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Simulation of Power Production from Dry Geothermal Well Using Down-hole Heat Exchanger in Sabalan Field, Northwest Iran

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Abstract

In this research, a simulation was performed for evaluating power production from an abandoned geothermal well as an enhanced geothermal system by injecting a secondary fluid. Abandoned wells, due to lack of fluid or very low transmissivity, are regarded among the low-to moderate-temperature resources that have the potential for heat production without any cost for deep drilling. Accordingly, they are taken as suitable sources of energy. In the present paper, an abandoned geothermal well at Meshkinshahr geothermal field in Sabalan district, northwestern Iran, with 3176 m depth was simulated. The bottom-hole temperature of 148 °C, as well as well casing size, and real thermal gradient for well were applied in the model. A 3D heat transfer simulation model was designed by considering a coaxial pipe as a down-hole heat exchanger between surrounding rocks of the well and injected fluid. Injected fluid to the well with specified pressure and temperature receives heat from rocks surrounding the well, until it reaches the bottom of the well and converts to vapor. The vapor returns to the surface from inner pipe with very low heat loss during its return. The inner pipe is isolated by a thin layer having a low heat conductivity to prevent heat loss from the returned fluid. It was observed that obtained heat in the well depends on temperature profile of the well, injection velocity, and fluid mass flow rate. The model results were optimized by selecting suitable parameters such as inlet injection speed and fluid flow rate to achieve the highest temperature of the fluid returned from the well. A binary power plant was also modeled to determine the extractable power using returned fluid as input using ammonia and isobutene, as working fluids in binary cycle. Finally, electric power of 270 kW was generated from well NWS3 using designed down-hole heat exchanger.

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Acknowledgment

The authors are grateful to the Energy Resources Engineering Laboratory of Kyushu University for funding the research program of the first author through which the current study was conducted. Many thanks for the anonymous reviewers of the paper and special thanks for the editor-in-chief, Dr. John Carranza, for their valuable comments which helped improve the earlier versions of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, Department of Renewable Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Tehran, End of North Karegar Street, Tehran, Iran

    Younes Noorollahi & Hossein Yousefi

  2. Department of Energy Engineering Graduate School of Environment and Energy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    Saeid Mohammadzadeh Bina

Authors
  1. Younes Noorollahi
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  2. Saeid Mohammadzadeh Bina
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  3. Hossein Yousefi
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Correspondence to Younes Noorollahi.

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Noorollahi, Y., Mohammadzadeh Bina, S. & Yousefi, H. Simulation of Power Production from Dry Geothermal Well Using Down-hole Heat Exchanger in Sabalan Field, Northwest Iran. Nat Resour Res 25, 227–239 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-015-9270-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-015-9270-3

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