128 Geothermal Power Plants: Principles, Applications, Case Studies and Environmental Impact

PH Powerhouse
PW Production well
SE/C Steam ejector/condenser
SP Steam piping
T/G Turbine/generator
TV Throttle valve
WP Water (brine) piping

Problems
6.1 A double-flash geothermal steam power plant operates from a reservoir at
300 C. The condenser temperature is 50 C. Secondary steam from the flash
vessel is mixed with the primary steam at the plenum between the high- and
low-pressure sections of the dual-admission turbine. Neglect pressure losses in
surface piping and use the Baumann rule for the turbine efficiencies.
(a) Determine the specific work output (in kJ/kg of geofluid) if the separator
and flash vessel operate at 230 C and 140 C, respectively.
(b) Write a computer program or spreadsheet to determine the optimum com-
bination of separator and flash vessel temperatures, i.e., that combination
which yields the maximum specific work output. Compare your findings to
the prediction of the “equal-temperature-split” rule.
6.2 The flow diagram shown on the next page is for the new “El Diablo” geothermal
power plant at “Misty Hot Springs,” which is being built by the Terra Electric
Power Company (TEPCO). The wells produce a mixture of liquid and vapor
at state 1. An ideal separator (i.e., no pressure loss) produces saturated vapor
(primary steam) at 2 and saturated liquid at 8. The secondary steam is mixed
with the primary steam at the pass-in section of the turbine, between the first
and second sections of the turbine. A closed-type, shell-and-tube heat exchanger
is used in conjunction with a supply of cooling water. The condensed geothermal
steam is pumped and mixed with the liquid coming from the flasher, and is
returned to the formation through reinjection wells by means of reinjection
pumps. You may use the following assumptions:
1. Assume flow from state b to 1 follows a throttling process.
2. Assume turbines operate isentropically.
3. Neglect pump work, i.e., for computational purposes, state 7 is identical to
6, and states 6, 7, 8, and 9 all lie on the saturated liquid line.
4. Assume a wet cooling tower is used at the plant, and that the ambient
wet-bulb temperature is 80 F.
5. Apply the “equal-temperature-split” rule for flash-point selection.
6. Assume the geofluid is pure water substance.
7. Wellhead temperature, T1 5 340 F.
8. Wellhead geofluid dryness fraction, x1 5 0.133.
9. Condenser temperature, T5 5 124 F.