Effectiveness evaluation for geothermal heat recovery in closed mines of Donbas

The study aims to develop a method of effectiveness evaluation for geothermal heat recovery in closed mines of Donbas using relations of heat transfer theory in rocks and fluids. Geothermal heat is proposed to recover using coaxial geothermal probes to be installed in flooded closed mines. As a result of evaluation and ranking, five top promising sites with the highest expected performance indicators among 27 closed mines located in Donbas have been identified. The evaluation method takes into account geological settings, mine condition, and heat exchange parameters of the probe with mine water. The locations of the most promising sites were found to correlate with the areas of higher geothermal flux and the deeper mines. The results obtained can be used in feasibility studies on installation and operation of geothermal probes in closed mines.