recordSetting

record with parameters for operation, design and discretization of the aquifer

Extends from TransiEnt.Basics.Icons.Record (Icon for records).

Information

1. Purpose of model

Record consolidating all discretization (grid), geometry, and physics toggle parameters for the ATES model. A single Setting instance is shared between Geometry, ControlVolumeL4, AquiferL4, and ATES_confinedLayer.

The record offers two mutually exclusive ways to define the radial and vertical grid, selected by the Boolean optimized_grid:

Optimized grid (optimized_grid = true, default): The grid is generated automatically from physical parameters (V_inj, H_a, H_c, domain_factor, N_r, N_z, N_z_c) using the logistic/polynomial distribution of the GridGenerator function. Fine cells are concentrated near the well. The number of radial cells N_r is pre-computed with GridGenerator_SizeOnly (see Section 7).
Individual grid (optimized_grid = false): The grid is defined manually by grid sections (NoGS_H, R_GS_H, dx_GS, NoGS_VA, H_GS_VA, dz_GS_A, NoGS_VC, H_GS_VC, dz_GS_C), giving full control over the number and thickness of control volumes in each section.

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

(Purely technical component without physical modeling.)

3. Limits of validity

- Grid section counts must be consistent: length of R_GS_H equals NoGS_H, etc.

4. Interfaces

(no elements)

5. Nomenclature

$f_\mathrm{opt,grid}$	optimized_grid	flag: use automatically optimized grid (true) or manual grid sections (false) [-]
$\Delta x_\mathrm{min}$	dx_min	target width of the first (innermost) radial control volume, optimized grid [m]
$V_\mathrm{inj}$	V_inj	injected storage volume (sizes the thermal radius), optimized grid [m³]
$H_\mathrm{a}$	H_a	modelled aquifer thickness, optimized grid [m]
$H_\mathrm{c}$	H_c	modelled aquitard (confining layer) thickness, optimized grid [m]
$f_\mathrm{domain}$	domain_factor	radial domain extent as multiple of the thermal radius, optimized grid [-]
	N_r	number of radial control volumes, optimized grid (pre-computed by GridGenerator_SizeOnly) [-]
	N_z	number of vertical aquifer control volumes, optimized grid [-]
	N_z_c	number of vertical aquitard control volumes (per confining layer), optimized grid [-]
$N_\mathrm{GS,H}$	NoGS_H	number of horizontal (radial) grid sections [-]
$R_\mathrm{GS,H}$	R_GS_H[NoGS_H]	number of control volumes per radial grid section [-]
$\Delta x_\mathrm{GS}$	dx_GS[NoGS_H]	thickness of control volumes per radial grid section [m]
	sum(R_GS_H)	total number of radial control volumes [-]
$N_\mathrm{GS,VA}$	NoGS_VA	number of vertical grid sections in the aquifer [-]
$H_\mathrm{GS,VA}$	H_GS_VA[NoGS_VA]	number of control volumes per vertical aquifer grid section [-]
$\Delta z_\mathrm{GS,A}$	dz_GS_A[NoGS_VA]	height of control volumes per vertical aquifer grid section [m]
	sum(H_GS_VA)	total number of vertical aquifer control volumes [-]
$N_\mathrm{GS,VC}$	NoGS_VC	number of vertical grid sections in the aquitard [-]
$H_\mathrm{GS,VC}$	H_GS_VC[NoGS_VC]	number of control volumes per vertical aquitard grid section [-]
$\Delta z_\mathrm{GS,C}$	dz_GS_C[NoGS_VC]	height of control volumes per vertical aquitard grid section [m]
	r_0	well screen radius [m]
$f_\mathrm{buoy}$	buoyancy	flag: activate buoyancy-driven vertical flow [-]
$f_\mathrm{disp}$	dispersion	flag: activate hydrodynamic dispersion in effective thermal conductivity [-]

6. Governing Equations

(no equations)

7. Remarks for Usage

Choosing the grid. Two discretization modes are available, selected via optimized_grid:

(a) Optimized grid (optimized_grid = true): recommended workflow:

1. Set dx_min (target first cell width) and the physical parameters V_inj, H_a, H_c, domain_factor, N_z, N_z_c.

2. First run GridGenerator_SizeOnly to determine the required number of radial control volumes N_r for the chosen dx_min. The ready-to-use Dymola script Resources/../AutoConfigureN_r.mos calls GridGenerator_SizeOnly(c_f, c_a, H_a, H_c, V_inj, r_0, domain_factor, dx_min) and prints the resulting N_r.

3. Enter the computed value into the N_r parameter of this record. Geometry then calls GridGenerator with this N_r to build the grid.

Note: N_r, N_z and N_z_c are structural parameters; changing them requires re-translation of the model.

(b) Individual grid (optimized_grid = false): define the grid manually via the section parameters NoGS_H/R_GS_H/dx_GS (radial), NoGS_VA/H_GS_VA/dz_GS_A (vertical aquifer) and NoGS_VC/H_GS_VC/dz_GS_C (vertical aquitard). The length of each value vector must equal the corresponding section count (e.g. size(R_GS_H) = NoGS_H).

Physics toggles. Set buoyancy = true to activate vertical flow driven by thermal density differences. Set dispersion = true to include hydrodynamic dispersion in the effective thermal conductivity.

8. Validation

(no validation or testing necessary)

9. References

(no remarks)

10. Version History

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

Model revised by Markus Gillner (markus.gillner@tuhh.de), June 2026

- Documented the optimized grid mode and its GridGenerator_SizeOnly workflow alongside the existing individual grid mode.

Parameters

Type	Name	Default	Description
Discretization
Boolean	optimized_grid	true	use an optimized grid for radial and vertical discretization rather than an own grid
Discretization › Optimized grid
SI.Volume	V_inj	60000	Volume that is injected into the aquifer
SI.Height	H_a	20	Height of the aquifer that is modelled
SI.Height	H_c	10	Height of the adjacent layers that are modelled
Real	domain_factor	3	Radius of the modelled aquifer: domain_factor*thermal Radius, should be 4 for multi-year operation
Integer	N_r	31	Number of radial control volumes (computed by GridGenerator_SizeOnly and entered here)
Integer	N_z	20	Number of volumes in vertical direction of the aquifer
Integer	N_z_c	5	Number of volumes in vertical direction of the aquiclud
Discretization › Individual grid
Integer	NoGS_H	3	Number of horizontal grid sections
Integer[NoGS_H]	R_GS_H	{10, 30, 150}	Number of control volumes in horizontal grid sections
SI.Length[NoGS_H]	dx_GS	{0.5, 1, 10}	Thicknes of the control volumes within the grid sections
Integer	NoGS_VA	1	Number of vertical grid sections within the aquifer
Integer[NoGS_VA]	H_GS_VA	{20}	Number of control volumes in vertical grid sections within the aquifer
SI.Length[NoGS_VA]	dz_GS_A	{1}	Height of the control volumes within the grid sections of the aquifer
Integer	NoGS_VC	2	Number of vertical grid sections within the aquitard, the adjacent layers on top and bottom of the aquifer
Integer[NoGS_VC]	H_GS_VC	{5, 20}	Number of control volumes in vertical grid sections within the aquitard
SI.Length[NoGS_VC]	dz_GS_C	{1, 5}	Height of the control volumes within the grid sections of the aquitard
General › Design parameters
SI.Length	r_0	0.15	Radius of well screen
General › Physics
Boolean	buoyancy	true	logical value if buoyancy caused by thermal gradient should be considered
Boolean	dispersion	false	logial value if dispersion should be considered in calculation of thermal conductivity