Economic evaluation of four types of dry/wet cooling applied to the 5-MWe Raft River geothermal power plant
A cost study is described which compared the economics of four dry/wet cooling systems to use at the existing Raft River Geothermal Plant. The results apply only at this site and should not be generalized without due consideration of the complete geothermal cycle. These systems are: the Binary Cooling Tower, evaporative condenser, Combin-aire, and a metal fin-tube dry cooling tower with deluge augmentation. The systems were evaluated using cooled, treated geothermal fluid instead of ground or surface water in the cooling loops. All comparisons were performed on the basis of a common plant site - the Raft River 5 MWe geothermal plant in Idaho. The Binary Cooling Tower and the Combin-aire cooling system were designed assuming the use of the isobutane/water surface condenser currently installed at the Raft River Plant. The other two systems had the isobutane ducted to the evaporative condensers. Capital credit was not given to the system employing the direct condensing process. The cost of the systems were estimated from designs provided by the vendors. The levelized energy cost range for each cooling system is listed below. The levelized energy cost reflects the incremental cost of the cooling system for the life of the plant. The estimates are presented in 1981 dollars.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 5086479
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-4053; ON: DE82020409
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANTS
COOLING SYSTEMS
COOLING TOWERS
2-METHYLPROPANE
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
EVAPORATORS
FINS
RAFT RIVER VALLEY
TUBES
VAPOR CONDENSERS
ALKANES
CONDENSERS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FEDERAL REGION X
HYDROCARBONS
IDAHO
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TOWERS
USA
Geothermal Legacy
150802* - Geothermal Power Plants- Power Plant Systems & Components