69th EAGE Conference and Exhibition incorporating SPE EUROPEC 2007, 2007
P111 3D Seismic Imaging of a Deep Landslide in the Eastern Alps (Northern Italy) R.G. Francese* (... more P111 3D Seismic Imaging of a Deep Landslide in the Eastern Alps (Northern Italy) R.G. Francese* (Ist. Naz. Di Oceanog. e di Geof. Sperim. (Italy)) G. Bohm (Ist. Naz. Di Oceanog. e di Geof. Sperim. (Italy)) N. Wardell (Ist. Naz. Di Oceanog. e di Geof. Sperim. (Italy)) A. Baglioni (Regione del Veneto (Italy)) R. Genevois (Dip. di Geoscienze - Univ. of Padova (Italy)) & A. Galgaro (Dip. di Geoscienze - Univ. of Padova (Italy)) SUMMARY The Lamosano Town in the Eastern Alps was built on the top of a ridge involved in a slow landslide movement that caused several damages
In recent years, the overall worldwide demand for energy has been increasing due to the constant ... more In recent years, the overall worldwide demand for energy has been increasing due to the constant growth of both global population and industrialization, which is particularly intensifying in emerging countries (China, India, South Africa, Brazil) and recently industrialized ones (i.e., Mexico, Turkey). In this framework, the exploitation of shallow geothermal energy through heat geo-exchange systems, as borehole heat exchangers (closed loop systems) or groundwater systems (open loop systems) coupled with a heat pump (Ground Source Heat Pump—GSHP), is really appealing, due to its versatility and energy efficiency. The heat exchanged with the underground, a reliable and green thermal energy source, is used mainly for heating and cooling of residential, industrial or commercial buildings and greenhouses. Several technologies are available and combinations with other local renewable energy sources are also possible, representing very interesting efficient and environmentally friendly so...
The design of ground source heat pumps is a fundamental step to ensure the high energy efficiency... more The design of ground source heat pumps is a fundamental step to ensure the high energy efficiency of heat pump systems throughout their operating years. To enhance the diffusion of ground source heat pump systems, two different tools are developed in the H2020 research project named, “Cheap GSHPs”: A design tool and a decision support system. In both cases, the energy demand of the buildings may not be calculated by the user. The main input data, to evaluate the size of the borehole heat exchangers, is the building energy demand. This paper presents a methodology to correlate energy demand, building typologies, and climatic conditions for different types of residential buildings. Rather than envelope properties, three insulation levels have been considered in different climatic conditions to set up a database of energy profiles. Analyzing European climatic test reference years, 23 locations have been considered. For each location, the overall energy and the mean hourly monthly energ...
<p>In the early 90&#8217;s, the Environmental Protection Agency of the Bolzano Province... more <p>In the early 90&#8217;s, the Environmental Protection Agency of the Bolzano Province (NE Italy) performed a study on Indoor Radon in all the municipalities of the district (Minach et al., 1999). The aim of these measurements was to identify the areas characterized by high Indoor Radon (<em>IR</em>) values to realize an Indoor Radon map. Most of the municipalities that resulted to have average <em>IR</em> values above 400 Bq/m<sup>3</sup>, thus classified at high risk according to 90/143/EURATOM, are aligned along the Pustertal/Pusteria Valley. In this work, the relation between Radon activity, and the concentrations of other gases in the soil, and geological factors (e.g. lithology, tectonic structures) is investigated along two profiles across the Periadriatic Lineament in the Pustertal/Pusteria Valley. Samples of the petro-volumetrically relevant lithologies of the studied area have been collected, their chemical composition (XRF) and their radionuclides content (high resolution gamma-rays spectrometry) determined. The lithologies include granitoid rocks, orthogneisses, micaschists and phyllites, some of which are characterized by a high activity concentration of natural terrestrial