La generazione di vapore

negli impianti geotermici

Larderello 1904. La prima macchina (un motore alternativo accoppiato ad una dinamo), che ha prodotto elettricità sfruttando il vapore
geotermico. A fianco, il Principe Piero Ginori Conti, succeduto a Francesco Larderel nella proprietà dell’industria boracifera.
 Geothermal sources

Hot water reservoirs Geopressurized reservoirs Hot dry rocks

(Liquid/vapour dominated)
Geothermal Power Generating
Systems

• Single‐Flash Steam Power

Plants
• Double‐Flash Steam Power
Plants
• Dry‐Steam Power Plants
• Binary Cycle Power Plants
Geothermal Power Generating Systems
 Single Flash Steam Power Plants

Production well – reinjection well

For upward flow in a vertical pipe, starting from all liquid flow at the bottom, the
following flow patterns are encountered in sequence as the fluid moves up the
pipe:

1. Bubbly flow (bottom of pipe)

2. Bubbly‐Slug flow
3. Slug flow
4. Slug‐Annular flow
5. Annular flow
6. Annular‐Mist flow
7. Mist flow
8. All vapor flow, eventually for a sufficiently long
pipe.
 Single Flash Steam Power Plants
The flash process may occur in a number of places:

(1) in the reservoir as the fluid flows through the permeable formation with an
accompanying pressure drop;

(2) In the production well anywhere from the entry point to the wellhead as a
result of the loss of pressure due to friction and the gravity head;

(3) in the inlet to the cyclone separator as a result of a throttling process induced
by a control valve or an orifice plate.
Single Flash Steam Power Plants
 Single Flash Steam Power Plants
Thermodynamics of conversion process

Wet and Dry efficiencies

Baumann rule

ηtd, may be conservatively

assumed to be constant
 Single Flash Optimization

Case A)
CHOCKED WELL FLOW
 Single Flash Optimization

Case B)
NON‐CHOCKED WELL FLOW
 Double Flash Steam Power Plants
Thermodynamics of conversion process
Double Flash Steam Power Plants
Dual admission steam turbine
Double Flash Steam Power Plants
Dual admission steam turbine
Double Flash Steam Power Plants
2 steam turbines
Dry Steam Power Plants
 Dry Steam Power Plants

h= 2804.2 kJ/kg
t=235°C
P=30.6 bar
Dry Steam Power Plants
Thermodynamics of conversion process
Dry Steam Power Plants
 Dry Steam Power Plants
Wellhead pressure optimization

Ideal turbine expansion processes

for various wellhead pressures

Dry steam productivity curve

Binary Cycle Power Plants

SINGLE PRESSURE
Binary Cycle Power Plants
Binary Cycle Power Plants

DUAL PRESSURE
Binary Cycle Power Plants

DUAL FLUID
 Kalina Binary Cycle Power Plants

Typical Kalina cycle employing a reheater and two recuperative preheaters.

• The working fluid is a binary mixture of H2O and NH3

• Evaporation and condensation occur at variable temperature
• Cycle incorporates heat recuperation from turbine exhaust
• Composition of the mixture may be varied during cycle in some versions.
Kalina Binary Cycle Power Plants

Kalina cycle with variable composition of the water‐ammonia working fluid.

Summarizing…
Enhanced geothermal systems

Combine geothermal heat and power system

Enhanced geothermal systems

Integrated single and double flash

Enhanced geothermal systems

Combined single and double flash

Enhanced geothermal systems
Combined single flash and binary plant
Enhanced geothermal systems
Intagrated single flash ‐ binary plant
 Hybrid geothermal systems
Solar‐geothermal binary plant with superheating of the binary working fluid
Hybrid geothermal systems

Solar‐geothermal double‐flash plant

 Reference

Geothermal Power Plants: Principles, Applications, Case Studies and

Environmental Impact
Ronald DiPippo, Ph.D.
Chancellor Professor Emeritus
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
North Dartmouth, Massachusetts