Flowing geothermal wells and heat recovery systems

A process causing a geothermal well to flow, comprising:

• injecting a primary fluid into a geothermal well;
• controlling the level of injection and the rate of injection of primary fluid by a plurality of control valves in a casing of the geothermal well;
• flowing the geothermal fluid mixture from said well;
• separating said geothermal well flow into a gaseous and a liquid phase in a separator;
• said liquid phase comprising liquid primary fluid and geothermal water;
• expanding the gaseous phase in a power extraction gas expansion turbine;
• expanding said liquid phase through a turbine to produce additional power and partial vaporization of the liquid phase to remove primary liquid from the liquid phase;
• separating the gaseous phase from the liquid phase of the expanded turbine liquid in a secondary separator;
• said secondary separator gaseous phase entering a power extraction gas expansion turbine;
• condensing the gaseous phases of the primary fluid from said separator and said secondary separator after the power extraction step to produce a water phase and a condensed primary fluid;
• separating the water phase from the condensed primary fluid;
• causing the condensed primary fluid to flow through an exchanger to extract heat with the liquid phase of the secondary separator and injecting said primary fluid into the well casing;
• collecting the water condensate and utilizing said collected water condensate for cleaning the gaseous phases from the separator and secondary separator before said gaseous phases enter the power extraction gas expansion device.

Apparatus for producing useful energy for geothermal heat comprising:

• means for injecting primary fluid into a geothermal well casing;
• means for controlling the flow of said injected primary fluid;
• means for separating fluid from the geothermal well casing into gaseous and water phases at the outlet of said geothermal well;
• means for expanding the water phase through an expansion turbine;
• means for expanding the gaseous phase through an expansion turbine;
• means for producing useful work from said gaseous expansion;
• means for extracting heat from said geothermal water phase by heating said primary fluid prior to said injection of primary fluid into the geothermal well;
• means for condensing the expanded geothermal gaseous phase and separating the water condensate from the primary fluid condensate;
• means for disposing of the geothermal exhausted water phase and the excess water condensate.

Apparatus for the production of useful energy from geothermal heat comprising;

• means for injecting primary fluid into a geothermal well;
• means for controlling the flow of the primary fluid inside the well;
• means for separating the geothermal well fluid into a gaseous phase and a liquid phase at the outlet of said geothermal well;
• said gaseous phase comprising vaporized primary fluid and steam;
• means for expanding said liquid phase through a liquid expansion turbine to form secondary liquid and gaseous phases;
• means for separating said secondary phases into a secondary gaseous phase and a secondary liquid phase;
• means for expanding the said gaseous phase and said secondary gaseous phase to produce useful energy;
• means for condensing said expanded gases;
• means for separating primary fluid condensate from steam condensate;
• means for heating said primary fluid by cooling said secondary liquid phase and injecting said heated primary fluid into the well casing;
• means for utilizing said steam condensate to wash said gaseous phases before said gaseous phases are expanded;
• and
• means for disposing the exhausted liquid phase and excess steam condensate.

A method for lifting a geothermal fluid to the earth's surface comprising:

• injecting a primary fluid into a casing of a geothermal well, said primary fluid selected to stimulate the geothermal fluid to flow;
• separating the vapor portion from the liquid portion at the outlet of the geothermal well;
• expanding the vapor portion in a power extraction gas expansion device;
• expanding the liquid portion of the geothermal fluid in a power extraction liquid expansion device to create power and additional vapor;
• separating the additional vapor in a secondary separator;
• expanding the secondary separated vapor through a power extraction gas expansion device.