Professor Ingo Sass has a new role in GFZ Potsdam

Since September 2021, Professor Sass becomes a head of Geoenergy section at German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), Potsdam. Professor Sass still remains the professorship at TU Darmstadt.
Katja Schulz, M.Sc., wins Sciencebar competition
On November 121, 2020, at this year's online Geothermal Congress Ms. Katja Schulz, M. Sc. won the Sciencebar competition for her presentation “Lab analysis of permeability enhancement by chemical treatment of fractured granite samples (Cornubian Batholith) in the context of the United Downs Deep Geothermal Power Project”. The master's thesis was done at the department of Geothermal Science and Technology at the TU Darmstadt and is part of the EU Horizon 2020 project ('Multidisciplinary and multi-context demonstration of EGS exploration and Exploitation Techniques and potentials'). MEET
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PetroPhysical Property Database P³ published
Dr. Kristian Bär has published the database in cooperation with the (GFZ) and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (Fh-IEG) in the journal Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems. The database comprises more than 75,000 datasets from 316 publications, is available ‘Earth System Science Data’ and was prepared within the EU project freely in the internet (‘Integrated Methods for Advanced Geothermal Exploration’). The database is unique in Europe and was set up following the FAIR concept for data management: findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability. It was important for Kristian Bär and his co-authors not only to compile petrophysical parameter, but to document the data acquisition, give meta-information as well as evaluate the data quality. An extension and completion of the database is planed in future. IMAGE
Gillian Wilson, M.Sc., wins Sciencebar poster competition
On November 21, 2019, at this year's Geothermal Congress in Munich Ms. Gillian Wilson, M. Sc. won the Sciencebar poster competition for her master's thesis “Geothermal Potential of Upper Devonian Carbonate Aquifer Systems of the Southwestern Rimbey-Meadowbrook Reef Trend in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, Alberta, Canada”. The master's thesis was done at the department of Geothermal Science and Technology at the TU Darmstadt and is part of the project MalVonian in cooperation with the University of Alberta.
The Sciencebar competition is organized annually by the Federal Geothermal Association at the Geothermal Congress and offers young researchers in particular the opportunity to present research results from their own bachelor's, master's or doctoral theses in the field of geothermal energy to a broad specialist audience and to establish initial contacts in the industry.
DAAD Scholarship for Dr. Sana'a Al-Zyoud
Dr. Sanaa Al-Zyoud is an assistant professor at Al al Bayt University, Jordan. She got a scholarship from DAAD as a former DAAD scholarship holder. The grant is provided for three months in order to give Dr. Al –Zyoud the chance for conducting her research at TU Darmstadt under the Re-invitation Programme for Former Scholarship Holders.
In order to maintain her academic and professional contacts with the institute where she graduated seven years ago, Dr. Al-Zyoud started her research entitled with “Evaluation of a prospective geothermal reservoir in NE Jordan: Investigation of thermophysical and hydrochemical characteristics” at the Geothermal Science and Technology group.
The proposed project aims at evaluating a prospective geothermal field in the eastern part of Al Mafraq, NE Jordan, for heating and cooling applications. Thermophysical and hydrochemical characterization of the reservoir will be implemented. Rock lithology and the chemistry of thermal waters will be assessed to classify the geothermal reservoir, thus estimate the potential and feasibility. The final results of this project should be integrated to initiate a 3-D model for heat flow simulation, in a future project, that can be disseminated to the decision makers in Jordan.
Expert discussion about permeability changes due to borehole heat exchangers – effects on the approval situation
The first technical discussion on this topic took place previously to the Geotherm Exposition on February 13, 2019 in Offenburg. Nearly 70 people from public authorities, planning offices and research institutes took part in the event, which was recognized as a continuing education program in accordance with DVGW W120-2. This event was organized by the Department of Applied Geothermal Energy of the TU Darmstadt and the Department of Geotechnics and Geothermics of the University of Applied Sciences Ostwestfalen-Lippe within the framework of the PtJ-BMWi joint project OPTIMOG.
The construction and operation of borehole heat exchangers (BHE) focuses on groundwater protection. Insufficient sealing of the BHE – for example due to incorrectly executed backfill or frost damage – must be avoided. On the other hand, the definition to low hydraulic permeability limits of BHE systems or a general prohibition of frost operation lead to a considerable reduction in the potential of this technology.
The potential of BHE and the requirements for hydraulic permeability were discussed controversially during the technical discussion. To this end, recent research activities have been presented that address the issue of proper backfill or the persistency of backfill materials to freeze-thaw-cycles and seek to develop technologies that enable safe, sustainable and efficient operation of BHE.