HEAT TRANSFER AND THERMAL ENERGY TRANSPORT

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the fundamental studies on thermal and geological data for strata, including measurements of thermal transport properties, permeability, porosity, and data on the extent of aquifers. In an earlier study, the extraction of thermal energy by means of two-phase, vapor–liquid, flow out of permeable strata was recognized as being highly complex. The chapter focuses on the problem in which pressurized hot water escapes from a lower stratum forming steam in an upper stratum, with consequential leakage. Nearly all stratum material is dissolved to some extent in water. This is quite a small effect; however, the theoretical calculations on the problem show that in some strata solution, the precipitation effects could be significant within the reservoir. A further harmful effect could be the deposition of dissolved materials on the surfaces of the output heat exchanger. The stability of porous media can also be affected by effects such as erosion by fluid and the problems of cracking under thermal cycling.