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.

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.

To provide a geothermal heat exchanger with high thermal efficiency, which can reduce heat loss to a non-geothermal zone when high-temperature liquid heated in the deep underground is transported to the ground. The geothermal heat exchanger of the present invention includes a liquid transport pipe provided with a liquid lowering pipe to which a heat exchange liquid which is pressurized and supplied, a liquid raising pipe which is disposed on the inside or outside side of the liquid lowering pipe and raises the heat exchange liquid which is descended to the geothermal zone, moved from the lower part and composed of the high-temperature liquid generated by which heat from the geothermal zone is supplied, and an outer thermal insulation layer which is provided on a part or the whole of the outside of the liquid transport pipe at least from the ground surface to the geothermal zone.

A system for power generation from renewable energy, comprising a heat exchanger within a subterranean formation. The heat exchanger comprises a casing at an upper portion of the wellbore, a tubular member extending through the casing to a lower portion of the wellbore, and fins in fluid communication with the casing and with the tubular member, the fins each comprising a volume defined by surfaces of the subterranean formation and configured to receive a fluid from the casing. Related longitudinal finned heat exchangers and methods of storing thermal energy within a subterranean formation are also disclosed.

A system for power generation from renewable energy, comprising a heat exchanger within a subterranean formation. The heat exchanger comprises a casing at an upper portion of the wellbore, a tubular member extending through the casing to a lower portion of the wellbore, and fins in fluid communication with the casing and with the tubular member, the fins each comprising a volume defined by surfaces of the subterranean formation and configured to receive a fluid from the casing. Related longitudinal finned heat exchangers and methods of storing thermal energy within a subterranean formation are also disclosed.

A geothermal heat mining system can operate within a single primary borehole in a geothermal reservoir. A primary fluid loop can include a cold working fluid line leading into the primary borehole and a hot working fluid line coming out of the primary borehole. A secondary fluid loop can be located down the primary borehole, where the secondary fluid loop is in thermal contact with the geothermal reservoir and is entirely subsurface. A downhole heat mining device can control a rate of heat transfer from the secondary fluid loop to the primary fluid loop by selectively controlling fluid flow through the primary fluid loop, the secondary fluid loop, or both.

The present invention provides devices or systems and a method for remediating a soil comprising contaminants, comprising the steps of: —introducing in said soil at least one perforated column for contaminant extraction from a contaminated region of said soil; in close proximity of said at least one perforated column introducing at least one non-perforated column for providing heat to said contaminated region of said soil; providing heat to said at least one non-perforated column; extracting said contaminant vapor containing said soil contaminants out of said contaminated region of said soil into said at least one perforated column; removing said contaminant vapor from said at least one perforated column, thereby providing remediated soil; wherein said at least one perforated column and said at least one non-perforated column are connectable to at least one surface-located device comprising a combustion, a heating and control unit for heating and thereby cleaning said soil.

A subterranean ground heat exchange system, a method of installation, and a grout composition therefor. The grout composition is a pumpable slurry formed of from about 70 to about 85 parts by weight natural flake graphite and from about 30 to about 15 parts by weight bentonite. The solids content of the pumpable grout slurry is preferably at least 35% by weight and is more preferably at least 40% by weight. The ground exchange apparatus preferably utilizes an improved supply and return header comprised of supply and return ports which are provided through the vertically extending outer wall of a header housing. The header also includes an interior supply conduit which extends from the supply port into the interior of the header housing and includes a bend positioned in the interior of the housing for directing the heat transfer fluid downwardly.

A direct insertion ground loop heat exchanger, comprising an at least partially hollow pointed driving tip having at least one orifice therethrough for dispersing water through the driving tip to ease insertion into the ground, such that placing the driving tip onto the ground and urging water through the orifices will separate and part the ground easily, permitting the insertion of the driving tip deeper and deeper into the ground in combination with a hollow outer tube having an inner diameter attached to the driving tip, said tube extending upwardly from out of the driving tip and terminating above the ground for accessibility. Therefore, by urging water through the direct insertion ground loop heat exchanger, water sprays out from orifices in the driving tip, making insertion into the ground quite simple and easy.

The present invention relates to a geothermal energy extraction subterranean system for extracting heat from a subterranean formation, comprising an injection well comprising a first well tubular metal structure arranged in a first borehole providing a first annulus therebetween and extending from surface into the subterranean formation and being configured to inject a working fluid out through a first injection opening into a production area defined in the subterranean formation and thereby generating a heated working fluid, and a first production well comprising a second well tubular metal structure arranged in a second borehole providing a second annulus therebetween and extending from surface into the subterranean formation into the production area and extracting the heated working fluid through a first production opening, wherein the first well tubular metal structure of the injection well comprises a first annular barrier and a second annular barrier configured to expand in the first annulus to abut a wall of the first borehole to isolate a production zone in the production area, each annular barrier comprising a tubular metal part mounted as part of the first well tubular metal structure, the tubular metal part having a first expansion opening and an outer face, an expandable metal sleeve surrounding the tubular metal part and having an inner face facing the tubular metal part and an outer face facing the wall of the borehole, each end of the expandable metal sleeve being connected with the tubular metal part, and an annular space between the inner face of the expandable metal sleeve and the tubular metal part, the expandable metal sleeve being expanded to abut a wall of the first borehole by entering pressurised fluid into the annular space through the first expansion opening, the first injection opening being arranged in the first well tubular metal structure between the first annular barrier and the second annular barrier, and the first production zone being arranged between the first well tubular metal structure and the second well tubular metal structure so that the heated working fluid is extracted in the second well tubular metal structure through the first production opening. The present invention furthermore relates to a geothermal energy extraction subterranean method for extracting heat from a subterranean formation by means of the geothermal energy extraction subterranean system according to the present invention.