Articles | Volume 45
https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-45-85-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-45-85-2018
07 Aug 2018
 | 07 Aug 2018

The effect of a density gradient in groundwater on ATES system efficiency and subsurface space use

Martin Bloemendal and Theo N. Olsthoorn

Cited articles

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Bloemendal, M.: Animations of the effect of an ambient density gradient on temperature field around ATES wells, https://martinbloemendal.wordpress.com/2017/07/14/, 2017. a
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Short summary
Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage Systems (ATES) save energy for heating and cooling. They are often placed in aquifers in which salinity increases with depth (in coastal areas where urbanization is high). The seasonally alternating extraction and re-injection between ATES wells disturbs the preexisting ambient salinity gradient which trigger buoyancy flow, which in turn affects the recovery efficiency of these systems. This paper shows under which condtions this is a threat for ATES systems.