radionuclides. As a consequence, their presence in the study area may potentially increase Radon emission (EC-JRC, 2019). Radon, CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub>, O<sub>2</sub>, H<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>S have been measured in soil gas along the two profiles to investigate the effect of the Periadriatic Lineament (<em>PL</em>) on Radon exhalation. The profiles are located near M&#252;hlen/Molini (P1) and Pfalzen/Falzen (P2), respectively. Preliminary results show two evident Radon peaks of 112 kBq/m<sup>3</sup> and118 kBq/m<sup>3</sup> along P1, and of 148 kBq/m<sup>3</sup> and 157 kBq/m<sup>3</sup> along P2. The background values are below 50 kBq/m<sup>3</sup>. These peaks correspond to two main cataclastic zones of the Periadriatic Fault system mostly buried under quaternary loosen sediments. Thus, cataclastic zones represent preferential paths for Radon mobility and exhalation. The comparison of the <em>IR</em> distribution map, the geochemical composition of the main lithologies and the results from the <em>in-situ</em> measures, clearly indicate that, although outcropping lithologies represent an important factor contributing to the <em>IR</em> values, they cannot justify such high <em>IR</em> values measured in the buildings alone. Instead, the structural features of the Periadriatic Fault system play a key role in enhancing radon exhalation, exposing to potential radon risk specific areas within the territories of the municipalities located in the Pustertal/Pusteria Valley.</p><p>Keywords: Eastern Alps, Periadriatic Lineament, Radon, Indoor Radon, Natural Radioactivity</p><p>References:</p><p>Minach L., Verdi L., Marchesoni C., Amadori C. Radon in S&#971;dtirol. Environmental Protection Agency. 1999.</p><p>Cinelli G., De Cort M. & Tollefsen, T. European Commission, Joint Research Centre. European Atlas of Natural Radiation. 2019. (Eds.), Publication Office of the European Union, ISBN 978-92-76-08259-0, doi:10.2760/520053.&#160;</p><p>&#160;</p>
The “Most Easy, Efficient and Low Cost Geothermal Systems for Retrofitting Civil and Historical B... more The “Most Easy, Efficient and Low Cost Geothermal Systems for Retrofitting Civil and Historical Buildings” (GEO4CIVHIC) project aims to accelerate the deployment of shallow geothermal systems for heating and cooling purposes when retrofitting existing and historical buildings. Analyzing the implementation process of borehole heat exchangers (BHEs), allows the understanding of how to promote the long-term sustainability of shallow geothermal energy systems. The thermal interference between BHE systems represents a problem, especially due to the increasing deployment of this technology and its spread in densely built-up areas. The main goals of this paper are: a) to analyze the design phase of a BHE system in order to prevent mutual thermal interference, b) to propose a model that encloses phases to adopt an integrated approach for preventing long term thermal interferences, c) to give technical and management suggestions to minimize thermal interference between closed-loop geothermal...
A procedure aimed at forecasting the velocity trend of a landslide for a period of some hours to ... more A procedure aimed at forecasting the velocity trend of a landslide for a period of some hours to one or two days is proposed here together with its MATLAB implementation. The method is based on continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and convolutional neural network (CNN) applied to rainfall and velocity time series provided by a real-time monitoring system. It is aimed at recognizing the conditions that induce a strong increase, or even a significant decrease, in the average velocity of the unstable slope. For each evaluation time, the rainfall and velocity scalograms related to the previous days (e.g., two weeks) are computed by means of CWT. A CNN recognizes the velocity trend defined in the training stage corresponds to these scalograms. In this way, forecasts about the start, persistence, and end of a critical event can be provided to the decision makers. An application of the toolbox to a landslide (Perarolo di Cadore landslide, Eastern Alps, Italy) is also briefly described to sho...
