Civil Engineering / İnşaat Mühendisliği

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  • Book Part
    Citation - Scopus: 3
    High Radiogenic Granites of Western Anatolia for Egs: a Review
    (CRC Press, 2023) Chandrasekharam, Dornadula; Baba, Alper; Ayzit, Tolga
    Turkey has made remarkable progress in the hydrothermal sector by promoting both electricity generation and direct application. In terms of power generation, this country is the fourth top country in the world. Nearly 1 billion kWh of energy is being utilized to keep 150,000 homes warm in the winter. In addition, Turkey has huge amounts of uptapped energy in its high radiogenic granites in western Anatolia, spread over a cumulative area of 6,910 km2. The radioactive heat generated by these granites varies from 5 to 13 µW/m3. These granite plutons are located over a region with high heat flow values (120 mW/m2) and the Curie temperature isotherm in this region is located at a depth varying from 6 to 12 km. The heat flow values here are 50% higher than the world average. This thermal regime concurs well with the wet granite melting curve at a heat flow of 85 mW/m2. The entire thermal regime indicates a visco-elastic lower crustal layer in this region. Thus, these granites provide excellent sites for initiating Enhanced Geothermal Systems projects in Turkey. Earlier EGS projects in France and Australia gave power estimates of 79×106 kWh of electricity from 1km3 of such granite. With ongoing development in drilling technology, the classical concept of creating a fracture network is being replaced with loop technology that reduces minor seismic risks and also the cost of power. The most important additional advantage Turkey has is the high-temperature regime at shallow depth, unlike other countries where the granites are located at depths >5km. These factors cause the cost of power to fall below 6 euro cents per kWh. Besides the power and heat, the greatest advantage is the reduction in emissions and achieving UN sustainable development goals. A conservative estimate shows that these radiogenic granites of western Anatolia are capable of generating a minimum of 546×109 kWh of power. Energy from these granites can be utilized to generate freshwater using the desalination method. Earlier studies indicate that to produce 1 m3 of desalinated water, ~16 kWh of electrical energy are needed. The cost of fresh water generated using geothermal energy sources will be <1.5 euros per 1m3. Turkey can utilize the energy from granite for water and food security in the future. © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Dornadula Chandrasekharam and Alper Baba.
  • Book
    Enhanced Geothermal Systems (egs): the Future Energy-Road Ahead
    (CRC Press, 2023) Chandrasekharam, Dornadula; Baba, Alper
    Peter Meisen, Past President, Global Energy Network Institute, asked in 1997, “What if there was an existing, viable technology, that when developed to its highest potential could increase everyone’s standard of living, cut fossil fuel demand and the resultant pollution?" After 23 years of sustained effort by the global scientific community, this is becoming a reality. The technology to extract heat from granite has been revolutionized in the last few years. The classical method of creating fracture networks by hydrofracturing is being replaced by a closed-loop method where fluids are not in contact with the hot granite. Supercritical CO2 is replacing water as a circulating fluid. Certainly, the future energy road is going to be led by highly radiogenic granites. While hydrothermal sources are site-specific and have their limitations, EGS can be initiated anywhere on earth. EGS is removing all such obstacles and, in the future, will provide uninterrupted electricity for all. Energy-deficient countries can have surplus electricity; water-stressed countries can have a perennial freshwater supply; and countries can become food-secure and rise above poverty levels. Countries need not depend on energy imports and can independently evolve into carbon neutral or low carbon societies. The contributions made by experts will help researchers and investors to close the energy demand and supply gap in the very near future by tapping the unlimited energy of the Earth. Opportunities available for investors in Turkey are well documented with field, geophysical, and geochemical data and information on the energy generating capacity of the granite intrusive spread over a cumulative area of 6,910 km2 in western Anatolia. With the signing of the Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA) by several countries during the December 2015 CoP 21 (Conference of Parties) summit in Paris, countries are obliged to reduce CO2 emissions by increasing the footprint of renewable energy in the primary source mix. Information provided in this book will lead the way to establishing a clean energy future for millions of people for sustainable development and help to mitigate crises arising due to food, water, and energy shortage issues. Academic and research institutes will benefit to a large extent from the expertise of the top contributors in this book. This information provided in this book will help to lay the foundation for super-hot EGS research in future. © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Dornadula Chandrasekharam and Alper Baba.
