Effect of non-condensable gases on the flow of water and steam in geothermal wells

This paper describes a study on the effects of non-condensable gases (IG) represented by carbon dioxide, on the numericallysimulated flow characteristics of water and steam in geothermal wells. The presence of IG affects the thermodynamic conditionsdominating the flow process in the well or within t...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Alfonso García, Gilberto Espinosa Paredes, Rosa Ma. Barragán
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2002
País:México
Recursos:Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana
Repositorio:Redalyc-UAM
OAI Identifier:oai:redalyc.org:56841404
Acesso em linha:https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=56841404
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Ciencias de la Tierra
two
phase flow
flow simulation
Geothermal wells
incondensible gases
Descrição
Resumo:This paper describes a study on the effects of non-condensable gases (IG) represented by carbon dioxide, on the numericallysimulated flow characteristics of water and steam in geothermal wells. The presence of IG affects the thermodynamic conditionsdominating the flow process in the well or within the reservoir. Most geothermal fluids are generally composed of a mixture ofwater and steam and substantial amounts of IG and salts. Gas concentrations often vary considerably in a geothermal field. Theycan be useful tools for inferring flow patterns both in wells and within geothermal reservoirs. Geothermal fluids also carry a highcontent of dissolved solids and salts. Well and pipeline flow simulation of geothermal fluids requires that thermodynamic andtransport properties be properly accounted for. Several equations and correlations were used to estimate the properties of the H2OCO2 mixture during simulations.The results revealed that the presence of CO2 affects significantly the location of the flashingpoint in the well and the amount of steam produced.