MRED 503 GEOTHERMICS

Exploration - exploitation of geothermal fields, characteristics of the Greek geothermal fields; low, mid and high enthalpy fields; stages of geothermal research, geothermal exploration and exploitation techniques, characteristics of Greek, European and other geothermal fields; geothermal fluids; geothermometers; technical and environmental issues; secondary minerals formation and scaling in geothermal exploitations; urban heating and cooling using geothermal heat pumps.

Laboratory exercises: Stages of Geothermal research and development of techniques for the detection and exploitation of geothermal fluids. Instruments and apparatus for temperature, geothermal gradient, thermal conductivity and thermal flow measurements. Problems occurring in the piping networks of geothermal fluids. Physicochemical characteristics and chemical analysis of geothermal fluids. Water-rock interaction. Water ion origin. Physicochemical processes. Quality parameters (pH, TDS, conductivity, hardness, alkalinity, salinity) and hydrochemical plots (Piper, Schoeller, Giggenbach triangle). Interpretation of geochemical data-ion ratios. Water thermodynamics. Activity, activity coefficient. Solubility Product vs.\ Temperature, saturation indexes. Chemical geothermometry. High enthalpy waters characteristics. Software (Aquachem-Waterloo hydrogeologic, Phreeqc-USGS)