Brine in Geothermal Energy Systems
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "H: Geo-Energy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 6127
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Since the beginning of the 20th century, geothermal energy has been used to apply heat to produce electrical power and district heating. The rapid growth of the world’s energy use together with concerns about climate change have put a new focus on possibilities for geothermal energy as a renewable energy source.
However, scaling problems have limited the growth of new geothermal plants. Typically, high-saline water from heat reservoirs from about 1500 m or more below ground is pumped to the geothermal plant. Through a heat exchanger, district heating systems benefit from the heat and are often scaled up with the help of heat pumps. An electricity power unit can use high-temperature brine. If the salinity in the brine is high, a SaltPower unit can improve the sustainability of the installation.
The scaling problems principally arise in reinjection wells. Often, they are a result of the oxidation of Fe(II) from the brine. Another possibility is a decrease in permeability due to the interaction between the reinjected brine and the reservoir, resulting in the loosening of small clay-containing cements that decrease the amounts of connected porosities in the sandstone reservoir. In other cases, lead can precipitate in the reinjection well. In addition, silicates often cause scaling problems.
These problems seem to increase if the geothermal plant stops operating during summer time. Starting it up again often results in a decrease in permeability. An injection of chemicals can often help the situation. This Special Issue of the international journal Energies (Energies is an SSCI and SCIE journal with a 2019 IF = 2.702) aims to cover all aspects of “Brines in Geothermal Energy Systems”. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
- the origin of brine in a reservoir;
- interactions between brine and the solid formation;
- porosity and permeability changes;
- aspects of the flow of brine in a reservoir and the interaction of reinjected brine with original brine in the reservoir;
- pumping issues;
- precipitation of brine compounds in the geothermal plant or its production and reinjection wells; and
- chemicals for the treatment of scaling and scale inhibitors.
Papers selected for this Special Issue will be subject to a rigorous peer-review procedure with the aim of the rapid and wide dissemination of research results, developments, and applications.
I invite you to submit an original research paper or a review article to this Special Issue. I look forward to receiving your research.
Prof. Dr. Erik Gydesen Søgaard
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- identification of brine compounds from geothermal reservoirs
- changes in brine content with temperature
- scaling of brine compounds as a function of temperature, pressure, or flow
- brine in interaction with formation brine
- brine in interaction with a solid heat reservoir
- solutions to scaling problems
- chemicals in the geothermal industry
- SaltPower
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.
