Process and system for recovery of working fluid for direct contact heat exchange
In the recovery of energy from geothermal brines and other water containing or hot water sources, such brine or hot water under pressure is introduced into direct heat exchange contact with a working fluid such as isobutane, the resulting hot isobutane is expanded in a turbine to produce work, the turbine discharge is condensed and returned to the heat exchanger and the cooled brine is withdrawn from the column. The present invention is directed to recovery of working fluid dissolved and/or entrained in the spent geothermal brine or water withdrawn from the direct contact heat exchanger, including the steps of settling the brine in a settling tank to recover some of the isobutane, flashing the remaining brine to flash off additional isobutane and steam stripping the spent brine to drive off further isobutane, the recovered isobutane in each of the steps being recycled to the direct contact heat exchanger.
- Assignee:
- Occidental Petroleum Corp
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4272960
- OSTI ID:
- 5979484
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
150600* -- Geothermal Energy-- Environmental Aspects
2-METHYLPROPANE
42 ENGINEERING
420400 -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
ALKANES
BRINES
DIRECT CONTACT HEAT EXCHANGERS
EXPANSION
FLUIDS
GEOTHERMAL FLUIDS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HOT WATER
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS RECOVERY
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WATER
WORKING FLUIDS