Methods for producing a geothermal well
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional geothermal well drilling methods are inefficient and costly due to the need for multiple vertical wellbores, which require frequent equipment relocation and management of multiple connections, leading to increased drilling and maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the design and drilling of a geothermal well with a plurality of non-vertical wellbores originating from a shared wellhead, utilizing a machine learning model to optimize wellbore orientations and lengths based on site and drilling parameters to maximize thermal recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If multiple vertical wellbores are drilled, then thermal recovery capacity is improved, but drilling and maintenance costs increase due to frequent equipment relocation and management of multiple connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple wellbores into a single horizontal wellbore that extends laterally through the geological formation. Instead of drilling multiple separate vertical wellbores that require individual equipment setup and relocation, the invention uses one horizontal wellbore to access multiple subsurface locations, thereby reducing equipment relocation frequency and management complexity while maintaining thermal recovery capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from vertical wellbore orientation to horizontal wellbore orientation. By drilling horizontally at a shallow angle (e.g., 5-15 degrees) from the surface, the wellbore can extend laterally for hundreds of meters, effectively accessing multiple thermal zones in a single continuous borehole, thus eliminating the need for multiple vertical wellbores and their associated equipment relocation
2Loss of energy
If multiple vertical wellbores are positioned to cover building thermal needs, then thermal coverage is improved, but site space requirements and wellbore spacing management become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses horizontal wellbores that extend laterally through the subsurface, allowing thermal exchange zones to be distributed over a large horizontal area while requiring minimal surface space. The wellbore can meander or change direction at depth to cover extensive building footprints, whereas vertical wellbores would require proportional surface area for each wellhead location
3Loss of energy
If wellbore orientations and lengths are optimized using machine learning, then thermal recovery efficiency is improved, but computational complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary optimization of wellbore orientations and lengths using machine learning models before drilling begins. By pre-calculating the optimal wellbore configuration based on site-specific geological data and thermal requirements, the system eliminates the need for complex real-time adjustments during drilling operations, thereby reducing computational complexity during the actual drilling phase
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses machine learning models trained on historical geothermal data to predict optimal wellbore configurations for new sites. The model creates a virtual representation of the subsurface thermal field and simulates different wellbore scenarios to identify the most efficient configuration, reducing the need for extensive physical trial-and-error drilling
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces drilling and maintenance costs while enhancing thermal recovery efficiency by optimizing wellbore placement within geological constraints, ensuring effective heat exchange across the array of wellbores.
Implementation Method 1
The BHEs transfer heat between a home, office, or other building primarily above ground with the geologic formation underground
Implementation Method 2
The array of wellbores is configured to distribute the wellbores throughout the site volume to maximize thermal recovery
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A method of producing a geothermal well includes obtaining site information including at least a site volume; obtaining drilling parameters; determining lengths and orientations of planned wellbores based at least partially on the site information and the drilling parameters.