Plasma drilling technology for geothermal energy utilisation supporting decarbonisation of UK energy sector

*地热能是唯一的基本负荷（24/7）可再生能源，可有效扩展以取代目前的化石燃料装机容量。尽管地热能在我们脚下随处可见，但由于与高钻井成本相关的地下挑战，地热能很少被认为具有商业可行性。*成功的地热项目依赖于经济有效地获取正确的地温梯度，地温梯度在15？C到100多？每钻1公里。为了满足产生显著和可持续电力的要求，需要钻进到最佳温度在240？C - 300?C由于地温梯度较低（20 - 30°C/km），英国被认为不可行，只有少数小规模项目正在开发中。* GA drilling已经开发出等离子体钻井技术，可以更快、更经济地钻穿硬岩，作为超深层地热发电的一项使能技术。使用的等离子体技术包括电弧和化学辅助脉冲的产生。最近的理论研究主要集中在燃烧方面，本项目的目标是开发一种满足硬岩等离子体钻井要求的燃烧系统。*拟议的项目将通过布莱顿大学的高压燃烧理论研究和MTECH-UK ASSOCIATES LTD在ADVANCED ANALYSIS LIMITED设计的燃烧弹中进行的实验研究，为PLASMABIT的发展做出贡献。GA DRILLING LIMITED将确保燃烧系统的设计符合井下工具的要求，并且燃烧产生的热量符合PLASMABIT钻井的要求。*项目结束时的目标是获得足够的模拟和实验数据，以指定全尺寸钻井工具的燃烧系统，并使GAD将该燃烧系统纳入全尺寸设计。*各合作方对项目成果的商业开发如下：GA钻井——正在开发的商业钻井系统。从2025年起，与MTECH-UK ASSOCIATES LTD合作生产和装配钻井工具，作为燃烧系统组件的供应商2。MTECH-UK ASSOCIATES：进一步与GA DRILLING合作开发商业系统。2025年起商用钻井系统燃烧组件的制造和测试。利用英国的赛车供应基地对先进材料进行精密加工/ ALM。布莱顿大学-在高压燃烧模型的扩展能力。进一步与GA DRILLING合作开发商业系统。ADVANCED ANALYSIS LIMITED -进一步参与GA DRILLING开发商业系统。

* Geothermal energy is the only baseload (24/7) renewable energy source which is scalable effectively to replace present-day fossil fuel installed capacity. Geothermal energy although available in abundance below our feet everywhere is rarely considered commercially viable due to the subsurface challenges related to high drilling costs.* Successful geothermal projects rely on accessing cost effectively the correct geothermal gradient which varies significantly on the geology between 15?C to more than 100?C per km drilled. To meet the requirements to produce significant and sustainable power requires drilling to depth where optimum temperature are between 240?C - 300?C. The UK is considered not viable for geothermal with only a few small scale projects being developed due to the lower geothermal gradients (20 -- 30 ?C/km).* GA DRILING have developed plasma drilling technology for faster and more cost-effective drilling through hard rock as an enabling technology for ultra-deep geothermal power. The plasma technologies used have included electric arc and chemically assisted creation of pulses. Recent theoretical studies have focused on combustion and the objective of this project is to develop a combustion system that will meet the requirements for plasma drilling of hard rock.* The proposed project will contribute to the development of PLASMABIT by theoretical studies of combustion at high pressures at University of Brighton with experimental studies performed by MTECH-UK ASSOCIATES LTD in a combustion bomb designed by ADVANCED ANALYSIS LIMITED. GA DRILLING LIMITED will ensure that the combustion system design is compatible with down hole tool requirements and the heat produced from combustion meets the requirements for PLASMABIT drilling.* The target by the end of the project is to have sufficient simulation and experimental data to specify the combustion system for a full-scale drilling tool and for GAD to have incorporated this combustion system into the full-scale design.* Commercial exploitation of the project results for each partner is as follows:1. GA DRILLING - Ongoing development of the commercial drilling system. Manufacture and sub-assembly of the drilling tool from 2025 with MTECH-UK ASSOCIATES LTD as a supplier for combustion system sub-assemblies2. MTECH-UK ASSOCIATES - Further involvement with GA DRILLING to develop commercial systems. Manufacture and testing of combustion sub-assemblies for commercial drilling systems from 2025\. Leveraging the motorsports supply base in UK for precision machining / ALM of advanced materials.3. University of Brighton - Extended capabilities in high pressure combustion modelling. Further involvement with GA DRILLING to develop commercial systems.4. ADVANCED ANALYSIS LIMITED - Further involvement with GA DRILLING to develop commercial systems.