Dr Christopher Brown
- Research Associate (Systems Power & Energy)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4422-6031Biography
I am interested in energy modelling, specifically focusing on deep geothermal resources. I have undertaken a BSc in Geology and MSc in Petroleum Geoscience at the University of Manchester, whilst I completed my PhD in Civil Engineering at the University of Birmingham. During my PhD, I also worked intermittently at Cheshire East Council on prospective geothermal projects in the region. Following my PhD, I worked at MDPI as an Assistant Editor.
I joined the University of Glasgow in August 2021 as a Research Associate, where my work focuses on two projects: 'INTEGRATE' and 'NetzeroGeoRDIE'. These projects focus on underground thermal energy storage and the repurposing of the Newcastle Helix Borehole as a deep borehole heat exchanger, respectively.
Research interests
- Geothermal Energy, Modelling and Engineering
- Subsurface Modelling
- Geothermal Uncertainty and Risk
- Fluid Flow
- Geological Characterisation of Geothermal Resources
- Seismic Interpretation and Submarine Landforms
Publications
2025
Desguers, T., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. , Falcone, G. and Friedrich, D. (2025) Short-cycle borehole thermal energy storage: Impact of thermal cycle duration on overall performance. Applied Thermal Engineering, 258(B), 124610. (doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.124610)
2024
Banks, D. , Brown, C. , Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2024) A Pathway to Simplifying Modelling of Single Coaxial Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers (DBHE). 11th (UK) Geothermal Symposium, London, UK, 11-13 November 2024.
Muhammad, T., Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Nibbs, W. and Falcone, G. (2024) Investigating the Potential for a 6 km Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger to Supply Heat and Power in Glasgow. 11th UK Geothermal Symposium, London, UK, 11-13 Nov 2024. (Accepted for Publication)
Ben, H., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Walker, S. (2024) Decarbonising well-insulated buildings in a warming climate: the case of adaptive thermal comfort with geothermal space heating. Energy and Buildings, 319, 114466. (doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.114466)
Turan, A., Brown, C. S. , Shail, R. and Sass, I. (2024) Probabilistic assessment of deep geothermal resources in the Cornubian Batholith and their development in Cornwall and Devon, United Kingdom. Geothermics, 122, 103081. (doi: 10.1016/j.geothermics.2024.103081)
Banks, D. , Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2024) Generic modelling to develop thermal yield nomograms for coaxial deep borehole heat exchangers (DBHE). Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 57(3), 2023-162. (doi: 10.1144/qjegh2023-162)
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Nibbs, W., Cai, W., Falcone, G. , Nagel, T. and Chen, C. (2024) A comprehensive review of deep borehole heat exchangers (DBHEs): subsurface modelling studies and applications. Geothermal Energy, (doi: 10.1186/s40517-024-00297-3)
Brown, C.S. , Kolo, I. , Lyden, A., Franken, L., Kerr, N., Marshall-Cross, D., Watson, S., Falcone, G. , Friedrich, D. and Diamond, J. (2024) Assessing the technical potential for underground thermal energy storage in the UK. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 199, 114545. (doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2024.114545)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. and Falcone, G. (2024) Comparing the Performance of Single U-tube, Double U-tube and Coaxial Medium-to-Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers. EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 April 2024. (Accepted for Publication)
Brown, C. S. and Falcone, G. (2024) Investigating heat transmission in a wellbore for low-temperature, open-loop geothermal systems. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, 48, 102352. (doi: 10.1016/j.tsep.2023.102352)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. and Falcone, G. (2024) Comparison of the thermal and hydraulic performance of single U-tube, double U-tube and coaxial medium-to-deep borehole heat exchangers. Geothermics, 117, 102888. (doi: 10.1016/j.geothermics.2023.102888)
2023
Ben, H., Walker, S., Brown, C. , Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2023) Decarbonising Heating and Cooling Using Temperature Setback and Geothermal Energy. In: CISBAT 2023, Lausanne, Switzerland, 13-15 September 2023, (doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/2600/2/022015)
Brown, C. S. et al. (2023) Repurposing a Geothermal Exploration Well as a Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger: Updates from the NetZero GeoRDIE Project. The 10th UK Geothermal Symposium, London, UK, 20-22 Nov 2023.
