A geothermal turbine intallation in which high-pressure steam is separated from geothermal steam, which is a mixture of steam and water, with the high pressure steam connected to a high pressure turbine. Low pressure steam produced by flashing the hot water component of the geothermal steam is introduced to a low pressure turbine which is constructed and operates independently of the high pressure turbine. The discharge steam from the high pressure turbine is introduced to a steam condenser operating at a low vacuum while discharge steam from the low pressure turbine is introduced into a steam condenser operating at a high vacuum. The cooling water system of the high and low pressure condensers are connected in series with one another. A maximum power increase is obtained if the flow rates of the high and low pressure steams at the extraction ports of the high and low pressure turbines are made substantially equal to one another.
As geothermal steam containing contaminants such as boron, arsenic, and mercury is passed through a turbine-condenser system, the contaminants preferentially collect in the initial condensate produced from the steam. Collecting this initially-produced condensate and segregating it from the remainder of the steam being condensed ensures that condensate produced from the remainder of the steam is contaminants-lean, preferably containing the contaminants in concentrations allowing for discharge of the contaminants-lean condensate to the environment.
As geothermal steam containing contaminants such as boron, arsenic, and mercury is passed through a turbine-condenser system, the contaminants preferentially collect in the initial condensate produced from the steam. Collecting this initially-produced condensate and segregating it from the remainder of the steam being condensed ensures that condensate produced from the remainder of the steam is contaminants-lean, preferably containing the contaminants in concentrations allowing for discharge of the contaminants-lean condensate to the environment.
As geothermal steam containing contaminants such as boron, arsenic, and mercury is passed through a turbine-condenser system, the contaminants preferentially collect in the initial condensate produced from the steam. Collecting this initially-produced condensate and segregating it from the remainder of the steam being condensed ensures that condensate produced from the remainder of the steam is contaminants-lean, preferably containing the contaminants in concentrations allowing for discharge of the contaminants-lean condensate to the environment.
A method for producing power to drive a load (17) using a working fluid circulating through a system that includes a prime mover (12) having an inlet and an accumulator (20) containing discharge fluid exiting the prime mover. A stream of heated vaporized fluid is supplied at relatively high pressure to the prime mover inlet and is expanded through the prime mover (12) to a lower pressure discharge side where discharge fluid enters an accumulator (20). The discharge fluid is vaporized by passing it through an expansion device (28) across a pressure differential to a lower pressure than the pressure at the prime mover discharge side. Latent heat of condensation in the discharge fluid being discharged from the prime mover is transferred by a heat exchanger (14) to discharge fluid that has passed through the expansion device (28). Vaporized discharge fluid, to which heat has been transferred from fluid discharged from the prime mover, can be returned through a compressor (20) and vapor drum (34) to the prime mover inlet. Vaporized discharge fluid can be removed directly from the accumulator (20) by a compressor (16) where it is pressurized slightly above the pressure in the vapor drum (34), to which it is delivered directly, or it can be passed through a heat exchanger (50) where the heat from the compressed fluid is transferred to an external media after leaving the compressor (16) in route to the vapor drum (34). Liquid discharge fluid from the accumulator (20) is pumped to a boiler liquid drum (32), then to the vapor drum (34) through a heat exchanger (10). The liquid discharge fluid may be expanded through an orifice (62) to extract heat from an external source at heat exchanger (56) and discharged into the vapor drum (34) or the accumulator (20), depending on its temperature upon leaving heat exchanger (56).
A power production process integrates geothermal steam and fossil fuel energy sources to give a higher energy efficiency than is normally obtained when using these energy sources individually. Geothermal steam is partially diverted from a steam turbine and injected into a combustion turbine. Although the steam turbine output is reduced by the diversion of steam, the plant efficiency and total plant output are improved.
