Numerical modeling of aquifer thermal energy efficiency under regional groundwater flow: a case study at Oslo Airport

The main purpose of this paper is to present a robust forward model for simulating extraction and storage of thermal energy in an aquifer. The model is a local three-dimensional finite element model with boundary conditions derived from an analytic large-scale model based on the regional water balan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hydrology Research 2015-10, Vol.46 (5), p.721-734
Main Authors: Birhanu, Zerihun Kinfe, Kitterød, Nils-Otto, Krogstad, Harald E., Kværnø, Anne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Airports
Aquifers
Boundary conditions
Boundary element method
Case studies
Cold
Computer simulation
Efficiency
Energy
Energy efficiency
Energy management
Energy recovery
Energy storage
Extraction
Finite element method
Geometry
Groundwater
Groundwater divide
Groundwater flow
Heat
Hot water
Hydraulics
Injection
Large-scale models
Mathematical models
Numerical stability
Partial differential equations
Power efficiency
Regional analysis
Robustness (mathematics)
Scale models
Summer
Thermal energy
Three dimensional models
Water balance
Water plumes
Winter
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Summary:The main purpose of this paper is to present a robust forward model for simulating extraction and storage of thermal energy in an aquifer. The model is a local three-dimensional finite element model with boundary conditions derived from an analytic large-scale model based on the regional water balance. Numerical investigations and thermo-hydraulic evaluation of a typical dipole injection/extraction system are presented. Most of the simulation results are focused on the spatio-temporal extension of the hot water plume close to the injection well where the main challenges occur with respect to numerical stability. Because the (aquifer thermal energy storage system is located close to the groundwater divide, the energy recovery is less sensitive to the well configuration with respect to the groundwater flow direction.
ISSN:0029-1277
1998-9563
2224-7955
DOI:10.2166/nh.2015.119