Analytically estimating the efficiency of high temperature aquifer thermal energy storage

David Geerts; Alexandros Daniilidis; Gert Jan Kramer; Martin Bloemendal; Wen Liu

doi:10.1186/s40517-025-00343-8

Analytically estimating the efficiency of high temperature aquifer thermal energy storage

David Geerts^*, Alexandros Daniilidis, Gert Jan Kramer, Martin Bloemendal, Wen Liu

^*Corresponding author for this work

Sustainable Energy Supply Systems

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

High-Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (HT-ATES) can be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heating. The thermal recovery efficiency is the main parameter indicating the performance of an HT-ATES system and it is influenced by multiple aquifer properties and storage characteristics. This study presents a method for estimating recovery efficiency through numerical modeling, data analysis, and curve fitting. This method shows the relation between the recovery efficiency and various storage conditions, such as aquifer properties and storage temperature. In addition, this research explores an analytical relationship between energetic efficiency and recovery efficiency and verifies that relationship with the generated data. The proposed method can be used for the purpose of initial screening to estimate the performance of an HT-ATES system and for efficiently using HT-ATES as a component in larger energy system models. This method uses the modified Rayleigh number in combination with aquifer thickness and injected volume and has a R2 of 85%. The analytical relation between energetic efficiency and recovery efficiency was shown to be accurate for all calculated energetic efficiency values above 60% and is less accurate with lower calculated energetic efficiency values.

Original language	English
Article number	17
Journal	Geothermal Energy
Volume	13
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/s40517-025-00343-8
Publication status	Published - 22 Apr 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025.

Funding

This work was funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme (grant no. 1011096566). Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.

Funders	Funder number
European Union	1011096566

Keywords

Analytical approach
Energetic efficiency
High-Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (HT-ATES)
Recovery efficiency

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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s40517-025-00343-8Final published version, 2.13 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Analytically estimating the efficiency of high temperature aquifer thermal energy storage",

abstract = "High-Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (HT-ATES) can be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heating. The thermal recovery efficiency is the main parameter indicating the performance of an HT-ATES system and it is influenced by multiple aquifer properties and storage characteristics. This study presents a method for estimating recovery efficiency through numerical modeling, data analysis, and curve fitting. This method shows the relation between the recovery efficiency and various storage conditions, such as aquifer properties and storage temperature. In addition, this research explores an analytical relationship between energetic efficiency and recovery efficiency and verifies that relationship with the generated data. The proposed method can be used for the purpose of initial screening to estimate the performance of an HT-ATES system and for efficiently using HT-ATES as a component in larger energy system models. This method uses the modified Rayleigh number in combination with aquifer thickness and injected volume and has a R2 of 85%. The analytical relation between energetic efficiency and recovery efficiency was shown to be accurate for all calculated energetic efficiency values above 60% and is less accurate with lower calculated energetic efficiency values.",

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author = "David Geerts and Alexandros Daniilidis and Kramer, {Gert Jan} and Martin Bloemendal and Wen Liu",

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AU - Geerts, David

AU - Daniilidis, Alexandros

AU - Kramer, Gert Jan

AU - Bloemendal, Martin

AU - Liu, Wen

PY - 2025/4/22

Y1 - 2025/4/22

N2 - High-Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (HT-ATES) can be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heating. The thermal recovery efficiency is the main parameter indicating the performance of an HT-ATES system and it is influenced by multiple aquifer properties and storage characteristics. This study presents a method for estimating recovery efficiency through numerical modeling, data analysis, and curve fitting. This method shows the relation between the recovery efficiency and various storage conditions, such as aquifer properties and storage temperature. In addition, this research explores an analytical relationship between energetic efficiency and recovery efficiency and verifies that relationship with the generated data. The proposed method can be used for the purpose of initial screening to estimate the performance of an HT-ATES system and for efficiently using HT-ATES as a component in larger energy system models. This method uses the modified Rayleigh number in combination with aquifer thickness and injected volume and has a R2 of 85%. The analytical relation between energetic efficiency and recovery efficiency was shown to be accurate for all calculated energetic efficiency values above 60% and is less accurate with lower calculated energetic efficiency values.

AB - High-Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (HT-ATES) can be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heating. The thermal recovery efficiency is the main parameter indicating the performance of an HT-ATES system and it is influenced by multiple aquifer properties and storage characteristics. This study presents a method for estimating recovery efficiency through numerical modeling, data analysis, and curve fitting. This method shows the relation between the recovery efficiency and various storage conditions, such as aquifer properties and storage temperature. In addition, this research explores an analytical relationship between energetic efficiency and recovery efficiency and verifies that relationship with the generated data. The proposed method can be used for the purpose of initial screening to estimate the performance of an HT-ATES system and for efficiently using HT-ATES as a component in larger energy system models. This method uses the modified Rayleigh number in combination with aquifer thickness and injected volume and has a R2 of 85%. The analytical relation between energetic efficiency and recovery efficiency was shown to be accurate for all calculated energetic efficiency values above 60% and is less accurate with lower calculated energetic efficiency values.

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Analytically estimating the efficiency of high temperature aquifer thermal energy storage

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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