Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 17, 2025

Asymmetric Thermoelectrochemical Cell for Harvesting Low-grade Heat under Isothermal Operation
Published on: February 5, 2020
On the limitations of closed-loop geothermal systems for electricity generation outside high-geothermal gradient
Sri Kalyan Tangirala1,2, Víctor Vilarrasa3
1Global Change Research Group (GCRG), IMEDEA-CSIC-UIB, Esporles, Spain. srikalyan.tangirala@csic.es.
None:
Closed-Loop Geothermal Systems (CLGS) involve connecting the injection and production wells through several borehole-sized parallel laterals instead of circulating a working fluid through a fracture network. Companies have garnered millions of dollars in investments on the claim that CLGS is truly scalable for both heating and electricity generation purposes. We show that high flow rates in the laterals lead to a steep drop in production temperatures because of a rapid cooling of the rock matrix surrounding the wells. Overcoming this physical limitation of CLGS demands an expensive task of drilling several multilaterals to reduce the lateral flow rate. Yet, simulation results indicate that, for a reservoir temperature of 180 °C, the total revenue of these systems fail to recover the lifetime costs incurred, even with 30 multilaterals and a production rate of 75 kg/s, which clearly indicates that CLGS are not scalable for solely electricity generation.
More Related Videos
10:19A CO2 Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO2 Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function
Published on: November 21, 2015
07:40A Gusseted Thermogradient Table to Control Soil Temperatures for Evaluating Plant Growth and Monitoring Soil Processes
Published on: October 22, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Energy Line and Hydraulic Gradient Line
Induced Electric Fields: Applications
Divergence and Curl of Electric Field
Equipotential Surfaces and Conductors
Control System Problem
When forming a closed-loop system, issues can arise if the poles cross into the unstable region, leading to potential...
Control of Power Flow