Numerical analysis and visualization of uncertainty effects in thermo-hydro-mechanical coupled processes in a hot-dry-rock geothermal reservoir

Norihiro Watanabe, Björn Zehner, Wenqing Wang, Christopher I. McDermott, Takeo Taniguchi, Olaf Kolditz

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present an uncertainty analysis of thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupled processes in a typical hot-dry-rock reservoir in crystalline rock. The conceptual model is an equivalent porous media approach which is adequate for available data from the Urach Spa and Falkenberg sites (Germany). The finite element method (FEM) is used for the numerical analysis or fully coupled THM processes, including thermal water flow, advective-diffusive heat transport, and thermo-poro-elasticity. Reservoir parameters are considered as spatial random variables and their realizations are generated using conditional Gaussian simulation. The results show the influence of parameter ranges on the reservoir evolution during long-term heat extraction taking into account fully coupled THM processes. We found that the most significant factors are permeability and heat capacity variations. The study demonstrates the importance of taking parameter uncertainties into account for geothermal reservoir evaluation in order to assess the predictability of numerical modelling.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCalibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modelling
Subtitle of host publicationManaging Groundwater and the Environment, ModelCARE 2009
Pages57-62
Number of pages6
Publication statusPublished - Dec 1 2011
Event7th International Conference on Calibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modelling: Managing Groundwater and the Environment, ModelCARE 2009 - Wuhan, China
Duration: Sep 20 2009 → Sep 23 2009

Publication series

NameIAHS-AISH Publication
Volume341
ISSN (Print)0144-7815

Other

Other7th International Conference on Calibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modelling: Managing Groundwater and the Environment, ModelCARE 2009
CountryChina
CityWuhan
Period9/20/09 → 9/23/09

Keywords

  • Hot-dry-rock geothermal reservoir
  • Monte-Carlo simulation
  • Thermo-hydro- mechanical coupled processes
  • Uncertainty analysis
  • Visualization

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)

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    Watanabe, N., Zehner, B., Wang, W., McDermott, C. I., Taniguchi, T., & Kolditz, O. (2011). Numerical analysis and visualization of uncertainty effects in thermo-hydro-mechanical coupled processes in a hot-dry-rock geothermal reservoir. In Calibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modelling: Managing Groundwater and the Environment, ModelCARE 2009 (pp. 57-62). (IAHS-AISH Publication; Vol. 341).