Assessment for geothermal energy utilization in the riverbank filtration facility

강변여과수 시설에서의 지열에너지 활용 가능성 평가

Riverbank filtration is a kind of artificial aquifer recharge for the fresh water supply. By construction of several production wells penetrating the riverbank, surface water withdrawn from the river would pass riverbed. This extracted water is well known to be cooler than surface water in summer and warmer than surface water in winter, showing more constant water temperature. This characteristic of extracted water is applied to geothermal energy utilization. Prediction of the annual temperature variation of filtrated water is the major concern in this study. In Daesan-myeon, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, riverbank filtration facility has been on its operation for municipal water supply and thermal energy utilization since 2006. Appropriate hydraulic and thermal properties were estimated for flow and heat transfer modeling with given pumping rate and location. With the calibrated material properties and boundary conditions, we numerically reproduced measured head and temperature variation with acceptable error range. In the numerical simulation, the change of saturation ratio and river stage caused by rainfall was calculated and the resulting variation of thermal capacity and thermal conductivity was considered. Simulated temperature profiles can be used to assess the possible efficiency of geothermal energy utilization using riverbank filtration facility. Influence of pumping rate, pumping location on the extracted water temperature will be studied.