Morrison, L., Brown, C. S. , Watson, S., Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2023) Understanding the Impact of Paleoclimate Corrections on the Cheshire Basin with Application to Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers. The 10th UK Geothermal Symposium, London, UK, 20-22 Nov 2023.
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Harrison, B. (2023) Repurposing an Offshore Oil Well as a Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger: a UK case study. In: AAPG International Conference and Exhibition (ICE '23), Madrid, Spain, 6-8 Nov 2023, (Accepted for Publication)
Ben, H., Walker, S., Brown, C. , Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2023) Geothermal Space Heating and Thermal Comfort Strategy for Low-carbon Non-domestic Buildings Under Warming Climate. 11th International Conference on Sustainable Development in the Building and Environment (SuDBE 2023), Helsinki, Finland, 14-18 Aug 2023. (Unpublished)
Doran, H. R. , Renaud, T., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Sanderson, D. C.W. (2023) Radioactive Waste as an Anthropogenic Heat Source: Shallow and Deep Geothermal Applications. In: European Geothermal Congress 2022, Berlin, Germany, 17-21 Oct 2022, ISBN 9782960194623
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Closed-loop Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger: Newcastle Science Central Deep Geothermal Borehole. In: European Geothermal Congress 2022, Berlin, Germany, 17-21 Oct 2022, ISBN 9782960194623
Brown, C. S. , Doran, H. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. and Falcone, G. (2023) Investigating the influence of groundwater flow and charge cycle duration on deep borehole heat exchangers for heat extraction and borehole thermal energy storage. Energies, 16(6), 2677. (doi: 10.3390/en16062677)
Brown, C. S. and Howell, L. (2023) Unlocking deep geothermal energy in the UK, using borehole heat exchangers. Geology Today, 39(2), pp. 67-71. (doi: 10.1111/gto.12425)
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Repurposing a geothermal exploration well as a deep borehole heat exchanger: understanding long-term effects of lithological layering, flow direction, and circulation flow rate. Sustainability, 15(5), 4140. (doi: 10.3390/su15054140)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Repurposing a deep geothermal exploration well for borehole thermal energy storage: implications from statistical modelling and sensitivity analysis. Applied Thermal Engineering, 220, 119701. (doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2022.119701)
Brown, C. S. , Desguers, T., Lyden, A., Kolo, I. , Friedrich, D. and Falcone, G. (2023) Modelling Borehole Thermal Energy Storage using Curtailed Wind Energy as a Fluctuating Source of Charge. In: 2023 Stanford Geothermal Workshop, Stanford, CA, USA, 6-8 Feb 2023,
Brown, C. S. (2023) Revisiting the deep geothermal potential of the Cheshire Basin, UK. Energies, 16(3), 1410. (doi: 10.3390/en16031410)
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. and Falcone, G. (2023) Thermal Power from a Notional 6 km Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger in Glasgow. In: 2023 Stanford Geothermal Workshop, Stanford, CA, USA, 6-8 Feb 2023,
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Investigating scalability of deep borehole heat exchangers: numerical modelling of arrays with varied modes of operation. Renewable Energy, 202, pp. 442-452. (doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.11.100)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. , Doran, H. R. and Falcone, G. (2023) Modelling Thermal Response Tests for Deep Coaxial Borehole Heat Exchangers. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
Doran, H. , Renaud, T., Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Sanderson, D. (2023) Harnessing Anthropogenic Heat from Radioactive Waste in Geological Disposal Facility settings via Closed-Loop Geothermal Systems. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Lyden, A., Watson, S., Banks, D. , Falcone, G. and Friedrich, D. (2023) A Modelling Study of Seasonal Borehole Thermal Energy Storage in Scotland: Integrating Surface Demand and the Subsurface Heat Store. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
