Recovery of energy from geothermal brines and other hot water sources by direct contact heat exchange with a working fluid, such as a hydrocarbon working fluid, e.g. isobutane. The process and system consists of a plurality of stages, each stage including mixing and settling units. In the first stage, hot brine and arm working fluid are intimately mixed and passed into a settler wherein the brine settles to the bottom of the settler and the hot working fluid rises to the top. The hot working flu...

Process and system for recovery of energy from geothermal brines and other water containing or hot water sources, which comprises direct contact heat exchange between the brine or hot water, and a working fluid, e.g. n-butane, in a heat transfer column, the heat transfer column being operated in the subcritical pressure region of the working fluid, preferably close to or approaching the apex of the saturated vapor curve for such working fluid on the Mollier enthalpy-entropy diagram for such flui...

Process and system for recovery of energy from geothermal brines and other hot water sources, which comprises direct contact heat exchange between the brine or hot water, and a hydrocarbon working fluid, e.g. n-butane, in a heat transfer column, the heat transfer column being operated at or above the critical pressure of the working fluid, and the hot brine or hot water feed being at a temperature at or above the critical temperature of the working fluid. The heated working fluid exiting the top...

Process and system for recovery of energy from geothermal brines and other hot water sources, which comprises direct contact heat exchange between the brine or hot water, and a hydrocarbon working fluid, e.g. n-butane, in a heat transfer column, the heat transfer column being operated at or above the critical pressure of the working fluid, and the hot brine or hot water feed being at a temperature at or above the critical temperature of the working fluid. The heated working fluid exiting the top...

An energy exchanger (2) is connected to an earth energy exchanger (18) via a flow line (10) and a return flow line (14). The flow line (10) and the return flow line (14) are both provided with a regulatable stop valve (12, 16). At least one heat-insulated flow pipe (20) is surrounded by a separation pipe (24) in a bore hole (22), whereby a return flow area (28) for circulatory water is connected thereto in a radially outward manner. The return flow area (28) contains at least one return flow pip...

A zero-emissions power plant receives natural gas from wells at elevated pressure and temperature. Gas is expanded through one or more turbo-expanders, preferably reformed, and sent to a fuel cell where electricity, heat, carbon-dioxide, and water are generated. The carbon-dioxide is compressed by at least one compressor and piped downhole for sequestration. The turbo-expanders have shafts which preferably share the shafts of the compressors. Thus, energy given up by the natural gas in the turbo...

Hot fluid which may contain salts and other dissolved minerals is passed through a direct contact heat exchanger in heat exchange relationship with a working fluid that has a specific gravity sufficiently below the specific gravity of the fluid so that it may pass from the bottom to the top of the heat exchanger chamber in contact with the fluid. The pressure of the chamber is selected to provide a certain mixture of working fluid and hot fluid at the output of the power extracting device of the...

A method for producing mechanical energy from geothermal fluids in which a heat transfer fluid (HTF) is heated by direct contact with the hot geothermal fluids, thereby partially cooling the geothermal fluids. A working fluid is heated by direct contact with the partially cooled geothermal fluid and is heated further by indirect heat exchange with the hot HTF. The heated working fluid is utilized in a heat engine for the production of mechanical energy.

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 oper...

Process for recovery of energy from geothermal fluids such as geothermal brine in a geothermal formation by injecting a water immiscible working fluid, preferably organic, typically a hydrocarbon, e.g. isobutane, into the geothermal formation containing a geothermal fluid such as hot brine, wherein the hydrocarbon working fluid is heated by direct heat exchange contact with the hot geothermal fluid in the formation, and employing the hot working fluid to drive a heat engine or turbine to produce...