Geothermal Energy Flash Steam Power Plant

Figure 6 double flash geothermal power plant.

Geothermal energy flash steam power plant.

Geothermal power is power generated by geothermal energy technologies in use include dry steam power stations flash steam power stations and binary cycle power stations. In the geysers geothermal area dry steam from below ground is used directly in the steam turbines. Learn about the uses of geothermal energy and their history and about their economic and environmental pros and cons. In other areas of the state super hot water is flashed into steam within the power plant and that steam turns the turbine.

Flash steam plants take high pressure hot water from deep inside the earth and convert it to steam to drive generator turbines. Flash steam plants are the most common type of geothermal power generation plants in operation today. This produces a blast of steam. These types are the oldest types of geothermal power plants the first one was built back in 1904 in italy.

Flash steam power plant. Geothermal electricity generation is currently used in 26 countries while geothermal heating is in use in 70 countries. As of 2015 worldwide geothermal power capacity amounts to 12 8 gigawatts gw of which 28 percent or 3. All geothermal power plants use steam to turn large turbines which run electrical generators.

When it reaches the surface the pressure is reduced and as a result some of the water changes to steam. Dry steam plants use steam directly from a geothermal reservoir to turn generator turbines. Flash steam power plants are the most common form of geothermal power plant. This steam travels from the production well to the surface and through a turbine and after transferring its energy to the turbine it condenses and is injected back into the earth.

The hot water is pumped under great pressure to the surface. In addition a double flash system has extra piping and valves. Geothermal flash steam power plants flash steam power plants force water down into an injection well by a groundwater pump. The double flash steam plant is used in several locations in california in spite of the additional cost.

The well must be sunk deep enough to reach subterranean rocks at a temperature higher than the boiling point of water. Fluid at temperatures greater than 360 f 182 c is pumped under high pressure into a tank at the surface held at a much lower pressure causing some of the fluid to rapidly. The first geothermal power plant was built in 1904 in tuscany italy where natural steam erupted from the earth. Figure 6 shows a diagram of a double flash geothermal power plant.

Fluid at temperatures greater than 360 f 182 c is pumped under high pressure into a tank at the surface held at a much lower pressure causing some of the fluid to rapidly vaporize or flash.