Nibbs, W., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Watson, S. and Falcone, G. (2023) Repurposing Onshore Wells for Geothermal Use in the United Kingdom: Application as Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
2022
Brown, C. S. (2022) Regional geothermal resource assessment of hot dry rocks in Northern England using 3D geological and thermal models. Geothermics, 105, 102503. (doi: 10.1016/j.geothermics.2022.102503)
Lyden, A., Brown, C.S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Friedrichs, D. (2022) Seasonal thermal energy storage in smart energy systems: district-level applications and modelling approaches. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 167, 112760. (doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112760)
Brown, C. S. , Cassidy, N. J., Egan, S. S. and Griffiths, D. (2022) A sensitivity analysis of a single extraction well from deep geothermal aquifers in the Cheshire Basin, UK. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 55(3), qjegh2021-131. (doi: 10.1144/qjegh2021-131)
Brown, C. S. , Cassidy, N. J., Egan, S. S. and Griffiths, D. (2022) Thermal and economic analysis of heat exchangers as part of a geothermal district heating scheme in the Cheshire Basin, UK. Energies, 15(6), 1983. (doi: 10.3390/en15061983)
2021
Brown, C. S. , Cassidy, N. J., Egan, S. S. and Griffiths, D. (2021) Numerical modelling of deep coaxial borehole heat exchangers in the Cheshire Basin, UK. Computers and Geosciences, 152, 104752. (doi: 10.1016/j.cageo.2021.104752)
Howell, L., Brown, C. S. and Egan, S. S. (2021) Deep geothermal energy in northern England: Insights from 3D finite difference temperature modelling. Computers and Geosciences, 147, 104661. (doi: 10.1016/j.cageo.2020.104661)
2017
Brown, C. S. , Newton, A. M. S., Huuse, M. and Buckley, F. (2017) Iceberg scours, pits, and pockmarks in the North Falkland Basin. Marine Geology, 386, pp. 140-152. (doi: 10.1016/j.margeo.2017.03.001)
Articles
Desguers, T., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. , Falcone, G. and Friedrich, D. (2025) Short-cycle borehole thermal energy storage: Impact of thermal cycle duration on overall performance. Applied Thermal Engineering, 258(B), 124610. (doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.124610)
Ben, H., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Walker, S. (2024) Decarbonising well-insulated buildings in a warming climate: the case of adaptive thermal comfort with geothermal space heating. Energy and Buildings, 319, 114466. (doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.114466)
Turan, A., Brown, C. S. , Shail, R. and Sass, I. (2024) Probabilistic assessment of deep geothermal resources in the Cornubian Batholith and their development in Cornwall and Devon, United Kingdom. Geothermics, 122, 103081. (doi: 10.1016/j.geothermics.2024.103081)
Banks, D. , Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2024) Generic modelling to develop thermal yield nomograms for coaxial deep borehole heat exchangers (DBHE). Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 57(3), 2023-162. (doi: 10.1144/qjegh2023-162)
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Nibbs, W., Cai, W., Falcone, G. , Nagel, T. and Chen, C. (2024) A comprehensive review of deep borehole heat exchangers (DBHEs): subsurface modelling studies and applications. Geothermal Energy, (doi: 10.1186/s40517-024-00297-3)
Brown, C.S. , Kolo, I. , Lyden, A., Franken, L., Kerr, N., Marshall-Cross, D., Watson, S., Falcone, G. , Friedrich, D. and Diamond, J. (2024) Assessing the technical potential for underground thermal energy storage in the UK. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 199, 114545. (doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2024.114545)
