Date of Completion

8-17-2016

Embargo Period

8-15-2016

Keywords

Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage, Numerical Simulation, Thermal Resistance Capacitance Model

Major Advisor

Dr. Lanbo Liu

Associate Advisor

Dr. Vernon Cormier

Associate Advisor

Dr. Gary Robbins

Associate Advisor

Dr. Amvrossios Bagtzoglou

Associate Advisor

Dr. John Lane

Field of Study

Geological Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Open Access

Campus Access

Abstract

Considerable science has been developed over the years for thermal ground modeling along with modern day computational abilities simulating detailed models but little research has been developed for simplifying these models for subsurface geothermal energy storage system for quick site assessments. Particular areas of interest for this research are model development and analysis of thermal energy storage areas. Energy in the form of waste heat from industrial processes can be re-utilized although at the present time there are few process that can utilize this waste energy. This thermal energy can be transformed into alternate forms of energy such as electricity but this requires high temperatures and efficiency losses can be significant. Direct storage of thermal energy in the earths subsurface is currently being research in Europe where “green” energy is flourishing both for environmental and economic reasons. Understanding of heat storage in the shallow earth will be investigated through numerical modeling with the validation of realistic geothermal settings. To achieve this a simplified and novel heat transfer model of the subsurface earth will be developed, verified and used to simulate various scenarios in a current site in China. The ultimate goal is to develop a simple site assessment for thermal energy storage supported by basic research.

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