Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

8-1-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Engineering (MSE)

Department

Civil Engineering

First Advisor

Philip Park

Second Advisor

Chu-Lin Cheng

Third Advisor

Jinwoo An

Abstract

This thesis will investigate the well structure integrity of enhanced geothermal systems. Enhanced geothermal system is a type of renewable energy generation that utilizes heat from a rock reservoir deep within the Earth’s subsurface delivered by circulating working fluids through kilometers-long well structures. However, due to the surrounding environment and harsh operating conditions, the well structures are vulnerable to deterioration and cracking, which can lead to structural failure of wells and reduced energy efficiency. The study seeks to gain a better understanding of the vulnerability of the well structure. A finite element model of a well structure was developed, and heat transfer analysis was conducted. Through the analysis, the stress and strain distributions over the metal pipes and concrete casings were obtained. The results show that stress/strain risers occur at the metal-concrete interface and the corners of the well structure. The findings of this research are expected to contribute to increasing the efficiency of enhanced geothermal systems.

Comments

Copyright 2024 John Alfred Ganal Acevedo. https://proquest.com/docview/3115602078

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