Geothermal Applications

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
APPLICATIONS
Marianne Salomón
Outline
Background
Geothermal power generating systems
Single-flash steam power plants
Double-flash steam power plants
Dry steam power plants
Binary cycle power plants
Advanced geothermal conversion systems
Direct applications
Balneology
Agriculture
Aquaculture
Space heating
Space cooling
Heat Pumps
Environmental impacts
Selected case studies
Renewable Energy Technology Course 2
Worldwide outlook
Background
Source: Boyle, G.; 2004

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Aust
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Bulg
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I slan
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Chin
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Croa
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Denm
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Finla
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Geor
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Gr ee
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Hond
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Icela
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It aly
Renewable
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Current Status
Kore
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Mace
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Nepa
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Energy Technology Course Peru

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Slov
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Power (MWt)
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Geothermal Regions

The Potential of
Geothermal Energy in EU

The Potential of
Geothermal Energy in Sweden
Temperature
at 100 m
depth

GEOTHERMAL POWER
GENERATION

Historical Overview
Electricity from geothermal energy had a
modest start in 1904 at Larderello, in the
Tuscany region of north-western Italy, with
an experimental 10 kW generator.
This electricity production is serving an
equivalent of 60 million people throughout
the world, which is about 1% of our planet’s
population.
Prince Ginori Conti and the 10 kW 1904

installation (source: Renewable Energy Technology Course 9
http://iga.igg.cnr.it/geo/geoenergy.php)
Locations of Cumulative Geothermal
Power Capacity Installed (2000)
Source: Data from Huttrer.

Geothermal Power Generating
Systems
Depend on the nature of the resource,
meaning, depends on the geothermal
fluid:
Temperature
Pressure
Salinity
Content of other gases
Typical geothermal plant size: 20-60

MWe
Key Factors for Geothermal
Power

Geothermal Power Generating
Systems
A geothermal system consists of three
main elements:
a heat source,
a reservoir and a fluid - the carrier for
transferring heat from the source to the
power plant
power plant

Working Principle
Source: Geothermal Education Office

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjpp2MQffnw&feature=related
Single-flash Steam Power Plants
Mainstay of the
geothermal power
industry
The geothermal fluid
might be:
Steam (flashed within the Source: Boyle, G.; 2004
well as pressure dropped
during ascent) or
Hot water at high pressure
The unit power capacity
ranges from 3 to 90 MW
Single-flash Steam Power Plants
Typical steam conditions: 155-165 C and
5-6 bar
Design conditions: currently it is required
about 8 kg steam per saleable kWh
Waste brine (unflashed) can be up to 80%
of the fluid produced
The waste brine is reinjected unless there
is a direct heating application
Thus, reinjection wells must be available for fluid disposal

Environmental Impacts of Single-
flash Steam Power Plants
Air pollution
Water pollution
Noise pollution
Visual impacts
Land usage*
Water usage
Land subsidence
Greenhouse emissions*
Loss of natural wonders
* Much lower than conventional plants

Double-flash Steam Power Plants
It is an
improvement of the
single-flash design
-> it can produce
15-20% more
power output for
the same Source: Boyle, G.; 2004
geothermal fluid
conditions.
Ideal where
geothermal fluids
contain low levels
of impurities
Scaling and non-condensable problems
are minimum
Raises the efficiency up to 20-25% and
the plant cost only by 5%
Extremely large volumes of geothermal
fluid are required -> sometimes can be as
much as 5 times more fluid than for a dry
steam plant with the same power output.

