Search

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2)-enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs) in Poland, focusing on their energetic performance through process modeling and optimization. EGSs harness the potential of geothermal energy by utilizing supercritical carbon dioxide as the working fluid, offering promising avenues for sustainable power generation. This study investigates two distinct configurations of sCO2-EGS: one dedicated to power generation via a binary system with an organic Rankine cycle and the other for combined power and heat production through a direct sCO2 cycle. Through accurate process modeling and simulation, key parameters influencing system efficiency and performance are identified and optimized. The analysis integrates thermodynamic principles with geological and operational constraints specific to the Polish context. The results highlight the potential of sCO2-EGSs to contribute to the country's energy transition, offering insights into the optimal design and operation of such systems for maximizing both power and thermal output while ensuring economic viability and environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mineral Resources Management / Gospodarka Surowcami Mineralnymi is the property of Mineral & Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Chociwel region is part of the Szczecin Trough and constitutes the northeastern segment of the extended Szczecin-Gorzów Synclinorium. Lower Jurassic reservoirs of high permeability of up to 1145 mD can discharge geothermal waters with a rate exceeding 250 m3/h and temperatures reach over 90°C in the lowermost part of the reservoirs. These conditions provide an opportunity to generate electricity from heat accumulated in geothermal waters using binary ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) systems. A numerical model of the natural state and exploitation conditions was created for the Chociwel area with the use of TOUGH2 geothermal simulator (i.e., integral finite-difference method). An analysis of geological and hydrogeothermal data indicates that the best conditions are found to the southeast of the town of Chociwel, where the bottom part of the reservoir reaches 3 km below ground. This would require drilling two new wells, namely one production and one injection. Simulated production with a flow rate of 275 m3/h, a temperature of 89°C at the wellhead, 30°C injection temperature and wells being 1.2 km separated from each other leads to a small temperature drop and moderate requirements for pumping power over a 50 years’ time span. The ORC binary system can produce at maximum 592.5 kW gross power with the R227ea found as the most suitable working fluid. Geothermal brine leaving the ORC system with a temperature c. 53°C can be used for other purposes, namely mushroom growing, balneology, swimming pools, soil warming, de-icing, fish farming and for heat pumps.

Safety of radioactive waste repositories operation is associated with a multibarrier system designed and constructed to isolate and contain the waste from the biosphere. Each of radioactive waste repositories is equipped with system of barriers, which reduces the possibility of release of radionuclides from the storage site. Safety systems may differ from each other depending on the type of repository. They consist of the natural geological barrier provided by host rocks of the repository and its surroundings, and an engineered barrier system (EBS). The EBS may itself comprise a variety of sub-systems or components, such as waste forms, canisters, buffers, backfills, seals and plugs. The EBS plays a major role in providing the required disposal system performance. It is assumed that the metal canisters and system of barriers adequately isolate waste from the biosphere. The evaluation of the multibarrier system is carried out after detailed tests to determine its parameters, and after analysis including mathematical modeling of migration of contaminants. To provide an assurance of safety of radioactive waste repository multibarrier system, detailed long term safety assessments are developed. Usually they comprise modeling of EBS stability, corrosion rate and radionuclide migration in near field in geosphere and biosphere. The principal goal of radionuclide migration modeling is assessment of the radionuclides release paths and rate from the repository, radionuclides concentration in geosphere in time and human exposure to ionizing radiation

M embrane-based water desalination processes and hybrid technologies are often considered as a technologically and economically viable alternative for desalination of geothermal waters. This has been confirmed by the results of pilot studies concerning the UF-RO desalination of geothermal waters extracted from various geological structures in Poland. The assessment of the feasibility of implementing the water desalination process analysed on an industrial scale is largely dependent on the method and possibility of disposing or utilising the concentrate. The analyses conducted in this respect have demonstrated that it is possible to use the solution obtained as a balneological product owing to its elevated metasilicic acid, fluorides and iodides ions content. Due to environmental considerations, injecting the concentrate back into the formation is the preferable solution. The energy efficiency and economic analysis conducted demonstrated that the cost effectiveness of implementing the UF-RO process in a geothermal system on an industrial scale largely depends on the factors related to its operation, including without limitation the amount of geothermal water extracted, water salinity, the absorption parameters of the wells used to inject water back into the formation, the scale of problems related to the disposal of cooled water, local demand for drinking and household water, etc. The decrease in the pressure required to inject water into the formation as well as the reduction in the stream of the water injected are among the key cost-effectiveness factors. Ensuring favourable desalinated water sale terms (price/quantity) is also a very important consideration owing to the electrical power required to conduct the UF-RO process.

Copyright of Mineral Resources Management / Gospodarka Surowcami Mineralnymi is the property of Mineral & Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The joint German - Hungarian - Polish - Romanian Project EUBILD-UNAKLIM 2016-1-DE02-KA204-003254 in the ERASMUS + Scheme KA2 (Strategic Partnerships) designs an international adult-learning furthering education course. It took place in the participating countries Germany, Hungary, Poland and Romania. Environmental and cross-sector topics were addressed. A “green” job search and a questionnaire among employers, financing and educational institutions and NGOs was performed across the partner countries in 2017. The objectives were to find differences in employers’ opinions on staff skills and the training topics provided by the furthering education organizations. In case differences were found, the course could close these gaps and will be adapted to the employers’ needs, bringing more course participants into employment. Statistical evaluation compared countries, institution types, employers and furthering educationand financing institutions. The results were visualized in pie charts, histograms, and - where applicable - trend lines. Preliminary results show clear ranking of the new “green” job categories with differences in countries and institutions. The questionnaire results show differences in topic selection between employers and furthering education bodies. The results form the base for the course curriculum design closing the gaps between employers’ expectations for “green” job topics and existing training curricula.

Attaining the proper values of main production parameters of operating geothermal installation: outflow, temperature, water level in production well and required injection pressure in a well for reinjection may significantly reduce the costs of energy production. Lower production costs compensate high investment expenditures and reduce the energy prices down to an acceptable level, competitive in relation to conventional energy sources. In the research project, we used the TOUGH2 simulator to select configuration of geothermal doublet and to estimate the discharge of potential geothermal installation localized in the vicinity of Kalisz and based upon the existing Zakrzyn IG-1 well. Considering the measurements and other information gained during the drilling operations, the conceptual model was generated. In order to select the optimal configuration of the doublet, which would ensure the maximum yield, the analysis was carried out on the influence of production/injection wells spacing on production parameters. The optimization aimed to determine the minimum spacing which would guarantee that the injection well would not affect the temperature of fluid discharged from the production well within the presumed circulation time.

Copyright of Geological Exploration Technology, Geothermal Energy, Sustainable Development / Technika Poszukiwan Geologicznych is the property of Mineral & Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Geological Exploration Technology, Geothermal Energy, Sustainable Development / Technika Poszukiwan Geologicznych is the property of Mineral & Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)