The Answer to The Call
DTS Technologies meets the call by government agencies and investors in geothermal technology alike to cut unnecessary well counts, dramatically reduce costs, and produce energy at economically attractive and environmentally impactful levels. The proprietary DTS Geothermal System, or “DGS”, is the answer, capable of 5X to 30X more energy production than any HDR method or typical hydrothermal resource. Producing at $24/MWh, the lowest cost of all sources, DGS is considered the sole means to scalable utility-level geothermal.
SINGLE WELL DGS. “DGS,” is EGS re-arranged into a substantially more productive and economic format. Because ever increasing heat is found at depth vertically, the first step towards higher output is reorientation of the drilling exactly to the opposite of the currently horizontal practice. Then, because induced reservoirs are also inclined in a vertical direction, the next step, for the purposes of enabling both injection and producing functionality in a single well, is to align the drilling trajectory with that of the reservoir. By this action, the entire reservoir height and volume can become hydraulically connected with the well annulus and heat carrying fluid directly supplied and returned, flowing through the well’s perforations that connect to the reservoir.
Elimination of Needless Wells
The traditional EGS need to drill second or third wells is thereby eliminated, as production can now simply flow to the surface through the coaxial production tubing assembly. However, without some means of control, fluids newly present in the
reservoir would simply short-circuit and return to
the well annulus post haste, not becoming heated.
DGS Technology
Central to DGS is construction of flow diverting structures that cause working fluids to flow far away from the wellbore – upwards of ½ mile, and in two opposing directions. Such diverters, made from environmentally inert materials or from the native rock itself, divide the reservoirs into upper and lower halves. Once flowed the first ½ mile across the upper reservoir section, the working fluids round the barrier’s end, travel another ½ mile across the reservoir’s lower half, ultimately returning superheated. Through a full DGS installation of 15 reservoirs, fluids travel some 30 miles during 20+ hours, contacting 60 million ft.2 of 350°F to 750°F+ HDR, and producing 700°F+ water to the surface at 1300 GPM.
20MWe SINGLE WELL DGS.
DGS per well production ranges from 30 MWe through its early periods, to 15 MWe during the 20 years of production towards steady state. Such productivity rivals among the best hydrothermal wells anywhere. Attaining high level performance in several criteria is required for such output:
1) abundant heat
2) high sweep-recovery efficiency from massive reservoir volumes
3) high flow capacity, preferably without pump assist
4) lengthy reservoir separation for heat replenishment purposes
These factors are explained:
1) Maximum Heat
Drilling vertically accesses 50% more heat, as compared with horizontal. For example, the average producing interval temperature in a basic 350°F to 750°F vertical DGS model is 550°F. A horizontal well of the same length and in the same conditions would see 375°F. DGS is estimated deployable to 1000°F.
2) 90%+ Thermal-Hydraulic Sweep Efficacy
DGS’s co-planar well-reservoir alignment and full hydraulic connection enables controlled flows and heat transfer across the entire reservoir height, length, and width. Flow controlled thermal sweep is managed by tuning system inlet and outlet perforation diameters, quantities, and locations to discretely optimize the supply of working fluid where needed. DGS reservoir volumes of 4+ million cubic feet and more than a day’s circulation time echo those of higher productivity hydrothermal systems. Such resource mass is required to attain any production having potential impact.
3) 1300 GPM Recirculating Production Flow
Generally, represents the mass required to produce more than 100 MWt. Although DGS system well design utilizes pipe diameters and clearances double that used in oil and gas, it is the halving of water density and nearly 90% reduction in viscosity occurring at 700°F that enables such flow unassisted by any pumping through the system. The DGS self-circulating capability eliminates both the parasitic reinjection load, and the pressure aggravating of water losses downhole.
4) Lengthy Heat Replenishing Reservoir Separation
Geothermal viability, production, and sustainability is its replenishment ability. The inability to timely replace extracted heat is what has led to the pivoting by HDR developers from baseload to intermittent operation, or a proposed storage source among many others operating even on the same location. HDR method replenishment abilities from lowest to highest are A) AGS/closed loop boreholes, having effectively no heating surface area or reservoir area, B) EGS, having surface area but minimal (<100’) and conflicting separation vs. reservoir elimination, and C) DGS, proposing massive reservoir surface area integral.
