kerma rate to the value of the sources certificates of all our used 192IR sources are less than 2%, which are within the tolerance. The checked value of updated source strength in

  20. Sedimentary environments and hydrocarbon potential of cretaceous rocks of indus basin, Pakistan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheikh, S.A.; Naseem, S.

    1999-01-01

    Cretaceous rocks of Indus Basin of Pakistan are dominated by clastics with subordinate limestone towards the top. These rocks represent shelf facies and were deposited in deltaic to reducing marine conditions at variable depths. Indications of a silled basin with restricted circulation are also present. Cretaceous fine clastics/carbonates have good source and reservoir qualities. Variable geothermal gradients in different parts of basin have placed these rocks at different maturity levels; i.e. from oil to condensate and to gas. The potential of these rocks has been proved by several oil and gas discoveries particularly in the Central and Southern provinces of Indus Basin. (author)

  1. FY 1992 report on the survey of geothermal development promotion. Geological structure (geology/alteration zone) survey (No. A-1 - Haneyama area); 1992 nendo chinetsu kaihatsu sokushin chosa chijo chosa hokokusho futai shiryo. Chishitsu kozo (chishitsu henshitsutai) chosa hokokusho (No. A-1 Haneyama chiiki)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1993-05-01

    For the purpose of elucidating a possibility of existence of geothermal reservoirs in the Haneyama area, Oita Prefecture, survey of the geological structure (geology/alteration zone) was conducted. The survey was made for the area of 280km{sup 2} lying from Kusu Town to Kokonoe Town, Oita Prefecture in terms of the route survey of 174km, fabrication/judgement of 52 rock slices, whole rock chemical analysis of 21 rocks, age determination, analysis of rock mineral, X-ray diffraction, literature collection, etc. As a result of the survey, the following conclusion was obtained. When considering a possibility of existence of heat source near this area, the area near the present volcanic front was regarded as promising. The fracture structure in the depths seen in the gravity structure (part of sharp dip of gravity) is more closely related to activity of geothermal water than the active structure of E-W system near the earth surface newly formed and is important when considering the existence of geothermal resource. The periphery of the Shishimuta sedimentation zone where Takigami, Oodake, Hacchobaru and Oguni are located was especially regarded as an area propmising of geothermal energy. In the survey area, the geothermal potential was the highest near Noya - Mizuwake Pass. (NEDO)

  2. Evaluation of geothermal potential of Rio Grande rift and Basin and Range province, New Mexico. Final technical report, January 1, 1977-May 31, 1978

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Callender, J.F.

    1985-04-01

    A study was made of the geological, geochemical and geophysical characteristics of potential geothermal areas in the Rio Grande rift and Basin and Range province of New Mexico. Both regional and site-specific information is presented. Data was collected by: (1) reconnaissance and detailed geologic mapping, emphasizing Neogene stratigraphy and structure; (2) petrologic studies of Neogene igneous rocks; (3) radiometric age-dating; (4) geochemical surveying, including regional and site-specific water chemistry, stable isotopic analyses of thermal waters, whole-rock and mineral isotopic studies, and whole-rock chemical analyses; and (5) detailed geophysical surveys, using electrical, gravity and magnetic techniques, with electrical resistivity playing a major role. Regional geochemical water studies were conducted for the whole state. Integrated site-specific studies included the Animas Valley, Las Cruces area (Radium Springs and Las Alturas Estates), Truth or Consequences region, the Albuquerque basin, the San Ysidro area, and the Abiquiu-Ojo Caliente region. The Animas Valley and Las Cruces areas have the most significant geothermal potential of the areas studied. The Truth or Consequences and Albuquerque areas need further study. The San Ysidro and Abiquiu-Ojo Caliente regions have less significant geothermal potential. 78 figs., 16 tabs.

  3. Geothermal probabilistic cost study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Orren, L.H.; Ziman, G.M.; Jones, S.C.; Lee, T.K.; Noll, R.; Wilde, L.; Sadanand, V.

    1981-08-01

    A tool is presented to quantify the risks of geothermal projects, the Geothermal Probabilistic Cost Model (GPCM). The GPCM model is used to evaluate a geothermal reservoir for a binary-cycle electric plant at Heber, California. Three institutional aspects of the geothermal risk which can shift the risk among different agents are analyzed. The leasing of geothermal land, contracting between the producer and the user of the geothermal heat, and insurance against faulty performance are examined. (MHR)

  4. Superhard nanophase cutter materials for rock drilling applications; FINAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voronov, O.; Tompa, G.; Sadangi, R.; Kear, B.; Wilson, C.; Yan, P.

    2000-01-01

    The Low Pressure-High Temperature (LPHT) System has been developed for sintering of nanophase cutter and anvil materials. Microstructured and nanostructured cutters were sintered and studied for rock drilling applications. The WC/Co anvils were sintered and used for development of High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) Systems. Binderless diamond and superhard nanophase cutter materials were manufactured with help of HPHT Systems. The diamond materials were studied for rock machining and drilling applications. Binderless Polycrystalline Diamonds (BPCD) have high thermal stability and can be used in geothermal drilling of hard rock formations. Nanophase Polycrystalline Diamonds (NPCD) are under study in precision machining of optical lenses. Triphasic Diamond/Carbide/Metal Composites (TDCC) will be commercialized in drilling and machining applications

  5. Stable isotopes as signposts of fluid throughput in Rotokawa and other geothermal fields, and the difficulty of identifying magmatic fingerprints

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blattner, P.; Woldemichael, S.; Auckland Univ.; Browne, P.R.L.; Auckland Univ.

    1994-01-01

    We present a background for water-rock interaction generally, and new data on the Rotokawa geothermal field. The oxygen isotope shift of total rock samples allow the deduction of past flowpaths and total fluid throughput. Estimates of any input true exsolved magmatic water are difficult as the lithosphere can act as an effective isotopic screen. (authors). 1 fig., 6 refs

  6. Hawaii geothermal project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamins, R. M.

    1974-01-01

    Hawaii's Geothermal Project is investigating the occurrence of geothermal resources in the archipelago, initially on the Island of Hawaii. The state's interest in geothermal development is keen, since it is almost totally dependent on imported oil for energy. Geothermal development in Hawaii may require greater participation by the public sector than has been true in California. The initial exploration has been financed by the national, state, and county governments. Maximization of net benefits may call for multiple use of geothermal resources; the extraction of by-products and the application of treated effluents to agricultural and aquacultural uses.

  7. Investigation of superstructure damping identification for the HDR containment building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsieh, B.J.; Kot, C.A.; Srinivasan, M.G.

    1985-01-01

    A method for the estimation of first mode structural damping, developed by other investigators, was applied to shaker test data of the HDR containment building. Due to inadequate precision in the experimental phase measurements no valid results could be obtained. Based on modal analysis it was also noted that for systems such as the HDR building, contributions of higher modes are not negligible as was assumed in the original approach. Therefore, the procedure for the determination of superstructure damping using experimental data was extended to include the effects of higher modes. The extended method does not lead to any higher order nonlinear equations than the first mode approximation and was found to be as simple to apply as the original approach

  8. Hoosac tunnel geothermal heat source. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1982-06-10

    The Hoosac Rail Tunnel has been analyzed as a central element in a district heating system for the City of North Adams. The tunnel has been viewed as a collector of the earth's geothermal heat and a seasonal heat storage facility with heat piped to the tunnel in summer from existing facilities at a distance. Heated fluid would be transported in winter from the tunnel to users who would boost the temperature with individual heat pumps. It was concluded the tunnel is a poor source of geothermal heat. The maximum extractable energy is only 2200 million BTU (20000 gallons of oil) at 58/sup 0/F. The tunnel is a poor heat storage facility. The rock conductivity is so high that 75% of the heat injected would escape into the mountain before it could be recaptured for use. A low temperature system, with individual heat pumps for temperature boost could be economically attractive if a low cost fuel (byproduct, solid waste, cogeneration) or a cost effective seasonal heat storage were available.

  9. Analysis of gravity data beneath Endut geothermal prospect using horizontal gradient and Euler deconvolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Supriyanto, Noor, T.; Suhanto, E.

    2017-07-01

    The Endut geothermal prospect is located in Banten Province, Indonesia. The geological setting of the area is dominated by quaternary volcanic, tertiary sediments and tertiary rock intrusion. This area has been in the preliminary study phase of geology, geochemistry, and geophysics. As one of the geophysical study, the gravity data measurement has been carried out and analyzed in order to understand geological condition especially subsurface fault structure that control the geothermal system in Endut area. After precondition applied to gravity data, the complete Bouguer anomaly have been analyzed using advanced derivatives method such as Horizontal Gradient (HG) and Euler Deconvolution (ED) to clarify the existance of fault structures. These techniques detected boundaries of body anomalies and faults structure that were compared with the lithologies in the geology map. The analysis result will be useful in making a further realistic conceptual model of the Endut geothermal area.

  10. Modeling brine-rock interactions in an enhanced geothermal systemdeep fractured reservoir at Soultz-Sous-Forets (France): a joint approachusing two geochemical codes: frachem and toughreact

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andre, Laurent; Spycher, Nicolas; Xu, Tianfu; Vuataz,Francois-D.; Pruess, Karsten.

