Harnessing the heat below: Efficacy of closed-loop systems in the cooper basin, Australia

R.D.G.F. Harshini, A. Chaudhuri and P.g Ranjith

Energy, 2024, vol. 312, issue C

Abstract: Transitioning to renewable energy is vital for combating climate change and reducing CO2 emissions. Geothermal energy, sourced from the earth's crust, presents a promising alternative. While shallow geothermal energy extraction grows steadily, tapping into deep Hot Dry Rock reservoirs poses challenges. Sustainable utilization of deep geothermal energy is crucial for large-scale electricity generation. Australia's Habanero enhanced geothermal system (EGS) projects faced obstacles due to complex fracture networks. Borehole heat exchangers (BHEs) offer a solution, circulating a working fluid without direct contact with geofluids. This study assesses coaxial BHEs' feasibility in the Habanero reservoir using a 2D axisymmetric model (2D-AM), comparing it with a simpler 1D depth-integrated model (1D-DIAM). Both models yield similar outcomes. Additionally, results indicated that the production temperature of the coaxial BHE exponentially decreased from 250 °C to 100 °C within 10 h, rendering energy recovery for electricity generation unsuitable after 10 h of operation. The study proposes an energy recovery cycle of 10 h followed by a 110-h shutdown. Injection temperatures and flow rates significantly impact production efficiency, while steel casing's thermal conductivity has minimal influence on heat exchanger performance.

Keywords: Coaxial borehole heat exchanger; Habanero reservoir; geothermal energy; production temperature; Fluid flow; COMSOL Multiphysics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:312:y:2024:i:c:s0360544224030718

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2024.133295

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