Geothermal Power

Generation 3

By: ayman alkezza

 Geothermal Power
Generation
3

-16 TYPES OF GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

7-12 GEOTHERMAL ELECTRICAL POWER
1-315 LOW-TEMPERATURE GEOTHERMAL HEAT
16-18 GROUND -SOURCE HEAT PUMPS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
18-20
-13 Types of Geothermal Sources

Three attributes of a high quality geothermal source

are heat, water, and permeability of the ground.
Locations with these attributes are called high-
enthalpy resources.
Enthalpy is defined as the amount of energy in a
system capable of doing mechanical work; it is a
function of temperature, pressure, and volume.
2-3 Types of Geothermal Sources

The geothermal gradient refers to the increasing

temperature at increasing depths within the earth. The
thermal gradient varies widely according to location; it
is about 25 o C /km in most locations but can be as
much as 200 o C/km.

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3-3 Types of Geothermal Sources

Three temperature classifications of geothermal

sources are:
1. High temperature sources are >150 o C. These
sources are useful for generating electricity.
2. Moderate temperature sources are between
90o C and 150 o C. These sources are useful

for space heating, drying, and industrial heat

and in some cases are used for electricity
production.
3. Low temperature sources are <90 o C. Low
temperature sources are useful for heating
buildings, fish farms, and bathing.
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10-1 Types of Geothermal Sources

To exploit high temperature hot dry rock, water is

generally injected from nearby wells. The water boils
and the steam is used to drive a steam turbine.

One plant at the 750 MW

Geysers in Northern CA, is
shown here. Recycled
water from nearby Santa
Rosa is piped in to be
injected to create steam
for the turbine.

Source: NREL
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4-3 Types of Geothermal Sources

Geopressurized reservoirs consist of high- pressure, hot

brine in deep underground reservoirs. They are
characterized by dissolved methane. The best known
areas for geopressurized reservoirs are along the Texas
and Louisiana Gulf Coast.
Energy can be obtained
from the thermal energy,
from the hydraulic high
pressure, or from burning
the dissolved methane.

© Coprid /Fotolia
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5-3 Types of Geothermal Sources

Hot water reservoirs are natural steam reservoirs that

are typically found along fault lines in the earth. The
temperatures are high enough to create steam,
which
can be used to drive turbines.

For moderate temperature

reservoirs, Organic Rankine

Source: Courtesy of Chena Hot Springs

Cycle (ORC) generators
are used. ORC generators
are shown at the Chena
Hot Springs Resort in AK.

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6-3 Types of Geothermal Sources

Normal ground temperature sources are useful for

underground geothermal heat pumps. In most
locations in the world, the ground is a constant 10 o C at
relatively shallow depths. This is sufficient to keep heat
pumps working efficiently even when the outdoor
temperature is freezing.

The photo shows drilling of a

geothermal well for a
heat pump in Klamath
Falls, OR.

Source: NREL
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7-3 Geothermal Electrical Power

Three methods for generating geothermal electricity:

1. Dry steam

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8-3 Geothermal Electrical Power

Three methods for generating geothermal electricity:

2a. Flash steam (single flash)

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9-3 Geothermal Electrical Power

Three methods for generating geothermal electricity:

2b. Flash steam (double flash)

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10-3 Geothermal Electrical Power

Three methods for generating geothermal electricity:

3. Binary-cycle

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11-3 Geothermal Electrical Power

An Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) is one in which a

geothermal site is made productive by artificial means
including fracturing networks to increase permeability
and improved drilling methods including horizontal
drilling and laser drilling.

EGS has successfully

produced an additional
1.7 megawatts from an
existing well field using
EGS fracturing methods
at Brady Hot Springs, NV

Source: David Buchla

(shown here). Other
successes are at
Newberry, OR and Desert
Rock, NV.
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12-3 Geothermal Electrical Power

Another innovative proposal is to harness the heat in

underground coal seam fires. These fires represent
an
ecological disaster as they can burn for tens of
decades
in a very wide area and emit tons of pollutants as well as
consume a valuable resource. Most are caused by man
and they have been nearly impossible to extinguish.
One study has shown that there
is significant energy that can
be recovered by using
standard methods developed
in
geothermal plants. The heat
would be used to drive
ORC turbines.Renewable Energy Systems Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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13-3 Low- Temperature Applications for
Geothermal Heat
Low-temperature sources can be used for space
heating and cooling. Cooling is accomplished with an
absorption type refrigeration system in four steps:
1 2
• Generator: The generator • Condenser: The high pressure
heats the refrigerant (lithium vapor is condensed to a
bromide solution); this causes liquid at higher pressure.
the water in solution to boil, Heat from compressing is
creating water vapor at high removed.
pressure.

