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US 11,029,062 B2Granted
Geothermal heat mining system
AssigneeStrabo Engineering, LLC
InventorBenjamin Holtzman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A geothermal heat mining system can operate within a single primary borehole in a geothermal reservoir. A primary fluid loop can include a cold working fluid line leading into the primary borehole and a hot working fluid line coming out of the primary borehole. A secondary fluid loop can be located down the primary borehole, where the secondary fluid loop is in thermal contact with the geothermal reservoir. A downhole heat mining device can control a rate of heat transfer from the secondary fluid loop to the primary fluid loop by selectively controlling fluid flow through the primary fluid loop, the secondary fluid loop, or both.
Claims22
A geothermal heat mining system, comprising:
- a single primary borehole in a geothermal reservoir;
- a primary fluid loop comprising a cold working fluid line leading into the primary borehole and a hot working fluid line coming out of the primary borehole;
- a secondary fluid loop located down the primary borehole, wherein the secondary fluid loop is in thermal contact with the geothermal reservoir, wherein the secondary fluid loop is adapted to circulate a fluid isolated from the primary fluid loop, and wherein the secondary fluid loop flows within a lateral secondary borehole formed in the geothermal reservoir extending out from the primary borehole;
- and
- a downhole heat mining device to control a rate of heat transfer from the secondary fluid loop to the primary fluid loop by selectively controlling fluid flow through the primary fluid loop, the secondary fluid loop, or both, wherein the downhole heat mining device comprises
- a heat exchanger having the primary fluid loop connected to a cold side and the secondary fluid loop connected to a hot side and wherein the heat mining device further comprises a pump in the secondary fluid loop to control the fluid flow through the secondary fluid loop;
- and
- a lateral drilling head oriented outward from the heat mining device to drill the secondary borehole transverse to the primary borehole.
5 more elements
A downhole geothermal heat mining device, comprising:
- a device body shaped to be lowered down a primary borehole;
- a cold working fluid inlet connectable to a cold working fluid line that leads down the primary borehole;
- a hot working fluid outlet connectable to a hot working fluid line that leads up the primary borehole, wherein the cold working fluid line and the hot working fluid line form a primary fluid loop;
- a controller adapted to control a rate of heat transfer to the primary fluid loop from a secondary fluid loop, wherein the secondary fluid loop is located down the primary borehole, wherein the secondary fluid loop is in thermal contact with a geothermal reservoir, and wherein the controller controls the rate of heat transfer by selectively controlling fluid flow through the primary fluid loop, the secondary fluid loop, or both;
- a heat exchanger adapted to connect to the primary fluid loop on a cold side and adapted to connect to the secondary fluid loop on a hot side;
- a pump adapted to control the fluid flow through the secondary fluid loop;
- and
- a lateral drilling head oriented outward from the device to drill a secondary borehole transverse to the primary borehole, wherein the secondary fluid loop includes the secondary borehole.
5 more elements
A geothermal heat mining method, comprising:
- forming a single primary borehole;
- placing a geothermal heat mining device downhole in the primary borehole, wherein the heat mining device comprises a lateral drilling head oriented outward from the heat mining device;
- forming a primary fluid loop comprising a cold working fluid line leading into the primary borehole and a hot working fluid line coming out of the primary borehole;
- forming a secondary fluid loop located down the primary borehole which includes drilling a lateral secondary borehole extending out from the primary borehole using the lateral drilling head, wherein the secondary fluid loop is in thermal contact with the geothermal reservoir;
- transferring heat from the secondary fluid loop to an energy storage or production unit outside the primary borehole via the primary fluid loop;
- and
- controlling a rate of heat transfer from the secondary fluid loop to the primary fluid loop by selectively controlling fluid flow through the primary fluid loop, the secondary fluid loop, or both.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.