Rock Thermal Conductivity as Key Parameter for Geothermal Numerical Models

The geothermal energy applications are undergoing a rapid development. However, there are still several challenges in the successful exploitation of geothermal energy resources. A special effort is required to characterize the thermal properties of the ground and to implement the thermal energy transfer technologies. Aim of this study is to provide original heat conductivity values for rocks and sediments in regions included in the VIGOR Project ( southern Italy), to overcome the existing lack of data. Thermal properties tests were performed on several samples, both in dry and wet conditions, using thermal analyzer operating following the Modified Transient Plane Source method. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.