Using Visual MODFLOW to Simulate Heat Transport in Groundwater
Visual MODFLOW incorporates the latest version of the USGS SEAWAT code (v.4) which incorporates temperature as a contaminant species (in MT3DMS) and a new Viscosity package, which allows you to simulate heat transport and the effects of varying fluid viscosity on the movement of groundwater. The following processes can be simulated:
- heat conduction is the movement of heat from high temperature to low temperature; this is simulated using the appropriate molecular diffusion coefficient
- heat exchange it the movement of heat between the groundwater phase and the soil matrix; simulated using the appropriate distribution coefficient
- advective heat flux (convection) is the movement of heat along with the flowing groundwater; simulated using the appropriate; it is analogous to groundwater transport and uses the average linear groundwater velocity to move temperature with the flowing fluid
- dispersion (which is the same for heat and solute transport)
Visual MODFLOW and SEAWAT v.4 can be used for a variety of applications
- Simulating the transport of heat and salinity in coastal aquifers and thermally-driven convection in deep aquifers
- ASR and storage of freshwater in saline aquifers: simulating buoyancy effects and the effect of groundwater temperature on fluid viscosity
- Geothermal investigations: impact of groundwater heat pumps on groundwater temperature
- Simulating groundwater circulation in deep mines, geological platforms, and basins
- Fate of wastewater injected into deep wells and impact on the aquifer
Online References using Visual MODFLOW
Note: Waterloo Hydrogeologic does not imply endorsement of software from the authors of these publications/reports (or their associated organization/affiliations).
Note that some of the examples below use MODFLOW as part of the groundwater modeling component for a geothermal aquifer investigation
| Title | Region | Keywords |
| Examination of a geothermal system from a porous geothermal reservoir in the Pannonian Basin in Hungary Published in: PROCEEDINGS, Fourtieth Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering | Hungary | Porous geothermal reservoir |
| Assessment of Geothermal Water and Energy Resources of Lower Jurassic Formations in the NW Part of Polish Lowland (Szczecin Trough) Published in: Proceedings World Geothermal Congress 2010 | Poland | geothermal energy, geothermal resources, Lower Jurassic. |
| Flow and heat modelling of a Hot Sedimentary Aquifer (HSA) for direct-use geothermal heat production in the Perth urban area, Western Australia (WA) Published in: Australian Geothermal Conference 2010 Proceedings | Australia | SEAWAT |
| MODFLOW Application on the Numerical Simulation of Geothermal Fluid in Tianjin Binhai New Area Published in: Geological Survey and Research | China | |
| Transboundary geothermal resources of the Mura-Zala basin: a need for joint thermal aquifer management of Slovenia and Hungary | Slovenia and Hungary | geothermal energy, thermal water, transboundary aquifer, flow model, Pannonian basin |
| UTES (Underground Thermal Energy Storage)—Applications and Market Development in Sweden Published in: Journal of Energy and Power Engineering | Sweden | Shallow geothermal, energy storage, ground source heat pumps, underground thermal energy storage |
| Assessment of groundwater flow in volcanic faulted areas. A study case in Queretaro, Mexico | Mexico | Groundwater flow, faulted aquifers, numerical modeling, volcanic structures, dykes, Mexico, PEST |