8  Binary Cycle Power Plants 163

8.4 Advanced binary cycles

In this section we will discuss innovative and complex binary cycles, but before we
tackle this subject, let us consider the theoretical optimum binary cycle for use with a
geothermal hot water resource. This will give us a basis of comparison for all other
types of binary plant.

8.4.1 Ideal binary cycle

Basic binary plants have low thermal efficiencies mainly due to the small temperature
difference between the heat source and the heat sink. The thermodynamic ideal cycle
operating between a heat source at a temperature TH and a heat sink at a temperature
TL is a Carnot cycle consisting of an isothermal heat addition process at TH, followed
by an isentropic expansion process, an isothermal heat rejection process at TL, and an
isentropic compression process to return the working fluid to its initial state [15].
The Carnot efficiency is the highest possible efficiency for any cycle operating
between these two temperatures and is given by
TL
ηCC 5 ηmax 5 1 2 ð8:26Þ
TH
where the temperatures must be in kelvins or degrees Rankine. For a geothermal
binary plant using a brine at 150
C (423.15 K) and a heat sink at 40
C (313.15 K),
the maximum ideal Carnot efficiency 26%.
However, the brine is not an isothermal heat source, but in fact cools as it transfers
heat to the working fluid. Thus, a more realistic ideal cycle for a geothermal binary
plant is a triangular cycle consisting of an isobaric (constant pressure) heat addition
process up to the brine inlet temperature TH, followed by an isentropic expansion, and
an isothermal heat rejection process at TL to complete the cycle. It is easy to show [16]
that the efficiency for the triangular cycle is given by
TH 2 TL
ηTRI 5 ð8:27Þ
TH 1 TL
For the same temperatures used in the above example, the triangle cycle yields an effi-
ciency of 15%.
These two ideal cycles are shown in temperature-entropy coordinates in Fig. 8.9.
In recognition of the inherently low thermal efficiency of basic binary plants,
there are several variations on the basic cycle aimed at achieving higher efficiencies.
When a cycle has an efficiency of say 10%, an improvement of only one percentage
point represents a 10% improvement, and this may make the difference between an
economically viable project and one that is not. In the next sections we will discuss
some of these innovative systems.
8.4.2 Dual-pressure binary cycle
A dual-pressure cycle is designed to reduce the thermodynamic losses incurred in the
brine heat exchangers of the basic cycle. These losses arise through the process of
transferring heat across a large temperature difference between the hotter brine and
the cooler working fluid; see Fig. 8.7, for example. By maintaining a closer match