In urban areas with limited space, deep borehole heat exchangers (DBHE) are coupled with ground source heat pump systems (GSHPS) to extract geothermal energy for building heating purposes. They can exploit more heat than common shallow systems. In this thesis, the open source software OpenGeoSys (OGS) has been utilized to analyse the long-term behavior and temperature evolution in and around single and multiple DBHEs. Moreover, an analysis to reduce the computation time has been applied. This way, the simulation time could be shortened by almost 75% by adjusting the tolerance of the non-linear solver and using an automatic time stepping in a first step. With larger element sizes, which still provide a sufficient result precision, the required duration could be shortened to less than 2% compared to the first method. Especially between the top and the bottom a layer size of 100 m is sufficient. The thickness around the top and bottom, however, should be small to avoid numerical inaccuracies. In the first years of operation most of the energy is extracted by the lower parts of the DBHE. Throughout the years, the contribution along the depth becomes more homogeneous and more soil is influenced. In summer, the top approximately 900 m are not contributing to the heat extraction but instead losing heat to the soil because of a low energy demand, which leads to high inflow temperatures. Considering the results of the in- and outflow temperature evolution, a single DBHE should be preferred over multiple systems. Nonetheless, those can multiply the extractable heat in a certain area and could be more economical.:List of Figures . . . v List of Tables . . . vii 1 Introduction . . . 1 2 Theoretical Background . . . 4 2.1 BHE equations . . . 5 2.2 Thermal Resistance . . . 6 2.3 Exchange Area . . . 10 2.4 Coefficient of Performance . . . 10 2.5 OpenGeoSys Pipe Network Feature . . . 12 3 Modeling Scenarios . . . 14 3.1 Model Setups . . . 15 3.2 Model Verification . . . 16 3.3 Model Environment . . . 20 3.4 Initial and Boundary Conditions . . . 22 3.5 Investigation on Computation Time Influences . . . 24 4 Results and Discussion . . . 30 4.1 In- and Outflow Temperature Evolution . . . 30 4.2 Energy Distribution . . . 34 4.3 Soil Heat Flux . . . 40 4.3.1 Winter in 2nd year . . . 41 4.3.2 Summer in 2nd year . . . 44 4.3.3 Winter in 30th year . . . 47 4.3.4 Summer in 30th year . . . 49 4.4 DBHE Heat Flux . . . 51 4.5 Soil Heat Flux in the Multiple DBHE Case . . . 55 4.5.1 Line Setup . . . 56 4.5.2 Square Setup . . . 61 4.6 Numerical Inaccuracies . . . 65 5 Conclusion . . . 68

Numerical modelling of subsurface processes, such as geotechnical, geohydrological or geothermal applications requires a realistic description of fluid parameters in order to obtain plausible results. Particularly for gases, the properties of a fluid strongly depend on the primary variables of the simulated systems, which lead to non-linerarities in the governing equations. This thesis describes the development, evaluation and application of a numerical model for non-isothermal flow processes based on thermodynamic principles. Governing and constitutive equations of this model have been implemented into the open-source scientific FEM simulator OpenGeoSys. The model has been verified by several well-known benchmark tests for heat transport as well as for single- and multiphase flow. To describe physical fluid behaviour, highly accurate thermophysical property correlations of various fluids and fluid mixtures have been utilized. These correlations are functions of density and temperature. Thus, the accuracy of those correlations is strongly depending on the precision of the chosen equation of state (EOS), which provides a relation between the system state variables pressure, temperature, and composition. Complex multi-parameter EOSs reach a higher level of accuracy than general cubic equations, but lead to very expansive computing times. Therefore, a sensitivity analysis has been conducted to investigate the effects of EOS uncertainties on numerical simulation results. The comparison shows, that small differences in the density function may lead to significant discrepancies in the simulation results. Applying a compromise between precision and computational effort, a cubic EOS has been chosen for the simulation of the continuous injection of carbon dioxide into a depleted natural gas reservoir. In this simulation, real fluid behaviour has been considered. Interpreting the simulation results allows prognoses of CO2 propagation velocities and its distribution