Wellhead power production with a rotary-separator turbine

Journal Article · Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984 · Geotherm. Energy Mag.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5819431

Cerini, D J; Record, J

The production of electrical power with a geothermal wellhead power plant utiilizing the Biphase Energy Systems rotary-separator turbine is described. Tests are described with a full-scale system operating on a geothermal resource in south western Utah. The tasks were sponsored by the Utah Power and Light Company and the Electric Power Research Institute. Tests demonstrated the production of powers up to 1 MW. The power was supplied to the UP and L utility grid. The rotary-separator turbine steam-output of flow represents an additional power production capability of 4.72 MW. This is a total output of 5.72 MW, which is 17% greater than the output from an optimized single-stage flash-steam plant. A complete wellhead power-plant design was prepared, defining a system with a 10 MW output. the RST wellhead power plant is designed as a modular system, to minimize field-construction activities. The wellhead power-plant design offers revenue production within two years, compared to three to five years for conventional central plants. A geothermal rotary-separator turbine was designed and operated on a geothermal resource as a wellhead powerplant. It was the first operation of a RST wellhead system producing commercial power from a liquid-dominated resource. Power production above one megawatt was demonstrated. The tests demonstrated reliable operation for 600 hours, with a 20 percent power addition to the output of a singlestage flash-steam system. These favorable results and greater performance advantages calculated for a wellhead unit led to the design of a 10-megawatt wellhead power plant incorporating the rotary-separator turbine.

• OSTI ID: 5819431
• Journal Information: Geotherm. Energy Mag.; (United States), Vol. 12:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANTS
ROTARY SEPARATOR TURBINES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
GEOTHERMAL WELLS
HOT-WATER SYSTEMS
POWER GENERATION
POWER RANGE 1-10 MW
WELLHEADS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEMS
MACHINERY
POWER PLANTS
TESTING
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
WELLS
150802* - Geothermal Power Plants- Power Plant Systems & Components