An Analytical Solution for Characterizing Mine Water Recharge of Water Source Heat Pump in Abandoned Coal Mines

Kun Tu ^{1, 2, 3, 4}

Xiaoqiang Pan ^{1, 2, 5}

Hongwei Zhang ⁶

Xiang Li ²

Hongyi Zhao ⁵

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Inner Mongolia Research Institute, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Ordos 017010, China |

National Engineering Research Center of Coal Mine Water Hazard Controlling, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China |

Key Laboratory of Shallow Geothermal Energy, Ministry of Natural Resources of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing 100195, China |

⁴

Key Laboratory of Mine Water Hazard Controlling, National Mine Safety Administration, Beijing 100083, China

⁵

College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China |

⁶

School of Energy and Mining Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China |

Publication type: Journal Article

Publication date: 2024-09-30

MDPI

Journal: Water (Switzerland)

scimago Q1

SJR: 0.724

CiteScore: 5.8

Impact factor: 3

ISSN: 20734441

DOI: 10.3390/w16192781

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Abstract

Due to tremendous mining operations, large quantities of abandoned mines with considerable underground excavated space have formed in China during the past decades. This provides huge potential for geothermal energy production from mine water in abandoned coal mines to supply clean heating and cooling for buildings using heat pump technologies. In this study, an analytical model describing the injection pressure of mine water recharge for water source heat pumps in abandoned coal mines is developed. The analytical solution in the Laplace domain for the injection pressure is derived and the influences of different parameters on the injection pressure are investigated. This study indicates that a smaller pumping rate results in a smaller injection pressure, while smaller values of the hydraulic conductivity and the thickness of equivalent aquifer induce larger injection pressures. The well distance has insignificantly influenced the injection pressure at the beginning, but a smaller well distance leads to a larger injection pressure at later times. Additionally, the sensitivity analysis, conducted to assess the behavior of injection pressure with concerning changes in each input parameter, shows that the pumping rate and the hydraulic conductivity have a large influence on injection pressure compared with other parameters.