within the reservoir. These results are helpful and necessary for scheduling real injection strategies. / Für die numerische Modellierung von unterirdischen Prozessen, wie z. B. geotechnische, geohydrologische oder geothermische Anwendungen, ist eine möglichst genaue Beschreibung der Parameter der beteiligten Fluide notwendig, um plausible Ergebnisse zu erhalten. Fluideigenschaften, vor allem die Eigenschaften von Gasen, sind stark abhängig von den jeweiligen Primärvariablen der simulierten Prozesse. Dies führt zu Nicht-linearitäten in den prozessbeschreibenden partiellen Differentialgleichungen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Entwicklung, die Evaluierung und die Anwendung eines numerischen Modells für nicht-isotherme Strömungsprozesse in porösen Medien beschrieben, das auf thermodynamischen Grundlagen beruht. Strömungs-, Transport- und Materialgleichungen wurden in die open-source-Software-Plattform OpenGeoSys implementiert. Das entwickelte Modell wurde mittels verschiedener, namhafter Benchmark-Tests für Wärmetransport sowie für Ein- und Mehrphasenströmung verifiziert. Um physikalisches Fluidverhalten zu beschreiben, wurden hochgenaue Korrelationsfunktionen für mehrere relevante Fluide und deren Gemische verwendet. Diese Korrelationen sind Funktionen der Dichte und der Temperatur. Daher ist deren Genauigkeit von der Präzision der verwendeten Zustandsgleichungen abhängig, welche die Fluiddichte in Relation zu Druck- und Temperaturbedingungen sowie der Zusammensetzung von Gemischen beschreiben. Komplexe Zustandsgleichungen, die mittels einer Vielzahl von Parametern an Realgasverhalten angepasst wurden, erreichen ein viel höheres Maß an Genauigkeit als die einfacheren, kubischen Gleichungen. Andererseits führt deren Komplexität zu sehr langen Rechenzeiten. Um die Wahl einer geeigneten Zustandsgleichung zu vereinfachen, wurde eine Sensitivitätsanalyse durchgeführt, um die Auswirkungen von Unsicherheiten in der Dichtefunktion auf die numerischen Simulationsergebnisse zu untersuchen. Die Analyse ergibt, dass bereits kleine Unterschiede in der Zustandsgleichung zu erheblichen Abweichungen der Simulationsergebnisse untereinander führen können. Als ein Kompromiss zwischen Einfachheit und Rechenaufwand wurde für die Simulation einer enhanced gas recovery-Anwendung eine kubische Zustandsgleichung gewählt. Die Simulation sieht, unter Berücksichtigung des Realgasverhaltens, die kontinuierliche Injektion von CO2 in ein nahezu erschöpftes Erdgasreservoir vor. Die Interpretation der Ergebnisse erlaubt eine Prognose über die Ausbreitungsgeschwindigkeit des CO2 bzw. über dessen Verteilung im Reservoir. Diese Ergebnisse sind für die Planung von realen Injektionsanwendungen notwendig

Groundwater is the only fresh water resource in the semi-arid to hyper-arid Western Dead Sea catchment. Due to exploitation of groundwater the water level is decreasing in the surrounding Cretaceous aquifer system and sustainable water management is needed in order to prevent the progressive yields and contamination of those water resources. In addition, the water level of the Dead Sea decreases dramatically by at least one meter per year. This is connected to channel off the water from the Jordan River to supply intensive agriculture in the semi-arid to hyper-arid region. Hydrological and hydro-geological analysis and modelling in arid regions, like the study area, frequently suffer from data scarcity and uncertainties regarding rainfall and discharge measurements. The study showed that spatial and temporal interpolations as well as additional methods (e.g. empirical relationships and simultaneous numerical approaches) were suitable tools to overcome data shortage for modelling. Water balances are the result of a calibrated model and are the basis for sustainable management of surface and subsurface water resources. The present study investigates beside the hydrological characterisation of selected sub-catchments (wadis) also the hydro-geology of the Judean limestone aquifer and calculates a comprehensive water balance of the entire western flank of the Dead Sea by the application of two numerical open source codes: OpenGeoSys (OGS) and J2000g. The calibrated two-dimensional hydrological model J2000g provides a 33 years time series of temporal and spatial distributed groundwater recharge for the numerical groundwater flow model of OGS. The mean annual groundwater recharge of 139.9 · 10^6 m^3ˑ a^-1 is nearly completely depleted by abstractions from pumping wells close to the replenishment area in the Judea Mountains.

