Research
Innovative experiments in a geothermal reservoir simulator
"A key task of research with the GeoLaB will be to improve our understanding of induced seismicity and to experimentally demonstrate measures to prevent it."
Prof. Dr. Thomas Kohl, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Experimental setup (schematic illustration) with access tunnels, faults and fractures in the rock body, observation boreholes from the surface and from the underground laboratory, sensors on the surface and in the laboratory
The research objective of GeoLaB is to develop environmentally friendly, innovative geothermal technologies on a scientific basis. Special attention is paid to close interaction with society. The following goals are addressed in GeoLaB:
- Multidisciplinary research into coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-(bio)chemical processes (THMC) with state-of-the-art visualization and a "digital twin"
- Flow experiments under controlled conditions (CHFE - Controlled High-Flow Experiments) as the basis for efficient and sustainable management of fractured reservoirs
- Development of efficient and environmentally friendly construction and utilization strategies for underground facilities
- Development of strategies for transparent interaction between research and society in the context of research infrastructures
The complex processes that take place in crystalline rock during deep geothermal utilization are hidden deep underground and cannot be adequately observed for research purposes from a borehole or the surface. The Black Forest and Odenwald offer science a unique opportunity: the reservoir rock of the Upper Rhine Graben, which lies at a depth of several kilometers, has been raised here and is accessible to science. Scientific experiments could therefore be carried out here from a tunnel under conditions similar to those in the reservoir. The processes involved can be observed three-dimensionally from the underground laboratory using a dense network of sensors. State-of-the-art monitoring and analysis tools are used.
The planned experiments can thus make a significant contribution to understanding the complex processes that occur during the development and operation of EGS systems (Enhanced Geothermal Systems). Such a sound understanding is the basis for the safe and sustainable use of geothermal energy from a socio-economic and ecological point of view. This is particularly important with regard to induced seismicity.
The development of a new technology benefits from international cooperation. GeoLaB therefore aims to create synergies with complementary underground laboratories and projects worldwide. GeoLaB has the potential to have a lasting impact on the geosciences.
"The use and development of state-of-the-art observation and evaluation methods with the GeoLaB will shape the safe and ecologically sustainable use of geothermal energy and the underground space."
Prof. Dr. Eva Schill, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Classification of the GeoLaB investigation scale
GeoLaB closes the research gap between laboratory investigations and tests in a real geothermal project with deep boreholes. This means that the underground laboratory forms a scientific bridge between investigations on a very small scale and the application reservoir scale. This means that the planned tests in the GeoLaB are an order of magnitude smaller than applications and tests in a geothermal project.
This means also that the response behavior of the subsurface is an order of magnitude smaller. Results from the underground laboratory must be interpreted and transferred to geothermal projects. This is where a major advantage of underground laboratories comes into play: the measurement density is greater than is possible on a real scale in a deep reservoir. This means that processes in the rock can be controlled, observed and described more precisely.
The scales of scientific investigations in geothermal research range from the nano- and microscale in the nanometer and micrometer range to the kilometer scale of geothermal reservoirs deep underground. Scientific tools, measuring instruments and methods cover the entire spectrum, from microscopes and magnifying glasses to geophysical measurements of large areas.
