Modeling of Closed Geothermal
Systems
This work shows how edges in 3D can be used to model pipe
flows, specifically geothermally pipes that go kilometers
underground, which can not be done in full 3D. It also takes a
small insulated section of the end of the pipe and explores
the water-steam transition more closely in 2D.
AltaSim Technologies, LLC
Jessica Rosenberg, Luke Gritter, Josh Thomas, and Kyle Koppenhoefer
Introduction & Goals
Closed loop geothermal systems (CLGS) consist of pipes that go scale of centimeters, is impossible in 3D, so we simplify this by
kilometers underground filled with (in this case) cool water. The using 1D edges in 3D space. This doesn’t allow us to look as closely
fluid in the pipe runs first vertically downward as a liquid, then as at the radial profiles, so to do this we take a very small section of
the pipe gets deeper it encounters hot rock which heats the pipe the pipe and create a 2D axisymmetric model. This second model
and water inside, and as the water comes back up the drop in can represent a maximum pipe length of 0.6km. This approach
pressure creates the steam. This hot steam can be used to generate enables the analyst to assess the phase change of water, to water-
electricity and afterward cools down, and the process begins again. steam mixture, to steam.
Modeling kilometers of lengths of pipes, with diameters on the
Methodology
A 0.6km section of the 3.2km vertical upward part of a pipe with a diameter of 5cm
is modeled explicitly to show the radial profiles. A stationary solution is used, and
the pressure is ramped down, so that the system starts entirely filled with water,
until it reaches the same pressures seen in the 1D system. The mesh has an aspect
ratio of twenty to one to capture this transition (one of the difficulties that came
with 2D modeling), making it impossible to run a large section of the pipe. In both
versions the mass flow rate is 45L/min but represented in different ways; one as a
mass flow and the other as a fully developed flow. The 2D model looks at an
insulated part of the pipe, and so the heat transfer coefficient is taken from the
results of the 1D model and used in the 2D model to create similar conditions. The
water-steam mixture is modeled using material properties that transition from
water to steam with a pressure-dependent boiling temperature.
Radial cross section showing the pipe (white) and the pressure
inside of the pipe as represented in the 2D axisymmetric model
Results
The pipe needed to reach depths of kilometers to generate the desired
heating. Increasing depths produced increased pressure in the pipe
elevating the boiling temperature. Because of this higher boiling point,
most of these systems only produce steam over a small region near the
outlet. In our 2D system, we get a water-steam mixture only at the last
0.35km and finally steam for the last 300m, as can be seen in the Figure
at the top of the page where the volume fraction only reaches 1 near
the outlet due to the high pressures. Even though the temperature in
the pipe reaches above 200°C in the pipe (as can be seen in the figure at
the top) there is still no steam. A closer look at the end of the pipe in
2D is seen in the pressure figure above showing high pressures near the
end of the pipe (lowering at the very end). We can correlate this well
with the phase fraction shown in the figure on the right where the Radial cross section showing the pipe (white) and the phase fraction
lower pressures correspond to the steam regions. of water and steam, inside of the pipe where 0 represents no
steam, and 1 represents all steam.
REFERENCES
Alagoz, Ekrem, et al. "Overview of Closed–Loop Enhanced Geothermal Systems." International Journal
of Earth Sciences Knowledge and Applications 5.1 (2023): 158-164.
Geothermal heat pumps. (n.d.). Energy.gov. https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/geothermal-heat-
pumps
Schulz, Sven-Uwe. "Investigations on the improvement of the energy output of a Closed Loop
Geothermal System (CLGS)." (2008).
Editor Engineeringtoolbox. (2024, June 28). Water - Heat of Vaporization vs.
Temperature. https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/water-properties-d_1573.html
Excerpt from the Proceedings of the COMSOL Conference 2024 Boston