Brown, C. S. and Falcone, G. (2024) Investigating heat transmission in a wellbore for low-temperature, open-loop geothermal systems. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, 48, 102352. (doi: 10.1016/j.tsep.2023.102352)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. and Falcone, G. (2024) Comparison of the thermal and hydraulic performance of single U-tube, double U-tube and coaxial medium-to-deep borehole heat exchangers. Geothermics, 117, 102888. (doi: 10.1016/j.geothermics.2023.102888)
Brown, C. S. , Doran, H. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. and Falcone, G. (2023) Investigating the influence of groundwater flow and charge cycle duration on deep borehole heat exchangers for heat extraction and borehole thermal energy storage. Energies, 16(6), 2677. (doi: 10.3390/en16062677)
Brown, C. S. and Howell, L. (2023) Unlocking deep geothermal energy in the UK, using borehole heat exchangers. Geology Today, 39(2), pp. 67-71. (doi: 10.1111/gto.12425)
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Repurposing a geothermal exploration well as a deep borehole heat exchanger: understanding long-term effects of lithological layering, flow direction, and circulation flow rate. Sustainability, 15(5), 4140. (doi: 10.3390/su15054140)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Repurposing a deep geothermal exploration well for borehole thermal energy storage: implications from statistical modelling and sensitivity analysis. Applied Thermal Engineering, 220, 119701. (doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2022.119701)
Brown, C. S. (2023) Revisiting the deep geothermal potential of the Cheshire Basin, UK. Energies, 16(3), 1410. (doi: 10.3390/en16031410)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Investigating scalability of deep borehole heat exchangers: numerical modelling of arrays with varied modes of operation. Renewable Energy, 202, pp. 442-452. (doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.11.100)
Brown, C. S. (2022) Regional geothermal resource assessment of hot dry rocks in Northern England using 3D geological and thermal models. Geothermics, 105, 102503. (doi: 10.1016/j.geothermics.2022.102503)
Lyden, A., Brown, C.S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Friedrichs, D. (2022) Seasonal thermal energy storage in smart energy systems: district-level applications and modelling approaches. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 167, 112760. (doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112760)
Brown, C. S. , Cassidy, N. J., Egan, S. S. and Griffiths, D. (2022) A sensitivity analysis of a single extraction well from deep geothermal aquifers in the Cheshire Basin, UK. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 55(3), qjegh2021-131. (doi: 10.1144/qjegh2021-131)
Brown, C. S. , Cassidy, N. J., Egan, S. S. and Griffiths, D. (2022) Thermal and economic analysis of heat exchangers as part of a geothermal district heating scheme in the Cheshire Basin, UK. Energies, 15(6), 1983. (doi: 10.3390/en15061983)
Brown, C. S. , Cassidy, N. J., Egan, S. S. and Griffiths, D. (2021) Numerical modelling of deep coaxial borehole heat exchangers in the Cheshire Basin, UK. Computers and Geosciences, 152, 104752. (doi: 10.1016/j.cageo.2021.104752)
Howell, L., Brown, C. S. and Egan, S. S. (2021) Deep geothermal energy in northern England: Insights from 3D finite difference temperature modelling. Computers and Geosciences, 147, 104661. (doi: 10.1016/j.cageo.2020.104661)
Brown, C. S. , Newton, A. M. S., Huuse, M. and Buckley, F. (2017) Iceberg scours, pits, and pockmarks in the North Falkland Basin. Marine Geology, 386, pp. 140-152. (doi: 10.1016/j.margeo.2017.03.001)
Conference or Workshop Item
Banks, D. , Brown, C. , Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2024) A Pathway to Simplifying Modelling of Single Coaxial Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers (DBHE). 11th (UK) Geothermal Symposium, London, UK, 11-13 November 2024.
