Apparatus and method for handling geothermal brine containing high non-condensible gas concentrations. The brine is directed into a pre-flash chamber where a vapor fraction is separated from a liquid fraction, the vapor fraction including steam and a non-condensible gas. The vapor fraction is directed into and through a reboiler in countercurrent flow relationship to a condensate. This action causes the steam of the vapor fraction to be stripped from the non-condensible gas and also causes the condensate to be heated by the steam. The non-condensible gas flows out of the reboiler to a gas expander collection station, or to the atmosphere while the condensate flows to a flash chamber where it flashes to obtain clean steam for driving a work producing apparatus, such as a turbine. The condensate from the flash chamber is returned by a pump to the condensate inlet of the reboiler to form a closed system.

Power is produced from geothermal fluid containing non-condensable gases whose main constituent is carbon-dioxide. The geothermal fluid is separated into steam and geothermal liquid, the steam being applied to a steam turbine which produces power. The steam exiting the turbine indirectly condensed by an organic fluid liquid which is vaporized and used to run at least one organic vapor turbine for producing power. Organic vapor exiting the organic vapor turbine is condensed and preheated by the steam condensate. Heat extracted from the geothermal liquid is used to run another organic vapor turbine producing power and cooled geothermal liquid which is combined with the cooled steam condensate to form a mixture to which the non-condensable gases are added to form an effluent that is injected into a re-injection well. Carbon dioxide in the non-condensable gases substantially dissolves in the geothermal liquid cooled by the cooled steam condensate reducing the pH of the effluent and thus reducing mineral scale precipitation.

A stream of non-condensable gases that include hydrogen sulfide which are produced by a geothermal plant are disposed of by first compressing at least a part of the stream to form compressed gases. Spent geothermal liquid produced by the power plant is pressurized, and directly contacted with the compressed gases to produce an effluent containing substantially all of the hydrogen sulfide, which can be disposed of in a re-injection well, and a stream of pressurized gases substantially free of hydrogen sulfide which can be released to the atmosphere. Before the stream of pressurized gases are released to the atmosphere, such stream preferably is expanded in a turbine for producing power. Also, preferably, this power so produced is used to compress the non-condensable gases thus reducing the net power consumed. In a further alternative, where chemicals are utilized, almost all of the hydrogen sulfide is stripped from the stream of gases. Only the stripped stream, which contains almost all of the hydrogen sulfide, is compressed prior to injecting these gases into a re-injection well.

Apparatus and method for handling geothermal brine containing high non-condensible gas concentrations. The brine is directed into a pre-flash chamber where a vapor fraction is separated from a liquid fraction, the vapor fraction including steam and a non-condensible gas. The vapor fraction is directed into and through a reboiler in countercurrent flow relationship to a condensate. This action causes the steam of the vapor fraction to be stripped from the non-condensible gas and also causes the condensate to be heated by the steam. The non-condensible gas flows out of the reboiler to a gas expander collection station, or to the atmosphere while the condensate flows to a first flash chamber where it flashes to obtain clean steam for driving a first work producing apparatus, such as a turbine. The condensate from the first flash chamber is partially returned by a pump to a condensate inlet of the reboiler to form a closed system. The remainder of the condensate from the first flash chamber is directed to a second flash chamber where it flashes to form clean steam for driving a second work producing apparatus. The condensate from the second flash chamber is directed to another inlet of the reboiler.

Useful energy is derived from steam flashed from hot geothermal brine having a tendency to deposit amorphous silica or calcite upon a reduction in the pressure or temperature of the brine. Steam condensate produced from the flashed steam is pressurized, acidified and preheated, and the acidified preheated steam condensate is mixed with the hot geothermal brine at a point upstream of the flash stage so as to form a hot aqueous mixture with a reduced tendency for deposition of amorphous silica or calcite.