IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v14y2021i19p6089-d642299.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Geochemical Changes Associated with High-Temperature Heat Storage at Intermediate Depth: Thermodynamic Equilibrium Models for the DeepStor Site in the Upper Rhine Graben, Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Jonathan Banks

    (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Alberta, 1-26 ESB, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada)

  • Spencer Poulette

    (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Alberta, 1-26 ESB, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada)

  • Jens Grimmer

    (Institute of Applied Geosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany)

  • Florian Bauer

    (Institute of Nuclear Waste Disposal, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany)

  • Eva Schill

    (Institute of Applied Geosciences, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 9, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany)

Abstract

The campus of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) contains several waste heat streams. In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by optimizing thermal power consumption on the campus, researchers at the KIT are proposing a ‘DeepStor’ project, which will sequester waste heat from these streams in an underground reservoir during the summer months, when the heat is not required. The stored heat will then be reproduced in the winter, when the campus’s thermal power demand is much higher. This paper contains a preliminary geochemical risk assessment for the operation of this subsurface, seasonal geothermal energy storage system. We used equilibrium thermodynamics to determine the potential phases and extent of mineral scale formation in the plant’s surface infrastructure, and to identify possible precipitation, dissolution, and ion exchange reactions that may lead to formation damage in the reservoir. The reservoir in question is the Meletta Beds of the Upper Rhein Graben’s Froidefontaine Formation. We modeled scale- and formation damage-causing reactions during six months of injecting 140 °C fluid into the reservoir during the summer thermal storage season and six months of injecting 80 °C fluid during the winter thermal consumption season. Overall, we ran the models for 5 years. Anhydrite and calcite are expected mineral scales during the thermal storage season (summer). Quartz is the predicted scale-forming mineral during the thermal consumption period (winter). Within ~20 m of the wellbores, magnesium and iron are leached from biotite; calcium and magnesium are leached from dolomite; and sodium, aluminum, and silica are leached from albite. These reactions lead to a net increase in both porosity and permeability in the wellbore adjacent region. At a distance of ~20–75 m from the wellbores, the leached ions recombine with the reservoir rocks to form a variety of clays, i.e., saponite, minnesotaite, and daphnite. These alteration products lead to a net loss in porosity and permeability in this zone. After each thermal storage and production cycle, the reservoir shows a net retention of heat, suggesting that the operation of the proposed DeepStor project could successfully store heat, if the geochemical risks described in this paper can managed.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan Banks & Spencer Poulette & Jens Grimmer & Florian Bauer & Eva Schill, 2021. "Geochemical Changes Associated with High-Temperature Heat Storage at Intermediate Depth: Thermodynamic Equilibrium Models for the DeepStor Site in the Upper Rhine Graben, Germany," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-23, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:19:p:6089-:d:642299
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/19/6089/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/19/6089/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kai Stricker & Jens C. Grimmer & Robert Egert & Judith Bremer & Maziar Gholami Korzani & Eva Schill & Thomas Kohl, 2020. "The Potential of Depleted Oil Reservoirs for High-Temperature Storage Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-26, December.
    2. Jeon, Jun-Seo & Lee, Seung-Rae & Pasquinelli, Lisa & Fabricius, Ida Lykke, 2015. "Sensitivity analysis of recovery efficiency in high-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage with single well," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 90(P2), pages 1349-1359.
    3. Fleuchaus, Paul & Schüppler, Simon & Bloemendal, Martin & Guglielmetti, Luca & Opel, Oliver & Blum, Philipp, 2020. "Risk analysis of High-Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (HT-ATES)," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    4. Fleuchaus, Paul & Godschalk, Bas & Stober, Ingrid & Blum, Philipp, 2018. "Worldwide application of aquifer thermal energy storage – A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 861-876.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Li, Shuang & Wang, Gaosheng & Zhou, Mengmeng & Song, Xianzhi & Shi, Yu & Yi, Junlin & Zhao, Jialin & Zhou, Yifan, 2024. "Thermal performance of an aquifer thermal energy storage system: Insights from novel multilateral wells," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 294(C).
