Geothermal Fluids
The chemistry of the geothermal fluids is mainly governed by the mineralogy of the reservoir rocks, the fluid inclusions, respectively, and within the circulation of the deep fluids. The fluids are in geochemical equilibrium with the surrounding rocks. Through the production, within the heat extraction and the pressure release, the system will be disturbed. Therefore the physical, hydrochemical and the thermodynamical parameters were modified. As a result of this Pressure and Temperature changes, precipitation and dissolution of minerals may occur in the pipe system as well as close to the injection borehole. In a geothermal loop the fluid and the materials are in direct contact and some installations like the production well with the pump, the pipes, the heat exchangers, and the injection well are affected. Due to the chemical characteristics of the geothermal fluid, it is also corrosive with respect to the installations.
The objective of the research is to obtain a better understanding of the chemical modification during the circulation of the saline fluid in the entire geothermal system. On this basis it is possible to evaluate the resulting chemical processes in the geothermal loop and the reinjection formation. A better predictability with respect to long-term processes can be established. In the nearfield of the injection well fluid-rock interactions are leading to a variation of the permeability and therefore a change of the injectivity of the well.
The approach aims to fuse experimental research with numerical investigations. For the experiments the ideal goal is to adjust the experimental conditions to the in-situ parameters and to mimic the chemical environment inside the geothermal loop and the reservoir. Complementary a numerical modeling will be carried out with T(hermic)- H(ydraulic)- M(echanical)- C(hemical)-Codes. Thereby the conceptional understandings of the associated processes are obtained. Applied Codes are TOUGHREACT, PhreeqC and Elmer.
The outcome of this research will help to identify fundamental, geochemical processes which are related to the long-term and trouble-free reservoir and power plant performance, additional the corrosion-related processes in the geothermal loop are important to predict.
Geothermal Fluids Recent Publication
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Geochemical characterization of the geothermal system at Villarrica volcano, Southern Chile; Part 1: Impacts of lithology on the geothermal reservoir
Held, S.; Schill, E.; Schneider, J.; Nitschke, F.; Morata, D.; Neumann, T.; Kohl, T.
2018. Geothermics, 74, 226–239. doi:10.1016/j.geothermics.2018.03.004 -
Geochemical characterization of the Villarrica geothermal system, Southern Chile, part II : Site-specific re-evaluation of SiO₂ and Na-K solute geothermometers
Nitschke, F.; Held, S.; Neumann, T.; Kohl, T.
2018. Geothermics, 74, 217–225. doi:10.1016/j.geothermics.2018.03.006
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Effect of flow and physical parameters on the mineral deposition of geothermal wellbores: WellboreKit development
Nusiaputra, Y.; Dimier, A. D.; Nitschke, F. N.; Gaucher, E. G.; Kohl, T. K.
2017. 79th EAGE Conference and Exhibition 2017: Energy, Technology, Sustainability - Time to Open a New Chapter; Paris; France; 12 June 2017 through 15 June 2017, EAGE (European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers). doi:10.3997/2214-4609.201701326 -
Assessment of performance and parameter sensitivity of multicomponent geothermometry applied to a medium enthalpy geothermal system
Nitschke, F.; Held, S.; Villalon, I.; Neumann, T.; Kohl, T.
2017. Geothermal Energy, 5 (1), 12. doi:10.1186/s40517-017-0070-3 -
Experimental interaction of hydrothermal Na-Cl solution with fracture surfaces of geothermal reservoir sandstone of the Upper Rhine Graben
Schmidt, R. B.; Bucher, K.; Drüppel, K.; Stober, I.
2017. Applied Geochemistry, 81, 36–52. doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2017.03.010
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Corrosion and scaling in the geothermal cycle of Soultz-sous-Forêts (France)
Mundhenk, N.; Huttenloch, P.; Scheiber, J.; Genter, A.; Kohl, T.; Zorn, R.
2014. Corrosion Conference and Expo 2014 : Collaborate. Educate. Innovate. Mitigate, San Antonio, Texas, USA, 9-13 March 2014, 2361–2374, NACE International -
Electrochemical study of the corrosion of different alloys exposed to deaerated 80°C geothermal brines containing CO₂
Mundhenk, N.; Huttenloch, P.; Bäßler, R.; Kohl, T.; Steger, H.; Zorn, R.
2014. Corrosion science, 84, 180–188. doi:10.1016/j.corsci.2014.03.027 -
Formation of alternating layered Ba-Sr-sulfate and Pb-sulfide scaling in the geothermal plant of Soultz-sous-Forêts
Nitschke, F.; Scheiber, J.; Kramar, U.; Neumann, T.
2014. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie / Abhandlungen, 191 (2), 145–156. doi:10.1127/0077-7757/2014/0253