Well stimulation and systems for recovering geothermal heat

Patent · Tue Mar 21 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6875349

Sheinbaum, I

The flow from geothermal wells is stimulated by injecting a liquid at selected levels in the well with the liquid having a boiling point below the temperature of the geothermal fluid at the levels of injection at the operating pressure at the levels of injection. The geothermal fluid and vaporized injected fluid from the well are applied to a system for extracting the heat energy as well as for cleaning sand and other well depositions that may accumulate in the geothermal well. The system may include a direct contact heat exchanger having either a vertical chamber or a horizontal chamber. The contactor has a plurality of zones including a boiler zone, one or more separation zones, and at least one heat exchange zone. The contactor may also include a wash zone and a flash zone. In the wash zone there is advantageously included recirculation trays vertically spaced for washing the vapor to remove entrained substances, such as minerals dissolved in the fluid from the geothermal wells. The recirculation trays include a manway for ease of access and service. The vaporized fluids from the contactor are passed through a power extracting gas expansion device, with the composition of the vapor being controlled to maximize the power extractable by the gas expansion device.

• Assignee: TIC; EDB-78-089265; ERA-03-042591
• Patent Number(s): US 4079590
• OSTI ID: 6875349
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150904 -- Geothermal Engineering-- Geothermal Reservoir & Well Performance
150906* -- Geothermal Engineering-- Reservoir Stimulation & Extraction Technology
BRINES
CLEANING
DESIGN
EQUIPMENT
FLUID FLOW
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
GEOTHERMAL FLUIDS
GEOTHERMAL WELLS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT EXTRACTION
WASHING
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS
WORKING FLUIDS