Numerical modelling of subsurface processes, such as geotechnical, geohydrological or geothermal applications requires a realistic description of fluid parameters in order to obtain plausible results. Particularly for gases, the properties of a fluid strongly depend on the primary variables of the simulated systems, which lead to non-linerarities in the governing equations. This thesis describes the development, evaluation and application of a numerical model for non-isothermal flow processes based on thermodynamic principles. Governing and constitutive equations of this model have been implemented into the open-source scientific FEM simulator OpenGeoSys. The model has been verified by several well-known benchmark tests for heat transport as well as for single- and multiphase flow. To describe physical fluid behaviour, highly accurate thermophysical property correlations of various fluids and fluid mixtures have been utilized. These correlations are functions of density and temperature. Thus, the accuracy of those correlations is strongly depending on the precision of the chosen equation of state (EOS), which provides a relation between the system state variables pressure, temperature, and composition. Complex multi-parameter EOSs reach a higher level of accuracy than general cubic equations, but lead to very expansive computing times. Therefore, a sensitivity analysis has been conducted to investigate the effects of EOS uncertainties on numerical simulation results. The comparison shows, that small differences in the density function may lead to significant discrepancies in the simulation results. Applying a compromise between precision and computational effort, a cubic EOS has been chosen for the simulation of the continuous injection of carbon dioxide into a depleted natural gas reservoir. In this simulation, real fluid behaviour has been considered. Interpreting the simulation results allows prognoses of CO2 propagation velocities and its distribution within the reservoir. These results are helpful and necessary for scheduling real injection strategies. / Für die numerische Modellierung von unterirdischen Prozessen, wie z. B. geotechnische, geohydrologische oder geothermische Anwendungen, ist eine möglichst genaue Beschreibung der Parameter der beteiligten Fluide notwendig, um plausible Ergebnisse zu erhalten. Fluideigenschaften, vor allem die Eigenschaften von Gasen, sind stark abhängig von den jeweiligen Primärvariablen der simulierten Prozesse. Dies führt zu Nicht-linearitäten in den prozessbeschreibenden partiellen Differentialgleichungen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Entwicklung, die Evaluierung und die Anwendung eines numerischen Modells für nicht-isotherme Strömungsprozesse in porösen Medien beschrieben, das auf thermodynamischen Grundlagen beruht. Strömungs-, Transport- und Materialgleichungen wurden in die open-source-Software-Plattform OpenGeoSys implementiert. Das entwickelte Modell wurde mittels verschiedener, namhafter Benchmark-Tests für Wärmetransport sowie für Ein- und Mehrphasenströmung verifiziert. Um physikalisches Fluidverhalten zu beschreiben, wurden hochgenaue Korrelationsfunktionen für mehrere relevante Fluide und deren Gemische verwendet. Diese Korrelationen sind Funktionen der Dichte und der Temperatur. Daher ist deren Genauigkeit von der Präzision der verwendeten Zustandsgleichungen abhängig, welche die Fluiddichte in Relation zu Druck- und Temperaturbedingungen sowie der Zusammensetzung von Gemischen beschreiben. Komplexe Zustandsgleichungen, die mittels einer Vielzahl von Parametern an Realgasverhalten angepasst wurden, erreichen ein viel höheres Maß an Genauigkeit als die einfacheren, kubischen Gleichungen. Andererseits führt deren Komplexität zu sehr langen Rechenzeiten. Um die Wahl einer geeigneten Zustandsgleichung zu vereinfachen, wurde eine Sensitivitätsanalyse durchgeführt, um die Auswirkungen von Unsicherheiten in der Dichtefunktion auf die numerischen Simulationsergebnisse zu untersuchen. Die Analyse ergibt, dass bereits kleine Unterschiede in der Zustandsgleichung zu erheblichen Abweichungen der Simulationsergebnisse untereinander führen können. Als ein Kompromiss zwischen Einfachheit und Rechenaufwand wurde für die Simulation einer enhanced gas recovery-Anwendung eine kubische Zustandsgleichung gewählt. Die Simulation sieht, unter Berücksichtigung des Realgasverhaltens, die kontinuierliche Injektion von CO2 in ein nahezu erschöpftes Erdgasreservoir vor. Die Interpretation der Ergebnisse erlaubt eine Prognose über die Ausbreitungsgeschwindigkeit des CO2 bzw. über dessen Verteilung im Reservoir. Diese Ergebnisse sind für die Planung von realen Injektionsanwendungen notwendig

