Large scale utilization Engineering Department and A. Louis London cal Engineering Department Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305 on of geothermal energy will require means for enhanced energy extraction from geothermal reservoirs since the higher quality hydrothermal resources adequate for commercial electricity generation represent only a small fraction of the estimated resource base. Technologies are being developed for artificial fracturing of hydrothermal and dry hot rock geothermal resources to obtain adequate permeability for water circulation and to expose new rock surface area. Non-isothermal processes such as inplace boiling or artificial circulation of cooler fluids can be used to extract the energy from the fractured formation. To evaluate non-isothermal heat transfer processes, physical model studies were conducted in the Stanford Geothermal Program fractured-rock reservoir model capable of operating at a maximum pressure of 800 psig at 500?F. The 17-ft 3 physical model has been described previously [Hunsbedt, Kruger, and London (1975), Hunsbedt (1975), and Hunsbedt, Kruger and London (1976)]. A summary of the characteristics of the relatively large fracture-permeability rock systems tested in the model are summarized in Table 1. The porosity and permeability characteristics of these systems resembled those of fracture-stimulated created by high-energy explosives.

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