  • Book Part
    Application of Nanofiltration for Reclamation and Reuse of Wastewater and Spent Geothermal Fluid
    (CRC Press, 2023) Jarma, Yakubu A.; Cihanoğlu, Aydın; Güler, Enver; Tomaszewska, Barbara; Kasztelewicz, Aleksandra; Baba, Alper; Kabay, Nalan
    After the extraction of energy from the geothermal fluid, the consumed geothermal water can be considered as a potential water resource for agricultural and industrial purposes. The used geothermal water can also be used as a source of drinking water, which could reduce the pressure on the current clean water resources. On the other hand, geothermal fluids brought to the surface need to be treated in the most economical way before discharge into the surface environment or aquifer. Several processes have shown promising results for the treatment of geothermal water. Membrane processes such as nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) can be considered as a technology for obtaining good quality irrigation water from geothermal water. This chapter summarizes the application of NF for the recovery and reuse of wastewater and spent geothermal water. © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Abdul Wahab Mohammad, Teow Yeit Haan and Nidal Hidal; individual chapters, the contributors.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 13
    Citation - Scopus: 14
    Boron Removal From Geothermal Brine Using Hybrid Reverse Osmosis/Microbial Desalination Cell System
    (Elsevier, 2023) Jarma, Yakubu A.; Kabay, Nalan; Baba, Alper; Ökten, Hatice Eser; Gören, Ayşegül Yağmur
    Agriculture sector leads worldwide as the most water consuming sector with water demand. Since natural water resources cannot keep up with the demand, a shift from conventional water resources to unconventional ones is needed. While geothermal water was gaining importance for its energy content, small-scale (<10 L/s) energy plants were not required to reinject their spent geothermal brine. As geothermal resources align with agricultural areas in Western Anatolia, discharge of untreated brine might have severe adverse effects on crop yields and soil quality. In this study, we investigated use of spent geothermal brine for irrigation after treatment with Reverse Osmosis/Microbial Desalination Cell (RO/MDC) hybrid process. Treatment efficiencies for B, COD, As, Li, Fe, Cr concentrations and energy production values were determined. Treated water was initially evaluated for irrigation considering three quality categories (I, II, and III) comprised of parameters such as electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), along with sodium, chloride and boron concentrations. Additionally, magnesium adsorption ratio (MAR) and permeability index (PI) were used to evaluate for irrigation suitability. Although B concentrations in MDC-treated permeate (3.29 mg/L) and concentrate (2.99 mg/L) streams were not low enough to meet Quality I criterion (<0.7 mg/L), they can be still utilized in irrigation of moderate-to-high tolerant plants. Furthermore, PI and MAR parameters pointed to suitability for irrigational use. © 2022
  • Conference Object
    Citation - WoS: 3
    Salihli Granitoid, Menderes Massif, Western Anatolia: a Sustainable Clean Energy Source for Mitigating Co2 Emissions
    (2022) Chandrasekharam, Dornadula; Ayzit, Tolga; Baba, Alper
    Turkey has a great opportunity to promote renewable energy, which is produced from high heat-generating granitoids using EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems) technology. Exploiting the energy from the radiogenic granitoid will help the country save about 32211 million kg of CO2 from gas-based electricity power plants. In addition to the hydrothermal energy sources, energy from EGS will make the country free from energy deficit and provide sustainable power, water, and food. In the present paper, we assess the power generation capacity of Salihli granitoid (SG), with an outcropping area of about 100 km2 located within the western Anatolian plateau, and describe the technology involved in harnessing the heat from these granitoids. The Anatolian Plateau is known for extension tectonics and is explained by the westward tectonic escape and subduction rollback processes. The most prominent structures of western Anatolia are E-W and ENE-WSW trending graben and horst controlled by low and high-angle oblique to dip-slip normal faults, exposing the Menderes Massif. Magmatic activity in western Anatolia is mainly related to episodic-two stage extensional regime, where the early phase is characterized mainly by calc-alkaline Early-Middle Miocene felsic lavas and pyroclastic and the latter by late Miocene-Quaternary rift-related alkaline basaltic volcanism. The plutonic activity started during 12 to 15 Ma represented by SG. The heat generation capacity of the SG varies from 5.5 to 6.7 (µW/m3), while the heat flow values over SG range from 68 to 107 HF (mW/m2). These values are much higher compared to the global average crustal values.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 4
