modelATES_confinedLayer

Information

1. Purpose of model

Top-level assembly model of a confined high-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage (HT-ATES) system. Couples the aquifer (AquiferL4) with upper and lower impermeable confining layers (ImpermeableLayer arrays) and the injection/extraction well (Well_L4). Provides a single fluid inlet port for connection to the district heating network.

2. Level of detail, physical effects considered, and physical insight

L4: Full 2D (radial-vertical) discretization of aquifer and aquitards. Boundary conditions at the outer radial and top/bottom thermal boundaries are represented by fixed temperature sources. Hydrostatic pressure gradient is applied at the outer radial fluid boundary. Physics toggles (buoyancy, dispersion) are propagated from the Setting record.

3. Limits of validity

- Outer radial boundary: fixed pressure (hydrostatic) and fixed temperature.

- Top and bottom thermal boundaries of the aquitard: fixed temperature.

- No capillary effects or multi-phase flow.

4. Interfaces

fluidPortIn: fluid inlet/outlet connection to external network (Fluid, bidirectional via well)

5. Nomenclature

	N_r	number of radial control volumes [-]
	N_z	number of vertical aquifer control volumes [-]
	fluidPortIn.m_flow	injection/extraction mass flow rate [kg/s]
	T_Boundary	far-field boundary temperature [K]
	p_Boundary	reference pressure at aquifer top [Pa]

6. Governing Equations

(no equations — assembly model; governing equations are implemented in sub-models AquiferL4, ImpermeableLayer, Well_L4)

7. Remarks for Usage

Pass site-specific material properties via the Parameters record (e.g., Molz1983) and grid specification via the Setting record. An inner ClaRa.SimCenter must be present in the enclosing model.

8. Validation

Tested in check model "ATES.Validierung.Buoyancy.Val_homogenLayer"

9. References

(no remarks)

10. Version History

Model created by Markus Gillner (markus.gillner@tuhh.de), May 2026

Parameters

Connectors

Components