IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v197y2022icp371-383.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Heat mining from super-hot horizons of the Larderello geothermal field, Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Feng, Guanhong
  • Xu, Tianfu
  • Zhao, Yue'an
  • Gherardi, Fabrizio

Abstract

Super-hot rock geothermal is an emerging source of renewable and carbon-free energy. This paper is the first attempt to explore fluid and heat flow dynamics in the reservoir-wellbore coupled system, to assess the power generation performance of a super-hot (>450 °C) enhanced geothermal system (EGS). We developed a high-performance code and built a 3-D wellbore-reservoir coupled model based on data from a recently completed deep-drilling project at Larderello, Italy. The general pattern of the super-hot EGS is characterized by a significant temperature plummet (>60 °C), after which the production fluid evolves from steam to a two-phase mixture till the end of the operation period. Reservoir pressure emerges as a key parameter to determine the temperature of the two-phase mixture. By realistically capturing phase transitions driven by coupled thermo-hydraulic processes during operations, our numerical model predicts a lower power generation efficiency compared to previous attempts based on ultra-simplified models. Although finalized at assessing the thermodynamic viability of a specific system, this modeling approach provides general information on fundamental thermo-hydraulic processes in the Earth crust that might be applied for the design of similar EGS projects elsewhere.

Suggested Citation

  • Feng, Guanhong & Xu, Tianfu & Zhao, Yue'an & Gherardi, Fabrizio, 2022. "Heat mining from super-hot horizons of the Larderello geothermal field, Italy," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 371-383.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:197:y:2022:i:c:p:371-383
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.07.078
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148122010795
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2022.07.078?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xu, Tianfu & Yuan, Yilong & Jia, Xiaofeng & Lei, Yude & Li, Shengtao & Feng, Bo & Hou, Zhaoyun & Jiang, Zhenjiao, 2018. "Prospects of power generation from an enhanced geothermal system by water circulation through two horizontal wells: A case study in the Gonghe Basin, Qinghai Province, China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 196-207.
    2. Xu, Tianfu & Liang, Xu & Xia, Yi & Jiang, Zhenjiao & Gherardi, Fabrizio, 2022. "Performance evaluation of the Habanero enhanced geothermal system, Australia: Optimization based on tracer and induced micro-seismicity data," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 1197-1208.
    3. Feng, Guanhong & Xu, Tianfu & Gherardi, Fabrizio & Jiang, Zhenjiao & Bellani, Stefano, 2017. "Geothermal assessment of the Pisa plain, Italy: Coupled thermal and hydraulic modeling," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 416-427.
    4. Feng, Guanhong & Wang, Yu & Xu, Tianfu & Wang, Fugang & Shi, Yan, 2021. "Multiphase flow modeling and energy extraction performance for supercritical geothermal systems," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 442-454.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Li Ma & Zhenpeng Cui & Bo Feng & Xiaofei Qi & Yuandong Zhao & Chaoyu Zhang, 2023. "Reactive Transport Modeling of Chemical Stimulation Processes for an Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS)," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-17, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yu Wang & Tianfu Xu & Yuxiang Cheng & Guanhong Feng, 2022. "Prospects for Power Generation of the Doublet Supercritical Geothermal System in Reykjanes Geothermal Field, Iceland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-15, November.
    2. Bo Feng & Hao Ren & Yabin Yang & Zhenpeng Cui & Jichu Zhao, 2023. "Comparative Analysis of Heating Efficiency of a Single-Well Geothermal System in the Cold Region of Northeast China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-16, February.
    3. Wang, Jiacheng & Zhao, Zhihong & Liu, Guihong & Xu, Haoran, 2022. "A robust optimization approach of well placement for doublet in heterogeneous geothermal reservoirs using random forest technique and genetic algorithm," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(PC).
    4. Wang, Ling & Jiang, Zhenjiao & Li, Chengying, 2023. "Comparative study on effects of macroscopic and microscopic fracture structures on the performance of enhanced geothermal systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 274(C).