    2006-12-31

    The modeling of coupled thermal, hydrological, and chemical (THC) processes in geothermal systems is complicated by reservoir conditions such as high temperatures, elevated pressures and sometimes the high salinity of the formation fluid. Coupled THC models have been developed and applied to the study of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) to forecast the long-term evolution of reservoir properties and to determine how fluid circulation within a fractured reservoir can modify its rock properties. In this study, two simulators, FRACHEM and TOUGHREACT, specifically developed to investigate EGS, were applied to model the same geothermal reservoir and to forecast reservoir evolution using their respective thermodynamic and kinetic input data. First, we report the specifics of each of these two codes regarding the calculation of activity coefficients, equilibrium constants and mineral reaction rates. Comparisons of simulation results are then made for a Soultz-type geothermal fluid (ionic strength {approx}1.8 molal), with a recent (unreleased) version of TOUGHREACT using either an extended Debye-Hueckel or Pitzer model for calculating activity coefficients, and FRACHEM using the Pitzer model as well. Despite somewhat different calculation approaches and methodologies, we observe a reasonably good agreement for most of the investigated factors. Differences in the calculation schemes typically produce less difference in model outputs than differences in input thermodynamic and kinetic data, with model results being particularly sensitive to differences in ion-interaction parameters for activity coefficient models. Differences in input thermodynamic equilibrium constants, activity coefficients, and kinetics data yield differences in calculated pH and in predicted mineral precipitation behavior and reservoir-porosity evolution. When numerically cooling a Soultz-type geothermal fluid from 200 C (initially equilibrated with calcite at pH 4.9) to 20 C and suppressing mineral

  11. Western Sicily (Italy), a key area for understanding geothermal system within carbonate reservoirs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montanari, D.; Bertini, G.; Botteghi, S.; Catalano, R.; Contino, A.; Doveri, M.; Gennaro, C.; Gianelli, G.; Gola, G.; Manzella, A.; Minissale, A.; Montegrossi, G.; Monteleone, S.; Trumpy, E.

    2012-12-01

    Oil exploration in western Sicily started in the late 1950s when several exploration wells were drilled, and continued with the acquisition of many seismic reflection profiles and the drilling of new wells in the1980s. The geological interpretation of these data mainly provided new insights for the definition of geometric relationships between tectonic units and structural reconstruction at depth. Although it has not produced completely satisfactory results for oil industry, this hydrocarbon exploration provided a great amount of data, resulting very suitable for geothermal resource assessment. From a geothermal point of view western Sicily is, indeed, a very promising area, with the manifestation at surface of several thermal springs, localized areas of high heat flux and thick carbonates units uninterruptedly developing from surface up top great depths. These available data were often collected with the modalities and purposes typical of oil exploration, not always the finest for geothermal exploration as in the case of temperature measurements. The multidisciplinary and integrated review of these data, specifically corrected for geothermal purposes, and the integration with new data acquired in particular key areas such as the Mazara Del Vallo site in the southern part of western Sicily, allowed us to better understand this medium-enthalpy geothermal system, to reconstruct the modalities and peculiarities of fluids circulation, and to evaluate the geothermal potentialities of western Sicily. We suggest that western Sicily can be taken as a reference for the understanding of geothermal systems developed at a regional scale within carbonate rocks. This study was performed within the framework of the VIGOR project (http://www.vigor-geotermia.it).

  12. The high dynamic range pixel array detector (HDR-PAD): Concept and design

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shanks, Katherine S.; Philipp, Hugh T.; Weiss, Joel T.; Becker, Julian; Tate, Mark W. [Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Gruner, Sol M., E-mail: smg26@cornell.edu [Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States)

    2016-07-27

    Experiments at storage ring light sources as well as at next-generation light sources increasingly require detectors capable of high dynamic range operation, combining low-noise detection of single photons with large pixel well depth. XFEL sources in particular provide pulse intensities sufficiently high that a purely photon-counting approach is impractical. The High Dynamic Range Pixel Array Detector (HDR-PAD) project aims to provide a dynamic range extending from single-photon sensitivity to 10{sup 6} photons/pixel in a single XFEL pulse while maintaining the ability to tolerate a sustained flux of 10{sup 11} ph/s/pixel at a storage ring source. Achieving these goals involves the development of fast pixel front-end electronics as well as, in the XFEL case, leveraging the delayed charge collection due to plasma effects in the sensor. A first prototype of essential electronic components of the HDR-PAD readout ASIC, exploring different options for the pixel front-end, has been fabricated. Here, the HDR-PAD concept and preliminary design will be described.

  13. IN SITU GEOTHERMAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY: AN APPROACH FOR BUILDING CLEANER AND GREENER ENVIRONMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md. Faruque Hossain

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Geothermal energy is abundant everywhere in the world. It certainly would be a great benefit for human being once it is produced by a sophisticated technology. Consequently, it would be the biggest console for earth considering environmental sustainability. Unfortunately, the current status of commercial production of geothermal energy primarily from hydrothermal, geopressured, hot dry rock, and magma are limited to a few countries due to technological difficulties and production cost. This paper describes a simple technology where an in situ geothermal plant assisted by a heat pump would act as a high-temperature production (>150°C to provide excellent capacity of energy generation. The issue related to costs is interestingly cheaper on production, comparing to other technologies, such as solar, hydro, wind, and traditional geothermal technology as described in this article. Therefore, it is suggested that heat pump assisted in situ geothermal energy sources has a great potentiality to be a prime energy source in near future. Since the technology has a number of positive characteristics (simple, safe, and provides continuous baseload, load following, or peaking capacity and benign environmental attributes (zero emissions of CO2, SOx, and NOx, it certainly would be an interesting technology in both developed, and developing countries as an attractive option to produce clean energy to confirm a better environment.

  14. Geothermal surveys in the oceanic volcanic island of Mauritius

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verdoya, Massimo; Chiozzi, Paolo; Pasqua, Claudio

    2017-04-01

    Oceanic island chains are generally characterised by young volcanic systems that are predominately composed of basaltic lavas and related magmatic products. Although hot springs are occasionally present, the pervasive, massive, recent outpourings of basaltic lavas are the primary manifestation of the existence of geothermal resources. These islands may have, in principle, significant potential for the exploitation of geothermal energy. In this paper, we present results of recent investigations aimed at the evaluation of geothermal resources of the island of Mauritius, that is the emerging portion of a huge submarine, aseismic, volcanic plateau extending in the SW part of the Indian Ocean. The plateau is related to a long-lived hotspot track, whose present-day expression is the active volcano of La Réunion Island, located about 200 km SW of Mauritius. The island does not show at present any volcanic activity, but magmatism is quite recent as it dates from 7.8 to 0.03 Myr. Geochemical data from water samples collected from boreholes do not indicate the presence of mature water, i.e. circulating in high-temperature geothermal reservoirs, and argue for short-term water-rock interaction in shallow hydrogeological circuits. However, this cannot rule out that a deep magmatic heat source, hydraulically insulated from shallow aquifers, may occur. To evaluate the geothermal gradient, a 270-m-deep hole was thus drilled in the island central portion, in which the most recent volcanic activity (0.03 Myr) took place. Temperature-depth profiles, recorded after complete thermal equilibration, revealed a thermal gradient of 40 mK/m. Attempts of extracting additional thermal information were also made by measuring the temperature in a 170-m-deep deep water hole, no longer used. The results were consistent with the gradient hole, i.e. pointing to a weak or null deep-seated thermal anomaly beneath Mauritius and low geothermal potential. The deep thermal process (mantle plume) invoked

  15. MO-C-17A-11: A Segmentation and Point Matching Enhanced Deformable Image Registration Method for Dose Accumulation Between HDR CT Images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhen, X; Chen, H; Zhou, L; Yan, H; Jiang, S; Jia, X; Gu, X; Mell, L; Yashar, C; Cervino, L

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To propose and validate a novel and accurate deformable image registration (DIR) scheme to facilitate dose accumulation among treatment fractions of high-dose-rate (HDR) gynecological brachytherapy. Method: We have developed a method to adapt DIR algorithms to gynecologic anatomies with HDR applicators by incorporating a segmentation step and a point-matching step into an existing DIR framework. In the segmentation step, random walks algorithm is used to accurately segment and remove the applicator region (AR) in the HDR CT image. A semi-automatic seed point generation approach is developed to obtain the incremented foreground and background point sets to feed the random walks algorithm. In the subsequent point-matching step, a feature-based thin-plate spline-robust point matching (TPS-RPM) algorithm is employed for AR surface point matching. With the resulting mapping, a DVF characteristic of the deformation between the two AR surfaces is generated by B-spline approximation, which serves as the initial DVF for the following Demons DIR between the two AR-free HDR CT images. Finally, the calculated DVF via Demons combined with the initial one serve as the final DVF to map doses between HDR fractions. Results: The segmentation and registration accuracy are quantitatively assessed by nine clinical HDR cases from three gynecological cancer patients. The quantitative results as well as the visual inspection of the DIR indicate that our proposed method can suppress the interference of the applicator with the DIR algorithm, and accurately register HDR CT images as well as deform and add interfractional HDR doses. Conclusions: We have developed a novel and robust DIR scheme that can perform registration between HDR gynecological CT images and yield accurate registration results. This new DIR scheme has potential for accurate interfractional HDR dose accumulation. This work is supported in part by the National Natural ScienceFoundation of China (no 30970866 and no

