DOE funds UNM research on improving the reliability of enhanced geothermal systems
EGS diagram (source: DOE, Geothermal Technologies Program)
Carlo Cariaga
8 Dec 2021
The research team at UNM is developing a polymer material that will help avoid thermal short-circuiting in enhanced geothermal systems
A research team in the University of New Mexico (UNM) has been chosen to receive a USD 2 million grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) for their project aimed at increasing the reliability of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). This is only a part of a USD 12 million funding that the DOE has committed for research works that can help advance EGS technology and make these systems more commercially viable.
The research team is headed by John Stormont, a professor in the Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering in UNM. The team is developing a polymer material that can help control the size of rock fractures in the subsurface and improve the efficiency of heat extraction in an EGS.
Microcapsules will be injected into formation that will then dissolve to produce the polymer material. This will then adhere to the rocks inside the fractures. Since the polymer is porous, it will constrict water flow but will not completely restrict it. The goal will be to redirect water away from larger fractures, thereby creating more surface area for heat transfer.
“The capability to modify fracture permeability and thereby limit thermal short-circuiting addresses one of the most critical challenges that must be overcome in order for EGS to be economically successful,” commented Stormont.
Source: The University of New Mexico
