Geothermal power plant steam entrainments removal system and method

Abstract

In a geothermal electric power generating plant of the type wherein a flow stream of hot geothermal brine is partially flashed to steam for turbine motive power, a system and method for removing entrained brine droplets and particulates from the flashed steam so as to protect turbine components from being fouled and damaged, and also to protect flash vessel demisters from being clogged and corroded. The hot geothermal brine is flashed to steam in flash crystallizer vessels, each of which receives the hot geothermal brine flow stream in its lower portion and has a baffle tray system in its upper portion through which the flashed steam passes. The baffle tray system provides a sinuous path for the flashed steam which produces a series of centripetal accelerations of the steam so as to centrifugally separate the entrained materials from the steam onto surface portions of the baffle tray system and wall portions of the upper portion of the flash crystallizer vessel. These separated entrained materials are flowed back down into the brine flow stream in the lower portion of the flash crystallizer vessel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.