  16. Geothermal energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vuataz, F.-D.

    2005-01-01

    This article gives a general overview of the past and present development of geothermal energy worldwide and a more detailed one in Switzerland. Worldwide installed electrical power using geothermal energy sources amounts to 8900 MW el . Worldwide utilization of geothermal energy for thermal applications amounts to 28,000 MW th . The main application (56.5%) is ground-coupled heat pumps, others are thermal spas and swimming pools (17.7%), space heating (14.9%), heating of greenhouses (4.8%), fish farming (2.2%), industrial uses (1,8%), cooling and melting of snow (1.2%), drying of agricultural products (0.6 %). Switzerland has become an important user of geothermal energy only in the past 25 years. Earlier, only the exploitation of geothermal springs (deep aquifers) in Swiss thermal baths had a long tradition, since the time of the Romans. Today, the main use of geothermal energy is as a heat source for heat pumps utilizing vertical borehole heat exchangers of 50 to 350 meters length. 35,000 installations of this type with heating powers ranging from a few kW to 1000 kW already exist, representing the highest density of such installations worldwide. Other developments are geostructures and energy piles, the use of groundwater for heating and cooling, geothermal district heating, the utilization of draining water from tunnels and the project 'Deep Heat Mining' allowing the combined production of heat and electric power

  17. Summarized report of geothermal well Gross Buchholz Gt1; Kurzprofil der Geothermiebohrung Gross Buchholz Gt1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schaefer, Frauke; Hesshaus, Annalena; Jatho, Reiner; Luppold, Friedrich-Wilhelm; Pletsch, Thomas; Tischner, Torsten [Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR), Hannover (Germany); Hunze, Sabine; Orilski, Judith; Wonik, Thomas [Leibniz-Institut fuer Angewandte Geophysik (LIAG), Hannover (Germany); Roehling, Heinz-Gerd [Landesamt fuer Bergbau, Energie und Geologie (LBEG), Hannover (Germany)

    2012-01-15

    The well Gross Buchholz Gt1 is a deep geothermal well intended to demonstrate the feasibility of deep geothermal energy mining from tight sedimentary rocks. It is the core part of the GeneSys (Generated Geothermal Energy Systems) project, aiming at developing single well concepts for direct use of geothermal energy. During the course of the project, three different single well concepts have been developed and tested at the research well Horstberg Z1 which is geologically comparable to the Gross Buchholzwell. The latter is intended to supply the heating energy for the premises of Geozentrum Hannover, an office and lab complex of some 35.000 m{sup 2} housing about 1000 employees. The geothermal target are the sandstones of the Lower Triassic Middle Buntsandstein Formation, which have a temperature of about 165 C at 3700 depth. The well has reached a final depth of 3901 m below ground level, penetrating a nearly complete succession from the Lower Cretaceous (Albian) to the Lower Triassic (Lower Buntsandstein), while Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous sediments are missing. This article summarizes technical and geographic data, stratigraphic classification, geophysical logging, cores, and sidewall cores of the well. (orig.)

  18. Guidebook to Geothermal Finance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salmon, J. P.; Meurice, J.; Wobus, N.; Stern, F.; Duaime, M.

    2011-03-01

    This guidebook is intended to facilitate further investment in conventional geothermal projects in the United States. It includes a brief primer on geothermal technology and the most relevant policies related to geothermal project development. The trends in geothermal project finance are the focus of this tool, relying heavily on interviews with leaders in the field of geothermal project finance. Using the information provided, developers and investors may innovate in new ways, developing partnerships that match investors' risk tolerance with the capital requirements of geothermal projects in this dynamic and evolving marketplace.

  19. Using Facilities And Potential Of Geothermal Resources In The Canakkale Province - NW Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deniz, Ozan; Acar Deniz, Zahide

    2016-04-01

    Turkey, due to its geological location, has a rich potential in point of geothermal resources. Çanakkale province is located northwestern (NW) part of Turkey and it has important geothermal fields in terms of geothermal energy potential. Geothermal resources reach to the surface both effects of past volcanic activity and extensions of fault zones associated with complex tectonic systems in the region. The aim of this study is to summarize hydrogeochemical characteristics, using facilities and potential of hot springs and spas located in the Çanakkale province. There are 13 geothermal fields in the region and the surface temperatures of hot springs are ranging between 28 centigrade degree and 175 centigrade degree. Hydrogeochemical compositions of thermal water display variable chemical compositions. Na, Ca, SO4, HCO3 and Cl are the dominant ions in these waters. Thermal waters of Tuzla and Kestanbol geothermal fields which is located the near coastal area can be noted NaCl type. Because these two geothermal waters have high TDS values, scaling problems are seen around the hot springs and pipelines. Geothermal waters in the province are meteoric origin according to oxygen-18, deuterium and tritium isotopes data. Long underground residence times of these waters and its temperatures have caused both more water - rock interaction and low tritium values. Geothermal energy is utilized in many areas in Turkey today. It is generally used for space heating, balneotherapy and electricity generation. Explorations of geothermal resources and investments in geothermal energy sector have risen rapidly in the recent years particularly in western Turkey. High-temperature geothermal fields are generally located in this region related to the Aegean Graben System and the North Anotalian Fault Zone. All geothermal power plants in Turkey are located in this region. Considering the Çanakkale province, most geothermal fields are suitable for multipurpose usage but many of them have

  20. Fiscal 1980 Sunshine Project research report. International cooperation project for energy technology. International research cooperation for geothermal energy (Japan-U.S. R and D cooperation for geothermal resource assessment); 1980 nendo energy gijutsu kokusai kyoryoku jigyo chinetsu energy kokusai kyoryoku seika hokokusho. Chinetsu shigen hyoka ni kansuru Nichibei kenkyu kaihatsu kyoryoku

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1981-03-01

    Based on the Japan-U.S. agreement on promotion of geothermal energy applications, the R and D cooperation specialist panel was held in America on March 12-20, 1981 to exchange the current R and D information on geothermal resources. It was clarified through the meeting in Department of Energy (DOE) that the U.S. budget was reduced by the Reagan Administration largely, resulting in delays in development of geothermal energy and construction of geothermal power plants. The following themes were discussed: Japanese and American geothermal development programs, DOE's industrialization activity, hot dry rock program, geoscience program, and geothermal prospecting technology program. It was clarified through the meeting in U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that since the governmental resource assessment is made by USGS, however, wide data collection is made by other organizations generally, acquisition of data required for the assessment is difficult. Study on MOU is necessary together with fund allocation. Field survey was also made in Raft River, Cove Fort and Roosevelt. (NEDO)

  1. Fiscal 1980 Sunshine Project research report. International cooperation project for energy technology. International research cooperation for geothermal energy (Japan-U.S. R and D cooperation for geothermal resource assessment); 1980 nendo energy gijutsu kokusai kyoryoku jigyo chinetsu energy kokusai kyoryoku seika hokokusho. Chinetsu shigen hyoka ni kansuru Nichibei kenkyu kaihatsu kyoryoku

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1981-03-01

    Based on the Japan-U.S. agreement on promotion of geothermal energy applications, the R and D cooperation specialist panel was held in America on March 12-20, 1981 to exchange the current R and D information on geothermal resources. It was clarified through the meeting in Department of Energy (DOE) that the U.S. budget was reduced by the Reagan Administration largely, resulting in delays in development of geothermal energy and construction of geothermal power plants. The following themes were discussed: Japanese and American geothermal development programs, DOE's industrialization activity, hot dry rock program, geoscience program, and geothermal prospecting technology program. It was clarified through the meeting in U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that since the governmental resource assessment is made by USGS, however, wide data collection is made by other organizations generally, acquisition of data required for the assessment is difficult. Study on MOU is necessary together with fund allocation. Field survey was also made in Raft River, Cove Fort and Roosevelt. (NEDO)

  2. Interactive multiobjective optimization for anatomy-based three-dimensional HDR brachytherapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruotsalainen, Henri; Miettinen, Kaisa; Palmgren, Jan-Erik; Lahtinen, Tapani

    2010-08-01

    In this paper, we present an anatomy-based three-dimensional dose optimization approach for HDR brachytherapy using interactive multiobjective optimization (IMOO). In brachytherapy, the goals are to irradiate a tumor without causing damage to healthy tissue. These goals are often conflicting, i.e. when one target is optimized the other will suffer, and the solution is a compromise between them. IMOO is capable of handling multiple and strongly conflicting objectives in a convenient way. With the IMOO approach, a treatment planner's knowledge is used to direct the optimization process. Thus, the weaknesses of widely used optimization techniques (e.g. defining weights, computational burden and trial-and-error planning) can be avoided, planning times can be shortened and the number of solutions to be calculated is small. Further, plan quality can be improved by finding advantageous trade-offs between the solutions. In addition, our approach offers an easy way to navigate among the obtained Pareto optimal solutions (i.e. different treatment plans). When considering a simulation model of clinical 3D HDR brachytherapy, the number of variables is significantly smaller compared to IMRT, for example. Thus, when solving the model, the CPU time is relatively short. This makes it possible to exploit IMOO to solve a 3D HDR brachytherapy optimization problem. To demonstrate the advantages of IMOO, two clinical examples of optimizing a gynecologic cervix cancer treatment plan are presented.

