Derivation, by Averaging, of the Equations of Heat, Mass and Momentum Transfer in a Geothermal Reservoir

Abstract

The following paper is an abstract of a report under completion at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (Assens, 1977); the main purpose of this report is to (1) provide a mathematical derivation of the equations describing the transfer of heat, mass and momentum in a geothermal brine reservoir ( especially when heat or mass sources are present), and (2) help in the choice of the dependent variables best suited for solving these equations numerically.

The basic tool is an averaging procedure that allows the derivation of the transport equations in a porous medium from the level of the pores, where each of the solid, liquid and fluid constituents is considered as a separate continuum, to a grosser level where the medium in which transport takes place is itself considered as a continuum without reference to its three components.