Numerical simulation of precipitate formation during the boiling of salt solution in a geothermal reservoir

Abstract

The process of precipitate formation during vapor outflow from a high-temperature geothermal reservoir saturated with a salt solution is investigated numerically. The evaporation regimes characterized by the formation of a phase transition front are considered. Comparison with the asymptotic solution obtained previously is performed. In the region of parameters where the self-similar solution exists the numerical solution approaches the asymptotic one in a short time. In the region where the asymptotic solution does not exist the numerical solution shows that the solid salt saturation monotonically increases with catastrophic growth in the last stage, which leads to the filling of the pores with solid salt and the total blocking of the flow.