Groundwater is the only fresh water resource in the semi-arid to hyper-arid Western Dead Sea catchment. Due to exploitation of groundwater the water level is decreasing in the surrounding Cretaceous aquifer system and sustainable water management is needed in order to prevent the progressive yields and contamination of those water resources. In addition, the water level of the Dead Sea decreases dramatically by at least one meter per year. This is connected to channel off the water from the Jordan River to supply intensive agriculture in the semi-arid to hyper-arid region. Hydrological and hydro-geological analysis and modelling in arid regions, like the study area, frequently suffer from data scarcity and uncertainties regarding rainfall and discharge measurements. The study showed that spatial and temporal interpolations as well as additional methods (e.g. empirical relationships and simultaneous numerical approaches) were suitable tools to overcome data shortage for modelling. Water balances are the result of a calibrated model and are the basis for sustainable management of surface and subsurface water resources. The present study investigates beside the hydrological characterisation of selected sub-catchments (wadis) also the hydro-geology of the Judean limestone aquifer and calculates a comprehensive water balance of the entire western flank of the Dead Sea by the application of two numerical open source codes: OpenGeoSys (OGS) and J2000g. The calibrated two-dimensional hydrological model J2000g provides a 33 years time series of temporal and spatial distributed groundwater recharge for the numerical groundwater flow model of OGS. The mean annual groundwater recharge of 139.9 · 10^6 m^3ˑ a^-1 is nearly completely depleted by abstractions from pumping wells close to the replenishment area in the Judea Mountains.:Acknowledgements Abstract Nomenclature Content List of Figures List of Tables 1 Introduction 1.1 Motivation 1.2 State of the Field 1.3 General research questions 1.4 Challenges 1.5 Structure of the Thesis 2 Theory and Methods 2.1 Data analysis 2.2 Governing equations 2.2.1 Surface Flow - Hydrological Model: J2000g 2.2.2 Subsurface Flow - Groundwater Flow Model: OpenGeoSys 2.3 Groundwater recharge 3 Study area 3.1 Study site selection 3.2 Geography 3.2.1 Climate 3.2.2 Soils 3.2.3 Vegetation 3.2.4 Land use 3.3 Hydrology 3.3.1 Wadis 3.3.2 Flashfloods 3.3.3 Dead Sea 3.4 Geology 3.5 Hydro-geology 3.5.1 Springs 3.5.2 Well fields 4 Hydrological Model 4.1 Conceptual Model 4.2 Hydrological Model J2000g 4.2.1 Data base 4.2.2 Simulation results from J2000g 5 Structural geological model 5.1 Stratigraphy 5.2 Database 5.3 Workflow 6 Numerical groundwater flow model 6.1 Work flow of 2D and 3D meshing 6.2 Parametrisation 6.3 Boundary conditions 6.4 Model Set-up 6.5 Calibration of Steady-State model 6.6 Transient Model 6.6.1 Model assumptions 6.6.2 Challenges 6.6.3 Preliminary results 7 Conclusions and Outlook 7.1 Important results from the hydrological model 7.2 Important results from the geological structural model 7.3 Important results from the hydro-geological model 7.4 Deficiencies 7.5 Outlook References 8 Enclosed Publications

