Bench-Scale Experiments in the Stanford Geothermal Program

Abstract

The emphasis of the smaller scale laboratory of the Stanford Geothermal Program is on improving the understanding of the physics of flow through porous materials in a geothermal environment. Three major investigations are in progress: (1) examination of the phenomenon of vapor pressure lowering in porous media, (2) determination of the temperature dependence of absolute and relative permeabilities of steam and water in sandstones under high confining pressures, and (3) observation of steady and unsteady, single- and two-phase flows of water or brine through permeable cores. In addition, development continues on the dielectric constant liquid content detector--a device which would prove extremely useful in these and subsequent experiments.