Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
SOUTH DAKOTA
GEOTHERMAL USES
Vol. 18, No. 4 December 1997
Address _________________________________
Country _________________________________
SOUTH DAKOTA GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
John W. Lund
Geo-Heat Center
South Dakota is normally not thought of as a geothermal Wyoming (Applied Physics Laboratory, 1977). The Madison
state. However, geothermal direct use is probably one of the waters are considered potable in southwestern quarter of the
best kept secrets outside the state. At present there are two state and are brackish in the northwestern quarter of the state.
geothermal district heating systems in place and operating The Mississippian age Madison Group is a sequence of
successfully, a resort community using the water in a large carbonate rocks deposited over several western states
swimming pool, a hospital being supplied with part of its heat, including part of South Dakota, mainly west of the Missouri
numerous geothermal heat pumps, and many individual uses River (Figure 1). The sequence in South Dakota thickens
by ranchers, especially in the winter months for heating from zero on the east edge to 1300 feet (400 m) in the
residences, barns and other out building, and for stock northwest corner of the state (Figure 2) (Gries, 1977 and
watering. Martinez, 1981). After recession of the Mississippian seas,
erosion and dissolution of the limestone created a karst
GEOLOGY AND RESOURCE BACKGROUND topography. The Madison Group was then down warped into
The best known and most significant geothermal resource the Williston Basin to the north, and uplifted and eroded in the
in the state is the Madison Limestone. It is well known as an Black Hills to the west (Figure 3) (Schoon and McGregor,
aquifer and oil producing formation throughout the northern 1974). The depth to the top of the Madison varies from 1000
Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. The Madison (also feet (300 m) in the east to over 7,000 feet (2,100 m) in the
known as the Pahasapa) contains about 179 miles3 (746 km3) northwest (Figure 4) (Gries, 1977).
of recoverable water with temperatures range from about 86oF
to 216oF (30oC to 102oC) and a mean resource base is 2.78 x
1018 Btu (2,930 x 1018 J) (Gosnold, 1987 and revised in 1991).
The Madison is one of the two geothermal aquifers that are
presently used in direct-heat applications. The other is the
Newcastle-Dakota Sandstone. Recent work, including eight
potential geothermal aquifers, estimate the accessible
geothermal resource base (about 0.001 times the resource
base) of South Dakota as 12.52 Exajoules (1018) or 11.88
quads as shown in Table 1 (Gosnold, 1991).
Total 12.52
______________
* Temperatures are given for formation tops. Average thickness values are
calculated from top to top. All of the formations named aquifers which may
produce water. Higher temperatures are typical for the Williston Basin in
northwestern South Dakota.
________________________________________________
1
GHC BULLETIN, DECEMBER 1997
author in a plate heat exchanger in the Midland School.
Similar results were observed from testing using a corrosion
test rack (Carda, 1978). Severe corrosion was experienced
with “homemade” heat exchangers in the Philip Municipal
Water Treatment Plant and in a commercial shell-and-tube
heat exchanger in Midland. These has now been replace with
plate heat exchangers, showing little corrosion problems.
Hot Springs, located in the southwest corner of South that were once part of the city’s industry (Natural Resources
Dakota and on the southern edge of the Black Hills, is the Commission, undated). The town should probably have been
only place where extensive development of curative waters called Warm Springs, since the springs only range between
(balneology) has been undertaken in the state. It is built along 81o and 92oF (27o and 33oC). Except for Evan’s Plunge, there
the banks of the Fall River, immediately below the junction of is very little geothermal use in the town today. A combination
Hot Brook and Cold Brook (Figure 1 and 2). Hot Brook is so in the lack of interest and belief in the therapeutic use of
named because of the thermal springs originating along its mineral waters, and corrosion and scaling of pipelines led to
banks and flowing into Fall River. It is entirely spring fed and the demise of the industry in the 1950's.. There are over 80
thus is a dry channel above the Springer Ranch where the last capped wells and springs in town, however, there appears to
springs flow into the channel. It is the water from these warm be a slow revival of some of these past uses, especially the spa
springs that are the basis for the hotel, baths and sanatoria therapy (Beth Peters, personal communications).
“CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
Prof. Charles B. Gibson
of Chicago, Illinois
Figure 5. Hot Springs Hotel and Minnekahta Bathhouse probably taken in the late-1920's . Photo courtsey of Patty
Hamm of Rapid City, whose grandmother, Anna May Carroll, is second from the right on the balcony.
