Determining the Water Flowrate using an Airlift Approach in Geothermal Wells

Nathan McFall* and Terence Musho

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506

Presentation Category: Physical Sciences & Engineering (Poster Presentation #155)

Student’s Major: Mechanical Engineering

The goal of this project was to experimentally quantify the performance of an airlift concept for geothermal fluid extraction. Geothermal wells, a green technology that utilizes the earth’s temperature to generate electricity and provide heat, are used to extract geothermal fluids. In order to utilize this technology on a large scale, access of fluids thousands of feet underground is required; however, at this depth, it can become extremely difficult to extract the fluids using existing approaches. Thus, one such technology is being developed to provide a solution—an airlift approach. This approach injects air within the well, causing the rising bubbles to impart momentum on the geothermal fluids, bringing them to the surface. In this project, a geothermal test rig, constructed of an acrylic tube and a 3D-printed sparger head, was assembled. From here, a series of experimental measurements was taken to determine the water flowrate at varying depths. It was determined that the well’s flowrate of water increases as the depth of the sparger head increases. It was also found that the well’s flowrate of water increases as the flowrate of air into the well increases. In the future, this data could significantly aid industries seeking to utilize airlift approach technology for improved, geothermal fluid extraction.

Funding: Department of Energy

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: a WVU 297-level course