Abstract
With the increasing demand for energy and the growing concern for atmospheric pollution in Beijing, China, the exploitation and utilization of geothermal resources are becoming more desirable. The study combined three-dimensional geological modeling with geothermal field analysis to make clear the potential and distribution of geothermal resources in the northwest of the Beijing plain, which could provide a scientific basis for rational utilization in the study area. Based on the analysis of the geological data and geothermal conditions, we created a 3D geological model of the study area, and then added isothermal surfaces into the model and analyzed the heat flow to enhance the understanding of the present geothermal field. After that, the volumes of different temperature intervals of heat reservoirs were calculated accurately and automatically by the integration of the model and the isothermal surfaces. Finally, the geothermal reserves were calculated by the improved volumetric method, and the distribution of resources was analyzed comprehensively. The results showed that, in the study area, the heat flow values ranged from 49 to 99 mW m−2, and the average elevations of 25 °C, 40 °C, and 60 °C isothermal surfaces were at −415 m, −1282 m, and −2613 m, respectively. The geothermal reserves were 5.42 × 1019 J and the volume of the heat reservoir was 4.88 × 1011 m3. The geothermal resources of the study area had good potential and could support local green development.
Highlights
Geothermal energy is an efficient, environmentally friendly, and cheap renewable energy source [1].Located in the northern part of the North China Plain, Beijing is underlain by relatively abundant geothermal resources [2,3]
Located in the northwest of the Beijing plain, the study area suffers from a lack of research on geothermal geology, and the potential and distribution of geothermal resources need to be clarified for rational development and utilization
The isothermal surfaces were created in the 3D geological model, and the volumes of the heat reservoir above 25 °C and 40 °C in each part were calculated
Summary
Geothermal energy is an efficient, environmentally friendly, and cheap renewable energy source [1].Located in the northern part of the North China Plain, Beijing is underlain by relatively abundant geothermal resources [2,3]. Located in the northwest of the Beijing plain, the study area suffers from a lack of research on geothermal geology, and the potential and distribution of geothermal resources need to be clarified for rational development and utilization. Common methods for calculating geothermal reserves include the volumetric “heat in place”. The accuracy of the calculation of reserves is related to parameters such as the heat capacity, rock porosity, volume and temperature of the reservoir. Scholars have combined the volumetric method with other technical methods to improve the accuracy of geothermal potential assessment or provide the associated estimation uncertainty. Tian et al combined the volumetric method with a microtremor survey, which calculated the heat capacity by using the specific thickness of the layers for each junior unit [6]. Pocasangre et al presented a Python-based stochastic library for evaluating geothermal power potential using the volumetric method [7]
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