Geothermal plant silica control apparatus and method

Patent · Tue May 19 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6196227

Bonham, Jr, E A

This patent describes a geothermal energy system which has a geothermal brine flow path comprising a production well providing a flow stream of high temperature, high dissolved silica content geothermal brine, a system for continuously flashing a portion of the geothermal brine stream into steam for power generating purposes while at the same time minimizing silica scaling from silica supersaturation of the brine caused by temperature reduction from the flashing. The system comprises: flash crystallizer means in the flow path within which the majority of the flashing of a portion of the geothermal brine stream into steam occurs for power generating purposes; and draft tube means located externally of the flash crystallizer means and having upper and lower end portion. The upper end portion has discharge conduit means opening into the flash crystallizer means above the liquid brine surface level therein. And the lower portion communicates with a lower end portion of the flash crystallizer means through return conduit means.

• Assignee: Magma Power Co., Los Angeles, CA
• Patent Number(s): US 4665705
• OSTI ID: 6196227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150802 -- Geothermal Power Plants-- Power Plant Systems & Components
150903* -- Geothermal Engineering-- Corrosion
Scaling & Materials Development
BRINES
CHALCOGENIDES
CIRCULATING SYSTEMS
CONTROL
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
CRYSTALLIZATION
DISSOLUTION
EVAPORATION
FLASHING
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
GEOTHERMAL FLUIDS
GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANTS
GEOTHERMAL WELLS
MINERALS
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POWER GENERATION
POWER PLANTS
PRECIPITATION
SATURATION
SCALE CONTROL
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SILICA
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
STEAM GENERATION
SUPERSATURATION
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TUBES
WELLS