Rigorous Numerical Methodology and Heat Recovery Analysis for Modeling of Direct Use Geothermal Systems
Yuan Chen, Denis Voskov, Alexandros Daniilidis
Abstract
Direct Use Geothermal Systems (DUGS) are rapidly and densely deployed to meet the growing demand for renewable energy with less carbon emissions globally. The simulation of DUGS can provide a reservoir-scale understanding of geothermal resource assessment, where the geothermal system’s lifetime and the injection well Bottom Hole Pressure (BHP) are used as performance indicators. However, there are inherent errors from numerical simulations of any engineering problems, due to approximating continuous partial differential equations by their discretized approximation in time and space. In this work, we establish an optimal numerical setup with reduced errors across the homogeneous, stratified and heterogeneous models for the simulation of a geothermal project. Next, we develop a standardized method for calculating recoverable Heat In Place (HIP) and an analytical solution for evaluating the HIP recovery factor across various geological models using a single forward simulation. Then we present reference examples on the design of a DUGS simulation using the open-source software Delft Advanced Research Terra Simulator (open-DARTS). The open-DARTS platform enables accurate and efficient sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. Through extensive investigation using the Distance-Based Generalized Sensitivity Analysis (DGSA) approach, we identify reservoir depth and discharge rate as the most influential parameters for geothermal projects across all three types of geological models. • An optimal numerical setup for simulating Direct-Use Geothermal Systems across various geological models. • A standardized framework for evaluating Heat In Place (HIP) across different geological models. • Analytical solution for evaluating HIP recovery across different geological models with a single forward simulation. • An comprehensive parametric and Distance-based Generalized Sensitivity Analysis are conducted for Direct-Use Geothermal Systems.