Their corresponding geothermic depletion occurs in, A) AGS/loops: hours, B) EGS: weeks, and C) DGS: decades.
DGS’s base configuration features 1100’ reservoir separation as shown optimal respecting installation reservoir count and reheating effectiveness; 1500’ reservoir separation is considered undiminished.
DTS Technologies meets the call by government agencies and investors in geothermal technology alike to cut unnecessary well counts, dramatically reduce costs, and produce energy at economically attractive and environmentally impactful levels. The proprietary DTS Geothermal System, or “DGS”, is the answer, capable of 5X to 30X more energy production than any HDR method or typical hydrothermal resource. Producing at $24/MWh, the lowest cost of all sources, DGS is considered the sole means to scalable utility-level geothermal.
SINGLE WELL DGS. “DGS,” is EGS re-arranged into a substantially more productive and economic format. Because ever increasing heat is found at depth vertically, the first step towards higher output is reorientation of the drilling exactly to the opposite of the currently horizontal practice. Then, because induced reservoirs are also inclined in a vertical direction, the next step, for the purposes of enabling both injection and producing functionality in a single well, is to align the drilling trajectory with that of the reservoir. By this action, the entire reservoir height and volume can become hydraulically connected with the well annulus and heat carrying fluid directly supplied and returned, flowing through the well’s perforations that connect to the reservoir.
Elimination of Needless Wells
The traditional EGS need to drill second or third wells is thereby eliminated, as production can now simply flow to the surface through the coaxial production tubing assembly. However, without some means of control, fluids newly present in the
reservoir would simply short-circuit and return to
the well annulus post haste, not becoming heated.
DGS Technology
Central to DGS is construction of flow diverting structures that cause working fluids to flow far away from the wellbore – upwards of ½ mile, and in two opposing directions. Such diverters, made from environmentally inert materials or from the native rock itself, divide the reservoirs into upper and lower halves. Once flowed the first ½ mile across the upper reservoir section, the working fluids round the barrier’s end, travel another ½ mile across the reservoir’s lower half, ultimately returning superheated. Through a full DGS installation of 15 reservoirs, fluids travel some 30 miles during 20+ hours, contacting 60 million ft.2 of 350°F to 750°F+ HDR, and producing 700°F+ water to the surface at 1300 GPM.
20MWe SINGLE WELL DGS.
DGS per well production ranges from 30 MWe through its early periods, to 15 MWe during the 20 years of production towards steady state. Such productivity rivals among the best hydrothermal wells anywhere. Attaining high level performance in several criteria is required for such output:
1) abundant heat
2) high sweep-recovery efficiency from massive reservoir volumes
3) high flow capacity, preferably without pump assist
4) lengthy reservoir separation for heat replenishment purposes
These factors are explained:
1) Maximum Heat
Drilling vertically accesses 50% more heat, as compared with horizontal. For example, the average producing interval temperature in a basic 350°F to 750°F vertical DGS model is 550°F. A horizontal well of the same length and in the same conditions would see 375°F. DGS is estimated deployable to 1000°F.
2) 90%+ Thermal-Hydraulic Sweep Efficacy
DGS’s co-planar well-reservoir alignment and full hydraulic connection enables controlled flows and heat transfer across the entire reservoir height, length, and width. Flow controlled thermal sweep is managed by tuning system inlet and outlet perforation diameters, quantities, and locations to discretely optimize the supply of working fluid where needed. DGS reservoir volumes of 4+ million cubic feet and more than a day’s circulation time echo those of higher productivity hydrothermal systems. Such resource mass is required to attain any production having potential impact.
3) 1300 GPM Recirculating Production Flow
Generally, represents the mass required to produce more than 100 MWt. Although DGS system well design utilizes pipe diameters and clearances double that used in oil and gas, it is the halving of water density and nearly 90% reduction in viscosity occurring at 700°F that enables such flow unassisted by any pumping through the system. The DGS self-circulating capability eliminates both the parasitic reinjection load, and the pressure aggravating of water losses downhole.
4) Lengthy Heat Replenishing Reservoir Separation
Geothermal viability, production, and sustainability is its replenishment ability. The inability to timely replace extracted heat is what has led to the pivoting by HDR developers from baseload to intermittent operation, or a proposed storage source among many others operating even on the same location. HDR method replenishment abilities from lowest to highest are A) AGS/closed loop boreholes, having effectively no heating surface area or reservoir area, B) EGS, having surface area but minimal (<100’) and conflicting separation vs. reservoir elimination, and C) DGS, proposing massive reservoir surface area integral.
