Numerical simulation of aquifer thermal energy storage using surface-based geologic modelling and dynamic mesh optimisation

Abstract Aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) has significant potential to provide largescale seasonal cooling and heating in the built environment, offering a low-carbon alternative fossil fuels. To deliver safe sustainable ATES deployments, accurate numerical modelling tools must be used predict flow heat transport targeted aquifers. This paper presents simulation methodology for based on surface-based geologic (SBGM) dynamic mesh optimisation (DMO). DMO been previously applied other fields of computational fluid dynamics reduce cost simulations. allows resolution vary during satisfy user-defined solution precision selected fields, refining where are complex coarsening elsewhere. SBGM representation geological heterogeneity efficient application DMO. The reports first systematic convergence study simulations, demonstrates these methods two scenarios: homogeneous aquifer, realistic heterogeneous fluvial aquifer containing meandering, channelised sand bodies separated by mudstones. It is demonstrated that reduces required number elements factor up 22 time 15, whilst maintaining same accuracy as an equivalent fixed mesh. offers simulations both