Simulation Tools for Modeling Thermal Spallation Drilling on Multiple Scales

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Widespread adoption of geothermal energy will require access to deeply buried resources in granitic basement rocks at high temperatures and pressures. Exploiting these resources necessitates novel methods for drilling, stimulation, and maintenance, under operating conditions that are often difficult or impossible to reproduce in laboratory settings. Physically rigorous numerical modeling tools are vital to highlight potential risks, guide process optimization and reduce the uncertainties involved in developing new technologies for these environments. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has developed, and is constantly improving, several multi-physics solid/structural mechanics, fluid dynamics, chemistry, and discrete element codes. Integration of the LLNL simulation tools into a coherent simulation environment will provide a predictive capability for the thermomechanical response - in particular the spall and fracture - of basement rocks at high temperatures and pressures useful for drilling and other geothermal applications. This paper outlines a modeling effort investigating the processes involved in hydrothermal spallation drilling. These include interconnected phenomena on several length and time scales: from system-scale fluid dynamics and heat transfer of the high temperature jet to the rock face to the grain-scale thermomechanics of spallation. Three models are described to capture these different scale processes: a grain-scale model to investigate the onset of spallation; a particulate fluids model to simulate the transport of the produced spalls; and a borehole-scale model to represent the integrated system behavior.

Citation Formats

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. (2012). Simulation Tools for Modeling Thermal Spallation Drilling on Multiple Scales [data set]. Retrieved from https://gdr.openei.org/submissions/176.
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Walsh, Stuart D.C., Lomov, Ilya, Roberts, Jeffery J., and Kanarska, Yuliya. Simulation Tools for Modeling Thermal Spallation Drilling on Multiple Scales. United States: N.p., 01 Jan, 2012. Web. https://gdr.openei.org/submissions/176.
Walsh, Stuart D.C., Lomov, Ilya, Roberts, Jeffery J., & Kanarska, Yuliya. Simulation Tools for Modeling Thermal Spallation Drilling on Multiple Scales. United States. https://gdr.openei.org/submissions/176
Walsh, Stuart D.C., Lomov, Ilya, Roberts, Jeffery J., and Kanarska, Yuliya. 2012. "Simulation Tools for Modeling Thermal Spallation Drilling on Multiple Scales". United States. https://gdr.openei.org/submissions/176.
@div{oedi_176, title = {Simulation Tools for Modeling Thermal Spallation Drilling on Multiple Scales}, author = {Walsh, Stuart D.C., Lomov, Ilya, Roberts, Jeffery J., and Kanarska, Yuliya.}, abstractNote = {Widespread adoption of geothermal energy will require access to deeply buried resources in granitic basement rocks at high temperatures and pressures. Exploiting these resources necessitates novel methods for drilling, stimulation, and maintenance, under operating conditions that are often difficult or impossible to reproduce in laboratory settings. Physically rigorous numerical modeling tools are vital to highlight potential risks, guide process optimization and reduce the uncertainties involved in developing new technologies for these environments. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has developed, and is constantly improving, several multi-physics solid/structural mechanics, fluid dynamics, chemistry, and discrete element codes. Integration of the LLNL simulation tools into a coherent simulation environment will provide a predictive capability for the thermomechanical response - in particular the spall and fracture - of basement rocks at high temperatures and pressures useful for drilling and other geothermal applications. This paper outlines a modeling effort investigating the processes involved in hydrothermal spallation drilling. These include interconnected phenomena on several length and time scales: from system-scale fluid dynamics and heat transfer of the high temperature jet to the rock face to the grain-scale thermomechanics of spallation. Three models are described to capture these different scale processes: a grain-scale model to investigate the onset of spallation; a particulate fluids model to simulate the transport of the produced spalls; and a borehole-scale model to represent the integrated system behavior.}, doi = {}, url = {https://gdr.openei.org/submissions/176}, journal = {}, number = , volume = , place = {United States}, year = {2012}, month = {01}}

Details

Data from Jan 1, 2012

Last updated May 23, 2017

Submitted Feb 13, 2013

Organization

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Contact

Stuart D.C. Walsh

Authors

Stuart D.C. Walsh

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Ilya Lomov

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Jeffery J. Roberts

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Yuliya Kanarska

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

DOE Project Details

Project Name Geomechanical Modeling for Thermal Spallation Drilling

Project Lead Greg Stillman

Project Number LLNL FY12 AOP2

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