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Hybrid Cooling Systems for Low-Temperature Geothermal Power Production

Hybrid Cooling Systems for Low-Temperature Geothermal Power Production

Full Title: Geothermal Exploration Policy Mechanisms: Lessons for the United States from International Applications
Author(s): Andrea Ashwood and Desikan Bharathan
Publisher(s): National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Publication Date: March 1, 2011
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):

The overall objective of this investigation is to identify and evaluate methods by which the net power output of an air-cooled geothermal power plant can be enhanced during hot ambient conditions using minimal amounts of water.

Geothermal power plants that use air-cooled heat rejection systems experience a decrease in power production during hot periods of the day. This decrease in power output typically coincides with the time when utilities need power to address high air conditioning loads. Hybrid cooling options, which use both air and water, have been studied for this report to assess how they might mitigate the net power decrease.

Hybrid cooling options can be used in sites where some water is present for supplemental cooling, though not enough for a fully wet-cooled system. This report addresses binary power plants that use a hydrocarbon as the working fluid and utilize an air-cooled condenser (ACC) for heat load rejection. We considered two configurations to mitigate losses in power production: 1) evaporative pre-cooling of the ACC inlet air (without the use of any added heat exchanger) and 2) the use of a water-cooled condenser/heat exchanger in parallel or series with the ACC (or an air-cooled heat exchanger (ACHX)) to split the total condenser load.

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