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GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANTS

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 Geothermal Electricity
Geothermal electricity is electricity generated by geothermal energy.

Technologies in use include:

➢ dry steam power stations,
➢ flash steam power stations and
➢ binary cycle power stations.

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 Geothermal Electricity
Technologies in use include: flash steam power
➢ dry steam power stations, stations
➢ flash steam power stations and
➢ binary cycle power stations.

dry steam power stations

binary cycle power stations

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 Types of Geothermal Power Plants

All geothermal power plants use steam to turn large turbines, which run electrical generators. In the Geysers
Geothermal area, dry steam from below ground is used directly in the steam turbines. In other areas of the
state, super-hot water is "flashed" into steam within the power plant, and that steam turns the turbine.

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 Direct Dry Steam
Steam plants use hydrothermal fluids that are
primarily steam. The steam goes directly to a
turbine, which drives a generator that produces
electricity. The steam eliminates the need to burn
fossil fuels to run the turbine. (Also eliminating the
need to transport and store fuels!)
This is the oldest type of geothermal power plant. It
was first used at Lardarello in Italy in 1904. These
plants emit only excess steam and very minor
amounts of gases.

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 Flash and Double Flash Cycle

Hydrothermal fluids above 360°F (182°C) can be

used in flash plants to make electricity.
Fluid is sprayed into a tank held at a much lower
pressure than the fluid, causing some of the fluid to
rapidly vaporize, or "flash." The vapor then drives a
turbine, which drives a generator.
If any liquid remains in the tank, it can be flashed
again in a second tank (double flash) to extract even
more energy.

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 Flash and Double Flash Cycle

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 Binary Cycle

Most geothermal areas contain moderate-

temperature water (below 400°F). Energy is
extracted from these fluids in binary-cycle power
plants.
Hot geothermal fluid and a secondary (hence,
"binary") fluid with a much lower boiling point than
water pass through a heat exchanger. Heat from the
geothermal fluid causes the secondary fluid to flash
to vapor, which then drives the turbines.
Because this is a closed-loop system, virtually
nothing is emitted to the atmosphere. Moderate-
temperature water is by far the more common
geothermal resource, and most geothermal power
plants in the future will be binary-cycle plants.

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 Solved Problems
Problem No. 1
A geothermal power plant draws hot pressurized
water from a well at 20 MPa, 300 C. To produce a
steam-water mixture in the separator where the
unflashed water is removed, this is throttled to a
pressure of 1.5 MPa. The flashed steam, which is dry
and saturated, passes through the steam collector
and enters the turbine at 1.5 MPa. It then expands
to a direct-contact jet condenser at 0.034 MPa.
Assuming a turbine efficiency of 83% and generator
efficiency of 91%, compute for the number of wells
required to sustain a power output of 20 MW if each
of the production wells can gather 151,200 kg/hr.
Given:
p1 = 20 MPa, t1 = 300 C
p2 = p3 = p4 = 1.5 MPa
p5 = 0.034 Mpa
t = 0.83
g = 0.91
W = 20 MW = 20,000 kW
Each well has 151,200 kg/hr
Required:
Number of wells

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 Solved Problems
Solution:
At state 1, 20 MPa, 300 C
h1 = 1334.75 kJ/kg
At state 2, h2 = h1 = 1334.75 kJ/kg
1.5 MPa
At state 3, and 4
h3 = hf = 844.65 kJ/kg
h4 = hg = 2789.89 kJ/kg
s4 = sg = 6.44061 kJ/kg.K
h − hf
x2 = 2
hg − h f
1334.75 − 844.65
x2 = = 0.2519
2789.89 − 844.65
At state 5, s5 = s4 = 6.44061 kJ/kg.K
0.034 MPa
h5 = 2186.49 kJ/kg
ms 43.884
W = ms (h4 − h5 )t g mg = = (3600) = 627,163 kg hr
x2 0.2519
20,000 = ms (2789.89 − 2186.49)(0.83)(0.91)
No. of wells = (627,163 kg/hr)/(151,200 kg/hr) =
ms = 43.884 kg s 4.148 or 5 wells (answers)

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 Solved Problems
Problem No. 2
A flashed steam geothermal power plant is located
where underground hot water is available as a
saturated liquid at 3000 kPa. Flashed steam enters
the turbine at 1.2 MPa and expands to 1 atm where it
is condensed. Flowrate from the well is 30 kg/s.
Calculate for the power produced, in kW.
Given:
p1 = 3000 kPa
p2 = 1.2 MPa
p5 = 1 atm = 101.325 kPa
mg = 30 kg/s
Required:
Power produced in kW.
Solution:
At state 1, 3000 kPa, saturated liquid
h1 = 1008.35 kJ/kg
At state 2, 3, 4. 1.2 MPa
h2 = h1 = 1008.35 kJ/kg
h3 = hf = 798.43 kJ/kg
h4 = hg = 2782.73 kJ/kg
s4 = sg = 6.51936 kJ/kg.K
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 Solved Problems
h2 − h f
x2 =
hg − h f
1008.35 − 798.43
x2 = = 0.1058
2782.73 − 798.43

At state 5, s5 = s4 = 6.51936 kJ/kg.K

1 atm = 101.325 kPa
h5 = 2364.05 kJ/kg
ms = x2mg = 0.1058(30) = 3.174 kg s
W = ms (h4 − h5 )
W = 3.174(2782.73 − 2364.05)
W = 1329 kW (answer)

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 Solved Problems

Problem No. 3
A liquid dominated geothermal plant with a single
flash separator receives water at 204 C. The
separator pressure is 1.04 MPa. A direct-contact
condenser operates at 0.034 MPa. The turbine has a
polytropic efficiency of 0.75. For a cycle output of 50
MW, what is the mass flow rate of the well-water in
kg/s?
Given:
t1 = 204 C
p2 = 1.04 MPa
p5 = 0.034 MPa
t = 0.75
W = 50 MW = 50,000 kW
Required:
Mass flow rate of the well-water in kg/s
Solution:
At state 1, t1 = 204 C, saturated
h1 = 870.45 kJ/kg

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 Solved Problems

At state 2,3, 4. h2 = h1 = 870.45 kJ/kg

1.04 MPa
h3 = hf = 770.16 kJ/kg
h4 = hg = 2777.63 kJ/kg
s4 = sg = 6.56925 kJ/kg.K
h −h
x2 = 2 f
hg − h f
870.45 − 770.16
x2 = = 0.05
2777.63 − 770.16

At state 5, s5 = s4
0.034 MPa
h5 = 2230.89 kJ/kg
W = ms (h4 − h5 )t
50,000 = ms (2777.63 − 2230.89)(0.75)
ms = 121.935 kg s

ms 121.935
mg = = = 2439 kg s (answer)
x2 0.05

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