    Citation - Scopus: 10
    Characterization of Sb Scaling and Fluids in Saline Geothermal Power Plants: a Case Study for Germencik Region (büyük Menderes Graben, Turkey)
    (Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd, 2021) Tonkul, Serhat; Baba, Alper; Demir, Mustafa M.; Regenspurg, Simona
    Turkey is located on the seismically active Alpine-Himalayan belt. Although tectonic activity causes seismicity in the Anatolian plate, it also constitutes an important geothermal energy resource. Today, geothermal energy production is heavily concentrated in Turkey's Western Anatolia region. Graben systems in this region are very suitable for geothermal resources. The Buyuk Menderes Graben (BMG) is an area of complex geology with active tectonics and high geothermal potential power. Germencik (Aydin) is located in the BMG, where the geothermal waters include mainly Na-Cl-HCO3 water types. This study examined the stibnite scaling formed in the preheater system of the Germencik Geothermal Field (GGF). The formation of the stibnite scaling on the preheater system dramatically reduces the energy harvesting of the GGF. Considering the stibnite scaling in the surface equipment, the optimum reinjection temperature was determined as 95 degrees C to prevent stibnite scaling in the GGF.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 1
    Citation - Scopus: 1
    Groundwater Recharge Estiaton in the Alaşehir Sub-Basin Using Hydro-Geochemical Data; Alaşehir Case Study
    (Springer, 2021) Tonkul, Serhat; Baba, Alper; Şimşek, Celalettin; Demirkesen, Ali Can
    The issue of groundwater recharge has gained importance in countries where there is not enough water supply to the aquifer. However, groundwater recharge is a difficult parameter to determine. This difficulty stems from factors such as the location of the area to be studied, time, cost, and hydrological data. Numerical, isotope, and chemical approaches are used in groundwater recharge investigations. Numerical and chemical approaches are more costly and time-consuming than chemical approaches. This study aims to ascertain alluvial aquifer recharge in Alaehir (Manisa) sub-basin using chemical approaches (Chloride Mass Balance Method) and its applicability. For this purpose, research wells were drilled at 25 different points in the alluvial aquifer, water sampling was done in wet and dry periods, and rainwater water samples were collected. Groundwater recharge was calculated by using chemical approaches from the chloride concentrations of the water samples collected. An annual average of 74.84 mm of recharge was found in the Alaehir sub-basin. This value corresponds to 16.38% of annual rainfall. At the same time, it was examined the groundwater and geothermal mixing mechanism to demonstrate the applicability of the Chloride Mass Balance Method. It was concluded that geothermal fluid in Alaehir sub-basin mixed with groundwater at a rate of 17%.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 32
    Citation - Scopus: 35
    Distribution of Geothermal Arsenic in Relation To Geothermal Play Types: a Global Review and Case Study From the Anatolian Plate (turkey)
    (Elsevier, 2021) Baba, Alper; Uzelli, Taygun; Sözbilir, Hasan
    Arsenic has a natural cycle as it travels underground. It can mix with geothermal fluid in different ways under the control of magmatic and tectonic processes. Geogenic arsenic is present in many geothermal fields in the world at concentrations above the limits set for human health. The arsenic content of geothermal fluids is also related to the concept of geothermal play type, which forms geothermal systems, because the natural processes that form the geothermal system also control the arsenic cycle. In this study, an attempt is made to explain the relationship between the geothermal play type concept and geothermal arsenic circulation. For this purpose, geothermal field examples are given from around the world and Turkey. The result shows that arsenic concentrations can reach significant levels along with plate tectonic boundaries in the world. When arsenic concentrations were evaluated, the effect of major faults on the Anatolian Plate was clearly seen. Also, in the Anatolian plate where volcanosedimentary units are common, geothermal fluids caused more effective alteration along with structural control and increased arsenic concentrations in geothermal systems. This interaction between structural elements, geothermal fluid, and the arsenic cycle shows that the concept of play type in geothermal systems should also be taken into consideration. It was determined that the places with high arsenic values are located within the convective-non-magmatic extensional geothermal play types such as Western Anatolian Extensional System and the North Anatolian Fault. The concept of play type in geothermal systems includes all systematic and external factors that make up these processes. For this reason, it is very important to evaluate the play type classification together with the arsenic cycle.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 11
