Science & Technology: Experiments to Simulate the Geothermal Energy Generation Process

Reducing earthquakes when exploiting geothermal energy (Bronkhorst High-Tech)

(Courtesy Bronkhorst)

Geothermal energy seems to be a good replacement for a part of the currently used nuclear energy in Switzerland. The idea itself is quite simple: pump cold water into the earth’s crust, allow it to be heated by earth's heat, and pump up
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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