• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.9-26
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• 2017

When a warm well located downgradient is captured by cold thermal plume originated from an upgradient cold well, the warm thermal plume is pushed further downgradient in the direction of groundwater flow. If groundwater flow direction is parallel to an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES), the warm well can no longer be utilized as a heat source during the winter season because of the reduced heat capacity of the warm groundwater. It has been found that when the specific discharge is increased by $1{\times}10^{-7}m/s$ in this situation, the performance of ATES is decreased by approximately 2.9% in the warm thermal plume, and approximately 6.5% in the cold thermal plume. An increase of the specific discharge in a permeable hydrogeothermal system with a relatively large hydraulic gradient creates serious thermal interferences between warm and cold thermal plumes. Therefore, an area comprising a permeable aquifer system with large hydraulic gradient should not be used for ATES site. In case of ATES located perpendicular to groundwater flow, when the specific discharge is increased by $1{\times}10^{-7}m/s$ in the warm thermal plume, the performance of ATES is decreased by about 2.5%. This is 13.8% less reduced performance than the parallel case, indicating that an increase of groundwater flow tends to decrease the thermal interference between cold and warm wells. The system performance of ATES that is perpendicular to groundwater flow is much better than that of parallel ATES.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.14-24
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• 2021

Aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system uses groundwater thermal energy for cooling and heating of buildings, and it is also often utilized to provide warm water to crops and plants for the purpose of enhancing agricultural yields. This study investigated the potential influences of a ATES system on the geochemical properties of groundwater by simulating the variation of hydrochemistry and saturation index of groundwater during ATES operation. The test bed was installed at an agricultural field, which is mainly composed of an groundwater-rich alluvial plain. The simulation results showed no significant precipitation of mineral phases such as manganese-iron oxide, carbonate and sulfate around the ATES test bed, as well as no debasement of other important water quality parameters. The implementation of ATES system in the study area was appropriate and effective for utilizing the thermal energy of groundwater for agricultural use.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.303-306
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• 2006

Using a variety of chemical geothermometers we estimate the temperature of a deep geothermal reservoir in relation to thermal groundwater in the Bugok area, southern Korea, in order to assess the potential use of geothermal energy in South Korea. Thermal water at Bugok has been exploited down to about 400 m below the land surface and shows the highest outflow temperatures (up to $78{\circ}C$) in South Korea. Based on the hydrochemical data and occurrence, groundwater in Bugok can be classified into three groups: $Na-SO_4$ type thermal groundwater (CTGW) occurring in the central part (about 0.24 $km^2$) $Ca-HCO_3$ type cold groundwater (SCGW) occurring in shallow peripheral parts of CTGW; and the intermediate type groundwater (STGW). CTGW waters are typical of thermal water in the area, because they have the highest outflow temperatures and contain very high concentrations of Na, K and $SiO_2$ due to the sufficient reaction with silicate minerals in deep reservoir. Their enriched $SO_4$ was likely formed by gypsum dissolution. The major ion composition of CTGW shows the general approach to a partial equilibrium state with rocks at depth. The application of various alkali ion geothermometers yields temperature estimates in the range of 88 to $198{\circ}C$ for the thermal reservoir. Multiple mineral equilibrium calculation indicates asimilar but narrower temperature range between about 100 and $155{\circ}C$. These temperature estimates are not significantly higher than the measured outflow temperatures for CTGW Considering the heat loss during the ascent- of thermal waters, this fact may suggest that a thermal reservoir in the study area is likely located at relatively shallow depths (possibly close to the depth of preexisting wells). Therefore, we suggest a high potential for geothermal energy development around the Bugok area in southern Korea.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.701-704
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• 2005

Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) can be a cost-effective and renewable geothermal energy source, depending on site-specific and thermohydraulic conditions. To design an effective ATES system having influenced by groundwater movement, understanding of thermo hydraulic processes is necessary. The heat transfer phenomena for an aquifer heat storage are simulated using FEFLOW with the scenario of heat pump operation with pumping and waste water reinjection in a two layered confined aquifer model. Temperature distribution of the aquifer model is generated, and hydraulic heads and temperature variations are monitored at the both wells during 365 days. The average groundwater velocities are determined with two hydraulic gradient sets according to boundary conditions, and the effect of groundwater flow are shown at the generated thermal distributions of three different depth slices. The generated temperature contour lines at the hydraulic gradient of 0.00 1 are shaped circular, and the center is moved less than 5m to the groundwater flow direction in 365 days simulation period. However at the hydraulic gradient of 0.01, the contour center of the temperature are moved to the end of boundary at each slice and the largest movement is at bottom slice. By the analysis of thermal interference data between two wells the efficiency of the heat pump system model is validated, and the variation of heads is monitored at injection, pumping and no operation mode.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.5 s.180
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• pp.537-554
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• 2006

Water levels of thermal groundwater ($>30^{\circ}C$) were recorded from March 2002 to June 2006 at several monitoring wells within the Yuseong spa area. Using these data, we elucidated the long-term cyclic fluctuations of thermal groundwater levels with 1 year period. We also observed a noticeable water level variation with periods of 0.5, 1 and 7 days in most monitoring wells, which indicates relatively good hydraulic connectivity within the main hotspring area. By comparing water level variations among several wells, we found out that E-W and N-S trending geological structures should be an important control factor for emplacement and flow of thermal groundwater in the study area. It may be also inferred that geothermal source is highly associated with the hydraulic connectivity of aquifers at the Yuseong spa area.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Geothermal and Hydrothermal Energy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2017

Groundwater heat pump (GWHP) system can achieve higher performance of the system by utilizing heat source of the annual constant groundwater temperature. The performance of GWHP system depends on the ground thermal environment such as groundwater temperature, groundwater flow rate and hydraulic conductivity. In this study, the geothermal environment was analyzed by using numerical simulation for develop the two-well geothermal system. As the result, this paper shows the change of the groundwater level and underground temperature around wells according to the conditions of flow rate and hydraulic conductivity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.32-46
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• 2000

Hydrogeochemical and isotope ($\delta$$^{18}$ O, $\delta$D, $^3$H, $\delta$$^{13}$ C, $\delta$$^{34}$ S, $^{87}$ Sr/$^{86}$ Sr) studies of various kinds of waters (thermal groundwater, deep groundwater, shallow groundwater, and surface water) from the Yusung area were carried out in order to elucidate their geochemical characteristics such as distribution and behaviour of major/minor elements, geochemical evolution, reservoir temperature, and water-rock interaction of the thermal groundwater. Thermal groundwater of the Yusung area is formed by heating at depth during deep circlulation of groundwater and is evolved into Na-HCO$_3$type water by hydrolysis of silicate minerals with calcite precipitation and mixing of shallow groundwater. High NO$_3$contents of many thermal and deep groundwater samples indicate that the thermal or deep groundwaters were mixed with contaminated shallow groundwater and/or surface water. $\delta$$^{18}$ O and $\delta$D are plotted around the global meteoric water line and there are no differences between the various types of water. Tritium contents of shallow groundwater, deep groundwater and thermal groundwater are quite different, but show that the thermal groundwater was mixed with surface water and/or shallow groundwater during uprising to surface after being heated at depths. $\delta$$^{13}$ C values of all water samples are very low (average -16.3$\textperthousand$%o). Such low $\delta$$^{13}$ C values indicate that the source of carbon is organic material and all waters from the Yusung area were affected by $CO_2$ gas originated from near surface environment. $\delta$$^{34}$ S values show mixing properties of thermal groundwater and shallow groundwater. Based on $^{87}$ Sr/$^{86}$ Sr values, Ca is thought to be originated from the dissolution of plagioclase. Reservoir temperature at depth is estimated to be 100~1$25^{\circ}C$ by calculation of equilibrium method of multiphase system. Therefore, the thermal groundwaters from the Yusung area were formed by heating at depths and evolved by water-rock interaction and mixing with shallow groundwater.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Geothermal and Hydrothermal Energy
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2005

Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) can be a cost-effective and renewable geothermal energy source, depending on site-specific and thermohydraulic conditions. To design an effective ATES system having the effect of groundwater movement, understanding of thermohydraulic processes is necessary. The heat transfer phenomena for an aquifer heat storage are simulated by using FEFLOW with the scenario of heat pump operation with pumping and waste water reinjection in a two layered confined aquifer model. Temperature distribution of the aquifer model is generated, and hydraulic heads and temperature variations are monitored at the both wells during 365 days. The average groundwater velocities are determined with two hydraulic gradient sets according to boundary conditions, and the effect of groundwater flow are shown at the generated thermal distributions of three different depth slices. The generated temperature contour lines at the hydraulic gradient of 0.001 are shaped circular, and the center is moved less than 5 m to the direction of groundwater flow in 365 days simulation period. However at the hydraulic gradient of 0.01, the contour center of the temperature are moved to the end of east boundary at each slice and the largest movement is at bottom slice. By the analysis of thermal interference data between two wells the efficiency of the heat pump system model is validated, and the variation of heads is monitored at injection, pumping and no operation mode.

• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.731-736
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• 2006

Groundwater heat pump (GWHP) system has been expected to achieve the higher coefficient of performance (COP) and more energy-saving than the conventional air-source heat pump (ASHP) system. Its performance significantly depends on the characteristics of groundwater and the underground thermal properties. Furthermore, there is a large difference of COP in utilizing groundwater between as a heat resource and as a thermal storage medium. For properties of groundwater there is suitable utilizing system. However, many of GWHP systems have not been considered sufficiently such properties. This research describes optimization of GWHP system according to the properties of groundwater based on 3D numerical heat and water transport simulation.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.114-127
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• 2016

An increase of groundwater flux in BHE system creates that ground temperature (locT) becomes lower in summer and higher in winter time. In other words, it improves significantly the performance of BHE system. The size of thermal plume made up by advection driven-flow under the balanced energy load is relatively small in contrast to the unbalanced energy load where groundwater flow causes considerable change in the size of thermal plume as well ground temperature. The ground temperatures of the up gradient and down gradient BHEs under conduction only heat transport are same due to no groundwater flow. But a significant difference of the ground temperature is observed between the down gradient and up gradient BHE as a result of groundwater flow-driven thermal interference took placed in BHE field. As many BHEs are designed under the obscure assumption of negligible groundwater flow, failure to account for advection can cause inefficiencies in system design and operation. Therefore including groundwater flow in the design procedure is considered to be essential for thermal and economic sustain ability of the BHE system.