Environmental Impacts of
Same as for Single-flash Steam Power
Plants
Waste brine from the double-flashing
process will carry more highly
concentrated contaminants -> reinjection
is of paramount importance

Dry Steam Power Plants
Used in vapour
dominated resources
(steam production is
not contaminated
with liquid)
Typical steam
conditions: 180- Source: Boyle, G.; 2004
225 C and 40-80 bar

η rarely exceed 20%
Design conditions:
currently it is required
about 6.5 kg steam
per saleable kWh.
Efficiency is strongly affected by non-
condensable gases (CO2, H2S, etc)
The gases cause higher residual pressures at the
back end of the turbine
They reduce the suction efficiency -> direct
economical impact
To avoid the presence of gases the plants are
equipped with ejectors which have an impact on
efficiency (steam supply or electrical power is required
for their operation)
Non-condensable gases cannot longer be
released to the atmosphere so they must be
trapped chemically or reinjected with the waste
water Renewable Energy Technology Course 22
It is the simplest and most commercially
attractive power plant
Widely known cycle (technology)
Heavily used in Italy and USA
Reinjection of the spent fluid is needed to
guarantee the sustainability of the resource
For example in the geothermal filed called
“Geysers” (USA) about 70% of the mass of
produced steam is reinjected

Environmental Impacts of Dry
Steam Power Plants
Low environmental impact
Noncondensable gases in the steam are
isolated in the condenser and removed by
means of vacuum pumps or steam-jet ejectors
The sulfur from certain types of abatement
systems is in pure form and may be sold
commercially or disposed of in an appropriate.
The excess condensate from the cooling tower
is reinjected as is any liquid trapped from the
steam transmission pipelines.

Binary Cycle Power Plants
Uses the Organic
Rankine Cycle
(ORC).
The working fluid is
typically pentane or
butane Source: Boyle, G.; 2004
Low temperature
resources can be
developed (not
possible with single-
flash systems.
Binary Cycle Power Plants
The geofluid is compressed and
passed through the heat exchangers
and finally disposed in the injection
wells still in liquid phase
Binary plants constitute 33% of all
geothermal units in operation but
generate only 3% of the total power
Typical geofluid conditions: 150 C
η ranges between 10% and 13%
(ηcarnot =26% for Τ = 150 C )
Environmental Impacts of Binary
Cycle Power Plants
Most benign of all power plants
Only thermal pollution (i.e. geothermal
plants of all types discharge more
waste heat per unit of power output
than other thermal power plants).

Advanced Geothermal Energy
Systems
Hybrid single-flash and double-flash
systems
Integrated single- and double-flash plant

Systems
Hybrid single-flash and double-flash
systems
Combined single- and double-flash plants

Systems
Hybrid flash-binary systems
Combined flash-binary plants

Systems
Hybrid flash-binary systems
Integrated flash-binary plants

Systems
Total-flow systems
Originated from the need to reduce
irreversibilities associated with flashing
processes for the geofluid
It also contributed the desire to avoid large
pressure vessels to separate the steam and the
water
The goal was to devised a way to use the
geofluid directly from the well in the prime mover
Few devices where suggested
Axial-flow impulse turbine
Rotary separator turbine
Helical screw expander
Systems
Hybrid fossil-geothermal systems
In mid- 2004 it started to be considered the
possibility to combine geothermal energy with
fossil fuels
The purpose was to achieve higher overall
utilization efficiencies than separate plants
Suggested schemes
Fossil-superheat systems
Geothermal-preheat system
Geopressure-geothermal hybrid systems
Possible 100% renewable scheme
solar collectors + geothermal energy ->100 C
superheating)
Systems
Combined heat and power plants
In many places it is common to combine both
power generation and direct heat usage in a
single geothermal plant.
The capturing some of the waste heat in the left-
over brine before it is reinjected, can increase
significantly the overall utilization efficiency of the
resource.