  3. Interactive multiobjective optimization for anatomy-based three-dimensional HDR brachytherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruotsalainen, Henri; Miettinen, Kaisa; Palmgren, Jan-Erik; Lahtinen, Tapani

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, we present an anatomy-based three-dimensional dose optimization approach for HDR brachytherapy using interactive multiobjective optimization (IMOO). In brachytherapy, the goals are to irradiate a tumor without causing damage to healthy tissue. These goals are often conflicting, i.e. when one target is optimized the other will suffer, and the solution is a compromise between them. IMOO is capable of handling multiple and strongly conflicting objectives in a convenient way. With the IMOO approach, a treatment planner's knowledge is used to direct the optimization process. Thus, the weaknesses of widely used optimization techniques (e.g. defining weights, computational burden and trial-and-error planning) can be avoided, planning times can be shortened and the number of solutions to be calculated is small. Further, plan quality can be improved by finding advantageous trade-offs between the solutions. In addition, our approach offers an easy way to navigate among the obtained Pareto optimal solutions (i.e. different treatment plans). When considering a simulation model of clinical 3D HDR brachytherapy, the number of variables is significantly smaller compared to IMRT, for example. Thus, when solving the model, the CPU time is relatively short. This makes it possible to exploit IMOO to solve a 3D HDR brachytherapy optimization problem. To demonstrate the advantages of IMOO, two clinical examples of optimizing a gynecologic cervix cancer treatment plan are presented.

  4. Oxygen isotope fine structure and fluid throughput of the Tongonan geothermal field, Philippines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scott, G.L.; Blattner, P.; Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lower Hutt

    1986-01-01

    Oxygen isotope ratios for 40 reservoir rocks from the plutonic basement and overlying andesitic rocks, and 14 separated geothermal quartz samples from the volcanics, range from 2.5 to 9.9 per mil. The lowest δ 18 O values (average 2.9 per mil) in diorite cores from wells 401, 407 and 410 are located in the most productive northwest (Mahiao) sector of the field. In the Malitbog sector, the average δ 18 O values for basement rocks are higher (c. 4.6 per mil). Plutonic rock samples from the Mamban (well MN1) sector, located outside the present-day field margin, are only slightly altered (6 per mil) except possibly near the contact zone between the basement and overlying volcanics. The highest cumulative fluid/rock ratios are calculated for the Mahiao sector, whereas Malitbog is possibly a relatively recent extension of the field. Relatively shallow (Bao Formation) quartz has δ 18 O values suggesting past tectonic uplift

  5. Geothermal Program Review VI: proceedings. Beyond goals and objectives

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1988-01-01

    Program Review VI was comprised of six sessions, including an opening session, four technical sessions that addressed each of the major DOE research areas, and a session on special issues. The technical sessions were on Hydrothermal, Hot Dry Rock, Geopressured and Magma resources. Presenters in the technical sessions discussed their R and D activities within the context of specific GTD Programmatic Objectives for that technology, their progress toward achieving those objectives, and the value of those achievements to industry. The ''Special Issues'' presentations addressed several topics such as the interactions between government and industry on geothermal energy R and D; the origin and basis for the programmatic objectives analytical computer model; and international marketing opportunities for US geothermal equipment and services. The unique aspect of Program Review VI was that it was held in conjunction with the National Geothermal Association's Industry Round Table on Federal R and D. The Round Table provided a forum for open and lively discussions between industry and government researchers and gave industry an opportunity to convey their needs and perspectives on DOE's research programs. These discussions also provided valuable information to DOE regarding industry's priorities and directions.

  6. DE-FOA-EE0005502 Advanced Percussive Drilling Technology for Geothermal Exploration and Development Phase II Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Su, Jiann-Cherng [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Raymond, David W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Prasad, Somuri V. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Wolfer, Dale R. [Atlas-Copco Secoroc, LLC, Fagersta (Sweden)

    2017-05-01

    Percussive hammers are a promising advance in drilling technology for geothermal since they rely upon rock reduction mechanisms that are well-suited for use in the hard, brittle rock characteristic of geothermal formations. The project research approach and work plan includes a critical path to development of a high-temperature (HT) percussive hammer using a two- phase approach. The work completed in Phase I of the project demonstrated the viability of percussive hammers and that solutions to technical challenges in design, material technology, and performance are likely to be resolved. Work completed in Phase II focused on testing the findings from Phase I and evaluating performance of the materials and designs at high- operating temperatures. A high-operating temperature (HOT) drilling facility was designed, built, and used to test the performance of the DTH under extreme conditions. Results from the testing indicate that a high-temperature capable hammer can be developed and is a viable alternative for user in the driller's toolbox.

  7. Igneous Rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doe, Bruce R.

    “Igneous Rocks was written for undergraduate geology majors who have had a year of college-level chemistry and a course in mineralogy … and for beginning graduate students. Geologists working in industry, government, or academia should find this text useful as a guide to the technical literature up to 1981 and as an overview of topics with which they have not worked but which may have unanticipated pertinence to their own projects.” So starts the preface to this textbook.As one who works part time in research on igneous rocks, especially as they relate to mineral deposits, I have been looking for such a book with this avowed purpose in a field that has a choking richness of evolving terminology and a bewildering volume of interdisciplinary literature. In addition to the standard topics of igneous petrology, the book contains a chapter on the role of igneous activity in the genesis of mineral deposits, its value to geothermal energy, and the potential of igneous rocks as an environment for nuclear waste disposal. These topics are presented rather apologetically in the preface, but the author is to be applauded for including this chapter. The apology shows just how new these interests are to petrology. Recognition is finally coming that, for example, mineral deposits are not “sports of nature,” a view held even by many economic geologists as recently as the early 1960's; instead they are perfectly ordinary geochemical features formed by perfectly ordinary geologic processes. In fact, the mineral deposits and their attendant alteration zones probably have as much to tell us about igneous rocks as the igneous rocks have to tell us about mineral deposits.

  8. Clay minerals related to the circulation of geothermal fluids in boreholes at Rittershoffen (Alsace, France)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vidal, Jeanne; Patrier, Patricia; Genter, Albert; Beaufort, Daniel; Dezayes, Chrystel; Glaas, Carole; Lerouge, Catherine; Sanjuan, Bernard

    2018-01-01

    Two geothermal wells, GRT-1 and GRT-2, were drilled into the granite at Rittershoffen (Alsace, France) in the Upper Rhine Graben to exploit geothermal resources at the sediment-basement interface. Brine circulation occurs in a permeable fracture network and leads to hydrothermal alteration of the host rocks. The goal of the study was to characterize the petrography and mineralogy of the altered rocks with respect to the permeable fracture zones in the granitic basement. As clay minerals are highly reactive to hydrothermal alteration, they can be used as indicators of present-day and paleo-circulation systems. Special attention has been paid to the textural, structural and chemical properties of these minerals. The fine-grained clay fraction (smectite ( 10% smectite) provide a promising guide for identifying the fracture zones that control the present-day circulation of geothermal fluids in the Rittershoffen wells. However, multistage paleo-circulation systems could lead to an abundance of heterogeneous and fine-grained illitic minerals that could plug the fracture system. The permeability of fracture zones in the GRT-1 well was likely reduced because of an intense illitization, and the well was stimulated. The occurrence of chlorite in the permeable fracture zones of GRT-2 is indicative of less intense illitization, and the natural permeability is much higher in GRT-2 than in GRT-1.

  9. Low Entalpy Geothermal suitability of north Sardinia (Italy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuccuru, Stefano; Oggiano, Giacomo

    2015-04-01

    This note focus on geothermal potentialities of north Sardinia, where several positive thermal anomalies occur along with geolithological and climatic conditions, which make the area specifically suitable for geoexchange. Sardinia consists of a Variscan basement metamorphosed at different grade and further intruded by a late orogenic batholith. Above this basement, since Mesozoic time, a composite sedimentary and volcanic succession occurs, with maximum thickness of 2-3 Km in correspondence of some extensional and strike-slip Cenozoic basins. The volcanic activity consists of a calcalkaline cycle with crustal component, which started in the late Eocene and ended in the Serravallian; another, mantle derived, alkaline-transitional cycle took place during Pliocene and ended in the middle Pleistocene. Several evidences of geothermal circuits occur in northwestern Sardinia, where some springs characterized by anomalous water temperatures and/or chemical-physical features (e.g., high salinity and carbon dioxide content) were known. In addiction those already exploited (e.g., S. Lucia, S. Martino), new springs and boreholes characterized by positive anomalous water temperatures (in the range of 24 and 35 °C) have been highlighted during our recent surveys. These waters are warmer than the homoeothermic level temperature (where no seasonal variations are recorded), which in the area is 15-16 °C. Considering the absence of active volcanism, the anomalous temperatures must be generated by the uprising of deep meteoric water along a plumbing network of crustal faults that bound the extensional as well as the strike slip basins. Rainwater heated for geothermal gradient can upwell rapidly interacting with surface aquifers that, hence, experience heating at different degree. The physical characteristics (i.e., thermal conductivity, open porosity, permeability etc) of the rocks cropping in north Sardinia, regardless the positive thermal anomalies, are profitably suitable for

  10. Refining Southern California Geotherms Using Seismologic, Geologic, and Petrologic Constraints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thatcher, W. R.; Chapman, D. S.; Allam, A. A.; Williams, C. F.

