Dipole and Convergent Single-Well Thermal Tracer Tests for Characterizing the Effect of Flow Configuration on Thermal Recovery

Bernardie, Jérôme de La; Bour, Olivier; Guihéneuf, Nicolas; Chatton, Eliot; Longuevergne, Laurent; Borgne, Tanguy Le

doi:10.3390/geosciences9100440

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Following the observations of breakthrough curve tailing, two different conceptual models for the fracture geometry are tested: the parallel plate model and the channel model (Figure S5). The analytical solutions described by De La Bernardie (2018) and De La Bernardie et al (2018, 2019) based on Laplace transforms (Text S2) are used. These Laplace transform solutions are inverted using the algorithms from Hoog et al (1982) and Hollenbeck (1998).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Continuous Dissolved Gas Tracing of Fracture‐Matrix Exchanges

Hoffmann

Goderniaux

Jamin

et al. 2020

Geophysical Research Letters

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Transport in fractured media plays an important role in a range of processes, from rock weathering and microbial processes to contaminant transport, and energy extraction and storage. Diffusive transfer between the fracture fluid and the rock matrix is often a key element in these applications. But the multiscale heterogeneity of fractures renders the field assessment of these processes extremely challenging. This study explores the use of dissolved gases as tracers of fracture‐matrix interactions, which can be measured continuously and highly accurately using mobile mass spectrometers. Since their diffusion coefficients vary significantly, multiple gases are used to probe different scales of fracture‐matrix exchanges. Tracer tests with helium, xenon, and argon were performed in a fractured chalk aquifer, and resulting tracer breakthrough curves are modeled. Results show that continuous dissolved gas tracing with multiple tracers provides key constrains on fracture‐matrix interactions and reveal unexpected scale effects in fracture‐matrix exchange rates.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Continuous Dissolved Gas Tracing of Fracture‐Matrix Exchanges

Hoffmann

Goderniaux

Jamin

et al. 2020

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…Equation (3) can be used to express the thermal power, individually for the injection and pumping points, by dividing the thermal energy change by the corresponding injection and observation time, respectively. For fractured rocks, the thermal recovery rate r thermal ( t ) expresses the relation between the injection power P in and the instantaneous recovery power P ( t ) (Equation 4) (de la Bernardie et al 2019):

\begin{matrix} r_{thermal} (t) & goodbreak= \frac{P (t)}{P_{in}} \\ goodbreak= \frac{(\frac{∆ E_{thermal} (t)}{t})}{(\frac{∆ E_{injected}}{t_{injection}})} \\ goodbreak= \frac{c_{w} ρ_{w} (T) Q_{outflow}}{c_{w} ρ_{w} (T) Q_{inflow}} \cdot \frac{∆ T (t)}{false(T_{injection} - T_{Background} false)} \end{matrix}

where P ( t ) is the instantaneous recovery power (W); P in is the injection power (W); Q inflow is the water injection flow rate (m 3 s −1 ); Q outflow is the water extraction flow rate (m 3 s −1 ); T injection is the temperature of the injected water (°C); and

∆ T false(t false)

