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Efficient simulation of multiple borehole heat exchanger storage sites

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Abstract

In this paper, an adapted model is developed for borehole heat exchangers (BHEs) to simulate geothermal applications such as heat storage on a large scale efficiently and with high accuracy. The adapted numerical model represents all BHE components, allowing for a detailed representation of the governing processes. The approach is calibrated and validated for a single U-tube BHE using a high-resolution experimental data set from a laboratory thermal response test. It is found that the computational effort can be reduced by factors of ~50, ~50 and ~25 for single U-tube, double U-tube and coaxial BHEs, respectively, if an absolute deviation of less than 1 % compared to a conventional fully discretised model is allowed. Computation times can be reduced further by accepting higher deviations. The adapted modelling approach allows for a detailed and correct representation of the temporal and spatial temperature distribution under highly transient conditions by applying it to a high-temperature heat storage scenario using multiple BHEs. The model is especially suited to represent coupled flow and heat transport processes, to account for groundwater flow in the BHE region as well as geological heterogeneities and especially interaction between a large number of BHEs.

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Abbreviations

a :

Solid compressibility (Pa−1)

b :

Fluid compressibility (Pa−1)

:

Volumetric heat capacity (J m−3 K−1)

d :

Thickness (m)

D :

Heat diffusion dispersion tensor

g :

Gravitational acceleration (m s−1)

k :

Intrinsic permeability (m)

L :

Length (m)

m :

Side length (m)

n :

Porosity (–)

p :

Pressure (Pa)

Q :

Sources and sinks (kg m−3 s−1)

Q H :

Heat sources and sinks (W m−3)

r :

Radius (m)

R th :

Thermal resistance (K W−1)

T :

Temperature (K)

v :

Transport velocity (m s−1)

z :

Depth (m)

α :

Dispersivity (m)

λ :

Thermal conductivity (W m−1 K−1)

μ :

Fluid dynamic viscosity (N s m−2)

ρ :

Density (kg m−3)

cub:

Hollow cuboid

cyl:

Hollow cylinder

i :

Direction

w:

Water

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Acknowledgments

The authors would gratefully like to acknowledge the funding provided by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for the ANGUS+ project, Grant Number 03EK3022, as well as the support of the Project Management Jülich (PTJ).

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Correspondence to Anke Boockmeyer.

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This article is part of a Topical Collection in Environmental Earth Sciences on ‘Subsurface Energy Storage’, guest-edited by Sebastian Bauer, Andreas Dahmke and Olaf Kolditz.

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Boockmeyer, A., Bauer, S. Efficient simulation of multiple borehole heat exchanger storage sites. Environ Earth Sci 75, 1021 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5773-4

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