Fluid Monitoring Lab

The lab contains devices that can be used to monitor chemical and physicochemical parameters in natural and synthetic geothermal fluids. For instance,

• A versatile fluid-chemical monitoring unit (“FluMo”) has been developed that enables online and in-situ measurements of a variety of physico-chemical parameters at different surface locations of a geothermal fluid loop.
• The Fluidflow Monitor and Reactor Unit (FluMoRe), consisting of two 50 L stainless steel vessels, enables storage and monitorable flow of a fluid under high-pressure/high temperature conditions by pumping it from one vessel two the other allowing online measurements and sampling.
• The portable fluid monitoring system "FluMini" has been developed for continuous in situ measurements of physico-chemical parameters of produced water e.g. borehole tests and geothermal fluid loops. Temperature, specific electrical conductivity, pH-value, dissolved oxygen and redox potential (all Endress + Hauser) can be measured simultaneously at pressures and temperatures up to 9 bar and 120 °C, with two filters connected in parallel upstream preventing any clogging of the flow-through cell.
• The Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) BRUKER, Vektor can be used to obtain an infrared spectra of a solid or liquid to identify inorganic and organic species in the samples. A special high pressure and temperature cell can be connected to simulate geothermal conditions during measurement.
• XRF spectroscopy is a non-destructive simple to handle elemental analysis technique. The spectrometer provides a real-time quantification of many elements from Mg to U, which makes it a handy tool on drilling sites. Furthermore, scales can be identified quickly, and suitable sampling locations can be found by screening cores and outcropping rocks.