&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;An innovative user-friendly smart phone/tablet-based Application (App) t... more &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;An innovative user-friendly smart phone/tablet-based Application (App) to support users (drillers, owners, designers) on site to complete a preliminary evaluation of the shallow geothermal heat exchangers and heat pump system feasibility was developed in the framework of the EU funded GEO4CIVHIC Project. The App is expected to provide a preliminary evaluation of drilling time and costs, allowing users to design a first version of the geothermal system, including number of probes and recommended drilling method.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The App requires the geolocation, the underground and building structure, the feasibility and the best drilling solution for the site to be analysed. Hence, the reference data defined by the project concerning the fundamental ground parameters (thermal conductivity, lithology etc&amp;amp;#8230;), the climatic classes typical of the European territory and the energy profile of a selection of buildings, representative of the European buildings&amp;amp;#8217; typology, are stored in a specific database internal to the application itself.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Once the site geolocation is defined, automatically or manually, the user is required to insert geological information. The geological section is developed for non-expert users to allow them a simplified underground geological characterization based on intuitive information related to the form of the landscape (geomorphology) and a rough idea of the rocks/sediments present in the area. Selecting an environment, a sub-environment and a lithology, the App, considering a simplified stratigraphy of about 100 m depth characterized by a homogenous material in saturated conditions, provides an output related to (i) the best method to drill the underground, (ii) the evaluation of time and cost for the drilling method suggested, (iii) the thermal conductivity value linked to the main lithology.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In the Building section, an estimate of the maximum energy requirement for both heating and cooling knowing the latitude and longitude coordinates and the building typology of the test site is obtained. In the App database, the European cities, based on their geographic coordinates, are grouped in four simplified climatic zone domains according to the K&amp;amp;#246;ppen-Geiger climate classification. This allow to obtain the average annual degree days (DD) for heating and cooling necessary to calculate the cooling and heating loads of the building. Then, selecting the reference building typology (residential/non-residential) and the ground characteristics, the App automatically calculate the geothermal field size necessary to meet its energy needs.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The validation in the Mechelen (Belgium) case study of GEO4CIVHIC project shows a good agreement between the App simplified information and the real case condition. Next future more validation will be provided. However, the App outputs are a preliminary, not refined estimate of the geothermal feasibility to realize shallow geothermal systems and cannot be considered as sufficiently detailed to plan these systems. On this regard it is mandatory to acquire more detailed local information, consulting local experts and/or referring to the Decision Support System (DSS) of GEO4CIVHIC Project.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;em&amp;gt;GEO4CIVHIC&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt; &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;project has received funding from the European Union&amp;amp;#8217;s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 792355.&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;
Comparison of different types of restitution in groundwater of the thermally modified water, expl... more Comparison of different types of restitution in groundwater of the thermally modified water, exploited by open-loop shallow geothermal systems. The comparison shows that the restitution in the vadose zone in more thermally sustainable, since the produced thermal alteration is lower when reinstating the aquifer by trenches or infiltration wells rather than using a reinjection well directly in groundwater. These would be wiser solutions to avoid an overheating/overcooling of the aquifer at higher depths, especially in urban areas where the density of shallow geothermal systems is constantly increasing. The white line represents the elevation of the groundwater table calculated by the model for each simulated day.
Hydro/thermogeological model of Locarno city, southern Switzerland. 10 years simulation of the op... more Hydro/thermogeological model of Locarno city, southern Switzerland. 10 years simulation of the operation of installed shallow geothermal systems, both closed-loop and open-loop ones with a realistic scenario
69th EAGE Conference and Exhibition incorporating SPE EUROPEC 2007, 2007
P111 3D Seismic Imaging of a Deep Landslide in the Eastern Alps (Northern Italy) R.G. Francese* (... more P111 3D Seismic Imaging of a Deep Landslide in the Eastern Alps (Northern Italy) R.G. Francese* (Ist. Naz. Di Oceanog. e di Geof. Sperim. (Italy)) G. Bohm (Ist. Naz. Di Oceanog. e di Geof. Sperim. (Italy)) N. Wardell (Ist. Naz. Di Oceanog. e di Geof. Sperim. (Italy)) A. Baglioni (Regione del Veneto (Italy)) R. Genevois (Dip. di Geoscienze - Univ. of Padova (Italy)) & A. Galgaro (Dip. di Geoscienze - Univ. of Padova (Italy)) SUMMARY The Lamosano Town in the Eastern Alps was built on the top of a ridge involved in a slow landslide movement that caused several damages
In recent years, the overall worldwide demand for energy has been increasing due to the constant ... more In recent years, the overall worldwide demand for energy has been increasing due to the constant growth of both global population and industrialization, which is particularly intensifying in emerging countries (China, India, South Africa, Brazil) and recently industrialized ones (i.e., Mexico, Turkey). In this framework, the exploitation of shallow geothermal energy through heat geo-exchange systems, as borehole heat exchangers (closed loop systems) or groundwater systems (open loop systems) coupled with a heat pump (Ground Source Heat Pump—GSHP), is really appealing, due to its versatility and energy efficiency. The heat exchanged with the underground, a reliable and green thermal energy source, is used mainly for heating and cooling of residential, industrial or commercial buildings and greenhouses. Several technologies are available and combinations with other local renewable energy sources are also possible, representing very interesting efficient and environmentally friendly so...
The design of ground source heat pumps is a fundamental step to ensure the high energy efficiency... more The design of ground source heat pumps is a fundamental step to ensure the high energy efficiency of heat pump systems throughout their operating years. To enhance the diffusion of ground source heat pump systems, two different tools are developed in the H2020 research project named, “Cheap GSHPs”: A design tool and a decision support system. In both cases, the energy demand of the buildings may not be calculated by the user. The main input data, to evaluate the size of the borehole heat exchangers, is the building energy demand. This paper presents a methodology to correlate energy demand, building typologies, and climatic conditions for different types of residential buildings. Rather than envelope properties, three insulation levels have been considered in different climatic conditions to set up a database of energy profiles. Analyzing European climatic test reference years, 23 locations have been considered. For each location, the overall energy and the mean hourly monthly energ...
