Chapter 13

1. A vapor dominated geothermal systems is supplied with saturated steam at 2 MPa.

The steam enters the turbine at 0.3 MPa and exits at 15 kPa. The turbine isentropic
efficiency is 85 percent, and the electrical generator is 95 percent efficient. If
re-injection occurs to the cooling tower analyze the system performance (thermal
efficiency and heat.
The solution to this problem follows that of Example 13.1.

1
2
3
T
T

4s 4

ss

C := K kJ := 1000 J kWh := kW hr

Saturated steam at 2 MPa

kJ
h 1 := 2799.5 T.1 := 212.42 C
kg
Conditions at 0.3 MPa
3 kJ 2799.5 2761.0
h 3 := h 1 h 3 = 2.8 10 frac := frac = 0.368
kg 2865.6 2761.0
T3 := 150.0 C + frac ( 200 150.0 ) C T3 = 168.403 C
superheat := T3 133.55 C superheat = 34.853 C
kJ kJ kJ
s3 := 7.0778 + frac ( 7.3115 7.0778) s3 = 7.164
kg K kg K kg K
kJ
s4 := s3 s4 = 7.164
kg K
x := 0.5
Given
kJ kJ
s4 = 0.7549 + x 7.2536
kg K kg K
x := Find( x )

x = 0.884
kJ kJ
h 4s := 225.94 + x 2373.1
kg kg
3 kJ
h 4s = 2.323 10
kg
kJ BTU
Wideal := h 3 h 4s Wideal = 476.808 Wideal = 204.99
kg lb
c := 0.82 e := 0.9
kJ BTU
Wact := c Wideal Wact = 390.982 Wact = 168.092
kg lb
3 kJ
h 4 := h 3 Wact h 4 = 2.409 10
kg

kJ kJ
h 5 := 225.94 h 7 := 83.96 liquid at ambient temperature (20 C)
kg kg

e Wact
thermal := thermal = 0.13
h1 h7

3412 BTU 4 BTU

HeatRate := HeatRate = 2.633 10
thermal kWh kWh
2. A geothermal power plant is supplied with water at a well-bottom temperature of
260 C and a pressure of 10 MPa. The fluid flows into a flash separator maintained at
0.5 bar. The turbine exit pressure is 0.02 bar. The overall efficiency of the turbine is
0.83. Calculate the thermal efficiency, the heat rate, and the steam and water mass
flow rates required for an output of 5 MW.
The solution to this problem follows that of Example 13.2.

1
2

3f 3g
T 3
T

5,6 4s 4
7
s
s

C := K kJ := 1000 J kWh := kW hr := 0.83

Flash Separator:
kJ
hfwell := 1133.7
kg
Pfs := 50 kPa Pfs = 0.05 MPa

kJ kJ
hffs := 340.49 hfgfs := 2305.4
kg kg
x := 0.5
Given
hfwell = hffs + x hfgfs

x fs := Find( x )

x fs = 0.344
Turbine:
Inlet steam with a quality of 1.0
 kJ kJ
Pin := 50 kPa h in := 2645.9 sin := 7.5939 Pin = 0.5 bar
kg kg K

Outlet
kJ
Pout := 20 kPa Pout = 0.2 bar sout := 7.5939
kg K
kJ
kJ sfgout := 7.0765
sfout := 0.8320 kg K
kg K
kJ
kJ hfgout := 2358.3
hfout := 251.4 kg
kg
x := 0.5
Given
sin = sfout + x sfgout

x := Find( x )

x = 0.956
h out := hfout + x hfgout

3 kJ
h out = 2.505 10
kg
kJ
Wideal := h in h out Wideal = 141.043
kg

kJ
Wact := Wideal Wact = 117.066
kg

kJ
h amb := 83.91 liquid at ambient temperature (20 C)
kg
Wact
thermal := thermal = 0.112
hfwell h amb

wellbottom := x fs thermal wellbottom = 0.038

3412 BTU 4 BTU

HeatRate := HeatRate = 3.06 10
thermal kWh kWh

For a 5-MW facility

5 MW -1
mdotsteam := mdotsteam = 42.711 kg s
Wact
mdotsteam -1
mdotwater := mdotwater = 124.136 kg s
x fs
3. Consider a total-flow geothermal system using the same well bottom conditions as
in Exercise 2. The fluid enters the expander as a saturated liquid and is discharged
at 0.02 bar. The efficiency, e, of the total flow expander is 0.50. Determine the
thermal efficiency, the heat rate, and the flow rate for a 5-MW.

The solution to this problem follows that of Example 13.3.

2
T

4 3s 3

ss

C := K kJ := 1000 J kWh := kW hr := 0.50

kJ
hfwell := 1133.7
kg

State 2 (saturated liquid, 260 C):

P2 := 4.6921 MPa

kJ kJ kJ kJ
sf2 := 2.8846 sfg2 := 3.1168 hf2 := 1134.8 hfg2 := 1661.7
kg K kg K kg kg

At turbine exit:
P3 := 0.02 bar P3 = 2 kPa

kJ kJ kJ kJ
sf3 := 0.8320 sfg3 := 7.0753 hf3 := 251.43 hfg3 := 2357.6
kg K kg K kg kg

x := 0.5
 Given
sf2 = sf3 + x sfg3

x := Find( x )

x = 0.29
h out := hf3 + x hfg3

kJ
h out = 935.388
kg
kJ
Wideal := hf2 h out Wideal = 199.412
kg

kJ
Wact := Wideal Wact = 99.706
kg

kJ
h amb := 83.96 liquid at ambient temperature (20 C)
kg
Wact
thermal := thermal = 0.095
hfwell h amb

3412 BTU 4 BTU

HeatRate := HeatRate = 3.592 10
thermal kWh kWh

For a 5-MW facility

5 MW -1
mdot := mdot = 50.147 kg s
Wact