    2017-12-01

    Lithospheric deformation in tectonically active regions depends on the 3D distribution of rheology, which is in turn critically controlled by temperature. Under the auspices of the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) we are developing a 3D Community Thermal Model (CTM) to constrain rheology and so better understand deformation processes within this complex but densely monitored and relatively well-understood region. The San Andreas transform system has sliced southern California into distinct blocks, each with characteristic lithologies, seismic velocities and thermal structures. Guided by the geometry of these blocks we use more than 250 surface heat-flow measurements to define 13 geographically distinct heat flow regions (HFRs). Model geotherms within each HFR are constrained by averages and variances of surface heat flow q0 and the 1D depth distribution of thermal conductivity (k) and radiogenic heat production (A), which are strongly dependent on rock type. Crustal lithologies are not always well known and we turn to seismic imaging for help. We interrogate the SCEC Community Velocity Model (CVM) to determine averages and variances of Vp, Vs and Vp/Vs versus depth within each HFR. We bound (A, k) versus depth by relying on empirical relations between seismic wave speed and rock type and laboratory and modeling methods relating (A, k) to rock type. Many 1D conductive geotherms for each HFR are allowed by the variances in surface heat flow and subsurface (A, k). An additional constraint on the lithosphere temperature field is provided by comparing lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) depths identified seismologically with those defined thermally as the depth of onset of partial melting. Receiver function studies in Southern California indicate LAB depths that range from 40 km to 90 km. Shallow LAB depths are correlated with high surface heat flow and deep LAB with low heat flow. The much-restricted families of geotherms that intersect peridotite

  11. Geothermal energy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manzella A.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Geothermal technologies use renewable energy resources to generate electricity and direct use of heat while producing very low levels of greenhouse-gas (GHG emissions. Geothermal energy is the thermal energy stored in the underground, including any contained fluid, which is available for extraction and conversion into energy products. Electricity generation, which nowadays produces 73.7 TWh (12.7 GW of capacity worldwide, usually requires geothermal resources temperatures of over 100 °C. For heating, geothermal resources spanning a wider range of temperatures can be used in applications such as space and district heating (and cooling, with proper technology, spa and swimming pool heating, greenhouse and soil heating, aquaculture pond heating, industrial process heating and snow melting. Produced geothermal heat in the world accounts to 164.6 TWh, with a capacity of 70.9 GW. Geothermal technology, which has focused for decades on extracting naturally heated steam or hot water from natural hydrothermal reservoirs, is developing to more advanced techniques to exploit the heat also where underground fluids are scarce and to use the Earth as a potential energy battery, by storing heat. The success of the research will enable energy recovery and utilization from a much larger fraction of the accessible thermal energy in the Earth’s crust.

  12. Geothermal energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manzella, A.

    2017-07-01

    Geothermal technologies use renewable energy resources to generate electricity and direct use of heat while producing very low levels of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. Geothermal energy is the thermal energy stored in the underground, including any contained fluid, which is available for extraction and conversion into energy products. Electricity generation, which nowadays produces 73.7 TWh (12.7 GW of capacity) worldwide, usually requires geothermal resources temperatures of over 100 °C. For heating, geothermal resources spanning a wider range of temperatures can be used in applications such as space and district heating (and cooling, with proper technology), spa and swimming pool heating, greenhouse and soil heating, aquaculture pond heating, industrial process heating and snow melting. Produced geothermal heat in the world accounts to 164.6 TWh, with a capacity of 70.9 GW. Geothermal technology, which has focused for decades on extracting naturally heated steam or hot water from natural hydrothermal reservoirs, is developing to more advanced techniques to exploit the heat also where underground fluids are scarce and to use the Earth as a potential energy battery, by storing heat. The success of the research will enable energy recovery and utilization from a much larger fraction of the accessible thermal energy in the Earth's crust.

  13. Geothermal District Heating System City of Klamath Falls

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lienau, Paul J; Rafferty, Kevin

    1991-12-01

    The city of Klamath Falls became interested in the possibility of a establishing geothermal district heating system for downtown government buildings in January 1977. Since that time, the project has undergone some controversial and interesting developments that may be of educational value to other communities contemplating such a project. The purpose and content of this article is to identify the historical development of the project; including the design of the system, well owner objections to the project, aquifer testing, piping failure, and future expansion and marketing incentives. The shallow geothermal reservoir in Klamath falls extends for at least 6.8 miles in a northwest-southeast direction, as shown on Figure 1, with a width of about 2 miles. More than 550 thermal wells ranging in depth from about 10 to 2,000 ft, and obtaining or contacting water from 70 to 230oF, have been drilled into the reservoir. The system is not geologically homogeneous. Great variations in horizontal permeability and many vertical discontinuities exist because of stratigraphy and structure of the area. Basalt flows, eruptive centers, fluvial and lacustrine deposits, diatomite and pyroclastic materials alternate in the rock column. Normal faults with large throw (estimated up to 1,700 ft) are spaced less than 3,300 ft apart and appear to be the main avenue of vertical movement of hot fluids. In order to more effectively utilize this resource, the city of Klamath Falls decided in 1978 to apply for a federal grant (Program Opportunity Notice to cost share field experiment projects) to construct a geothermal district heating system that would deliver geothermal fluids to areas not located on the resource. In 1977, several Geo-Heat Center staff members visited Reykjavik, Iceland, to study the design of their geothermal district heating systems. This was in part the basis for the conceptual design and feasibility study (Lund, 1979) of a downtown commercial district. The main difference

  14. Geothermal energy

    OpenAIRE

    Manzella A.

    2017-01-01

    Geothermal technologies use renewable energy resources to generate electricity and direct use of heat while producing very low levels of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. Geothermal energy is the thermal energy stored in the underground, including any contained fluid, which is available for extraction and conversion into energy products. Electricity generation, which nowadays produces 73.7 TWh (12.7 GW of capacity) worldwide, usually requires geothermal resources temperatures of over 100 °C. Fo...

  15. Assessment of the State-Of-The-Art of Numerical Simulation of Enhanced Geothermal Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1999-11-01

    The reservoir features of importance in the operation of enhanced geothermal systems are described first (Section 2). The report then reviews existing reservoir simulators developed for application to HDR reservoirs (Section 3), hydrothermal systems (Section 4), and nuclear waste isolation (Section 5), highlighting capabilities relevant to the evaluation and assessment of EGS. The report focuses on simulators that include some representation of flow in fractures, only mentioning other simulators, such as general-purpose programs or groundwater models (Section 6). Following these detailed descriptions, the report summarizes and comments on the simulators (Section 7), and recommends a course of action for further development (Section 8). The references are included in Section 9. Appendix A contains contractual information, including a description of the original and revised scope of work for this study. Appendix B presents comments on the draft report from DOE reviewer(s) and the replies of the authors to those comments. [DJE-2005

  16. Assessment of the State-Of-The-Art of Numerical Simulation of Enhanced Geothermal Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    None

    1999-01-01

    The reservoir features of importance in the operation of enhanced geothermal systems are described first (Section 2). The report then reviews existing reservoir simulators developed for application to HDR reservoirs (Section 3), hydrothermal systems (Section 4), and nuclear waste isolation (Section 5), highlighting capabilities relevant to the evaluation and assessment of EGS. The report focuses on simulators that include some representation of flow in fractures, only mentioning other simulators, such as general-purpose programs or groundwater models (Section 6). Following these detailed descriptions, the report summarizes and comments on the simulators (Section 7), and recommends a course of action for further development (Section 8). The references are included in Section 9. Appendix A contains contractual information, including a description of the original and revised scope of work for this study. Appendix B presents comments on the draft report from DOE reviewer(s) and the replies of the authors to those comments. [DJE-2005

  17. A comparison of HDR brachytherapy and IMRT techniques for dose escalation in prostate cancer: A radiobiological modeling study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fatyga, M.; Williamson, J. F.; Dogan, N.; Todor, D.; Siebers, J. V.; George, R.; Barani, I.; Hagan, M. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, 401 College Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298 (United States)

    2009-09-15

    A course of one to three large fractions of high dose rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy is an attractive alternative to intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for delivering boost doses to the prostate in combination with additional external beam irradiation for intermediate risk disease. The purpose of this work is to quantitatively compare single-fraction HDR boosts to biologically equivalent fractionated IMRT boosts, assuming idealized image guided delivery (igIMRT) and conventional delivery (cIMRT). For nine prostate patients, both seven-field IMRT and HDR boosts were planned. The linear-quadratic model was used to compute biologically equivalent dose prescriptions. The cIMRT plan was evaluated as a static plan and with simulated random and setup errors. The authors conclude that HDR delivery produces a therapeutic ratio which is significantly better than the conventional IMRT and comparable to or better than the igIMRT delivery. For the HDR, the rectal gBEUD analysis is strongly influenced by high dose DVH tails. A saturation BED, beyond which no further injury can occur, must be assumed. Modeling of organ motion uncertainties yields mean outcomes similar to static plan outcomes.

