Analyses of mixed-hydrocarbon binary thermodynamic cycles for moderate-temperature geothermal resources
A number of binary geothermal cycles utilizing mixed hydrocarbon working fluids were analyzed with the overall objective of finding a working fluid which can produce low-cost electrical energy using a moderately-low temperature geothermal resource. Both boiling and supercritical shell-and-tube cycles were considered. The performance of a dual-boiling isobutane cycle supplied by a 280/sup 0/F hydrothermal resource (corresponding to the 5 MW pilot plant at the Raft River site in Idaho) was selected as a reference. To investigate the effect of resource temperature on the choice of working fluid, several analyses were conducted for a 360/sup 0/F hydrothermal resource, which is representative of the Heber resource in California. The hydrocarbon working fluids analyzed included methane, ethane, propane, isobutane, isopentane, hexane, heptane, and mixtures of those pure hydrocarbons. For comparison, two fluorocarbon refrigerants were also analyzed. These fluorocarbons, R-115 and R-22, were suggested as resulting in high values of net plant geofluid effectiveness (watt-hr/lbm geofluid) at the two resource temperatures chosen for the study. Preliminary estimates of relative heat exchanger size (product of overall heat transfer coefficient times heater surface area) were made for a number of the better performing cycles.
- Research Organization:
- EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-76ID01570
- OSTI ID:
- 6889398
- Report Number(s):
- EGG-PG-G-80-041
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BINARY-FLUID SYSTEMS
THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES
GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANTS
WORKING FLUIDS
PERFORMANCE
2-METHYLBUTANE
2-METHYLPROPANE
BINARY MIXTURES
ETHANE
EVALUATION
FREONS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEPTANE
HEXANE
HYDROCARBONS
METHANE
POWER
PROPANE
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TESTING
THEORETICAL DATA
ALKANES
DATA
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FLUIDS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
MIXTURES
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
Geothermal Legacy
150802* - Geothermal Power Plants- Power Plant Systems & Components