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US 4,050,517 AGranted
Geothermal energy well casing seal and method of installation
AssigneeSperry Rand Corporation
InventorHugh B. Matthews
Life of this patent
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AssigneeSperry Rand Corporation
InventorHugh B. Matthews
Estimating the term…
A geothermal energy transfer and utilization system makes use of thermal energy stored in hot solute-bearing well water to generate a thermal working fluid from an injected flow of clean fluid. The working fluid is then used for operating a turbine-driven pump near the well bottom for pumping the hot solute-bearing water in liquid state to the earth's surface, where it is used by transfer of its heat content to a closed-loop generator-turbine alternator combination for the beneficial generation of electrical power. The deep well pump system is supported within the well casing pipe from the earth's surface by a turbine exhaust conduit. In view of the effects of differential expansion on the relative lengths of the well casing pipe and the exhaust conduit, a novel flexible seal is provided between the suspended turbine-pump system and the well casing. Furthermore, an arrangement is provided for protecting elements of the flexible seal during initial lowering of the deep well pump and its associated seal system into the well and then for automatically deploying the seals in their operating condition at the well bottom.
In geothermal deep well pump apparatus of the kind including deep well pump means having input means for pumping a first fluid always in liquid state through well casing means in cooperative energy exchanging relation with respect to a second fluid for producing a working fluid:
The method of installing geothermal fluid pumping apparatus at an operating location within the casing of a geothermal well, said fluid pumping apparatus comprising turbine motor means, turbine working fluid conduit means extending from said turbine means to the earth's surface and supporting said turbine means, pump means driven by said turbine motor means, resilient seal means at the inlet of said pump means for normally contacting in sliding relation at the operating location of said fluid pumping apparatus the inner surface of said casing, including the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.