Design features and equilibrium flash modeling of direct-contact binary-fluid heat exchangers for use with geothermal brines

Conference · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:6081461

Rapier, P M

Baseline and preliminary tests of a 500 kW pilot plant were conducted during 1980. The DCHX evaporator, which combines an equilibrium-flash boiler with a countercurrent preheater, met and exceeded the performance of its predecessors, the volumetric and surface type boilers, although only its essential features had been installed. Additional tests to be conducted during 1981 are designed to improve overall tower performance and to create modular designs for a 20-foot diameter column, thereby replacing the plurality of DCHX units otherwise required for commercial-size (>50 MWe) installations. For the preheater-boiler combination, the recommended criterion of performance is the classical steam distillation efficiency, E/sub v/, defined as the ratio of the partial pressure actually exerted by the hydrocarbon to its saturation pressure at the vapor exit temperature. As presently installed, the 500 kW DCHX unit typically generates a working-fluid vapor composed of 5 mole % water and 95% isobutane at 415 psia and 254.2/sup 0/F bubble point. E/sub v/ is 87.6%. However, with the additional improvements planned, 95% should be attainable.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6081461
• Report Number(s): LBL-12115; CONF-810880-1; ON: DE82001013
• Resource Relation: Conference: 20. ASME/AIChE national heat transfer conference, Knoxville, TN, USA, 2 Aug 1981
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
DIRECT CONTACT HEAT EXCHANGERS
DESIGN
GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANTS
BINARY-FLUID SYSTEMS
BOILERS
BRINES
EAST MESA GEOTHERMAL FIELD
GEOTHERMAL FLUIDS
HEAT TRANSFER
PERFORMANCE
PILOT PLANTS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUIDS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
Geothermal Legacy
150802* - Geothermal Power Plants- Power Plant Systems & Components