Theory of heat extraction from fractured hot dry rock

A theory of heat extraction from fractured hot dry rock is presented, based on an infinite series of parallel vertical fractures of uniform aperture. Fractures are uniformly spaced and drain heat from blocks of homogeneous and isotropic impermeable rock. Cold water enters at the bottom of each fracture, and solutions are given in terms of dimensionless parameters from which the exiting water temperatures at the top of the fractures can be determined. An example of the application of the theory demonstrates how a multiply fractured system provides a more efficient mechanism for heat extraction than a single fracture in hot dry rock.