(Courtesy Bronkhorst) |
the hot water to exploit its heat, for example in a power plant. However, there is a catch. In 4-5 km the permeability of the rock is low and need to be enhanced through high pressure fluid injections. This pressure increase can cause induced seismic events.
At the Grimsel Rock Laboratory (owned by NAGRA - National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste), ETH Zürich investigates under which conditions such induced earthquakes occur and how the magnitude
of such earthquakes can be reduced to be not felt at the earth's surface.
Bronkhorst mass flow controllers are used in their experiments to simulate the
geothermal energy generation process by controlled supply of water flows into the subterranean rocks.
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