DeepU

The technical feasibility of DeepU technology is demonstrated at the laboratory scale. In the DeepU project’s drilling vision, a laser drill head is combined with special drill strings sustaining the coupled action of laser and cryogenic gas, responsible for melting, evaporating and cooling even the hardest rocks. Specific temperature control analysis and innovative laser lenses, able to convey the heat and sustain multilateral drilling, guarantee liquefaction and vitrification of the rocks from the ground surface to significant depths. The resulting glazed layer on the borehole walls acts as a case so that the heat exchanger is ready immediately after drilling. Then, a U-tube system ready to exchange heat with the underground becomes the primary tool to exploit or store geothermal energy, meeting power and thermal energy production needs. OBJECTIVES - Develop and calibrate the drilling technology by selecting a cryogenic gas able to cool in a controlled manner the rock melted by a laser; developing an innovative lightweight drill string able to host the gas and the laser at the same time; developing specific temperature control analysis and innovative laser lenses able to convey the heat and to sustain multilateral drilling; - Determine the physical-thermal phenomena affecting different kinds of rocks to assess the borehole wall vitrification and integrity; - Evaluate the legislative aspects and environmental standards related to the innovation proposed; - Define the DeepU geothermal exploitation potential, including economic analyses, based on case studies modelling. The high-risk innovation presented in DeepU has the potential to make geothermal energy systems accessible anywhere in a targeted and demand-oriented manner, offering a complementary approach and an alternative solution to traditional energy storage and production, decentralising the power supply also in areas where this is currently deemed uneconomic.