Multi-fluid renewable geo-energy systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9739509-B2
Application number	US-201414310070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2014
Priority date	Jun 20, 2014
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A geo-energy production method for extracting thermal energy from a reservoir formation. A production well extracts brine from the reservoir formation. A plurality of working fluid injection (“WFI”) wells may be arranged proximate to the production well to at least partially circumscribe the production well. A plurality of brine production (“BP”) wells may be arranged in a vicinity of the WFI wells to at least partially circumscribe the WFI wells. A working fluid is injected into the WFI wells to help drive a flow of the brine up through the production and BP wells, together with at least a portion of the injected working fluid. Parasitic-load time-shifting and to storing of excess solar thermal energy may also be performed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A geo-energy production method for extracting thermal energy from a reservoir formation, the method comprising:
using an at least one production well to extract native brine from the reservoir formation, the at least one production well being disposed at a first elevation within a native brine reservoir of the reservoir formation, and below a gas cap layer of the native brine reservoir formation;
using at least one first supplemental working fluid production well at a second elevation above the at least one production well, and within the gas cap layer of the native brine reservoir formation;
arranging a plurality of supplemental working fluid injection wells in a vicinity of the at least one production well to at least partially circumscribe the at least one production well;
arranging a plurality of brine re-injection wells around the plurality of supplemental working fluid injection wells, to generally circumscribe the plurality of supplemental working fluid injection wells, and further such that a first one of the plurality of brine re-injection wells is located at a different depth from a second one of the plurality of brine re-injection wells;
injecting a working fluid into the supplemental working fluid injection wells to augment a pressure in the native brine reservoir formation, to thus drive a flow of the native brine up from the native brine reservoir formation through the at least one production well and up through the at least one first supplemental working fluid production well, together with at least a portion of the injected working fluid;
re-injecting the native brine into the reservoir formation to create a region circumscribing the supplemental working fluid injection wells that forms a hydraulic divide, the hydraulic divide creating a region of overpressure around the native brine reservoir formation; and
managing a parasitic load associated with the injection of the working fluid, which enables extraction of native brine from the native brine reservoir formation, in a manner to influence a net power output of an electrical power plant associated with an electrical power grid, in a manner which responds to power needs on the electrical power grid.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the power needs represent real-time power needs or projected power needs.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the net power output of the electrical plant comprises using bulk energy storage, and wherein the bulk energy storage includes at least one of:
time-shifting a parasitic load associated with operation of the supplemental working fluid injection wells;
modulating a parasitic load associated with operation of the supplemental working fluid injection wells; or
modulating working fluid production.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the working fluid to achieve thermal energy storage, the thermal energy storage including at least one of:
heated thermal energy storage; or
chilled thermal energy storage; and
wherein a thermal energy source used to achieve the thermal energy storage includes at least one of solar thermal energy, waste heat, or chilled thermal energy.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of supplemental working fluid injection wells form a generally concentric ring around the at least one production well; and
further including a plurality of brine production wells arranged to form a generally concentric ring around the supplemental working fluid injection wells.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the brine re-injection wells form a ring that circumscribes the supplemental working fluid injection wells.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the working fluid injected into the supplemental working fluid injection wells comprises at least one of:
nitrogen, N 2 ;
carbon dioxide, CO 2 ;
water supplied from an external source;
water comprising effluent from a waste-water treatment facility;
brine supplied from a separate reservoir formation; or
brine comprising effluent from a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the working fluid comprises at least one of:
native brine;
water supplied from an external source;
water comprising effluent from a waste-water treatment facility;
brine supplied from a separate reservoir formation; or
brine comprising effluent from a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
using the geo-energy production method to supplement power being provided to the electrical power grid;
controlling a parasitic load associated with accessing, pressurizing, and injecting the working fluid so that acquisition, pressurization, and injection of the working fluid can be scheduled to occur during a period of at least one of:
when the supply of electrical power exceeds a demand for electrical power on the electrical power grid and there is a need to store bulk energy
when the supply of electrical power exceeds a demand for electrical power on the electrical power grid and there is a need to store, in a modulated manner, bulk energy and
when a demand for electrical power on the electrical power grid exceeds the supply of the electrical power available from the electrical power grid and there is a need to modulate the net power supplied to the electrical power grid.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising controlling the parasitic load in relation to an availability of at least one of:
solar thermal energy (STE);
chilled thermal energy (CTE); or
wind power; and
wherein at least one of the STE or the wind power is being used to generate electrical power being supplied to the electrical power grid.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the working fluid is thermally-augmented using at least one of:
waste heat;
solar thermal energy (STE);
solar thermal energy in connection with waste heat; or
chilled thermal energy (CTE); and
wherein the working fluid comprises at least one of:
native brine;
water supplied from an external source;
water comprising effluent from a waste-water treatment facility;
brine supplied from a separate reservoir formation;
brine comprising effluent from a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant;
nitrogen (N 2 ); or
carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising thermally augmenting the native brine and/or water that has been temporarily stored at a surface-located reservoir by using at least one of:
waste heat;
solar thermal energy (STE);
solar thermal energy in connection with waste heat; or
chilled thermal energy; and
wherein the surface-located reservoir allows the parasitic load associated with the pressurization and injection of the thermally augmented brine to be scheduled in a manner that responds to at least one of:
the power needs of the electrical power grid;
the availability of waste heat;
the availability of solar thermal energy (STE); or
the availability of chilled thermal energy (CTE).

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the working fluid is pre-heated native brine, using a series looping arrangement involving at least two subsurface reservoirs comprising:
initially injecting the native brine into a first subsurface reservoir to produce a preheated brine; and
subsequently removing the preheated brine from the first subsurface reservoir and injecting the preheated brine into at least one of the supplemental working fluid injection wells in the a second subsurface reservoir, to slow down the rate of thermal depletion of the second subsurface reservoir; and
wherein the option exists for parasitic load associated with the pressurization and injecti

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc
• Lawrence Livermore Nat Laboratory

Inventors

• Buscheck Thomas A

Classifications

• F24J3/085 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F24J2003/089

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• Y02E60/15

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02E70/30

  Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin · CPC title

• Y02E60/142

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic