Proceedings of the 7th New Zealand Geothermal Workshop 1985. Geothermal systems created by underground nuclear testing. New Zealand Geothermal Workshop [7, 6-8 Nov. 1985, New Zealand].

Hochstein, M.P. O' Sullivan, M.J.

1985

1067
CIENA

0-86869-065-1

The detonation of nuclear bombs in deep drillholes is associated with the sudden release of heat energy wich vaporizes and fuses rocks in the immediate vicinity of the explosion, creating a cavity. Surrounding rocks around the cavity are intensely shattered, and collapse into the cavity creating a vertical chimney structure. Significant fracturing also extends upwards beyond the chimney. In saturated, permeable rocks, condensation of hot gases takes place and the temperature of the fluids seeping into the backfilled cavity is raised. After equilibration, the volume of shattered rocks filled by heated pore waters constitutes a geothermal reservoir. Simple two-dimensional models for hypothetical explosion chambers beneath Mururoa Atoll are presented which show the role of thermal convection if the reservoir cools by convective heat transfer. These models indicate that high permeabilities of the order of 10 to 50 Da can be created by such explosions. Computed mass flow rates point to flow velocities of the order of 25 to 150m/yr within the inner and outer fracture zones surrounding the explosion chamber.. ABSTRACT. INTRODUCTION. CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ARTIFICIAL GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM CREATED BY AN UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR EXPLOSION. Original permeability structure and initial temperature field of Mururoa test sites. Dimensions of geothermal systems created by underground nuclear explosions. Heat input into an underground explosion chamber. Modelling of heat transfer within an underground thermal reservoir. DISCUSSION. REFERENCES.

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NUEVA ZELANDIA; ENERGIA GEOTERMICA; GEOTERMIA; PERFORACION DE POZOS; MODELOS;