The disclosure describes trench-confirmable geothermal reservoirs that can snugly abut trench walls (that may be of virgin, compacted earth) for facilitating heat exchange and flow liquid from one lower end to an opposing top end, and vice versa, depending on desired heat exchange. The direction can be reversed for summer and winter heat/cooling configurations. A series of the reservoirs may be used for appropriate heat transfer. The water volume of the reservoirs is relatively large and slow moving for good earth heat conduction.

The present disclosure relates to techniques for extracting heat energy from geothermal briny fluid. A briny fluid can be extracted from a geothermal production well and delivered to a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger can receive the briny fluid and transfer heat energy from the briny fluid to a molten salt. The molten salt can be pumped to a molten salt storage tank that can serve as energy storage. The briny fluid can be returned to a geothermal source via the production well. The briny fluid can remain in a closed-loop system, apart from the molten salt, from extraction through return to the geothermal production well.

A method of generating electricity from geothermal energy utilizing an in situ closed loop heat exchanger deep within the earth using a recirculating heat transfer fluid to power an in situ modular turbine and generator system within a vertical, large bore, deep, tunnel shaft. The shaft length and diameter are dependent on the shaft temperature and sustaining heat flux. The method further includes methods of deep shaft boring and excavating, liner placement and sealing, shaft transport systems, shaft Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning, and operations and maintenance provisions. The method has few global location restrictions, maximizes thermal efficiency as to make power generation practical, has a small site surface footprint, does not interact with the environment, is sustainable, uses renewable energy, and is a zero release carbon and hazardous substance emitter.

Methods and systems for producing thermal or electrical power from geothermal wells. Power is produced from a working fluid circulating in a closed loop within a geothermal well. Geothermal steam or brine at depth transfers heat at higher temperature than at the surface to the working fluid. The working fluid is then used to produce power directly or indirectly. The geothermal production fluid may be stimulated through use of gas lifting or submersible pumps to assist in bringing such fluids to the surface or through the use blockers to encourage the downhole steam advection and brine recirculation through the resource in a connective loop. The working fluid may be compatible with existing direct heat or power generation equipment; i.e., water for flash plants or hydrocarbons/refrigerants for binary plants.

The present disclosure relates to techniques for extracting heat energy from geothermal briny fluid. A briny fluid can be extracted from a geothermal production well and delivered to a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger can receive the briny fluid and transfer heat energy from the briny fluid to a molten salt. The molten salt can be pumped to a molten salt storage tank that can serve as energy storage. The briny fluid can be returned to a geothermal source via the production well. The briny fluid can remain in a closed-loop system, apart from the molten salt, from extraction through return to the geothermal production well.

A heating and cooling system powered by renewable energy and assisted with geothermal energy includes a solar cycling unit, a supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO.sub.2) unit, and a refrigerant cycling unit. Solar energy obtained at the solar cycling unit may be used to power the SCO.sub.2 cycling unit. To do so, the solar cycling unit utilizes a solar collector, a thermal energy storage, and a heat exchanger along with a first working fluid which is preferably molten salt or Therminol. Next, the energy generated at the SCO.sub.2 cycling unit, which preferably circulates SCO.sub.2 as a second working fluid, may be used to operate the refrigerant cycling unit. In the refrigerant cycling unit, Tetrafluroethene is preferably used as the third working fluid to produce required cooling effects. Additionally, geothermal heat exchangers may be integrated into the system for use during varying weather conditions.

Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for using a hot sedimentary aquifer (HSA) in geothermal energy generation applications. An example embodiment operates by pumping, via multiple extraction wells, heated water from one or more extraction depths of an HSA. The HSA is identified based on a permeability satisfying a threshold permeability range. The example embodiment further operates by extracting, via a power generation unit, heat from the heated water to generate power and transform the heated water into cooled water. Subsequently, the example embodiment operates by injecting, via multiple injection wells, the cooled water at one or more injection depths of the HSA.

Operational protocol sequences for recovering energy from a thermally productive formation are disclosed. Sealing, drilling, multiranging, power production and distribution techniques in predetermined sequences for well formation are utilized to recover energy regardless of thermal gradient variation, formation depth and permeability and other anomalies or impedances

The disclosure describes trench-confirmable geothermal reservoirs that can snugly abut trench walls (that may be of virgin, compacted earth) for facilitating heat exchange and flow liquid from one lower end to an opposing top end, and vice versa, depending on desired heat exchange. The direction can be reversed for summer and winter heat/cooling configurations. A series of the reservoirs may be used for appropriate heat transfer. The water volume of the reservoirs is relatively large and slow moving for good earth heat conduction.

The disclosure describes trench-confirmable geothermal reservoirs that can snugly abut trench walls (that may be of virgin, compacted earth) for facilitating heat exchange and flow liquid from one lower end to an opposing top end, and vice versa, depending on desired heat exchange. The direction can be reversed for summer and winter heat/cooling configurations. A series of the reservoirs may be used for appropriate heat transfer. The water volume of the reservoirs is relatively large and slow moving for good earth heat conduction.