is the temperature difference (Equation 1) (°C or K).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, solutions based only on the advection–dispersion equation can have limited prediction capabilities for transport in fractured rocks (e.g., Bodin et al 2003 ). Recent studies using stronger diffusing tracers such as dissolved gases (Hoffmann et al 2020 ) or heat (Read et al 2013 ; Klepikova et al 2016a ; de la Bernardie et al 2018 ; de la Bernardie et al 2019 ; Hoffmann et al 2021 ) have shown a potential to better constrain fractured aquifer conceptualizations with matrix diffusion information. Although reliable temperature tracer experiments have been performed in porous alluvial aquifers (Wagner et al 2014 ; Wildemeersch et al 2014 ; Klepikova et al 2016b ; Sarris et al 2018 ) and fractured porous media (Read et al 2013 ; Klepikova et al 2016a ; de la Bernardie et al 2018 ; de la Bernardie et al 2019 ; Hoffmann et al 2021 ), temperature information is still rarely analyzed by hydrogeologists, because dilution is high (Kurylyk and Irvine 2019 ) and the signal may be difficult to detect.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent studies using stronger diffusing tracers such as dissolved gases (Hoffmann et al 2020 ) or heat (Read et al 2013 ; Klepikova et al 2016a ; de la Bernardie et al 2018 ; de la Bernardie et al 2019 ; Hoffmann et al 2021 ) have shown a potential to better constrain fractured aquifer conceptualizations with matrix diffusion information. Although reliable temperature tracer experiments have been performed in porous alluvial aquifers (Wagner et al 2014 ; Wildemeersch et al 2014 ; Klepikova et al 2016b ; Sarris et al 2018 ) and fractured porous media (Read et al 2013 ; Klepikova et al 2016a ; de la Bernardie et al 2018 ; de la Bernardie et al 2019 ; Hoffmann et al 2021 ), temperature information is still rarely analyzed by hydrogeologists, because dilution is high (Kurylyk and Irvine 2019 ) and the signal may be difficult to detect. Nevertheless, to understand and quantify the local matrix diffusion or mobile–immobile water interactions, the use of temperature information collected with high‐resolution sensors is very promising (Anderson 2005 ; Pehme et al 2014 ; Irvine et al 2015 ; Kurylyk and Irvine 2019 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here, this is applied for a weathered/fractured granite aquifer at the meter scale, bringing new insight regarding hydraulic and thermal characterization. For this purpose, the performed temperature tracer experiments are characterized by their energy recovery rate (e.g., de la Bernardie et al 2019 ) and interpreted using numerical modeling that considers multiple discrete fractures and density‐viscosity dependent flow and transport (Graf and Therrien 2005 , 2007 ; Graf and Simmons 2009 ; Hoffmann et al 2019 ). To our current knowledge, although there are analytical solutions dealing with a synthetic case of a cold water injection (Ascencio et al 2014 ), this is the first time that cold water is used as an injected tracer in the field for hydrogeological aquifer characterization.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Heat Tracing in a Fractured Aquifer with Injection of Hot and Cold Water

et al. 2021

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Heat as a tracer in fractured porous aquifers is more sensitive to fracture-matrix processes than a solute tracer. Temperature evolution as a function of time can be used to differentiate fracture and matrix characteristics. Experimental hot (50 • C) and cold (10 • C) water injections were performed in a weathered and fractured granite aquifer where the natural background temperature is 30 • C. The tailing of the hot and cold breakthrough curves, observed under different hydraulic conditions, was characterized in a log-log plot of time vs. normalized temperature difference, also converted to a residence time distribution (normalized). Dimensionless tail slopes close to 1.5 were observed for hot and cold breakthrough curves, compared to solute tracer tests showing slopes between 2 and 3. This stronger thermal diffusive behavior is explained by heat conduction. Using a process-based numerical model, the impact of heat conduction toward and from the porous rock matrix on groundwater heat transport was explored. Fracture aperture was adjusted depending on the actual hydraulic conditions. Water density and viscosity were considered temperature dependent. The model simulated the increase or reduction of the energy level in the fracture-matrix system and satisfactorily reproduced breakthrough curves tail slopes. This study shows the feasibility and utility of cold water tracer tests in hot fractured aquifers to boost and characterize the thermal matrix diffusion from the matrix toward the flowing groundwater in the fractures. This can be used as complementary information to solute tracer tests that are largely influenced by strong advection in the fractures.

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Differentiated influence of the double porosity of the chalk on solute and heat transport

Hoffmann

Goderniaux

Jamin

et al. 2021

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The chalk porosity plays a decisive role in the transport of solutes and heat in saturated chalk. From a geological point of view, there are at least two types of porosities: the porosity of pores corresponding to the micro-spaces between the fossil coccoliths that form the chalk matrix, and the porosity due to the micro- and macro-fractures (i.e., secondary porosity). For groundwater flow, the fracture porosity is a determining factor at the macroscopic scale. The multi-scale heterogeneity of the porous/fractured chalk is inducing different effects on solute and heat transport. For solute transport considered at the macroscopic scale, tracer tests have shown that the ‘effective transport porosity’ is substantially lower than the ‘effective drainable porosity’. Moreover, breakthrough curves of tracer tests are showing an important influence of diffusion in a large portion of ‘immobile water’ (‘matrix diffusion’) together with quick preferential advection through the fractures. For heat transport, the matrix diffusion in the ‘immobile water’ of the chalk is hard to distinguish from conduction within the saturated chalk.

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Dipole and Convergent Single-Well Thermal Tracer Tests for Characterizing the Effect of Flow Configuration on Thermal Recovery

Cited by 4 publications

References 49 publications

Continuous Dissolved Gas Tracing of Fracture‐Matrix Exchanges

Continuous Dissolved Gas Tracing of Fracture‐Matrix Exchanges

Heat Tracing in a Fractured Aquifer with Injection of Hot and Cold Water

Differentiated influence of the double porosity of the chalk on solute and heat transport

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