Summary of Current Studies in Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage

摘要

Recently there has been renewed interest in the possibility of using underground aquifers for the storage of hot or chilled water. This concept has been seen as a way of remedying the time mismatch between supply and demand periods, one of the major problems facing the design of total energy systems and the development of solar energy. The present paper reviews current studies in this area, with emphasis on the work being performed at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. The physical basis of the concept lies in: (1) the low thermal conductivities of caprock and bedrock materials; (2) the large volume of the aquifer (of the order of 10 exp 7 m exp 3 ); and (3) the capability of storing water under high pressures. Earlier studies involved the general formulation of the idea and various calculations. Recent work includes numerical modeling and practical field tests. (ERA citation 04:005990)