<p>In the early 90&#8217;s, the Environmental Protection Agency of the Bolzano Province... more <p>In the early 90&#8217;s, the Environmental Protection Agency of the Bolzano Province (NE Italy) performed a study on Indoor Radon in all the municipalities of the district (Minach et al., 1999). The aim of these measurements was to identify the areas characterized by high Indoor Radon (<em>IR</em>) values to realize an Indoor Radon map. Most of the municipalities that resulted to have average <em>IR</em> values above 400 Bq/m<sup>3</sup>, thus classified at high risk according to 90/143/EURATOM, are aligned along the Pustertal/Pusteria Valley. In this work, the relation between Radon activity, and the concentrations of other gases in the soil, and geological factors (e.g. lithology, tectonic structures) is investigated along two profiles across the Periadriatic Lineament in the Pustertal/Pusteria Valley. Samples of the petro-volumetrically relevant lithologies of the studied area have been collected, their chemical composition (XRF) and their radionuclides content (high resolution gamma-rays spectrometry) determined. The lithologies include granitoid rocks, orthogneisses, micaschists and phyllites, some of which are characterized by a high activity concentration of natural terrestrial radionuclides. As a consequence, their presence in the study area may potentially increase Radon emission (EC-JRC, 2019). Radon, CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub>, O<sub>2</sub>, H<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>S have been measured in soil gas along the two profiles to investigate the effect of the Periadriatic Lineament (<em>PL</em>) on Radon exhalation. The profiles are located near M&#252;hlen/Molini (P1) and Pfalzen/Falzen (P2), respectively. Preliminary results show two evident Radon peaks of 112 kBq/m<sup>3</sup> and118 kBq/m<sup>3</sup> along P1, and of 148 kBq/m<sup>3</sup> and 157 kBq/m<sup>3</sup> along P2. The background values are below 50 kBq/m<sup>3</sup>. These peaks correspond to two main cataclastic zones of the Periadriatic Fault system mostly buried under quaternary loosen sediments. Thus, cataclastic zones represent preferential paths for Radon mobility and exhalation. The comparison of the <em>IR</em> distribution map, the geochemical composition of the main lithologies and the results from the <em>in-situ</em> measures, clearly indicate that, although outcropping lithologies represent an important factor contributing to the <em>IR</em> values, they cannot justify such high <em>IR</em> values measured in the buildings alone. Instead, the structural features of the Periadriatic Fault system play a key role in enhancing radon exhalation, exposing to potential radon risk specific areas within the territories of the municipalities located in the Pustertal/Pusteria Valley.</p><p>Keywords: Eastern Alps, Periadriatic Lineament, Radon, Indoor Radon, Natural Radioactivity</p><p>References:</p><p>Minach L., Verdi L., Marchesoni C., Amadori C. Radon in S&#971;dtirol. Environmental Protection Agency. 1999.</p><p>Cinelli G., De Cort M. & Tollefsen, T. European Commission, Joint Research Centre. European Atlas of Natural Radiation. 2019. (Eds.), Publication Office of the European Union, ISBN 978-92-76-08259-0, doi:10.2760/520053.&#160;</p><p>&#160;</p>
The “Most Easy, Efficient and Low Cost Geothermal Systems for Retrofitting Civil and Historical B... more The “Most Easy, Efficient and Low Cost Geothermal Systems for Retrofitting Civil and Historical Buildings” (GEO4CIVHIC) project aims to accelerate the deployment of shallow geothermal systems for heating and cooling purposes when retrofitting existing and historical buildings. Analyzing the implementation process of borehole heat exchangers (BHEs), allows the understanding of how to promote the long-term sustainability of shallow geothermal energy systems. The thermal interference between BHE systems represents a problem, especially due to the increasing deployment of this technology and its spread in densely built-up areas. The main goals of this paper are: a) to analyze the design phase of a BHE system in order to prevent mutual thermal interference, b) to propose a model that encloses phases to adopt an integrated approach for preventing long term thermal interferences, c) to give technical and management suggestions to minimize thermal interference between closed-loop geothermal...
