Methods for generating geothermal power in an organic Rankine cycle operation during hydrocarbon production based on working fluid temperature

A method for generating geothermal power in an organic Rankine cycle operation in the vicinity of a wellhead during hydrocarbon production to thereby supply electrical power to one or more of in-field operational equipment, a grid power structure, and an energy storage device, the method comprising:

• connecting one or more high-pressure heat exchangers to a wellhead fluid flow line of one or more wellheads at a well thereby defining a fluid path from the wellhead fluid flow line of one or more wellheads through the one or more high pressure heat exchangers;
• connecting one or more ORC units to the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers;
• opening one or more heat exchanger valves positioned between the one or more heat exchangers and wellhead fluid flow line of one or more wellheads, to allow continuous diversion of the flow of the one or more wellhead fluids during hydrocarbon production to the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers to facilitate transfer of heat from a flow of the one or more wellheads fluid from the one or more wellheads to a flow of a working fluid through the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers, thereby to change phases of the working fluid from a liquid to a vapor within the one or more heat exchangers so as to cause a gas expander, in fluid communication with the one or more heat exchangers, to rotate a generator to generate electrical power from the ORC operation;
• during hydrocarbon production at one or more of the one or more wellheads, determining, based on feedback from one or more temperature sensors corresponding to the flow of the working fluid exiting the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers to a corresponding ORC unit, a temperature of the flow of the working fluid;
• and
• in response to a determination that the temperature is above a vaporous phase change threshold of the working fluid, maintaining at least a partially opened position of the one or more heat exchanger valves.

A method for generating geothermal power in an organic Rankine cycle operation in the vicinity of a wellhead during hydrocarbon production to thereby supply electrical power to one or more of in-field operational equipment, a grid power structure, and an energy storage device, the method comprising:

• connecting one or more high-pressure heat exchangers to a wellhead fluid flow line of one or more wellheads at a well thereby defining a fluid path from the wellhead fluid flow line of one or more wellheads through the one or more high pressure heat exchangers;
• connecting one or more ORC units to the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers;
• opening one or more heat exchanger valves positioned between the one or more heat exchangers and wellhead fluid flow line of one or more wellheads, to allow continuous diversion of the flow of the one or more wellhead fluids during hydrocarbon production to the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers to facilitate transfer of heat from a flow of the one or more wellheads fluid from the one or more wellheads to a flow of working fluid through the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers, thereby to change phases of the working fluid from a liquid to a vapor within the one or more heat exchangers so as to cause a gas expander, in fluid communication with the one or more heat exchangers, to rotate a generator to generate electrical power from the ORC operation;
• during hydrocarbon production at one or more of the one or more wellheads, intermittently determining, based on feedback from one or more temperature sensors corresponding to the flow of working fluid exiting the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers to a corresponding ORC unit, a temperature of the flow of the working fluid;
• in response to a determination that the temperature is above a vaporous phase change threshold of the working fluid, maintaining at least a partially opened position of the one or more heat exchanger valves;
• and
• in response to a determination that a series of the intermittently determined temperatures of the flow of working fluid each is below a vaporous phase change threshold:
• opening a wellhead fluid valve positioned at a point on the wellhead fluid flow line to allow wellhead fluid to flow therethrough, and
• closing the one or more heat exchanger valves.

A method for generating geothermal power in an organic Rankine cycle operation in the vicinity of a wellhead during hydrocarbon production to thereby supply electrical power to one or more of in-field operational equipment, a grid power structure, and an energy storage device, the method comprising:

• connecting one or more high-pressure heat exchangers to a wellhead fluid flow line of one or more wellheads at a well thereby defining a fluid path from the wellhead fluid flow line of one or more wellheads through the one or more high pressure heat exchangers;
• connecting an ORC unit to the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers;
• opening one or more heat exchanger valves positioned between the one or more heat exchangers and wellhead fluid flow line of one or more wellheads, to allow continuous diversion of the flow of the one or more wellhead fluids during hydrocarbon production to the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers to facilitate transfer of heat from a flow of the one or more wellheads fluid from the one or more wellheads to a flow of working fluid through the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers,
• opening, to an at least partially open position, one or more ORC unit valves to allow the flow of working fluid to flow into the ORC unit to thereby generate electrical power from the ORC operation of the ORC unit;
• during hydrocarbon production at one or more of the one or more wellheads, intermittently determining, based on feedback from one or more temperature sensors corresponding to the flow of working fluid exiting the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers to the ORC unit, a temperature of the flow of the working fluid;
• determining an efficient working fluid flow for each of the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers based on the temperature of the flow of the working fluid from each of the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers and the open position of each of the one or more ORC unit valves;
• and
• adjusting the at least partially open position of the one or more ORC unit valves based on the efficient working fluid flow for each of the one or more high-pressure heat exchangers.