  18. Characterizations of geothermal springs along the Moxi deep fault in the western Sichuan plateau, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Jihong; Xu, Mo; An, Chengjiao; Wu, Mingliang; Zhang, Yunhui; Li, Xiao; Zhang, Qiang; Lu, Guoping

    2017-02-01

    Abundant geothermal springs occur along the Moxi fault located in western Sichuan Province (the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau), highlighted by geothermal water outflow with an unusually high temperature of 218 °C at 21.5 MPa from a 2010-m borehole in Laoyulin, Kangding. Earthquake activity occurs relatively more frequently in the region and is considered to be related to the strong hydrothermal activity. Geothermal waters hosted by a deep fault may provide evidence regarding the deep underground; their aqueous chemistry and isotopic information can indicate the mechanism of thermal springs. Cyclical variations of geothermal water outflows are thought to work under the effect of solid earth tides and can contribute to understanding conditions and processes in underground geo-environments. This paper studies the origin and variations of the geothermal spring group controlled by the Moxi fault and discusses conditions in the deep ground. Flow variation monitoring of a series of parameters was performed to study the geothermal responses to solid tides. Geothermal reservoir temperatures are evaluated with Na-K-Mg data. The abundant sulfite content, dissolved oxygen (DO) and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) data are discussed to study the oxidation-reduction states. Strontium isotopes are used to trace the water source. The results demonstrate that geothermal water could flow quickly through the Moxi fault the depth of the geothermal reservoir influences the thermal reservoir temperature, where supercritical hot water is mixed with circulating groundwater and can reach 380 °C. To the southward along the fault, the circulation of geothermal waters becomes shallower, and the waters may have reacted with metamorphic rock to some extent. Our results provide a conceptual deep heat source model for geothermal flow and the reservoir characteristics of the Moxi fault and indicate that the faulting may well connect the deep heat source to shallower depths. The

  19. Temporal variability of secondary processes in alkaline geothermal waters associated to granitic rocks: the Caldes de Boí geothermal system (Spain)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asta, M.; Gimeno, M.J.; Auqué, L.F.; Galve, J.P.; Gómez, J.; Acero, P.; Lapuente, P.

    2017-01-01

    The Caldes de Boí geothermal waters show important differences in pH (6.5–9.6) and temperature (15.9ºC–52ºC) despite they have a common origin and a very simple circuit at depth (4km below the recharge area level). Thes differences are the result of secondary processes such as conductive cooling, mixing with colder shallower waters, and input of external CO2, which affect each spring to a different extent in the terminal part of the thermal circuit. In this paper, the secondary processes that control the geochemical evolution of this system have been addressed using a geochemical dataset spanning over 20 years and combining different approaches: classical geochemical calculations and geochemical modelling. Mixing between a cold and a thermal end-member, cooling and CO2 exchange are the processes affecting the spring waters with different intensity over time. These differences in the intensity of the secondary processes could be controlled by the effect of climate and indirectly by the geomorphological and hydrogeological setting of the different springs. Infiltration recharging the shallow aquifer is dominant during the rainy seasons and the extent of the mixing process is greater, at least in some springs.Moreover, significant rainfall can produce a decrease in the ground temperature favouring the conductive cooling. Finally, the geomorphological settings of the springs determine the thickness and the hydraulic properties of the saturated layer below them and, therefore, they affect the extent of the mixing process between the deep thermal waters and the shallower cold waters. The understanding of the compositional changes in the thermal waters and the main factors that could affect them is a key issue to plan the future management of the geothermal resources of the Caldes de Boí system. Here, we propose to use a simple methodology to assess the effect of those factors, which could affect the quality of the thermal waters for balneotherapy at long

  20. Temporal variability of secondary processes in alkaline geothermal waters associated to granitic rocks: the Caldes de Boí geothermal system (Spain)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Asta, M.; Gimeno, M.J.; Auqué, L.F.; Galve, J.P.; Gómez, J.; Acero, P.; Lapuente, P.

    2017-11-01

    The Caldes de Boí geothermal waters show important differences in pH (6.5–9.6) and temperature (15.9ºC–52ºC) despite they have a common origin and a very simple circuit at depth (4km below the recharge area level). Thes differences are the result of secondary processes such as conductive cooling, mixing with colder shallower waters, and input of external CO2, which affect each spring to a different extent in the terminal part of the thermal circuit. In this paper, the secondary processes that control the geochemical evolution of this system have been addressed using a geochemical dataset spanning over 20 years and combining different approaches: classical geochemical calculations and geochemical modelling. Mixing between a cold and a thermal end-member, cooling and CO2 exchange are the processes affecting the spring waters with different intensity over time. These differences in the intensity of the secondary processes could be controlled by the effect of climate and indirectly by the geomorphological and hydrogeological setting of the different springs. Infiltration recharging the shallow aquifer is dominant during the rainy seasons and the extent of the mixing process is greater, at least in some springs.Moreover, significant rainfall can produce a decrease in the ground temperature favouring the conductive cooling. Finally, the geomorphological settings of the springs determine the thickness and the hydraulic properties of the saturated layer below them and, therefore, they affect the extent of the mixing process between the deep thermal waters and the shallower cold waters. The understanding of the compositional changes in the thermal waters and the main factors that could affect them is a key issue to plan the future management of the geothermal resources of the Caldes de Boí system. Here, we propose to use a simple methodology to assess the effect of those factors, which could affect the quality of the thermal waters for balneotherapy at long

  1. Prediction of HDR quality by combining perceptually transformed display measurements with machine learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choudhury, Anustup; Farrell, Suzanne; Atkins, Robin; Daly, Scott

    2017-09-01

    We present an approach to predict overall HDR display quality as a function of key HDR display parameters. We first performed subjective experiments on a high quality HDR display that explored five key HDR display parameters: maximum luminance, minimum luminance, color gamut, bit-depth and local contrast. Subjects rated overall quality for different combinations of these display parameters. We explored two models | a physical model solely based on physically measured display characteristics and a perceptual model that transforms physical parameters using human vision system models. For the perceptual model, we use a family of metrics based on a recently published color volume model (ICT-CP), which consists of the PQ luminance non-linearity (ST2084) and LMS-based opponent color, as well as an estimate of the display point spread function. To predict overall visual quality, we apply linear regression and machine learning techniques such as Multilayer Perceptron, RBF and SVM networks. We use RMSE and Pearson/Spearman correlation coefficients to quantify performance. We found that the perceptual model is better at predicting subjective quality than the physical model and that SVM is better at prediction than linear regression. The significance and contribution of each display parameter was investigated. In addition, we found that combined parameters such as contrast do not improve prediction. Traditional perceptual models were also evaluated and we found that models based on the PQ non-linearity performed better.

  2. A gEUD-based inverse planning technique for HDR prostate brachytherapy: Feasibility study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giantsoudi, D. [Department of Radiological Sciences, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, Texas 78229 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Francis H. Burr Proton Therapy Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02114 (United States); Baltas, D. [Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Strahlenklinik, Klinikum Offenbach GmbH, 63069 Offenbach (Germany); Nuclear and Particle Physics Section, Physics Department, University of Athens, 15701 Athens (Greece); Karabis, A. [Pi-Medical Ltd., Athens 10676 (Greece); Mavroidis, P. [Department of Radiological Sciences, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, Texas 78299 and Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, 17176 (Sweden); Zamboglou, N.; Tselis, N. [Strahlenklinik, Klinikum Offenbach GmbH, 63069 Offenbach (Germany); Shi, C. [St. Vincent' s Medical Center, 2800 Main Street, Bridgeport, Connecticut 06606 (United States); Papanikolaou, N. [Department of Radiological Sciences, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, Texas 78299 (United States)

    2013-04-15

    Purpose: The purpose of this work was to study the feasibility of a new inverse planning technique based on the generalized equivalent uniform dose for image-guided high dose rate (HDR) prostate cancer brachytherapy in comparison to conventional dose-volume based optimization. Methods: The quality of 12 clinical HDR brachytherapy implants for prostate utilizing HIPO (Hybrid Inverse Planning Optimization) is compared with alternative plans, which were produced through inverse planning using the generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD). All the common dose-volume indices for the prostate and the organs at risk were considered together with radiobiological measures. The clinical effectiveness of the different dose distributions was investigated by comparing dose volume histogram and gEUD evaluators. Results: Our results demonstrate the feasibility of gEUD-based inverse planning in HDR brachytherapy implants for prostate. A statistically significant decrease in D{sub 10} or/and final gEUD values for the organs at risk (urethra, bladder, and rectum) was found while improving dose homogeneity or dose conformity of the target volume. Conclusions: Following the promising results of gEUD-based optimization in intensity modulated radiation therapy treatment optimization, as reported in the literature, the implementation of a similar model in HDR brachytherapy treatment plan optimization is suggested by this study. The potential of improved sparing of organs at risk was shown for various gEUD-based optimization parameter protocols, which indicates the ability of this method to adapt to the user's preferences.