Systems
Hot dry rock (enhanced geothermal
systems)
Geothermal regions having high temperature but
lacking sufficient permeability or fluid in the
formation are candidates for this approach
Project Type Country Size (MW) Plant Type Depth (km) Developer Status
Soultz R&D France (EU) 1.5 Binary 4.2 ENGINE Operational
DOE, Ormat,
Desert Peak R&D United States 11–50 Binary Development
GeothermEx
Landau Commercial Germany (EU) 3 Binary 3.3 ? Operational
Paralana
Commercial Australia 7–30 Binary 4.1 Petratherm Drilling
(Phase 1)
Cooper Basin Commercial Australia 250–500 Kalina 4.3 Geodynamics Drilling
AltaRock Canceled (Jan
The Geysers Demonstration United States (Unknown) Flash 3.5 – 3.8
Energy, NCPA 2010)[7]
AltaRock
Energy, Permitting (Mar
Bend, Oregon Demonstration United States (Unknown)
Davenport 2010)[7]
Power
CO2
Ogachi R&D Japan (Unknown) 1.0 – 1.1
experiments[8]
United Downs, Geothermal [9]
Commercial United Kingdom 10 MW Energy Technology
Renewable Binary 4.5
Course Fundraising
35
Redruth Engineering Ltd
EGS Energy
Eden Project Commercial United Kingdom 3 MW Binary 3–4 Fundraising[10]
Ltd.
Geothermal Power Plant Cost
Factors affecting the capital cost
The resource type (steam or hot number of
wells that
water) must be
Resource temperature drilled for a
given plant
Reservoir productivity capacity
Power plant size (rated capacity)

Power plant type (single-flash,
binary, etc.)
environmental regulations

Approximate Annual Generation
Costs for Geothermal Power
Electricity generating costs based on the initial investment

cost for the geothermal system (USD/kW) and the electrical
output yield annually (kWh/y)
Generation Costs in Relation to Plant
Size in USD cents /kWh (in USD 2000)

Environmental Impact of
Geothermal Projects

Direct Applications

Direct Applications
Balneology
Agriculture
Aquaculture
Industrial uses
Space heating
Space cooling
Heat Pumps

Direct Geothermal Uses
The most common non-electric use world-wide
(in terms of installed capacity in 2005) was
heat pumps (54,4%),
bathing (19,1%),
space-heating (15,4%),
greenhouses (5%),
aquaculture (2,2%),
industrial processes (1,7%)
Others (2,2%)

Balneology

Agriculture
The agricultural
applications of
geothermal fluids
consist of open-field
agriculture and
greenhouse heating
Thermal water can be used in open-field

agriculture to irrigate and/or heat the soil.
The most common application of geothermal
energy in agriculture is, in greenhouse heating
Aquaculture
In many cases
geothermal waters
could be used
profitably in a
combination of animal
husbandry and
geothermal
greenhouses.
The energy required to heat a breeding installation

is about 50% of that required for a greenhouse of
the same surface area, so a cascade utilization
could be adopted.

Industrial Uses
The entire temperature
range of geothermal
fluids, whether steam
or water, can be
exploited in industrial
applications
The different possible forms of utilization include:

process heating,
evaporation,
drying,
distillation,
sterilisation,
washing,
de-icing,
and salt extraction
Space Heating
Space and district heating have made great
progress in Iceland, but they are also widely
distributed in the East European countries,
as well as in the United States, China,
Japan, France, etc.
Source: Boyle, G.; 2004

Space Heating
Geothermal district heating systems are capital
intensive.
Operating expenses, however, are comparatively
lower than in conventional systems,
Some economic benefit can be achieved by
combining heating and cooling in areas where the
climate permits.

Geothermal district heating in
Europe
Source: European Geothermal

Energy Council
Miklos Antics, Burkhard Sanner. Status of Geothermal Energy Use and Resources in Europe. Proceedings European
Geothermal Congress 2007
Why use geothermal energy for
district heating/cooling?

Why use geothermal energy for
district heating/cooling?
Reykjavik DHRenewable
system: installed capacity of 830 MWth
Energy Technology Course 52
serving 180’000 people
Space Cooling
Space cooling is a feasible option where
absorption machines can be adapted to
geothermal use.

