Production of sulfuric acid using thermo-acidophilic microorganisms for use in scale prevention
Silica scale deposition often causes serious problems in geothermal power stations. It has already been known that silica scale deposition is prevented by keeping the pH of the brine acidic. On the other hand, several countries make regulation for mitigation of H{sub 2}S emission from geothermal power stations. From these backgrounds, the H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} production process using the H{sub 2}S in the gas exhausted from geothermal power station are proposed. Therefore, applicability of the thermo-acidophilic bacteria (Sulfolobus sp. Strain 7) for the H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} production process for scale prevention are investigated. From the bench scale and pilot scale experiment results, it is confirmed that bioreactor, in which Sulfolobus sp. Strain 7 are cultured, can produce the acidic solution containing the H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} continuously and the H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} production rate of the bioreactor is 0.06 kg/m{sup 3}/h. In the case of the application for Otake geothermal power station that discharges 350 in 3/h of the total waste geothermal brine and 290 Nm{sup 3}/h of the total exhausted gas, it is clarified to be needed the 36 m{sup 3} of the bioreactor and the 146 m{sup 3}/h of the exhausted gas to be keeping the pH of the waste brine acidic.
- OSTI ID:
- 602630
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-971048-; TRN: 98:001318-0009
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) annual meeting, San Francisco, CA (United States), 12 Oct 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Meeting the challenge of increased competition; PB: 665 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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