Study on the Utilization of Volcano Energy

Research Project

Project/Area Number	61460194
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	資源開発工学
Research Institution	Kyushu University
Principal Investigator	YUHARA Kozo Professor. Fuculty of Engineering. Kyushu University, 工学部, 教授 (30091333)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	MOGI Tohru Research Associate. Fuculty of Engineering. Kyushu University, 工学部, 助手 (80182161) EHARA Sachio Associate Professor. Fuculty of Engineering. Kyushu University, 工学部, 助教授 (10002346)
Project Period (FY)	1986 – 1987
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1987)
Budget Amount *help	¥4,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,300,000) Fiscal Year 1987: ¥1,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000) Fiscal Year 1986: ¥2,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000)
Keywords	Volcano / Energy / 地熱発電 / 火山エネルギー / 地熱 / 微小地震 / MT観測
Research Abstract	The object of this study is to investigate the possibility of the utilization of volcano energy. The study area is an active fumarolic area called Kuji Iwoyama at Volcano Kuju , central Kyushu, Japan. Microearthquake study clarified the cylindrical high seismicity zone up to 2 km depth just beneath the fumarolic area. The seismic active zone shows the low seismic wave velocity and low Poisson's ratio. Magnetotelluric study clarified the low resistivity anomaly beneath the fumarolic area. Numerical simulation of the thermal process was conducted. The model has high enthalpy magmatic steam supply from the deeper part and meteoric water recharge at the surface. The best fit model shows that the reservoir is in a two-phase state. Numerical simulation of the heat extraction which is comparable to 10 MW power generation was conducted. As a result,it was shown that heat extraction for more than 10 years was possible. %the development of the two-phase reservoir just beneath the active fumarolic area of a volcano is a possible method to utilize volcano energy in the near future.