[CCoE Notice] Thesis defense invitation-Leila Zeinali

[Knudsen, Rachel W]

The Petroleum Engineering Department



Master Thesis Defense
of
Leila Zeinali



Topic:



Enhanced Geothermal System Model for Flow Through a Stimulated Rock Volume

Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Committee Chair: Dr. Christine Ehlig-Economides

Committee Members: Dr. Michael Nikolaou, Dr. S.M. Farouq Ali



Zoom Meeting Link:

Meeting URL:

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://uofh.zoom.us/j/97365460030?pwd=eGRpcXNVZHh0RVREak02M1puOFlBZz09&from=addon__;!!LkSTlj0I!TG-lEMyV2B27LfBYc7A5DzGMzVEuUTmwCcQMadljFmgEziQb446j9VxYYlPyhPJx_Bs$ 

Meeting ID:

973 6546 0030

Passcode:

983853

Abstract

An Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) uses flow through fractures in an effectively impermeable high-temperature rock formation to provide sustainable and affordable heat extraction that can be employed virtually anywhere with no need for a geothermal reservoir. The problem is that there is no commercial application of this technology. The three-well pattern employs a multiple transverse fractured horizontal well (MTFHW) drilled and fractured in an effectively impermeable high-temperature formation. Two parallel horizontal wells drilled above and below the MTFHW have trajectories that intersect its created fractures. Fluid injected in the MTFHW flows through the fractures and horizontal wells, thus extracting heat from the surrounding high-temperature rock. This study aims to find the most cost-effective well and fracture spacing for this pattern to supply hot fluid to a 20-megawatt power plant.

Analytical and numerical models compare heat transfer behavior for a single fracture unit in an MTFHW that is then replicated along with the horizontal well pattern(s). The Computer Modeling Group (CMG) STARS is used to model the circulation of cold water injected into the center of a radial transverse hydraulic fracture and produced from two horizontal wells. Key factors to the design include formation temperature, the flow rate in fractures, the fractured radius, spacing, heat, and pressure loss along with the wells. Aspen HYSYS is used to model the geothermal power plant, heat, and pressure loss in wells.

The comparison between analytical and numerical showed that the simplified analytical model provides overly optimistic results and indicates the need for a numerical model. Sensitivity studies using the numerical model varied the key design factors and revealed how many fractures the plant requires. The economic performance of several scenarios was investigated to minimize well drilling and completion pattern costs.

This study illustrates the viability of applying known and widely used well technologies to the Enhanced geothermal system.






-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://Bug.EGR.UH.EDU/pipermail/engi-dist/attachments/20210504/8edc3fff/attachment-0001.html 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Thesis Announcement of Leila Zeinali.docx
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Size: 16228 bytes
Desc: Thesis Announcement of Leila Zeinali.docx
Url : http://Bug.EGR.UH.EDU/pipermail/engi-dist/attachments/20210504/8edc3fff/attachment-0001.bin