Examining the relationship between permeability and depth of slate might provide an easier means to evaluate the feasibility of geothermal projects before a detailed site investigation, Chinese-language media reported on Monday, citing a National Central University researcher.
Dong Jia-jyun (董家均) — a professor in the university’s Graduate Institute of Applied Geology and a contributing author to the paper “Estimating the Permeability-Depth Relation of Slate Formation for Geothermal Project,” which the Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering journal published on May 4 — said that Taiwan’s location on the Eurasian and the Philippine tectonic plates means that rapid mountain-building activity has raised hot slate to shallower regions, making the region a viable candidate for developing geothermal power generation.
“While the fluid flow capability of slate formations has not been well investigated internationally, the study proposes a procedure to evaluate the permeability-depth relationship in slate formations,” Dong said.
Photo courtesy of National Central University
The researchers primarily studied the Hungyeh Formation in Taitung to gauge the permeability and gap size of fractures in the rock.
Using equipment donated by Japanese professors during a previous project, the group conducted tests on samples taken from a bore hole to propose the evaluation method, which can be conducted on unassessed sites before boreholes are dug, Dong said.
As emphasis on rock mechanics and rock engineering increases with national infrastructure projects such as the High Speed Railway, dams, tunnels and renewable energy development, the pre-assessment can provide a scientific basis for geothermal power generation projects and allow local governments to gauge the economic viability of such ventures, he said.
The method could provide authorities in regions outside Taiwan that have similar geological parameters, such as the Harz Mountains in Germany’s Gottingen region, to gauge the viability of developing geothermal power generation, he added.
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