A procedure aimed at forecasting the velocity trend of a landslide for a period of some hours to ... more A procedure aimed at forecasting the velocity trend of a landslide for a period of some hours to one or two days is proposed here together with its MATLAB implementation. The method is based on continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and convolutional neural network (CNN) applied to rainfall and velocity time series provided by a real-time monitoring system. It is aimed at recognizing the conditions that induce a strong increase, or even a significant decrease, in the average velocity of the unstable slope. For each evaluation time, the rainfall and velocity scalograms related to the previous days (e.g., two weeks) are computed by means of CWT. A CNN recognizes the velocity trend defined in the training stage corresponds to these scalograms. In this way, forecasts about the start, persistence, and end of a critical event can be provided to the decision makers. An application of the toolbox to a landslide (Perarolo di Cadore landslide, Eastern Alps, Italy) is also briefly described to sho...
&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;An innovative user-friendly smart phone/tablet-based Application (App) t... more &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;An innovative user-friendly smart phone/tablet-based Application (App) to support users (drillers, owners, designers) on site to complete a preliminary evaluation of the shallow geothermal heat exchangers and heat pump system feasibility was developed in the framework of the EU funded GEO4CIVHIC Project. The App is expected to provide a preliminary evaluation of drilling time and costs, allowing users to design a first version of the geothermal system, including number of probes and recommended drilling method.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The App requires the geolocation, the underground and building structure, the feasibility and the best drilling solution for the site to be analysed. Hence, the reference data defined by the project concerning the fundamental ground parameters (thermal conductivity, lithology etc&amp;amp;#8230;), the climatic classes typical of the European territory and the energy profile of a selection of buildings, representative of the European buildings&amp;amp;#8217; typology, are stored in a specific database internal to the application itself.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Once the site geolocation is defined, automatically or manually, the user is required to insert geological information. The geological section is developed for non-expert users to allow them a simplified underground geological characterization based on intuitive information related to the form of the landscape (geomorphology) and a rough idea of the rocks/sediments present in the area. Selecting an environment, a sub-environment and a lithology, the App, considering a simplified stratigraphy of about 100 m depth characterized by a homogenous material in saturated conditions, provides an output related to (i) the best method to drill the underground, (ii) the evaluation of time and cost for the drilling method suggested, (iii) the thermal conductivity value linked to the main lithology.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In the Building section, an estimate of the maximum energy requirement for both heating and cooling knowing the latitude and longitude coordinates and the building typology of the test site is obtained. In the App database, the European cities, based on their geographic coordinates, are grouped in four simplified climatic zone domains according to the K&amp;amp;#246;ppen-Geiger climate classification. This allow to obtain the average annual degree days (DD) for heating and cooling necessary to calculate the cooling and heating loads of the building. Then, selecting the reference building typology (residential/non-residential) and the ground characteristics, the App automatically calculate the geothermal field size necessary to meet its energy needs.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The validation in the Mechelen (Belgium) case study of GEO4CIVHIC project shows a good agreement between the App simplified information and the real case condition. Next future more validation will be provided. However, the App outputs are a preliminary, not refined estimate of the geothermal feasibility to realize shallow geothermal systems and cannot be considered as sufficiently detailed to plan these systems. On this regard it is mandatory to acquire more detailed local information, consulting local experts and/or referring to the Decision Support System (DSS) of GEO4CIVHIC Project.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;em&amp;gt;GEO4CIVHIC&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt; &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;project has received funding from the European Union&amp;amp;#8217;s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 792355.&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;
Comparison of different types of restitution in groundwater of the thermally modified water, expl... more Comparison of different types of restitution in groundwater of the thermally modified water, exploited by open-loop shallow geothermal systems. The comparison shows that the restitution in the vadose zone in more thermally sustainable, since the produced thermal alteration is lower when reinstating the aquifer by trenches or infiltration wells rather than using a reinjection well directly in groundwater. These would be wiser solutions to avoid an overheating/overcooling of the aquifer at higher depths, especially in urban areas where the density of shallow geothermal systems is constantly increasing. The white line represents the elevation of the groundwater table calculated by the model for each simulated day.
Hydro/thermogeological model of Locarno city, southern Switzerland. 10 years simulation of the op... more Hydro/thermogeological model of Locarno city, southern Switzerland. 10 years simulation of the operation of installed shallow geothermal systems, both closed-loop and open-loop ones with a realistic scenario
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Papers by Antonio Galgaro