GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANT

Baugbog, Mark Dale J.

Romblon, Gabriel Adrian V.

Objectives:
Define geothermal power plant.

Describe the resources being used and other uses of geothermal power.
Explain the geothermal heat pump system and the direct production of
heat and electricity.
Define basic terminologies involving geothermal power plant.
Identify existing geothermal power plant in the Philippines and in other
countries.
Compare existing geothermal power plant in the Philippines and in other
countries.

Geothermal Power Plant

Geothermal Power Plant

Geothermal comes from two Greek words, geo means Earth and
thermal means heat.
Geothermal power is a form of renewable energy that taps into the heat
emanating from the earths core.
It is a facility that converts natural heat from the earths interior into usable
electricity.
The use of geothermal energy is based thermodynamically on the
temperature difference between mass of subsurface rock and water and a
mass of water or air at the earths surface.

This temperature difference allows production of thermal energy that can

be either used directly or converted to mechanical or electrical energy.

Geothermal Power Plant

Geothermal power sources are concentrated around what is called the
Ring of Fire where large hydrothermal resources called geothermal
reservoirs are located. You can see evidence of the earths geothermal
energy in a variety of natural phenomenon, such as:
Volcanoes

Fumaroles
Hot springs

Geysers

Geothermal Power Plant

Geothermal Power Plant

Heat naturally moves from hotter to cooler regions so Earths heat flow from
its interior towards the surface.
At great depth, temperatures become high enough to melt rock, forming
magma.
Because magma is less dense than surrounding rocks, it moves up toward
the earths crust and carries heat from below. Sometimes magma rises to
the surface through thin or fractured crust as lava.

However, most magma remains below earths crust and heats the
surrounding rocks and subterranean water. Some of this water comes all
the way up to the surface through faults and cracks in the earth as hot
springs and geysers.

Geothermal Power Plant

When this spring hot water and steam is trapped in permeable rocks under
a layer of impermeable rocks, it is called a geothermal reservoir.
These reservoirs are sources of geothermal energy that can potentially be
tapped for electricity generation or direct use. Here, the production well
withdraws heated geothermal fluid, and the injection well returns cooled
fluids to the reservoir.
Typically, geothermal wells are drilled to depths ranging from 200 to 1,500
meters depth for low- and medium-temperature systems, and from 700 to
3,000 meters depth for high temperature systems.

Geothermal Power Plant

Types of Geothermal Power Plant

Depending on the way the energy is generated:
1. Dry Steam Power Plant
2. Flash Steam Power Plant

3. Binary Steam Power Plant

Dry Steam Power Plant

It is the oldest type of geothermal
power plant. It was first used at
Lardarello, Italy in 1904.

Steam is produced directly from

the geothermal reservoir to run the
turbines that power the generator ,
and no separation is necessary
because wells only produce
steam.

Flash Power Plant

Geothermally heated water under
pressure is separated in a surface
vessel, called a steam separator,
into steam and hot water called
brine.
The steam is delivered to the
turbine, and the turbine powers a
generator. The liquid is injected
back into the reservoir.

Binary Power Plant

The
geothermal
water
heats
another liquid, such as isobutene or
other organic fluids such as
pentafluoropropane, which boils at
a lower temperature than water.
The two liquids are kept completely
separate through the use of a heat
exchanger, which transfers the heat
energy from the geothermal water
to the working fluid.

The secondary fluid expands into

gaseous vapor. The force of the
expanding vapor, like steam, turns
the turbines that power the
generators. All of the produced
geothermal water is injected back
into the reservoir.

Environmental Impacts
Land
Vegetation loss
Soil erosion
Landslides

Air
Slight air heating

Local fogging

Ground
Reservoir cooling
Seismicity (tremors)

Advantages
Geothermal energy is a renewable source of energy.

It is non-polluting and environment friendly. Flash and dry steam

power plants emit 1000x and 2000x less carbon dioxide than fossil
fuel plants, no nitrogen oxides and little SO2.
There is no wastage or generation of by-products.

Maintenance cost is very less.

Geothermal power plants dont occupy too much space and thus
help in protecting natural environment.
It is not dependent on the weather condition.
Geothermal power plants can be online 90-100% of the time. Coal
plants can only be online 75% of the time and nuclear power plants
can only be online 65% of the time.

Disadvantages
Only few sites have the potential of geothermal energy.

Most of the sites are far from markets or cities, where it needs to be
consumed.
There is always a danger of eruption of volcano.
Installation cost is very high.
There is no guarantee that the amount of energy which is produced
will justify the capital expenditure and operation costs.
It may release some harmful, poisonous gases that can escape
through the holes drilled during construction.

Terminologies
Geothermal Reservoir
- A subsurface region where the rocks contain
hot water and/or steam that can be withdrawn
using wells and put to practical use for direct
heating or for generating electricity

Terminologies
Steam Fields

Hot Water Fields

- Hot Water fields are geothermal aquifers that
contain reservoirs of water between 60 to 100
degrees Celsius
- Commonly utilized by binary power plants which
use the hot water to evaporate a substance
with low boiling point, which in turn spins a
turbine to produce electricity.

Terminologies
Steam Fields

Wet Steam Fields

- Contains pressurized water that is above boiling
point (100 degrees Celsius), so when the water is
pump to the surface, it becomes steam.
- Most used for commercial applications.

Terminologies
Steam Fields
Dry Steam Fields
- Similar to wet steam fields, except the water in
the geothermal reservoir is superheated to 400600 degrees Celsius
- After going through the process, there is still a
significant amount of heat left in the water,
allowing for further cycles and energy uses.

Terminologies
Production Well
- A geothermal production well produces fluid
heated by the natural heat of the earth.

Terminologies
Injection Well
- A device that places fluid deep underground
into porous rock formations.

Geothermal Power Plants in the

Philippines

Malaya Geothermal Power Plant

Located in Pilillia, Rizal

Has a capacity of 650 MW

Leyte Geothermal Production Field

Located in Ormoc City and
Kananga Municipality in West
Leyte

Has a capacity of over

700MW
Consists of 5 plants namely
Tongonan 1, Upper Mahiao,
Malitbog, Mahanagdong,
and Leyte Optimization
Worlds Largest Wet Steam
Field

Mak-Ban Geothermal Power Plant

Located in Calauan, Laguna

Has a capacity of 442.8MW

Owned by Aboitiz Power
Renewables Inc.

Geothermal Power Plants in other

countries

The Geysers
Located in Mayacamas
Mountains, 72 mi. north of San
Francisco, California
Contains a complex of 22
geothermal power plants
Has a capacity of 1517MW
Worlds Largest Dry Steam
Field

Cerro Prieto Geothermal Power Station

Located in Mexicali, Baja
California, Mexico
Has a capacity of 720MW

Consists of 5 plants namely

CP1, CP2, CP3, CP4, and CP5
Worlds largest geothermal
power station

END