Geothermal Power Generating Systems
Geothermal Power Generating Systems
There are several types of geothermal power generating plants. There is the single-flash, double-flash, dry-steam and binary cycle. These power plants can be converted into more advanced geothermal converting systems like hybrid single flash and double flash sytems, hybrid flash-binary systems, hybrid fossil-geothermal systems, hot dry rock (enhanced geothermal systems), Power plants for hypersalline brines, etc.. This paper will be focusing on Single-flash steam plants because it is the most commont type of geothermal power plant used.
A single-flash steam plant is the mainstay of the geothermal industry. When a production well is drilled and it is found that it produces a two-phase mixture of vapour and liquid, single-flash steam plant will be installed to it. Single-flash steam plant is often the first power plant installed in a newly developed country. A unit power capacity of a single-steam power plant ranges from 3-90MW and has an average power rating of 25.3MW per unit.
Before the single-steam plant can produce energy from the feed from the production wells, the feed must be separated first. The mixture of vapour and liquid feed from the production well are first put in a cylindrical cyclonic pressure vessel that is oriented vertically with its axis. The feed from the production well is transported to the cyclone separator via pipes.
Transportation of the vapour-liquid mixture from the production well and separation of it in the cyclone separator can be done in several ways. These can be categorized through the piping lay-out of the plant. This paper will categorized the piping lay-outs from the location of the separators.
• Piping Layouts
1. Separator located at the powerhouse
Production wells are connected to a large cyclone separator located in the powerhouse via pipe. The steam separated from the feed in the separator enters the turbine through a short stream pipe while the separated liquid is sent to the
There are several types of geothermal power generating plants. There is the single-flash, double-flash, dry-steam and binary cycle. These power plants can be converted into more advanced geothermal converting systems like hybrid single flash and double flash sytems, hybrid flash-binary systems, hybrid fossil-geothermal systems, hot dry rock (enhanced geothermal systems), Power plants for hypersalline brines, etc.. This paper will be focusing on Single-flash steam plants because it is the most commont type of geothermal power plant used.
A single-flash steam plant is the mainstay of the geothermal industry. When a production well is drilled and it is found that it produces a two-phase mixture of vapour and liquid, single-flash steam plant will be installed to it. Single-flash steam plant is often the first power plant installed in a newly developed country. A unit power capacity of a single-steam power plant ranges from 3-90MW and has an average power rating of 25.3MW per unit.
Before the single-steam plant can produce energy from the feed from the production wells, the feed must be separated first. The mixture of vapour and liquid feed from the production well are first put in a cylindrical cyclonic pressure vessel that is oriented vertically with its axis. The feed from the production well is transported to the cyclone separator via pipes.
Transportation of the vapour-liquid mixture from the production well and separation of it in the cyclone separator can be done in several ways. These can be categorized through the piping lay-out of the plant. This paper will categorized the piping lay-outs from the location of the separators.
• Piping Layouts
1. Separator located at the powerhouse
Production wells are connected to a large cyclone separator located in the powerhouse via pipe. The steam separated from the feed in the separator enters the turbine through a short stream pipe while the separated liquid is sent to the