STOMP

Thermal Properties Card Options (GT)

STOMP-GT solves a conservation of energy equation that considers heat transport via conduction through the rock/soil grains and pore-filing fluids, heat transport via fluid advection, balanced by changes in the internal energy of rock/soil grains and pore-filing fluids.  The Thermal Properties Card allows the user to specify thermal conductivity models and parameters and the specific heat of the rock/soil.  Thermal properties specified through this card are considered to be intrinsic properties of the rock/soil.

Two thermal conductivity models are available in STOMP-GT:

  1. Parallel Thermal Conductivity Model
  2. Somerton Thermal Conductivity Model

Parallel Model

The parallel function option requires the user to specify the rock/soil grain thermal conductivity.  The effective thermal conductivity of the grid-cell then depends on the porosity, saturation states of the fluids, and the thermal conductivity of the fluids.  The parallel function is a simple volume-weighted averaging model. 

 

 

Where ke is the equivalent thermal conductivity tensor (W/m K); ks  is the porous media thermal conductivity tensor (W/m K); φ is the diffusive porosity, Sl, Sh, Si, Sn, and Sg are the phase saturations; and kl, kh, ki, kn, and kg are the thermal conductivities of each phase. 

Somerton Model

The Somerton function [1,2] requires the user to specify the dry bulk rock/soil thermal conductivity and the aqueous-wet bulk rock/soil thermal conductivity.  The effective thermal conductivity of the grid cell then depends on the aqueous saturation of the grid cell.  The grain specific heat refers to the specific heat of the rock/soil grains, not the bulk specific heat.

 

 

Where ke is the equivalent thermal conductivity tensor (W/m K); keun equivalent thermal conductivity tensor (unsaturated conditions) (W/m K); and kesat equivalent thermal conductivity tensor (saturated conditions) (W/m K).

References

[1] Somerton, W. H., A. H. El-shaarani, and S. M. Mobarak. 1974. “High temperature behavior of rocks associated with geothermal type reservoirs.” Paper SPE-4897, presented at the 44th Annual California Regional Meeting of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, San Francisco, California.

[2] Somerton, W. H., J. A. Keese, and S. L. Chu. 1973. “Thermal behavior of unconsolidated oil sands.” Paper SPE-4506, presented at the 48th Annual Fall Meeting of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Las Vegas, Nevada.

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