Performing heat recovery simulations with SLB’s OLGA Dynamic Multiphase Flow Simulator

Our Findings

• This chart shows depth versus fluid temperature.  The orange line represents the temperature at various depths
• The red arrow shows the fluid temperature at the top of the well as the fluid enters the well.
• The blue arrow shows the fluid temperature at depth without Algar’s innovations.
• In this example water enters the well at 30 degrees and reaches maximum temperatures between 48 and 53 C.
•  For example, rock temperature just below surface is about 10C and about 100c at 2800 metres
• The lines on the left show the amount of heat recovered as the water descends, then how much of that heat is returned to surface. This is at 3 different flow rates
• Please note that there is no heat recovered for the top 1,000 metres
• This means that no heat is recovered above this depth.  This limits the amount of recoverable heat
• Algar solved this problem with an innovation that is currently under Patent application.
• The green lines on the right side shows how much heat is transferred to the rock after 35 days of recirculating. For example at 400 metres the rock temperature has increased from 25 to 55 C after using Algar’s innovative process.
• This innovation is currently under Patent Application
• Another problem is only a small amount available heat in the lower section is recovered. Here you can see that the maximum recovered temperature is about 50C whereas the surrounding rock temperature is 100C.
• To resolve this issue Algar invented a bottom hole configuration that should significantly increase the temperature and heat output. 
• In this example we estimate that the added technologies can achieve over 80C instead of 50 C
• This innovation is part of our current confidential intellectual property

Contact Algar Geothermal to get involved