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Heat transfer in aquifers with finite caprock thickness during a thermal injection process
Author(s) -
Voigt H. D.,
Haefner F.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr023i012p02286
Subject(s) - caprock , aquifer , geology , thermal conduction , heat transfer , aquifer test , bedrock , thermal , geotechnical engineering , convection , petrology , groundwater , soil science , geomorphology , mechanics , materials science , thermodynamics , groundwater recharge , physics , composite material
A two‐dimensional model has been developed to solve for the problem of thermal injection into confining aquifer with a caprock of finite thickness and a bedrock of infinite thickness. Heat transfer by horizontal convection within the aquifer and by vertical conduction in the caprock and bedrock is considered. The model also incorporates variable temperatures on the surface of the caprock. Thus it can be used to study problems in connection with aquifer thermal energy storage, heat recovery from, and cold water injection into aquifers near the surface. The derived analytical solutions show that the caprock thickness is important only in long‐time periods and at greater distance from the injection well. The application of this model to cold water injection into an aquifer with 1.75‐m caprock thickness shows that the influence of seasonal variations of the surface temperature on the aquifer is nearly ±2°C.