IEEE Talk – Development of an acoustic well logging tool for enhanced geothermal environments

Jimil Fadi El Masry will be giving a talk on the development of an acoustic well logging tool for enhanced geothermal environments.
Geothermal energy is emerging as a promising sustainable energy resource, particularly with increasing interest in exploiting high-temperature, high-pressure (HTHP) reservoirs. However, the development of technology for diagnostics in such extreme conditions remains a big challenge. Commonplace acoustic well logging tools fail to obtain reliable measurements under the combined effects of high pressure and temperature and exposure to highly corrosive fluids present in deep geothermal wells. This highlights the need to improve and adapt downhole acoustic tools to reliably operate in such conditions.
We developed two models to evaluate the thermal resistance of candidate material composites under HTHP conditions. The first model focused on thermal energy storage by including layers of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) embedded between silicon aerogel insulation layers. The second model incorporated a packer-supported vacuum layer enclosed between silicon aerogel layers. Both models were evaluated by implementing heat transfer equations in COMSOL Multiphysics under the finite element framework. We employed Fourier’s law and the conservation of energy equation to evaluate thermal resistance and heat flow in both configurations under HTHP condition.
Results demonstrated that PCM layers significantly delayed temperature breakthrough by absorbing and storing thermal energy during phase change. Moreover, alternating PCM-silicon aerogel configuration significantly outperformed a single aerogel layer supporting enhanced thermal resistance and heat transfer delay at HTHP conditions. The second model with vacuum encapsulated between aerogel layers displayed the best thermal performance, nearly eliminating heat transfer. However, the latter design introduces stability challenges such as maintaining the vacuum seal and avoiding structural collapse due to the pressure differential. Both designs demonstrate high potential for thermal insulation but require further evaluation for reliable implementation.
Speaker(s): Jamil,
Room: Multi Purpose Room, Bldg: White Rock Branch Library, 10 Sherwood Blvd, White Rock, New Mexico, United States, 87545