Geothermal energy control system and method
AssigneeSperry Rand Corporation
InventorHugh B. Matthews
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A geothermal energy transfer and utilization system makes use of thermal energy stored in hot solute-bearing well water to generate super-heated steam from an injected flow of clean water; the super-heated steam is then used for operating a turbine-driven pump at the well bottom for pumping the hot solute-bearing water at high pressure and in liquid state to the earth's surface, where it is used by transfer of its heat to a closed-loop boiler-turbine-alternator combination for the generation of electrical or other power. Residual concentrated solute-bearing water is pumped back into the earth. The clean cooled water is regenerated at the surface-located system and is returned to the deep well pumping system also for lubrication of a novel bearing arrangement supporting the turbine-driven pump system.
Claims4
In geothermal deep well pump apparatus of the kind including pump means for pumping a first fluid always in liquid state for flow in cooperative energy exchanging relation with respect to a second fluid:
- first, second, and third conduit means respectively for transmission of said first and second fluids and a third fluid and having first common wall means between said first and second conduit means and second common wall means between said second and third conduit means,
- said first and second common wall means being disposed one within the other in substantially vertical concentric relation,
- said first fluid being hotter than said second fluid and said second fluid being hotter than said third fluid, and
- deflector means within said second conduit means for urging said second fluid into effecient proximate thermal energy exchange relation with said first common wall means and away from said second common wall means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.