  3. Geothermal system 'Toplets' and geothermal potential of Dojran region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karakashev, Deljo; Delipetrov, Marjan; Jovanov, Kosta

    2008-01-01

    The Toplets geothermal spring that expands into a wide geothermal net in the watershed of Lake Dojran along the geophysical exploration work carried out in the terrain, indicated the presence of a significant geothermal potential in the region. In the future it may become the major factor for the development of vegetable growing, the use of the medicinal properties of the mineral spas and tourism as well as the prosperity of the region. Water temperature in Lake Dojran amounts 15°C to 28°C during the year that is mach higher compared with the temperature of water lakes in neighbouring Greece. This indicates that beneath Lake Dojran there are other geothermal sources that replenish the lake with thermal water. Such manifestations of geothermal energy in the region along with other thermal phenomena speak for the presence of large reserves of geothermal energy in the Dojran depression. (Author)

  4. Geothermal system 'Toplets' and geothermal potential of Dojran region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karakashev, Deljo; Delipetrov, Marjan; Jovanov, Kosta

    2007-01-01

    The Toplets geothermal spring that expands into a wide geothermal net in the watershed of Lake Dojran along the geophysical exploration work carried out in the terrain, indicated the presence of a significant geothermal potential in the region. In the future it may become the major factor for the development of vegetable growing, the use of the medicinal properties of the mineral spas and tourism as well as the prosperity of the region. Water temperature in Lake Dojran amounts 15°C to 28°C during the year that is mach higher compared with the temperature of water lakes in neighbouring Greece. This indicates that beneath Lake Dojran there are other geothermal sources that replenish the lake with thermal water. Such manifestations of geothermal energy in the region along with other thermal phenomena speak for the presence of large reserves of geothermal energy in the Dojran depression. (Author)

  5. Geological and hydrogeochemical explorations for geothermal resources in eastern Sabalan, NW Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masoumi, Roohangiz

    2017-04-01

    Geological considerations in the east of Sabalan volcano indicate that the calc-alkaline volcanic-sedimentary units constitute the great volume of the geothermal reservoir in the study district. The rocks suffered argillic alteration acted as cap rocks for this reservoir. In some localities in the study district siliceous (chalcedony and opal) sinters were developed around the orifice of the hot springs. The geothermal fluids in the study district, in terms of physico-chemical parameters, have characteristics which differ from other geothermal fields around the Mount Sabalan particularly in the southern and northwestern districts. These differences are: (a) the measured pH values of the geothermal fluids range from approximately 4.5 to 8.8 signifying a variation from acidity to alkalinity; (b) the measured TDS values of these waters, in comparison with the average TDS values for most types of geothermal systems, are low and the minimum values were recorded in the Viladara area; (c) estimation of concentration values of anions and cations in the selected spring water samples indicate that they have chiefly chloride and bicarbonate anions however, samples from the Sardabeh area contain relatively high sulfate (SO42-) content. The concentration values of rare elements in these waters are noticeable. Selenium has the highest concentration value (170 mg/l) among the rare elements. The maximum concentration values of boron and arsenic were measured to be 7 mg/l and 10 mg/l, respectively. The rest of rare elements have relatively low concentration values in the studied samples. The calculation of solute-based geothermometry was done on the basis of Na-Li, Na-K, Na-K, Ca, and silica for the water samples. The results of all these procedures for estimation of temperature of the geothermal reservoir in the east of Mount Sabalan were relatively very close to one another. Nevertheless, the temperatures determined by the Na-Li and Na-K geothermometric methods are 225°C and 239

  6. Geothermal System Extensions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gunnerson, Jon [Boise City Corporation, ID (United States); Pardy, James J. [Boise City Corporation, ID (United States)

    2017-09-30

    This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under Award Number DE-EE0000318. The City of Boise operates and maintains the nation’s largest geothermal heating district. Today, 91 buildings are connected, providing space heating to over 5.5 million square feet, domestic water heating, laundry and pool heating, sidewalk snowmelt and other related uses. Approximately 300 million gallons of 177°F geothermal water is pumped annually to buildings and institutions located in downtown Boise. The closed loop system returns all used geothermal water back into the aquifer after heat has been removed via an Injection Well. Water injected back into the aquifer has an average temperature of 115°F. This project expanded the Boise Geothermal Heating District (Geothermal System) to bring geothermal energy to the campus of Boise State University and to the Central Addition Eco-District. In addition, this project also improved the overall system’s reliability and increased the hydraulic capacity.

  7. GEOTHERMAL / SOLAR HYBRID DESIGNS: USE OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY FOR CSP FEEDWATER HEATING

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Craig Turchi; Guangdong Zhu; Michael Wagner; Tom Williams; Dan Wendt

    2014-10-01

    This paper examines a hybrid geothermal / solar thermal plant design that uses geothermal energy to provide feedwater heating in a conventional steam-Rankine power cycle deployed by a concentrating solar power (CSP) plant. The geothermal energy represents slightly over 10% of the total thermal input to the hybrid plant. The geothermal energy allows power output from the hybrid plant to increase by about 8% relative to a stand-alone CSP plant with the same solar-thermal input. Geothermal energy is converted to electricity at an efficiency of 1.7 to 2.5 times greater than would occur in a stand-alone, binary-cycle geothermal plant using the same geothermal resource. While the design exhibits a clear advantage during hybrid plant operation, the annual advantage of the hybrid versus two stand-alone power plants depends on the total annual operating hours of the hybrid plant. The annual results in this draft paper are preliminary, and further results are expected prior to submission of a final paper.

  8. Combined stable isotope trajectories for water-rock interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blattner, P.; Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lower Hutt

    1981-01-01

    The 'mixed' model of water-rock interaction (1980 Workshop) is explained in detail. Based on the magnitude of the oxygen isotope shifts of their recharge water, different geothermal systems can be placed in an evolutionary series, from incipient (large shift of water) to mature (small shift of water). Isotopes of different chemical elements may be combined, to yield a stringent test of whether or not a given change in rock composition may be ascribed to interaction with water (L-shaped trajectories). For the acidic eruptives of the Taupo Volcanic Zone, available strontium and oxygen isotope data practically rule out an origin by partial melting of greywacke basement

  9. Proceedings 43rd Stanford Geothermal Workshop

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Simmons, Stuart; Kirby, Stefan; Verplanck, Philip; Kelley, Karen

    2018-02-12

    Herein we summarize the results of an investigation dealing with the concentrations and inventories of strategic, critical and valuable materials (SCVM) in produced fluids from geothermal and hydrocarbon reservoirs (50-250° C) in Nevada and Utah. Water samples were collected from thirty-four production wells across eight geothermal fields, the Uinta Basin oil/gas province in northeast Utah, and the Covenant oil field in southwestern Utah; additional water samples were collected from six hot springs in the Sevier Thermal Belt in southwestern Utah. Most SCVM concentrations in produced waters range from <0.1 to 100 µg/kg; the main exception is lithium, which has concentrations that range from <1000 to 25,000 ug/kg. Relatively high concentrations of gallium, germanium, scandium, selenium, and tellurium are measured too. Geothermal waters contain very low concentrations of REEs, below analytical detections limits (0.01 µg/kg), but the concentrations of lanthanum, cerium, and europium range from 0.05 to 5 µg/kg in Uinta basin waters. Among the geothermal fields, the Roosevelt Hot Spring reservoir appears to have the largest inventories of germanium and lithium, and Patua appears to have the largest inventories of gallium, scandium, selenium, and tellurium. By comparison, the Uinta basin has larger inventories of gallium. The concentrations of gallium, germanium, lithium, scandium, selenium, and tellurium in produced waters appear to be partly related to reservoir temperature and concentrations of total dissolved salts. The relatively high concentration and large inventory of lithium occurring at Roosevelt Hot Springs may be related to granitic-gneissic crystalline rocks, which host the reservoir. Analyses of calcite scales from Dixie Valley indicate enrichments in cobalt, gallium, gold, palladium, selenium and tellurium, and these metals appear to be depositing at deep levels in production wells due to boiling. Comparisons with SCVM mineral deposits suggest that

  10. Geochemical features of the geothermal fluids from the Mapamyum non-volcanic geothermal system (Western Tibet, China)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Peng; Chen, Xiaohong; Shen, Licheng; Wu, Kunyu; Huang, Mingzhi; Xiao, Qiong

    2016-06-01

    Mapamyum geothermal field (MGF) in western Tibet is one of largest geothermal areas characterized by the occurrence of hydrothermal explosions on the Tibetan Plateau. The geochemical properties of hydrothermal water in the MGF system were investigated to trace the origin of the solutes and to determine the equilibrium temperatures of the feeding reservoir. The study results show that the geochemistry of hydrothermal waters in the MGF system is mainly of the Na-HCO3 type. The chemical components of hydrothermal waters are mainly derived from the minerals in the host rocks (e.g., K-feldspar, albite, Ca-montmorillonite, and Mg-montmorillonite). The hydrothermal waters are slightly supersaturated or undersaturated with respect to aragonite, calcite, dolomite, chalcedony and quartz (saturation indices close to 0), but are highly undersaturated with respect to gypsum and anhydrite (saturation indices < 0). Mixing models and Na-K-Mg ternary diagrams show that strong mixing between cold meteoric water and deeply-seated thermal fluids occurred during the upward flowing process. δD and δ18O data confirm that the meteoric water acts as the water source of the geothermal waters. An 220 °C equilibrated reservoir temperature of hydrothermal spring waters was calculated via both the Na-K-Mg ternary diagrams and the cationic chemical geothermometers. The logpCO2 of hydrothermal waters in the MGF system ranges from - 2.59 to - 0.57 and δ13C of the total dissolved inorganic carbon ranges from - 5.53‰ to - 0.94‰, suggesting that the carrier CO2 in hydrothermal water are mainly of a magmatic or metamorphic CO2 origin.

  11. Heat Recovery from Multiple-Fracture Enhanced Geothermal Systems: The Effect of Thermoelastic Fracture Interactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vik, Hedda Slatlem; Salimzadeh, Saeed; Nick, Hamid

    2018-01-01

    This study investigates the effect of thermoelastic interactions between multiple parallel fractures on energy production from a multiple-fracture enhanced geothermal system. A coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical finite element model has been developed that accounts for non-isothermal fluid flow within...... increased to maximise the net energy production from the system. Otherwise, the multiple-fracture system fails to improve the energy recovery from the geothermal reservoir, as initially intended....... aperture in the adjacent fracture, and facilitates the creation of favourable flow pathways between the injection and production wells. These flow paths reduce the energy production from the system. The effects of fracture spacing, reservoir temperature gradient and mechanical properties of the rock matrix...

