Imagine trying to find a hot water pocket deep underground in a crowded city without disturbing the neighbors. This project creates a 'quiet' electric sonar and tiny sensors to map the earth up to 4km deep. It uses AI to spot cracks in the rock, helping engineers drill in the perfect spot the first time.
Urban geothermal energy is hindered by high exploration costs and the risk of drilling failures or induced seismicity. Current seismic methods are too intrusive or imprecise for city environments.
An electric seismic source, MEMS-based sensors in autonomous nodes, and AI/ML software for automated fault detection and well placement optimization.
If you are a municipal heating utility dealing with high failure rates in urban geothermal drilling — this project developed AI-driven site optimization that can increase drilling success rates by 20%.
If you are a seismic survey provider dealing with high costs of urban data collection — this project developed electric sources and MEMS sensors that aim at reducing exploration costs by 30%.
If you are a geothermal plant developer dealing with seismic risk and short plant life — this project developed THM reservoir modelling to maximize heat extraction and increase plant lifetime up to 40 years.
The project aims to reduce exploration costs by 30% through optimized survey design, including compressive sensing and simultaneous shooting.
The technology is currently being designed, built, and tested across three specific sites in Belgium, Poland, and Hungary to validate its performance.
Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not mentioned, but the project involves 6 industrial partners, including 4 SMEs, who are developing the prototypes.
It uses geomechanical modelling to assess fault reactivation and seismic risk, which helps in gaining community acceptance and meeting safety standards.
The project runs from June 1, 2024, to November 30, 2027, focusing on the development and testing of prototypes.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven, with 75% of the 8 partners coming from the private sector, including 4 SMEs. This strong industrial presence, spanning 5 countries, suggests a high focus on commercial viability and market uptake rather than purely academic research.
Contact VLAAMSE INSTELLING VOOR TECHNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK N.V. in Belgium
Contact us to connect with the URGENT consortium for early adoption of urban seismic tools.