Geothermal Heat Pumps
Ground source heat
pumps (GSHPs) are
electrically powered
systems that tap the
stored energy in the
earth. These systems
use the earth's
relatively constant
temperature to provide
heating, cooling, and
hot water for homes
and commercial http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/homean
buildings. dwork/homes/inside/heatandcool/ground_sour
ce.swf
http://brainstuff.howstuffworks.com/2007/10/31/how-do-geothermal-heat-pumps-work/
Geothermal Heat Pump - Uses
Geothermal heat
pumps can be used
almost everywhere
in the world, without
a geothermal Heating
reservoir. The mode
insulating
properties of the
earth, can keep us
warm or cool
Cooling
mode
Geothermal Heat Pumps
Different styles of pipes
are installed beside a
building. A liquid is piped
through the pipes to pick
up the heat FROM the
ground or to bring heat
from the building TO the
ground.
Ground source heat
pumps can be
categorized as having
closed or open loops,
and those loops can be
installed in three ways:
horizontally, vertically, or
in a pond/lake.
Geothermal heating in IEA
countries (2004)

Geothermal Energy Benefits
Earth energy systems provide the following benefits:
The operating costs of earth energy systems are
much lower than the cost to operate a combustion
furnace with an air conditioning unit. However, the
cost to install a complete earth energy system can
be higher than the cost to install furnace and air
conditioning unit. On average, an earth energy
system can save two-thirds of the cost to heat and
cool with electricity.
Earth energy can provide heating in winter, cooling
in summer, and year-round hot water for home use.
A single system performs all necessary functions
and requires only a flick of a switch to reverse the
unit for a seasonal change.
Source: http://www.canren.gc.ca/
An earth energy system can reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by more than two-thirds compared to
similar systems that use carbon-based fuel.
However, the reductions depend on the source of
electricity that is used run the system’s
components. It is becoming more important to
reduce greenhouse gases because of international
efforts to reduce global warming and climate
change.
Earth energy systems provide constant low-level
heat, which eliminates the need to change
thermostats at night. Another benefit is the absence
of draughts that are common with conventional
forced-air heating systems.
Earth energy systems do not produce the odour that
is found in natural gas, oil or propane furnaces.
That makes earth energy systems perfect for highly-
insulated buildings or for people who are allergic or
sensitive to noxious gases and poor air quality.
Earth energy systems are located inside a building,
which eliminates the adverse effects of nature and
any accidents or vandalism, thereby increasing the
system’s life and efficiency.
Penetrations through the building’s walls or roof
increase energy performance and reduce the risk of
structural damage.
Because there is no combustion, earth energy
systems cannot explode and there is no need to
store fuel. Insurance companies often provide a
discount on policies that use earth energy.
If you install an earth energy system in a
commercial or industrial building, you eliminate the
need for a flat roof and cooling towers. That allows
architects to increase the aesthetic appeal of the
building’s design.
Earth energy systems can deliver heat to one room
and simultaneously provide cooling to an adjacent
room. This is extremely useful in institutional
buildings such as schools.
In commercial or industrial buildings,
earth energy systems reduce the need
for mechanical space. That allows
space to be used for more productive
purposes. In many cases, the cost
savings from reduced overhead space
in the ceiling and the mechanical room
can offset any increased cost for the
installation of the system.

Geothermal Applications

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GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Source: Boyle, G.; 2004

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Prince Ginori Conti and the 10 kW 1904

Source: Data from Huttrer.

Renewable Energy Technology Course 10

Typical geothermal plant size: 20-60

Renewable Energy Technology Course 12

Renewable Energy Technology Course 13

Source: Geothermal Education Office

Thus, reinjection wells must be available for fluid disposal

Renewable Energy Technology Course 16

* Much lower than conventional plants

Renewable Energy Technology Course 17

Renewable Energy Technology Course 19

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225 C and 40-80 bar

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Renewable Energy Technology Course 24

Renewable Energy Technology Course 27

Integrated single- and double-flash plant

Renewable Energy Technology Course 28

Combined single- and double-flash plants

Combined flash-binary plants

Integrated flash-binary plants

Renewable Energy Technology Course 34

Power plant size (rated capacity)

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Electricity generating costs based on the initial investment

Renewable Energy Technology Course 38

Renewable Energy Technology Course 39

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Renewable Energy Technology Course 41

Renewable Energy Technology Course 42

Renewable Energy Technology Course 43

Thermal water can be used in open-field

The energy required to heat a breeding installation

Renewable Energy Technology Course 45

The different possible forms of utilization include:

Source: Boyle, G.; 2004

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Source: European Geothermal

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