    5. Chen, Cihai & Deng, Yaping & Ma, Haichun & Kang, Xueyuan & Ma, Lei & Qian, Jiazhong, 2024. "Deep learning-based inversion framework by assimilating hydrogeological and geophysical data for an enhanced geothermal system characterization and thermal performance prediction," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 302(C).
    6. Gkousis, Spiros & Welkenhuysen, Kris & Harcouët-Menou, Virginie & Pogacnik, Justin & Laenen, Ben & Compernolle, Tine, 2024. "Integrated geo-techno-economic and real options analysis of the decision to invest in a medium enthalpy deep geothermal heating plant. A case study in Northern Belgium," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    7. Wang, Gaosheng & Song, Xianzhi & Shi, Yu & Yang, Ruiyue & Yulong, Feixue & Zheng, Rui & Li, Jiacheng, 2021. "Heat extraction analysis of a novel multilateral-well coaxial closed-loop geothermal system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 974-986.
    8. Yang, Fujian & Wang, Guiling & Hu, Dawei & Liu, Yanguang & Zhou, Hui & Tan, Xianfeng, 2021. "Calibrations of thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling parameters for heating and water-cooling treated granite," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 544-558.
    9. Hou, Xinglan & Zhong, Xiuping & Nie, Shuaishuai & Wang, Yafei & Tu, Guigang & Ma, Yingrui & Liu, Kunyan & Chen, Chen, 2024. "Study on the heat recovery behavior of horizontal well systems in the Qiabuqia geothermal area of the Gonghe Basin, China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 286(C).
    10. Yu, Ruyang & Zhang, Kai & Ramasubramanian, Brindha & Jiang, Shu & Ramakrishna, Seeram & Tang, Yuhang, 2024. "Ensemble learning for predicting average thermal extraction load of a hydrothermal geothermal field: A case study in Guanzhong Basin, China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    11. Martina Gizzi & Federico Vagnon & Glenda Taddia & Stefano Lo Russo, 2023. "A Review of Groundwater Heat Pump Systems in the Italian Framework: Technological Potential and Environmental Limits," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-13, June.
    12. Guilin Zhu & Linyou Zhang & Zhihui Deng & Qingda Feng & Zhaoxuan Niu & Wenhao Xu, 2023. "Three-Dimensional Geological Modeling and Resource Estimation of Hot Dry Rock in the Gonghe Basin, Qinghai Province," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-16, August.
    13. Hu, Zixu & Xu, Tianfu & Feng, Bo & Yuan, Yilong & Li, Fengyu & Feng, Guanhong & Jiang, Zhenjiao, 2020. "Thermal and fluid processes in a closed-loop geothermal system using CO2 as a working fluid," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 351-367.
    14. Ding, Junfeng & Wang, Shimin, 2018. "2D modeling of well array operating enhanced geothermal system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 918-932.
    15. Kang, Fangchao & Li, Yingchun & Tang, Chun'an & Huang, Xin & Li, Tianjiao, 2022. "Competition between cooling contraction and fluid overpressure on aperture evolution in a geothermal system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C), pages 704-716.
    16. Song, Xianzhi & Shi, Yu & Li, Gensheng & Yang, Ruiyue & Wang, Gaosheng & Zheng, Rui & Li, Jiacheng & Lyu, Zehao, 2018. "Numerical simulation of heat extraction performance in enhanced geothermal system with multilateral wells," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 325-337.
    17. Damian Janiga & Jakub Kwaśnik & Paweł Wojnarowski, 2022. "Utilization of Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) in Modelling and Simulation of a Horizontal Well-Doublet Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) with Sensitivity Analysis of Key Production Parameters," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-19, November.
    18. Chen, Heng & Wang, Yihan & Li, Jiarui & Xu, Gang & Lei, Jing & Liu, Tong, 2022. "Thermodynamic analysis and economic assessment of an improved geothermal power system integrated with a biomass-fired cogeneration plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    19. Liang, Xu & Xu, Tianfu & Chen, Jingyi & Jiang, Zhenjiao, 2023. "A deep-learning based model for fracture network characterization constrained by induced micro-seismicity and tracer test data in enhanced geothermal system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    20. Zhang, Jiansong & Liu, Yongsheng & Lv, Jianguo & Gao, Wenlong, 2024. "The flow and heat transfer characteristics of supercritical mixed-phase CO2 and N2 in a 3D self-affine rough fracture," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 303(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:197:y:2022:i:c:p:371-383. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.