  12. Geothermal energy in Jordan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Dabbas, Moh'd A. F.

    1993-11-01

    The potential of geothermal energy utilization in Jordan was discussed. The report gave a summary of the location of geothermal anomalies in Jordan, and of ongoing projects that utilize geothermal energy for greenhouse heating, fish farming, refrigeration by absorption, and water desalination of deep aquifers. The problems facing the utilization of geothermal energy in Jordan were identified to be financial (i.e. insufficient allocation of local funding, and difficulty in getting foreign financing), and inadequate expertise in the field of geothermal energy applications. The report gave a historical account of geothermal energy utilization activities in Jordan, including cooperation activities with international organizations and foreign countries. A total of 19 reports already prepared in the areas of geochemical and hydrological studies were identified. The report concluded that the utilization of geothermal energy offers some interesting economic possibilities. (A.M.H.). 4 refs. 1 map

  13. Success in geothermal development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stefansson, V.

    1992-01-01

    Success in geothermal development can be defined as the ability to produce geothermal energy at compatible energy prices to other energy sources. Drilling comprises usually the largest cost in geothermal development, and the results of drilling is largely influencing the final price of geothermal energy. For 20 geothermal fields with operating power plants, the ratio between installed capacity and the total number of well in the field is 1.9 MWe/well. The drilling history in 30 geothermal fields are analyzed by plotting the average cumulative well outputs as function of the number of wells drilled in the field. The range of the average well output is 1-10 MWe/well with the mean value 4.2 MWe/well for the 30 geothermal fields studied. A leaning curve is defined as the number of wells drilled in each field before the average output per well reaches a fairly constant value, which is characteristic for the geothermal reservoir. The range for this learning time is 4-36 wells and the average is 13 wells. In general, the average well output in a given field is fairly constant after some 10-20 wells has been drilled in the field. The asymptotic average well output is considered to be a reservoir parameter when it is normalized to the average drilling depth. In average, this reservoir parameter can be expressed as 3.3 MWe per drilled km for the 30 geothermal fields studied. The lifetime of the resource or the depletion time of the geothermal reservoir should also be considered as a parameter influencing the success of geothermal development. Stepwise development, where the reservoir response to the utilization for the first step is used to determine the timing of the installment of the next step, is considered to be an appropriate method to minimize the risk for over investment in a geothermal field

  14. Vibrational experiments at the HDR [Heissdampfreaktor]: SHAG results and planning for SHAM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kot, C.A.; Malcher, L.; Steinhilber, H.

    1987-01-01

    As part of the second phase of vibrational/earthquake investigations at the HDR (Heissdampfreaktor) Test Facility in Kahl/Main, FRG, high-level shaker tests (SHAG) were performed during June and July 1986 using a coast-down shaker capable of generating 1000 tons of force. The purpose of these experiments was to investigate full-scale structural response, soil/structure interaction, and piping and equipment response under strong excitation conditions. While global safety considerations imposed load limitations, the HDR soil/structure system was nevertheless tested to incipient failure. The performance of pipe support systems in as many as seven different multiple support pipe hanger configurations, ranging from flexible to stiff systems, was evaluated in the tests. Data obtained in the tests are used to validate analysis methods. The vibrational/earthquake investigations at the HDR are continuing with the SHAM experiments, planned for the spring of 1988. In these experiments the VKL piping loop will be subjected to direct multiple-point excitation at extremely high levels. The objective is to investigate different pipe support configurations at extreme loading, to establish seismic margins for piping, and to investigate possible failure/plastification modes in an in situ piping system

  15. The geothermal power organization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scholl, K.L. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)

    1997-12-31

    The Geothermal Power Organization is an industry-led advisory group organized to advance the state-of-the-art in geothermal energy conversion technologies. Its goal is to generate electricity from geothermal fluids in the most cost-effective, safe, and environmentally benign manner possible. The group achieves this goal by determining the Member`s interest in potential solutions to technological problems, advising the research and development community of the needs of the geothermal energy conversion industry, and communicating research and development results among its Members. With the creation and adoption of a new charter, the Geothermal Power Organization will now assist the industry in pursuing cost-shared research and development projects with the DOE`s Office of Geothermal Technologies.

  16. Geothermal reservoir engineering

    CERN Document Server

    Grant, Malcolm Alister

    2011-01-01

    As nations alike struggle to diversify and secure their power portfolios, geothermal energy, the essentially limitless heat emanating from the earth itself, is being harnessed at an unprecedented rate.  For the last 25 years, engineers around the world tasked with taming this raw power have used Geothermal Reservoir Engineering as both a training manual and a professional reference.  This long-awaited second edition of Geothermal Reservoir Engineering is a practical guide to the issues and tasks geothermal engineers encounter in the course of their daily jobs. The bo

  17. Mathematical simulation of biologically equivalent doses for LDR-HDR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slosarek, K.; Zajusz, A.

    1996-01-01

    Based on the LQ model examples of biologically equivalent doses LDR, HDR and external beams were calculated. The biologically equivalent doses for LDR were calculated by appending to the LQ model the corrector for the time of repair of radiation sublethal damages. For radiation continuously delivered at a low dose rate the influence of sublethal damage repair time changes on biologically equivalent doses were analysed. For fractionated treatment with high dose rate the biologically equivalent doses were calculated by adding to the LQ model the formula of accelerated repopulation. For total biologically equivalent dose calculation for combine LDR-HDR-Tele irradiation examples are presented with the use of different parameters of the time of repair of sublethal damages and accelerated repopulation. The calculations performed show, that the same biologically equivalent doses can be obtained for different parameters of cell kinetics changes during radiation treatment. It also shows, that during biologically equivalent dose calculations for different radiotherapy schedules, ignorance of cell kinetics parameters can lead to relevant errors

  18. Mixing effects on geothermometric calculations of the Newdale geothermal area in the Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghanashayam Neupane; Earl D. Mattson; Travis L. McLing; Cody J. Cannon; Thomas R. Wood; Trevor A. Atkinson; Patrick F. Dobson; Mark E. Conrad

    2016-02-01

    The Newdale geothermal area in Madison and Fremont Counties in Idaho is a known geothermal resource area whose thermal anomaly is expressed by high thermal gradients and numerous wells producing warm water (up to 51 °C). Geologically, the Newdale geothermal area is located within the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) that has a time-transgressive history of sustained volcanic activities associated with the passage of Yellowstone Hotspot from the southwestern part of Idaho to its current position underneath Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Locally, the Newdale geothermal area is located within an area that was subjected to several overlapping and nested caldera complexes. The Tertiary caldera forming volcanic activities and associated rocks have been buried underneath Quaternary flood basalts and felsic volcanic rocks. Two southeast dipping young faults (Teton dam fault and an unnamed fault) in the area provide the structural control for this localized thermal anomaly zone. Geochemically, water samples from numerous wells in the area can be divided into two broad groups – Na-HCO3 and Ca-(Mg)-HCO3 type waters and are considered to be the product of water-rhyolite and water-basalt interactions, respectively. Each type of water can further be subdivided into two groups depending on their degree of mixing with other water types or interaction with other rocks. For example, some bivariate plots indicate that some Ca-(Mg)-HCO3 water samples have interacted only with basalts whereas some samples of this water type also show limited interaction with rhyolite or mixing with Na-HCO3 type water. Traditional geothermometers [e.g., silica variants, Na-K-Ca (Mg-corrected)] indicate lower temperatures for this area; however, a traditional silica-enthalpy mixing model results in higher reservoir temperatures. We applied a new multicomponent equilibrium geothermometry tool (e.g., Reservoir Temperature Estimator, RTEst) that is based on inverse geochemical modeling which

  19. Geotechnical issues and guidelines for storage of compressed air in excavated hard rock caverns

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Allen, R.D.; Doherty, T.J.; Fossum, A.F.

    1982-04-01

    The results of a literature survey on the stability of excavated hard rock caverns are presented. The objective of the study was to develop geotechnical criteria for the design of compressed air energy storage (CAES) caverns in hard rock formations. These criteria involve geologic, hydrological, geochemical, geothermal, and in situ stress state characteristics of generic rock masses. Their relevance to CAES caverns, and the identification of required research areas, are identified throughout the text. This literature survey and analysis strongly suggests that the chief geotechnical issues for the development and operation of CAES caverns in hard rock are impermeability for containment, stability for sound openings, and hydrostatic balance.

  20. A proposal to investigate higher enthalpy geothermal systems in the USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elders, W. A.

    2013-12-01

    productive capable of generating >35 MWe from superheated steam at a well-head temperature of ~450°C. Plans for deep drilling to explore for deeper, much higher enthalpy, geothermal resources are already underway in the Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand (Project HADES), and in northeast Japan the 'Beyond Brittle Project' (Project JBBP) is an ambitious program attempting to create an EGS reservoir in ~500oC rocks. However in the USA there is no comparable national program to develop such resources. There is a significant undeveloped potential for developing high-enthalpy geothermal systems in the western USA, Hawaii and Alaska. The purpose of this paper is to encourage the formation of a consortium to systematically explore, assess, and eventually develop such higher-enthalpy geothermal resources. Not only would this help develop large new sources of energy but it would permit scientific studies of pressure-temperature regimes not otherwise available for direct investigation, such as the coupling of magmatic and hydrothermal systems.