A comparative study of a heat and fluid flow problem using three models of different levels of sophistication

Abstract

Three mathematical models of different levels of sophistication have been used to study a practical problem on underground heat and fluid flow, associated with the seasonal storage of hot water in an aquifer. A number of scenarios have been examined using the three models. For the basic problem the three models yield similar results, so use of the simplest is preferred. For several variations on the problem, only the more complicated models are adequate to properly address the problem. In general, the choice of an appropriate model is very problem-specific and requires not only experience with modelling methods, but also an understanding of the physics of the problem.