In recent years, deep geothermal energy has been widely exploited through closed-loop borehole heat exchanger system for building heating. In order to precisely evaluate the sustainable heat extraction capacity and the impact of different designs and operating parameters, two heat transfer models are implemented in the open-source scientific software OpenGeoSys (OGS), with respect to the Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger (DBHE) and Enhanced U-tube Borehole Heat Exchanger (EUBHE) system. Besides, three types of boundary conditions are implemented, including the constant inflow temperature, the constant heat extraction rate, and constant building thermal power that integrates the ground source heat pump (GSHP) module. By applying the two BHE models, the influence of different designs and operating parameters on the GSHP system is evaluated. The sustainable heat extraction capacity and efficiency of a deep EUBHE system are predicted. Moreover, its performance and efficiency are further compared against the 2-DBHE array system that has the same total borehole length. It is found that the soil thermal conductivity is the most important parameter in the design of DBHE and EUBHE systems. The sustainable specific heat extraction rate of the EUBHE system is 86.5 W/m higher than an array with 2 DBHEs. Under the building thermal load of 1.225 MW, the total electricity consumed by the EUBHE system is approximately 27 % less than the 2-DBHE array over 10 years. The average Coefficient of System Performance (CSP) value of the EUBHE system is 1.66 higher over 10 heating seasons. The two numerical models implemented in the OpenGeoSys software can be used to predict and optimize the thermal characteristics of the closed-loop DBHE and EUBHE systems in real projects.

Bei oberflächennahen geothermischen Anwendungen kommt es zu Temperaturveränderungen im Untergrund, um Wärme zu gewinnen oder zu speichern. Die dadurch verursachten thermischen Auswirkungen können die thermischen, hydraulischen und chemischen Bedingungen des Untergrunds verändern und sich auf die Systemleistung auswirken. Die Situation wird noch komplizierter, wenn die Grundwasserleiter unterschiedlich gesättigt sind und eine Verunreinigung des Untergrunds vorliegt. In dieser Arbeit werden vollständig gekoppelte Wärme- und Stofftransportmodelle angewandt, um die Wechselwirkung zwischen oberflächennahen geothermischen Anwendungen und der unterirdischen Umgebung besser zu charakterisieren. Es werden drei verschiedene Szenarien untersucht. Zunächst werden die thermischen Auswirkungen und die Nachhaltigkeit einer intensiven oberflächennahen geothermischen Nutzung in einem Wohngebiet über einen Zeitraum von 24 Jahren bewertet. Überwachungsdaten des Standorts werden in das Modell integriert, und die Bedeutung standortspezifscher Kenntnisse für die Planung wird hervorgehoben. Zweitens wird der gekoppelte Feuchtigkeits- und Wärmetransport eines Erdwärmespeichersystems (BTES) untersucht. Es wird eine Sensitivitätsanalyse durchgeführt und die Wärmeentzugsefzienz zwischen verschiedenen Szenarien verglichen. Bei Austrocknung oder starker Gasphasenkonvektion werden signifkante Änderungen im Wärmetransportverhalten erwartet. Drittens wird ein nichtisothermes Drei-Komponenten-Zweiphasenströmungsmodell abgeleitet und mit der Finite-Elemente-Methode implementiert. Die Validierung des numerischen Modells bestätigt seine Fähigkeit, die gekoppelte Strömung sowie den Wärme- und Stofftransport in einem ungespannten Grundwasserleiter zu simulieren, der einem BTES-Betrieb ausgesetzt ist. Insbesondere wird das Potenzial für die thermisch verstärkte Verflüchtigung von Trichlorethylen (TCE) in wässriger Phase bewertet. Da durch die Wärmezufuhr eine Auftriebsströmung induziert wird, nimmt die Verringerung der Schadstoffmasse erheblich zu und erreicht nach fünf Jahren mehr als 70 %. Die in dieser Arbeit gewonnenen Erkenntnisse können durch die Verbesserung ihrer ökologischen und ökonomischen Leistungen zu einer breiteren Akzeptanz von Technologien der flachen Geothermie beitragen. / Shallow geothermal applications induce temperature changes in the subsurface for heat extraction or storage purposes. Their induced thermal impacts may alter the thermal, hydraulic, and chemical conditions of the subsurface and feedback on the system performance. The situation is further complicated in variably saturated aquifers and when subsurface contamination exists. In this work, fully coupled heat and mass transport models are applied to improve the characterization of interaction between shallow geothermal applications and the subsurface environment. Three different scenarios are