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Technical Challenges of
Goethermal Energy Utilisation
Geir ÞórólfssonMechanical Engineer
HS Orka
Jónas MatthíassonMechanical Engineer
Verkís
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Hitaveita Suðurnesja Geothermal
Power Plants
• Svartsengi 1: 2 x 1 MWe og 50 MJ/s (decommissioned)
• Svartsengi 2: 75 MJ/s
• Svartsengi 3: 1 x 6 MWe
• Svartsengi 4 7 x 1,2 MWe
• Svartsengi 5: 1 x 30 MWe og 75 MJ/s
• Svartsengi 6: 1 x 30 MWe
• Reykjanes : 2 x 50 MWe
» Total: 324,4 MWe and MJ/s
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Year of historic lava flow
High-temperature system
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Geothermal Power Plant Main
Parts• Geothermal wells
• Well piping
• Separator station
• Steam piping
• Power station
• Steam turbine – Generator
• Cooling system
• Substation, switchyard
• High voltage line
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Design tasks
• Mechanical (in approximate time
sequence)
– Preliminary Design: Concept design, dialogs
between owner, designers and main machine
producer
– Process Flow diagram (PFD): Showing main
equipment, connecting pipelines, valves, and
flowrates
– Process Instrument Diagram (PID): Similar to
PID but with all instuments and their codes for
function
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Design tasks
• Mechanical, continued
– Piping: Pipe dimensions, Pressure ratings,
Design codes and standards, Safety ,
Pressure drop criteria and calculations
– Power station Layout
– Equipment submitted for tendering
– Detail design
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Design tasks
• Electical equipment
– High Voltage
• Single line diagram
• Transformer specifications
• Breakers specifications
• Protection system specifications
– Low voltage
• Distribution cubicles
• Cabling
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Design tasks
• Control system
– Control loops
– Control equipment
• Regulators
• PLC computers
– Remote monitoring
• SCADA system
• Civil engineering
• Architectural drawings
• Landscape design
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Design of a
well
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Geothermal wellsProblems in operation
• Scaling
• Corrosion
• Casing collapse
• Liner break
• Leaks
• Gas
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Two Phase Pipelines
• Avoid slug flow
– Incline two phase pipes down
– Calculate the dimension of condensate pipe
lines to ensure there is space for flash steam
• Keep them anchored
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Rankine Cycle
Boiler
Feedwater
pump
Condenser
Turbinel
Cooling
Condensate
Steam
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Svartsengi – Single Line Diagram
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Equipment design choices
• Separators: Vertical Cyclone or horizontal
gravity?
• Separators on each wellpad or two phase
flow pipeline to a central separator
station?
• Length of main steam pipe?
• Impulse or reaction steam turbine?
• Cooling tower or natural cooling-water?
• Vacuum pumps: Steam ejectors, water
ring pumps, or hybrid?
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Reykjanes Plant
separator
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Reykjanes Principles
• High separator and inlet pressure to reduce
scaling in separators– Steam wetness in low pressure stages is high, danger of erosion
• Double flow reaction turbines– Lower steam velocity reduces danger of erosion
• Seawater cooled condenser– Minumum steam and vapour plumes
• Remote monitoring and control – Lowers operation cost
• Environmentally benign power plant
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Design Principles for Reykjanes
• Independent system for each unit, one
separator, one moisture separator, one cooling
system.
• Easy maintenance
• Ample maintenance space in power station
• Remote operation
• Quality steam
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SCADA system screen: Wellheads, separator , steam and brine controls
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Silbersulfid-Kristalle auf
Chip-Widerstand
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Mynd af lofthreinsikerfi
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Reykjanes Power Station
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Reykjanes condenser
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Inside a
condenser
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Gas exhaust system: Steam
ejectors and intercondensers
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It was difficult to get quality gaskets
when asbestos had been banned
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Hydrogen sulphide can cause cracks in high manganese steel
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50 MW turbine, 80 kg/s, 18,0/0,1 bar
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Drops from silencers are bad for
glass and glossy car surfaces
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GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) piping must
be handled with care
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Svartsengi 6 cooling tower. Ice may be a problem.
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Remember
• Preserve exergy
• Avoid scaling
• Silica scaling starts at Tresevoir – 100°C
• Vertical separators can be over-/underloaded
• Direct contact condenser can cause sulfur
scaling in cooling tower and condensers
• Consult operating and maintenance staff
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Everything clear?