Their corresponding geothermic depletion occurs in, A) AGS/loops: hours, B) EGS: weeks, and C) DGS: decades.
DGS’s base configuration features 1100’ reservoir separation as shown optimal respecting installation reservoir count and reheating effectiveness; 1500’ reservoir separation is considered undiminished.
20MWe SINGLE WELL DGS.
DGS per well production ranges from 30 MWe through its early periods, to 15 MWe during the 20 years of production towards steady state. Such productivity rivals among the best hydrothermal wells anywhere. Attaining high level performance in several criteria is required for such output:
1) abundant heat
2) high sweep-recovery efficiency from massive reservoir volumes
3) high flow capacity, preferably without pump assist
4) lengthy reservoir separation for heat replenishment purposes
These factors are explained:
1) Maximum Heat
Drilling vertically accesses 50% more heat, as compared with horizontal. For example, the average producing interval temperature in a basic 350°F to 750°F vertical DGS model is 550°F. A horizontal well of the same length and in the same conditions would see 375°F. DGS is estimated deployable to 1000°F.
2) 90%+ Thermal-Hydraulic Sweep Efficacy
DGS’s co-planar well-reservoir alignment and full hydraulic connection enables controlled flows and heat transfer across the entire reservoir height, length, and width. Flow controlled thermal sweep is managed by tuning system inlet and outlet perforation diameters, quantities, and locations to discretely optimize the supply of working fluid where needed. DGS reservoir volumes of 4+ million cubic feet and more than a day’s circulation time echo those of higher productivity hydrothermal systems. Such resource mass is required to attain any production having potential impact.
3) 1300 GPM Recirculating Production Flow
Generally, represents the mass required to produce more than 100 MWt. Although DGS system well design utilizes pipe diameters and clearances double that used in oil and gas, it is the halving of water density and nearly 90% reduction in viscosity occurring at 700°F that enables such flow unassisted by any pumping through the system. The DGS self-circulating capability eliminates both the parasitic reinjection load, and the pressure aggravating of water losses downhole.
4) Lengthy Heat Replenishing Reservoir Separation
Geothermal viability, production, and sustainability is its replenishment ability. The inability to timely replace extracted heat is what has led to the pivoting by HDR developers from baseload to intermittent operation, or a proposed storage source among many others operating even on the same location. HDR method replenishment abilities, from lowest to highest, and their corresponding geothermic depletion schedules are:
A) AGS/closed loop boreholes, having effectively no heating surface area or reservoir area: hours
B) EGS, having reheating surface area but minimal and conflicting separation (<100’) vs. excessive reservoir elimination: weeks
C) DGS, proposing massive relevant reservoir surface area integral: two decades
DGS’s base configuration features 1100’ reservoir separation as shown optimal respecting installation reservoir count and reheating effectiveness; 1500’ reservoir separation is considered undiminished.
DGS per well production ranges from 30 MWe through its early periods, to 15 MWe during the 20 years of production towards steady state. Such productivity rivals among the best hydrothermal wells anywhere. Attaining high level performance in several criteria is required for such output:
1) abundant heat
2) high sweep-recovery efficiency from massive reservoir volumes
3) high flow capacity, preferably without pump assist
4) lengthy reservoir separation for heat replenishment purposes
These factors are explained:
1) Maximum Heat
Drilling vertically accesses 50% more heat, as compared with horizontal. For example, the average producing interval temperature in a basic 350°F to 750°F vertical DGS model is 550°F. A horizontal well of the same length and in the same conditions would see 375°F. DGS is estimated deployable to 1000°F.
2) 90%+ Thermal-Hydraulic Sweep Efficacy
DGS’s co-planar well-reservoir alignment and full hydraulic connection enables controlled flows and heat transfer across the entire reservoir height, length, and width. Flow controlled thermal sweep is managed by tuning system inlet and outlet perforation diameters, quantities, and locations to discretely optimize the supply of working fluid where needed. DGS reservoir volumes of 4+ million cubic feet and more than a day’s circulation time echo those of higher productivity hydrothermal systems. Such resource mass is required to attain any production having potential impact.
