Donghuan Han

Dr. Donghuan Han

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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28 July 2026 in Energies
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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DHDonghuan Han
Donghuan Han
YXYan Xia
Yan Xia
XWXiangyang Wang
Xiangyang Wang
FBFansheng Ban
Fansheng Ban
XLXiaoxuan Li
Xiaoxuan Li
Zhang JieZhang Jie
Zhang Jie
Geothermal energy extraction using existing wellbore systems provides a promising approach for sustainable heat utilization; however, the long-term thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) responses associated with different working fluids remain insufficiently understood. In this study, a three-dimensional coupled THM model was developed to compare geothermal heat extraction using water and pressurized CO2 under identical geological and operational conditions. The model integrates Darcy flow, heat transfer, and linear elastic deformation to investigate the evolution of hydraulic, thermal, and mechanical fields over a 100-year operation period. The results show that the hydraulic fields rapidly reach quasi-steady states, whereas thermal responses continuously evolve due to cold-front propagation from the injection well. Compared with water, pressurized CO2 exhibits stronger fluid mobility and produces a larger thermal influence region, resulting in different heat extraction characteristics under the same mass-flow-rate condition. Thermal cooling induces reservoir contraction and stress redistribution; however, the calculated stress and displacement variations remain within a stable range throughout the simulation period. The comparison demonstrates that pressurized CO2 can enhance long-term thermal utilization while maintaining acceptable geomechanical stability under the investigated conditions. These findings provide insights into the selection of working fluids for wellbore-based geothermal systems and highlight the importance of coupled THM evaluation for long-term reservoir performance assessment.