Enhanced heat recovery in CO2-enhanced geothermal systems: A temperature-sensitive proppant approach

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2026

Abstract

Enhanced Geothermal Systems using supercritical CO2 (CO2-EGS) offer superior thermophysical properties and dual benefits of energy generation with carbon sequestration. However, CO2's inherent buoyancy creates severe thermal short-circuiting through intra-fracture channeling (gravity override) and inter-fracture channeling in the reservoir with non-uniform fracture system. These phenomena cause premature thermal breakthrough and significantly reduce energy recovery efficiency. This study introduces the concept of temperature-sensitive proppants as an autonomous solution to mitigate CO2 flow channeling. These “smart” proppants dynamically reduce fracture conductivity in cooled zones while maintaining high conductivity in hot regions, intelligently redirecting CO2 flow to achieve uniform thermal sweep. Through comprehensive 3D numerical simulations of a horizontal well doublet system over 30 years, we quantify substantial performance improvements. In uniform fracture networks, temperature-sensitive proppants increased cumulative heat extraction by 20 % and sustained production temperatures 22 K higher after three decades. More significantly, in non-uniform fracture systems prone to severe channeling, the technology delivered a 45 K temperature increase and 55 % improvement in heat extraction efficiency compared to conventional proppants. Results demonstrate that temperature-sensitive proppants provide transformative, self-regulating flow control that maximizes energy recovery while extending system longevity. This technology addresses the critical challenge of thermal short-circuiting in CO2-EGS, significantly improving economic viability while advancing dual goals of clean energy generation and large-scale geological carbon sequestration.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Applied Thermal Engineering

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