Muhammad, T., Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Nibbs, W. and Falcone, G. (2024) Investigating the Potential for a 6 km Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger to Supply Heat and Power in Glasgow. 11th UK Geothermal Symposium, London, UK, 11-13 Nov 2024. (Accepted for Publication)
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. and Falcone, G. (2024) Comparing the Performance of Single U-tube, Double U-tube and Coaxial Medium-to-Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers. EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 April 2024. (Accepted for Publication)
Brown, C. S. et al. (2023) Repurposing a Geothermal Exploration Well as a Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger: Updates from the NetZero GeoRDIE Project. The 10th UK Geothermal Symposium, London, UK, 20-22 Nov 2023.
Morrison, L., Brown, C. S. , Watson, S., Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2023) Understanding the Impact of Paleoclimate Corrections on the Cheshire Basin with Application to Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers. The 10th UK Geothermal Symposium, London, UK, 20-22 Nov 2023.
Ben, H., Walker, S., Brown, C. , Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2023) Geothermal Space Heating and Thermal Comfort Strategy for Low-carbon Non-domestic Buildings Under Warming Climate. 11th International Conference on Sustainable Development in the Building and Environment (SuDBE 2023), Helsinki, Finland, 14-18 Aug 2023. (Unpublished)
Conference Proceedings
Ben, H., Walker, S., Brown, C. , Kolo, I. and Falcone, G. (2023) Decarbonising Heating and Cooling Using Temperature Setback and Geothermal Energy. In: CISBAT 2023, Lausanne, Switzerland, 13-15 September 2023, (doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/2600/2/022015)
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Harrison, B. (2023) Repurposing an Offshore Oil Well as a Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger: a UK case study. In: AAPG International Conference and Exhibition (ICE '23), Madrid, Spain, 6-8 Nov 2023, (Accepted for Publication)
Doran, H. R. , Renaud, T., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Falcone, G. and Sanderson, D. C.W. (2023) Radioactive Waste as an Anthropogenic Heat Source: Shallow and Deep Geothermal Applications. In: European Geothermal Congress 2022, Berlin, Germany, 17-21 Oct 2022, ISBN 9782960194623
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Banks, D. (2023) Closed-loop Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger: Newcastle Science Central Deep Geothermal Borehole. In: European Geothermal Congress 2022, Berlin, Germany, 17-21 Oct 2022, ISBN 9782960194623
Brown, C. S. , Desguers, T., Lyden, A., Kolo, I. , Friedrich, D. and Falcone, G. (2023) Modelling Borehole Thermal Energy Storage using Curtailed Wind Energy as a Fluctuating Source of Charge. In: 2023 Stanford Geothermal Workshop, Stanford, CA, USA, 6-8 Feb 2023,
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. and Falcone, G. (2023) Thermal Power from a Notional 6 km Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger in Glasgow. In: 2023 Stanford Geothermal Workshop, Stanford, CA, USA, 6-8 Feb 2023,
Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Banks, D. , Doran, H. R. and Falcone, G. (2023) Modelling Thermal Response Tests for Deep Coaxial Borehole Heat Exchangers. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
Doran, H. , Renaud, T., Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Falcone, G. and Sanderson, D. (2023) Harnessing Anthropogenic Heat from Radioactive Waste in Geological Disposal Facility settings via Closed-Loop Geothermal Systems. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
Kolo, I. , Brown, C. S. , Lyden, A., Watson, S., Banks, D. , Falcone, G. and Friedrich, D. (2023) A Modelling Study of Seasonal Borehole Thermal Energy Storage in Scotland: Integrating Surface Demand and the Subsurface Heat Store. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
Nibbs, W., Brown, C. S. , Kolo, I. , Watson, S. and Falcone, G. (2023) Repurposing Onshore Wells for Geothermal Use in the United Kingdom: Application as Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers. In: World Geothermal Congress 2023, Beijing, China, 4-6 Sept 2023,
Supervision
- Nibbs, William
Urban planning of thermal energy storage systems in subsurface common pool resources: Assessing externalities and quantifying uncertainties
