The application and design of downhole heat exchanger

Abstract

The direct use of low temperature geothermal fluids is finding increased usage around the world for space heating, air conditioning, etc. For non-artesian wells the conventional means of circulating the hot fluids is by a downhole turbine pump, with the geofluid being either returned to the reservoir or rejected to waste. The latter is the more common, with results, in some cases, of excessive drawdown of the reservoir and consequent environmental problems. The downhole heat exchanger, utilising a single or multiple “U” tube, can alleviate the above problems. Experience at Klamath Falls in Oregon, U.S.A., and at Rotorua and Taupo, New Zealand, shows that these devices are capable, given a good permeable reservoir with temperatures around 100°C, of delivering up to 1 MW of thermal energy from a conventional shallow well (50 to 200 m). This paper discusses the application of the downhole heat exchanger for space heating using examples from New Zealand and Klamath Falls systems, and reports a recent study on the parameters necessary to achieve an optimum design. The discussion is based on a laboratory model, a computer simulation and full-scale tests on operational downhole heat exchangers in New Zealand.