Figure 8. Detail of the excavation. Note the individual Figure 10. The plate heat exchanger used with the heat
bathroom to the left of the people and the old pump system.
bank building in the background.
The Mueller Civic Center also uses a heat pump for
CURRENT GEOTHERMAL DEVELOPMENTS heating and cooling. The source is the Fall River, where
Only two major uses of the geothermal waters are made initially the river water was used directly in the heat pump.
in Hot Springs today: at Evan’s Plunge and a heat pump However, fine grained material in the river water fouled the
installation at the Mueller Civic Center and Chamber of compressors, which eventually had to be replaced. Finally, a
Commerce building. There are also several homes that use the mat of pipes were a placed in the bottom of the river to form
geothermal water for heating (Beth Peters, personal a closed loop system. Six units are now in operation for a
communication). total of 77.5 tons (271 kW).
Shortly after a new fire hall was built in 1981, the city
ran a hot water line to it for heating purposes, as the city has
an agreement to heat and maintain this building. Soon the
Legion Hall and Community Library were added to the line,
along with the building housing a bar and restaurant. The Figure 4. Geothermal well with Ruben Vollmer.
waste water was then used to water cattle, before being
disposed of into the Bad River. The school heating line The present well now supplies hot water for heating to
provides water to the city water treatment plant, with the the two school buildings, a church, campground buildings and
excess water again used for cattle watering. pool, and car wash through a single pipe high-pressure line at
SUMMARY
A total of approximately 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2)
of floor space is heated by geothermal in Midland. The high
pressure line uses 80 gpm (5.0 L/s) and provides a 7oF ΔT
(4oC), and the low pressure line uses 3 gpm (0.2 L/s) and
provides a 25oF ΔT (14oC) at maximum use. The system then
has a peak power of approximately 0.1 MWt and an annual
use of 834 million Btu (0.24 GWh). This provides as
estimated annual saving in propane cost of $15,000 to the
community.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank Jerry J. Nemec, mayor of Midland,
for providing a critical review of this article, to Ruben
Vollmer, the city utilities operator, and to Bob Sheeley, school
maintenance person for their assistance during my visit to Midland well profile.
Midland. Mr. Vollmer was especially helpful is diagraming
and explaining the operation of the system to me.
There are two municipal connected heat pumps in Pierre, 110 to 120 psi (760 to 830 kPa) in order to reenter into the
South Dakota. They are South Dakota Discovery Center and city water main. The water then passes through a plate-type
Pierre City Hall (Figures 1 and 2). Both systems now utilize of heat exchanger, 1 to 3oF (1 to 2oC), is removed or injected
plate heat exchanger between the city water loop and the into the water (Figures 3 and 4). This heat removal or injec-
building loop. In-coming water is pumped to a pressure of tion is due to if the building is in a heating or cooling mode.
Heat exchanger #2
Water softner
Modulating
control valve
550F
Water meter
780F or
550F 3" domestic
hot water
1000F 4000 gallon preheated to
hot water 1000F
storage
Heat exchanger #3
Discharge to river
approx. 750F to 800F Circ. Pump
370 GPM peak flow 76 GPM
to the existing buildings is limited because the primary space About 1985, St. Mary’s abandon the domestic hot water
heating system requires steam. Two systems were adapted: portion of the project, but continued to use the space heating
(1) a fan coil systems, which circulates 50oF (10oC), water to portion. In 1992, the geothermal well developed a leak at
provide air conditioning in one section of the building Was about 1,000 feet (300 m) below the surface. The hospital
modified to use 100oF (38oC) water to also provide heat; and repaired the well and continues to use the geothermal water
(2) the fresh air ventilation system was adapted to geothermal for space heating. In 1944, St. Mary’s converted the existing
(Figure 5). Hospitals are required to introduce a continuous oil-fired system to natural gas and retained the geothermal
flow of fresh air into the building 15,650 cubic feet (443 m3) water for space heating.
of air per minute from outside air temperature which can be - Originally the project was to save $100,000 per year in
35oF (-37oC) in the winter. The U.S. Department of Energy oil; but, the savings was more like $25,000 per year with oil
was very interested in the economics of the St. Mary’s and when natural gas was installed, the savings is more like
experience with the 106oF (41oC) water which is considered $35,000 per year.
to be marginal for heating purposes.