Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage for Intermittent Renewable Energy: Thermo-Hydraulic Controls and a Dual-Zone Heat Transfer Mechanism
Abstract
Aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) provides a promising subsurface pathway for integrating intermittent renewable energy by converting fluctuating thermal inputs into a more stable energy output. This study develops an ATES-based energy storage concept for the integration of solar energy, wind-derived electricity, and industrial waste heat, and investigates its thermo-hydraulic response under periodically fluctuating heat injection. A three-dimensional reservoir model was established using CMG STARS to characterize the spatiotemporal evolution of formation and production temperatures and to evaluate the effects of injection temperature, injection-production pressure difference, permeability, porosity, rock volumetric heat capacity, and thermal conductivity. The results show that temperature fluctuations are progressively attenuated during subsurface transport, demonstrating the capacity of the aquifer to buffer intermittent thermal inputs. Production temperature increases with injection temperature, pressure difference, and permeability, but decreases with increasing rock thermal conductivity, whereas porosity and volumetric heat capacity exert comparatively limited effects. Thermal response time is governed primarily by fluid transport and is shortened by higher permeability and larger injection-production pressure differences. Mechanistically, convective heat transport dominates thermal propagation between the injection and production wells, while conductive heat transfer controls energy dissipation toward the surrounding formation. Based on these characteristics, a dual-zone heat transfer mechanism consisting of a flow-dominated convective zone and a conduction-dominated peripheral zone is proposed to explain thermal stabilization and heat loss within the reservoir. These findings clarify the thermo-hydraulic controls on ATES performance under fluctuating energy input and provide a mechanistic basis for using subsurface aquifers to support the integration and stabilization of intermittent renewable energy.
Article Type: Research article
Cited as:
Zheng YX, Fan J, Yuan W, et al. 2026. Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage for Intermittent Renewable Energy: Thermo-Hydraulic Controls and a Dual-Zone Heat Transfer Mechanism. GeoStorage, 2(3), 274-296.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46690/gs.2026.03.06Keywords:
Aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES), intermittent renewable energy, thermo-hydraulic coupling, thermal stabilization, convective heat transfer, thermal responseReferences
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