Paul R. Franke’s research while affiliated with Los Alamos National Laboratory and other places

The Hot Dry Rock (HDR) Geothermal Energy Development Program is reviewed. The principal operational tasks include the development and analysis of a 20 to 50 MW HDR reservoir at Fenton Hill with the potential construction of a pilot electric generating station, as well as the selection and evaluation of future target prospect areas. A small subterranean system at Fenton Hill comprised of two boreholes connected at a depth of 3 km by hydraulic fracturing was evaluated. A closed-loop surface system has been constructed and tests have yielded promising data on heat extraction, geofluid chemistry, flow impedance, and loss of water through the underground reservoir between the two holes. With positive program results, it will be possible to begin delivering commercial HDR-derived power-on-line in the final decade of this century.