Power plants – Utilizing natural heat – Geothermal
Patent
1978-03-22
1980-02-26
Ostrager, Allen M.
Power plants
Utilizing natural heat
Geothermal
166314, F03G 700
Patent
active
041899237
ABSTRACT:
There is disclosed a method for recovering energy from subterranean geothermal brines and increasing geothermal well production. The method comprises establishing a column of brine in a well casing having a tubing therein, open at its lower end to the column of brine and injecting a high pressure vapor such as nitrogen or steam into the bottom of the tubing in sufficient quantities to form a mixture of brine and vapor having a substantially lesser density than the surrounding column of brine whereby the hydrostatic head of the column of brine lifts the mixture to the surface. The mixture is withdrawn from the well and passed to a vapor-liquid separator where the vapor portion is separated without effecting any significant reduction in pressure of the produced mixture, whereby the pressure is maintained on the brine in the well at a sufficient value to prevent carbonate and scale formation. In the preferred embodiment, the separated vapor is divided into two portions, one portion goes to production and is used to produce energy or as a high temperature heat source. The other portion is repressured and injected into the well as the source of high pressure vapor used therein. The brine separated from the vapor is depressured and the evolved vapor is expanded to produce useful work in a plurality of states. In a preferred embodiment using steam, the vapor is separated by contact of the vapor with brine from a succeeding brine depressurization step, condensing that portion of the vapor intended for subsequent power generation.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4026111 (1977-05-01), Matthews
patent: 4059156 (1977-11-01), Berg
patent: 4060988 (1977-12-01), Arnold
patent: 4063417 (1977-12-01), Shields
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