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Aquifer Storage of Heated Water: Part I — A Field Experiment
Author(s) -
Molz Fred J.,
Warman James C.,
Jones Thomas E.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1978.tb03230.x
Subject(s) - aquifer , clogging , thermal energy storage , environmental science , petroleum engineering , energy storage , water injection (oil production) , groundwater , geotechnical engineering , geology , power (physics) , thermodynamics , physics , archaeology , history
Electrical power plant and solar heating systems have been proposed wherein confined ground‐water aquifers are used as temporary storage reservoirs for thermal energy in the form of moderate to high temperature water (140°F‐400°F; 60°C‐204°C). The Water Resources Research Institute of Auburn University has performed an aquifer storage experiment involving warm water (97°F; 36°C). The objectives of the experimental program were to begin actual testing of the concept of heat storage in aquifers and to provide data for calibration of mathematical models describing the simultaneous transport of water and heat. Phase I consisted of drilling an exploratory well at the selected field site near Mobile, Alabama. Phase II involved construction of the central injection well, three observation wells, and performance of preliminary pumping tests. Phase III was devoted to construction of the remainder of the observation well field, performance of final pumping tests, and measurement of aquifer thermal properties; while Phase IV was devoted to a cycle of warm‐water injection, storage, and recovery. It was concluded that heat storage aquifers must have low natural pore velocities, and care must be taken not to clog the injection well with solids or precipitated chemicals. Swelling of clays in the storage formation must be minimized, and hydraulic pressures capable of breaching the confining layers must be avoided. Mechanical and chemical clogging problems may be minimized by using formation water as influent to the heating system. For a 36‐day storage of 2 million gallons, the calculated energy recovery factor of 0.69 was considered promising. Future research should be directed toward experimental studies involving larger volumes of water and high‐injection temperatures. Study should be directed also to the geochemistry problem and the effect of high temperatures on the mechanical and hydraulic properties of clay confining layers.