    Citation - Scopus: 15
    Groundwater Resources and Quality in Syria
    (Elsevier, 2021) Baba, Alper; Karem, Ruwad AL.; Yazdani, Hamidreza
    The resources of groundwater and its pollution in Syria are identified, and pathways of contaminants to groundwater are described. Then, suggestions for improvement of groundwater quality in Syria are evaluated. Syria is located in a region where water scarcity is dominant. About 87% of all water in Syria is mainly used for irrigation, with almost 60% of this water taken from groundwater resources. The rest is used for domestic and industrial purposes, which account for 9% and 4%, respectively. Due to over-pumping and the increase in the number of unsustainable wells observed in recent decades, groundwater is quantitatively deteriorating. In general, sources of groundwater contamination fall into two main categories: natural and anthropogenic sources. Important sources of natural groundwater pollution include climate effects. About 43% of groundwater has a high concentration of SO4 and/or NaCl. This is specifically dominant in the eastern region of Syria due to the harsh environment where precipitation is relatively low, and evaporation is high. One of the major sources of anthropogenic groundwater contamination is civil war. Most of the damaged regions are located on permeable rocks, which increases the probability of groundwater contamination due to chemical weapons (CW) used. It is vital to manage and control groundwater resources well. With the increase in water contamination and with the absence of poor water management, access to drinking water will be more of a problem than it is now.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 58
    Citation - Scopus: 59
    Assessment of Different Nanofiltration and Reverse Osmosis Membranes for Simultaneous Removal of Arsenic and Boron From Spent Geothermal Water
    (Elsevier, 2021) Jarma, Yakubu A.; Karaoğlu, Aslı; Tekin, Özge; Baba, Alper; Ökten, H.Eser; Tomaszewska, Barbara; Kabay, Nalan
    One of the factors that determine agricultural crops’ yield is the quality of water used during irrigation. In this study, we assessed the usability of spent geothermal water for agricultural irrigation after membrane treatment. Preliminary membrane tests were conducted on a laboratory-scale set up followed by mini-pilot scale tests in a geothermal heating center. In part I, three commercially available membranes (XLE BWRO, NF90, and Osmonics CK- NF) were tested using a cross-flow flat-sheet membrane testing unit (Sepa CF II, GE-Osmonics) under constant applied pressure of 20 bar. In part II, different spiral wound membranes (TR-NE90-NF, TR-BE-BW, and BW30) other than the ones used in laboratory tests were employed for the mini-pilot scale studies in a continuous mode. Water recovery and applied pressure were maintained constant at 60% and 12 bar, respectively. Performances of the membranes were assessed in terms of the permeate flux, boron and arsenic removals. In laboratory tests, the permeate fluxes were measured as 94.3, 87.9, and 64.3 L m?2 h?1 for XLE BWRO, CK-NF and NF90 membranes, respectively. The arsenic removals were found as 99.0%, 87.5% and 83.6% while the boron removals were 56.8%, 54.2%, and 26.1% for XLE BWRO, NF90 and CK-NF membranes, respectively. In field tests, permeate fluxes were 49.9, 26.8 and 24.0 L m?2 h?1 for TR-NE90-NF, BW30-RO and TR-BE-BW membranes, respectively. Boron removals were calculated as 49.9%, 44.1% and 40.7% for TR-BE-BW, TR-NE90-NF and BW30-RO membranes, respectively. Removal efficiencies of arsenic in mini-pilot scale membrane tests were all over 90%. Quality of the permeate water produced was suitable for irrigation in terms of the electrical conductivity (EC) and the total dissolved solids (TDS) for all tested membranes with respect to guidelines set by the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation (TMEU). However, XLE BWRO, CK-NF and NF90 membranes failed to meet the required limits for irrigation in terms of boron and arsenic concentrations in the product water. The permeate streams of TR-BE-BW, TR-NE90-NF and BW30-RO membranes complied with the irrigation water standards in terms of EC, TDS and arsenic concentration while boron concentration remained above the allowable limit. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.