Abstract:
Geothermal resources are mostly stored underground in the form of hot dry rock. Their large-scale development and utilization are of great significance for constructing new-type power systems and promoting the transformation of the energy structure. Super-long gravity heat pipe (SLGHP) possess promising application potential in the exploitation of hot dry rock geothermal resources. Firstly, to address the challenge of high equipment cost of conventional SLGHP, a low-cost constructive super-long gravity heat pipe (CSLGHP) scheme is introduced. This scheme consists of a top steam power generation unit, a pipe body partially penetrating into the rock formation, and a heat-extraction borehole drilled in the rock strata, which substantially cuts the pipe material cost of conventional SLGHP. Then, a coupled numerical model combining one-dimensional heat pipe two-dimensional rock zone, together with an economic evaluation method for power generation of heat pipe systems, is adopted to investigate the comprehensive performance and power generation economy of the CSLGHP system. Finally, the results of the examples show that, compared with the SLGHP, the maximum heat extraction power of the CSLGHP is increased by approximately 7%, with a peak power generation capacity of 21 kW; moreover, its heat extraction advantage is more pronounced at low condensation temperatures. Within the given condensation temperature range, the power generation economy of the CSLGHP outperforms that of the SLGHP, with a maximum improvement rate of around 35%. The research results can provide a theoretical basis and technical references for the further optimization and engineering application of the CSLGHP.