3 4
• Expansion valve: High pressure • Evaporator and Absorber: The
liquid water passes through an cold water absorbs heat from
expansion valve and the space to be cooled and is
becomes a cold liquid vapor absorbed by the LiBr to form a
mix. The pressure (and the weaker solution. The solution is
boiling point) are reduced. returned to the generator.

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14-3 Low- Temperature Applications for
Geothermal Heat

Snow melting is an application for low -temperature heat

in areas with ample geothermal sources like Iceland. The
idea is being tested also in other locations on bridges
and overpasses.
Tubing for snow melting is
installed before concrete
is poured. This installation
is in Klamath Falls, OR. The
city has more than 50,000
sidewalks and crosswalks
with district heating.

Source: NREL
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15-3 Low- Temperature Applications for
Geothermal Heat

Greenhouses and fish farms are another application for

low-temperature geothermal heat. Farming operations
include aquatic plants and animals as well as certain
food drying applications (including onion, garlic,
carrots,
and celery dehydrators).
Alligators are raised in
Colorado at an elevation of
over 7500 ft (2300 m).
These are part of the
Colorado Gators Reptile
Park, which also has other
reptiles and

Source: NREL
birds on display. A geothermal
well keeps the water warm
year round.
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16-3 Geothermal Heat Pumps

A conventional heat pump operates in a standard

refrigeration cycle. Here it is operating in the heat cycle:

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17-3 Geothermal Heat Pumps

A geothermal heat pump uses the same principle of

operation but absorbs heat from the ground into a
glycol solution.

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18-3 Geothermal Heat Pumps

The coefficient of performance (COP) is a measure of

efficiency for heat pumps and is the ratio of heat energy
delivered to energy supplied to the heat pump.
Geothermal heat pumps are very efficient.

A heat pump rated for 5 kW is on for 30 min and delivers

40,000 BTU of heat in that time. What is the COP?

The energy supplied in 30 min is (5 kW)(0.5 h) = 2.5 kWh

The energy delivered = 40,000 BTU/(3413 BTU/kWh) = 11.7 kWh
The COP = 11.7 kWh/2.5 kWh = 4.69

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19-3 Environmental Impact

Water
Geothermal plants use steam and need to recycle
water to maintain the source, so monitoring of the
quality of injected water and flow is important. Plants
like the Geysers use treated wastewater for injection.
Monitoring of ground water can
be done by injecting chemical
tracers. Tracer tests are used to
evaluate the injected water flow
through the reservoir and the
amount of injection -derived steam

Source: NREL
that is produced.

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20-3 Environmental Impact

Air
Air pollution from geothermal
plants is minor and is less that 1%
of an equivalent fossil- fueled
plant. Small amounts of
hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) may be
in
the steam; most can be
removed at the plant. Other
gases include small amounts of
CO 2 and NO x .

Source: NREL
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 Selected Key Terms

Binary-cycle plant A geothermal power plant that uses the brine

water or steam from the geothermal reservoir to
heat and vaporize a secondary fluid with a lower
boiling point to drive the turbine and generator.
Coefficient of A measure of efficiency for a heat pump; it is the
ratio of the heat produced to the energy
performance consumed and it varies with the outside
(COP) temperature.
Double - A geothermal plant with two pressure reducing
flash stages to create high pressure and low pressure
steam plant steam. The high and low pressure steam is routed
to two different turbines, which turn a generator.
Dry-steam plant A geothermal electrical plant that uses
superheated dry steam from a geothermal
reservoir and routes it directly to a steam turbine
and generator to produce electricity.
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 Selected Key Terms

Enhance A system in which a geothermal site that is

d deficient in water or permeability is made to be
Geotherma productive by artificial means.
l
System
Enthalp The amount of energy in a system capable of
y Solar doing mechanical work; it is a function of
module temperature, pressure, and volume.
Flash steam A geothermal plant that creates steam from high
plant pressure hot water (brine) using a special control
valve or orifice plate to reduce the pressure and
cause some of the liquid to boil (or flash) into
steam, which is used to drive a steam turbine and
generator to produce electricity.

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1. A high enthalpy site for geothermal
power is one that has high heat,
water, and permeability.
2. Low-temperature geothermal
sources are useful for generating
electricity.
3. Hot water reservoirs are not found in
cold clim ates.
4. Most loc ations in the world c an use
geothermal energy for heat
pumps.
5. An advantage of a flash power
plant is that it isolates underground
water from the turbines.
6. The Organic Rankine cycle is used
with double -flash power plants.
7. Enhanced Geothermal Systems do
not use artificial means to
improve output.
8. Low-temperature geothermal
sources c an be used to cool
buildings.
9. Geothermal heat pumps tend to be
more efficient than standard heat
pumps.
10. Tracers c an track the flow of water
through a reservoir and the amount
of steam that is produced.