A revised method for heat flux measurement with applications to the fracture-controlled Kangding geothermal system in the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis. (January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Yingchun; Pang, Zhonghe; Hao, Yinlei; Fan, Yifan; Tian, Jiao; Li, Jie
• Is Part Of: Geothermics. Volume 77(2019)
• Page Start: 188
• Page End: 203
• Publication Date: 2019-01
• Subjects: Heat flux -- Geo-temperature gradient -- Sequential Gaussian simulation -- Kangding geothermal system -- Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis; Hydrogeology -- Periodicals; Geothermal resources -- Periodicals; Énergie géothermique -- Périodiques; GEOTHERMAL ENGINEERING; GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION; Geothermal resources; Hydrogeology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 621.44
• DOI: 10.1016/j.geothermics.2018.09.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0375-6505

Abstract

Highlights: A revised approach to evaluate surface heat loss of a fracture-controlled geothermal system is presented, which includes updated field and lab work procedures. The new method has been tested in a typical geothermal system in the Himalayan Geothermal Belt: the Kangding geothermal system. Thermal energy release of a geothermal system in a compressive tectonic background could be very high. Abstract: A revised heat flux method to evaluate heat loss of a fracture-controlled geothermal system is presented, which includes updated field and lab procedures. The method is applied to the heat discharge study on two geothermal areas of the Kangding geothermal system in the western Sichuan plateau, namely the 0.32 km 2 Yulingong Thermal Area (YLGTA) and the 0.87 km 2 Zhonggu Thermal Area (ZGTA). Conductive heat flux is evaluated based on soil temperature measurements in the field at roughly 500 points and soil thermal conductivity measurements in the laboratory which amounts to 7.6 ± 0.2 MW and 10.5 ± 0.2 MW in the YLGTA and ZGTA, respectively. Convective heat released from soils amounts to 1.5 ± 0.5 MW and 0.5 ± 0.1 MW in the YLGTA and ZGTA, respectively. Heat released from hot springs is valued at 5.4 ± 1.1 MW and 0.9 ± 0.2 MW in the YLGTA and ZGTA, respectively. Total heat release from these estimates results of 14.5 ± 1.1 MW and 11.9 ± 0.2 MW in the YLGTA and ZGTA, respectively. The average heat fluxes of the YLGTA (45 ± 3 W m −2 ) and the ZGTA (14 ± 1 W m −2 ) are consistent with results found at many other volcanic-hydrothermal areas suggesting that geothermal system in compressive tectonic background without volcanic activity may have high thermal energy to be exploited.