investigated. First, the thermal impact and sustainability of intensive shallow geothermal exploitation in a residential area is evaluated over a 24-year period. Monitoring data from the site is integrated into the model and the importance of site-specifc knowledge for planning is highlighted. Second, the coupled moisture and heat transfer of a soil borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) system is explored. A sensitivity analysis is performed and the heat extraction efciency is compared among various scenarios. Signifcant changes in the heat transport behavior are expected when drying out or strong gas phase convection occurs. Third, a non-isothermal three-component two-phase flow model is derived and implemented with the fnite element method. Validation of the numerical model confrms its ability to simulate the coupled flow, heat and mass transport in an unconfned aquifer subject to BTES operation. In particular, the potential for thermally-enhanced volatilization of aqueousphase trichloroethylene (TCE) is assessed. As buoyant flow is induced due to heat injection, reduction of the contaminant mass grows considerably, reaching more than 70% after fve years. The fndings obtained from this thesis can contribute to a wider adoption of shallow geothermal technologies through the enhancement of their environmental and economical services.

A PhD dissertation which presented a numerical modelling study on the long-term behavior in the multiple borehole heat exchanger array system for sustainable utilisation of shallow geothermal energy.

Underground Research Laboratories (URLs) allow geoscientific in-situ experiments at large scale. At the Mont Terri URL in Switzerland, international research groups conduct numerous experiments in parallel. The measured and simulated data as well as research results obtained from them are highly relevant as they improve the general understanding of geological processes, for example in the context of radioactive waste disposal. Unfortunately, the data obtained at the test site is often only available to researchers who are directly involved in a particular experiment. Furthermore, typical visualisation techniques of such data by domain scientists often lack spatial context and accessing and exploring the data requires prior technical knowledge and a high level of effort.We created a digital replica of the Mont Terri URL and thereby implemented a prototype of a Virtual Experiment Information System that integrates highly heterogeneous data from several different sources. It allows accessing and exploring the relevant data embedded in its spatial context without much prior technical knowledge. Both, simulation results and observation data are displayed within the same system. The 4D visualisation approach focuses on three exemplary experiments conducted at Mont Terri and is easily transferable to other experiments or even other URLs. The Unity Game Engine has been used to develop the prototype. This allowed to build the application for various output devices like desktop computers or Virtual Reality hardware without much additional effort. The implemented system reduces the technical effort required to access and explore highly relevant research data and lowers the cognitive effort usually needed to gain insights from measurements, simulation models and context data. Moreover, it promotes exchange among research groups by enabling interactive visualisations embedded in the URL’s spatial context. In addition, a future use of the system for the communication of scientific methods and results to stakeholders or the general public is plausible.

In the published article, there was an error concerning the FE Experiment. Incorrect information was used regarding the heaters’ power and temperature. A correction has been made to Chapter 3: Visualisation of Selected Experiments, Sub-section 3.3 “Full- Scale Emplacement Experiment”, Paragraph 1. The sentence previously stated: “They work with up to 1,500W each and emit heat up to 195°C.” The corrected sentence now states: “They work with up to 1,350W each and emit heat up to 135°C.” The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated.