Coupled hydraulic, thermal and mechanical considerations for the simulation of hot dry rock reservoirs Original Research Article

The coupled hydro-thermo-mechanical response of a fractured media to forced fluid flow in a simple Hot-Dry-Rock (HDR) system is investigated. The geometry, a single fracture in a 21) matrix, was chosen in order to better understand the relevant processes for the long term behaviour of HDR reservoir. Linear elastic effects of temperature and pore pressure perturbations on stress in the solid matrix are assumed as well as a non-linear joint closure law. Thermal transport by both conduction and advection is included in the fracture and the matrix. The results of these models highlight the importance of the coupled hydraulic thermal and mechanical processes on long term system behaviour.