Finite element modelling of heat transfer through permeable cracks in hydrothermal systems with upward throughflow

Abstract

We use the finite element method to model the heat transfer phenomenon through permeable cracks in hydrothermal systems with upward throughflow. Since the finite element method is an approximate numerical method, the method must be validated before it is used to solve any new kind of problem. However, the analytical solution, which can be used to validate the finite element method and other numerical methods, is rather limited in the literature, especially for the problem considered here. Keeping this in mind, we have derived analytical solutions for the temperature distribution along the vertical axis of a crack in a fluid‐saturated porous layer. After the finite element method is validated by comparing the numerical solution with the analytical solution for the same benchmark problem, it is used to investigate the pore‐fluid flow and heat transfer in layered hydrothermal systems with vertical permeable cracks. The related analytical and numerical results have demonstrated that vertical cracks are effective and efficient members to transfer heat energy from the bottom section to the top section in hydrothermal systems with upward throughflow.

Citation

Zhao, C., Lin, G., Hobbs, B.E., Mühlhaus, H.B., Ord, A. and Wang, Y. (2001), "Finite element modelling of heat transfer through permeable cracks in hydrothermal systems with upward throughflow", Engineering Computations, Vol. 18 No. 7, pp. 996-1011. https://doi.org/10.1108/02644400110404000