    2. Els van der Roest & Stijn Beernink & Niels Hartog & Jan Peter van der Hoek & Martin Bloemendal, 2021. "Towards Sustainable Heat Supply with Decentralized Multi-Energy Systems by Integration of Subsurface Seasonal Heat Storage," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-31, November.
    3. Wang, Jiacheng & Tan, Xianfeng & Zhao, Zhihong & Chen, Jinfan & He, Jie & Shi, Qipeng, 2024. "Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical modeling on geothermal doublet subject to seasonal exploitation and storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    4. Jin, Wencheng & Atkinson, Trevor A. & Doughty, Christine & Neupane, Ghanashyam & Spycher, Nicolas & McLing, Travis L. & Dobson, Patrick F. & Smith, Robert & Podgorney, Robert, 2022. "Machine-learning-assisted high-temperature reservoir thermal energy storage optimization," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 384-397.
    5. Maximilian Frick & Stefan Kranz & Ben Norden & David Bruhn & Sven Fuchs, 2022. "Geothermal Resources and ATES Potential of Mesozoic Reservoirs in the North German Basin," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-26, March.
    6. Shi, Yu & Cui, Qiliang & Song, Xianzhi & Liu, Shaomin & Yang, Zijiang & Peng, Junlan & Wang, Lizhi & Guo, Yanchun, 2023. "Thermal performance of the aquifer thermal energy storage system considering vertical heat losses through aquitards," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 207(C), pages 447-460.
    7. Daniilidis, Alexandros & Mindel, Julian E. & De Oliveira Filho, Fleury & Guglielmetti, Luca, 2022. "Techno-economic assessment and operational CO2 emissions of High-Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (HT-ATES) using demand-driven and subsurface-constrained dimensioning," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 249(C).
    8. Romanov, D. & Leiss, B., 2022. "Geothermal energy at different depths for district heating and cooling of existing and future building stock," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    9. Chen, Kecheng & Sun, Xiang & Soga, Kenichi & Nico, Peter S. & Dobson, Patrick F., 2024. "Machine-learning-assisted long-term G functions for bidirectional aquifer thermal energy storage system operation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    10. Barth, Florian & Schüppler, Simon & Menberg, Kathrin & Blum, Philipp, 2023. "Estimating cooling capacities from aerial images using convolutional neural networks," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 349(C).
    11. Luca Brunelli & Emiliano Borri & Anna Laura Pisello & Andrea Nicolini & Carles Mateu & Luisa F. Cabeza, 2024. "Thermal Energy Storage in Energy Communities: A Perspective Overview through a Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-27, July.
    12. Susanne A. Benz & Kathrin Menberg & Peter Bayer & Barret L. Kurylyk, 2022. "Shallow subsurface heat recycling is a sustainable global space heating alternative," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    13. Beernink, Stijn & Bloemendal, Martin & Kleinlugtenbelt, Rob & Hartog, Niels, 2022. "Maximizing the use of aquifer thermal energy storage systems in urban areas: effects on individual system primary energy use and overall GHG emissions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    14. Qi, Cuiting & Zhou, Renjie & Zhan, Hongbin, 2023. "Analysis of heat transfer in an aquifer thermal energy storage system: On the role of two-dimensional thermal conduction," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    15. Esmaeilpour, Morteza & Gholami Korzani, Maziar & Kohl, Thomas, 2022. "Impact of thermosiphoning on long-term behavior of closed-loop deep geothermal systems for sustainable energy exploitation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 1247-1260.
    16. Esmaeilpour, Morteza & Gholami Korzani, Maziar & Kohl, Thomas, 2023. "Stochastic performance assessment on long-term behavior of multilateral closed deep geothermal systems," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 26-35.
    17. Hubeck-Graudal, Helga & Kirstein, Jonas Kjeld & Ommen, Torben & Rygaard, Martin & Elmegaard, Brian, 2020. "Drinking water supply as low-temperature source in the district heating system: A case study for the city of Copenhagen," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    18. Jordi García-Céspedes & Ignasi Herms & Georgina Arnó & José Juan de Felipe, 2022. "Fifth-Generation District Heating and Cooling Networks Based on Shallow Geothermal Energy: A review and Possible Solutions for Mediterranean Europe," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-31, December.
    19. Qu, Ming-Liang & Yang, Jinping & Foroughi, Sajjad & Zhang, Yifan & Yu, Zi-Tao & Blunt, Martin J. & Lin, Qingyang, 2024. "Pore-to-meter scale modeling of heat and mass transport applied to thermal energy storage: How local thermal and velocity fluctuations affect average thermal dispersivity," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    20. Fleuchaus, Paul & Schüppler, Simon & Bloemendal, Martin & Guglielmetti, Luca & Opel, Oliver & Blum, Philipp, 2020. "Risk analysis of High-Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (HT-ATES)," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 133(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:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:19:p:6089-:d:642299. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.