3) 1300 GPM Recirculating Production Flow
Generally, represents the mass required to produce more than 100 MWt. Although DGS system well design utilizes pipe diameters and clearances double that used in oil and gas, it is the halving of water density and nearly 90% reduction in viscosity occurring at 700°F that enables such flow unassisted by any pumping through the system. The DGS self-circulating capability eliminates both the parasitic reinjection load, and the pressure aggravating of water losses downhole.
4) Lengthy Heat Replenishing Reservoir Separation
Geothermal viability, production, and sustainability is its replenishment ability. The inability to timely replace extracted heat is what has led to the pivoting by HDR developers from baseload to intermittent operation, or a proposed storage source among many others operating even on the same location. HDR method replenishment abilities, from lowest to highest, and their corresponding geothermic depletion schedules are:
A) AGS/closed loop boreholes, having effectively no heating surface area or reservoir area: hours
B) EGS, having reheating surface area but minimal and conflicting separation (<100’) vs. excessive reservoir elimination: weeks
C) DGS, proposing massive relevant reservoir surface area integral: two decades
DGS’s base configuration features 1100’ reservoir separation as shown optimal respecting installation reservoir count and reheating effectiveness; 1500’ reservoir separation is considered undiminished.
HIGHLY ECONOMIC, $24/MWh, 24/7 DGS.
The range of unsubsidized utility cost to produce electricity on a LCOE basis can be nearly ten-fold, from $24/MWh to over $220/MWh. Current HDR costs are at the higher end of the spectrum, traditional hydrothermal is in the middle. DGS shares status as the lowest of all sources with the best performing solar and wind types at $24/MWh. Performance in three areas achieve the status:
1. Generally High Power Output and Low Drilling CAPEX. Starts with drilling single wells vertically into 750°F+ rock. 90%+ heat sweep efficiency of massively sized reservoirs that are separated by more than 1000’, allowing for baseload regeneration then follows.
2. Conversion Efficiency. High baseload capability is tantamount to maintaining production temperature levels to move from ORC to flash conversion, or from 10% conversion efficiency to 30%. Flash systems offer the further benefits of one-half CAPEX outlay, no cooling gas expense burden, and principal maintenance occurring every other year.
3. Parasitic Loads Cost. Most HDR requires reinjection or other pumping that can consume 30% to 40% of gross production. Venting or ORC or other cooling disposes of another 50%. DGS avoids each of these costs and loss of resource by inducing a strong vacuum to the wells’ annular inlet that pulls recirculating fluids in rather than require pumping. The vacuum is created by cooler, heavier annular fluids pushing against the hotter, lighter fluids traveling up the production string. Vacuum, also pulled through turbines, assists with evacuation and condensing functions, thereby substantially eliminating the needs for external cooling or loss of heat resource to the atmosphere.
The range of unsubsidized utility cost to produce electricity on a LCOE basis can be nearly ten-fold, from $24/MWh to over $220/MWh. Current HDR costs are at the higher end of the spectrum, traditional hydrothermal is in the middle. DGS shares status as the lowest of all sources with the best performing solar and wind types at $24/MWh. Performance in three areas achieve the status:
1. Generally High Power Output and Low Drilling CAPEX. Starts with drilling single wells vertically into 750°F+ rock. 90%+ heat sweep efficiency of massively sized reservoirs that are separated by more than 1000’, allowing for baseload regeneration then follows.
2. Conversion Efficiency. High baseload capability is tantamount to maintaining production temperature levels to move from ORC to flash conversion, or from 10% conversion efficiency to 30%. Flash systems offer the further benefits of one-half CAPEX outlay, no cooling gas expense burden, and principal maintenance occurring every other year.
3. Parasitic Loads Cost. Most HDR requires reinjection or other pumping that can consume 30% to 40% of gross production. Venting or ORC or other cooling disposes of another 50%. DGS avoids each of these costs and loss of resource by inducing a strong vacuum to the wells’ annular inlet that pulls recirculating fluids in rather than require pumping. The vacuum is created by cooler, heavier annular fluids pushing against the hotter, lighter fluids traveling up the production string. Vacuum, also pulled through turbines, assists with evacuation and condensing functions, thereby substantially eliminating the needs for external cooling or loss of heat resource to the atmosphere.
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