Method of and apparatus for producing power using steam

A power plant operating on geothermal fluid for producing electric power comprising:

• a) a separator for separating said geothermal fluid into geothermal steam and geothermal liquid;
• b) a plurality of integrated power plant unit modules each having a steam turbine responsive to said steam and producing heat depleted steam, a steam condenser associated with each steam turbine operating at a pressure no less than atmospheric pressure for collecting non-condensable gases and condensing said heat depleted steam and vaporizing organic fluid applied to said condenser, a closed organic Rankine cycle turbine operating on said organic fluid and a single electric generator driven by said steam turbine and said organic Rankine cycle turbine for producing electric power;
• and
• c) means for supplying in parallel said steam to each steam turbine in each of said modules;
• d) wherein each integrated power plant module further comprises a preheater for preheating said organic fluid
• e) wherein said geothermal liquid is applied to said preheater in each module for preheating said organic fluid.

An integrated power plant unit module for producing electric power comprising:

• a) a source of steam containing non-condensable gases;
• b) a steam turbine response to said steam for producing power and heat depleted steam;
• c) means for supplying said steam to said steam turbine;
• d) a steam condenser associated with said steam turbine for receiving said gases and said heat depleted steam;
• e) means for indirectly cooling said steam condenser with organic fluid;
• f) means for compressing said non-condensable gases received in said steam condenser;
• g) a closed organic Rankine cycle turbine operating on said organic fluid for producing power;
• and
• h) a single electric generator interposed between and driven individually by both said steam turbine and said organic Rankine cycle turbine for producing electric power.

A power plant comprising:

• a) a source of high pressure steam;
• b) a plurality of integrated power plant unit modules each having a steam turbine responsive to said high pressure steam for producing power and heat depleted steam at a lower pressure, a steam condenser associated with the steam turbine for condensing said heat depleted steam, a source of organic fluid, means for applying said organic fluid to said condenser for vaporizing said organic fluid, a closed organic Rankine cycle turbine operating on said vaporized organic fluid for producing power and producing heat depleted vaporized organic fluid, an organic fluid condenser for condensing said heat depleted organic fluid, means for returning the resultant condensate to said source of organic fluid, and electric generator means connected to said steam and said organic fluid turbine for producing electric power;
• and
• b) means for supplying said high pressure steam in parallel to each of said modules;
• c) wherein the generating means in each module is in the form of a single electric generator interposed between and driven by the steam and organic Rankine cycle turbines, and including selectively operable connecting means for selectively connecting said electric generator to the steam and organic Rankine cycle turbines.

A power plant comprising:

• a) a source of high pressure steam-based geothermal fluid and means for dividing the fluid into high pressure steam and brine;
• b) a plurality of integrated power plant unit modules each having a steam turbine responsive to said high pressure steam for producing power and heat depleted steam at a lower pressure, a steam condenser associated with the steam turbine for receiving said heat depleted steam, means for applying organic fluid to said condenser for condensing said heat depleted steam and vaporizing said organic fluid, a closed organic Rankine cycle turbine operating on said vaporized organic fluid for producing power and producing heat depleted vaporized organic fluid, an organic fluid condenser for condensing said heat depleted organic fluid, means for returning the resultant condensate to said steam condenser, and electric generator means connected to said steam and said organic fluid turbine for producing electric power;
• and
• b) means for supplying said high pressure steam in parallel to each of said modules;
• c) wherein said steam condenser is constructed and arranged such that it operates at a pressure no less than atmospheric pressure for collecting non-condensable gases;
• and
• d) compressor means for compressing non-condensable gases from each steam condenser of said modules and returning the compressed gases to an injection well.

A power plant comprising:

• a) a source of high pressure steam;
• b) a plurality of integrated power plant unit modules each having a steam turbine responsive to said high pressure steam for producing power and heat depleted steam at a lower pressure, a steam condenser associated with the steam turbine for condensing said heat depleted steam, a source of organic fluid, means for applying said organic fluid to said condenser for vaporizing said organic fluid, a closed organic Rankine cycle turbine operating on said vaporized organic fluid for producing power and producing heat depleted vaporized organic fluid, an organic fluid condenser for condensing said heat depleted organic fluid, means for returning the resultant condensate to said source of organic fluid, and a single electric generator connected to said steam turbine and said organic fluid turbine for producing electric power;
• and
• b) means for supplying said high pressure steam in parallel to each of said modules;
• c) including control means in each module comprising a monitor for monitoring the electric power level of said electric generator means, and for controlling the amount of steam supplied to said steam turbine in the module in accordance with the electric power level.

A power plant operating on geothermal fluid for producing electric power comprising:

• a) a separator for separating said geothermal fluid into geothermal steam containing non-condensable gases, and into geothermal liquid;
• b) at least one integrated power plant unit module having a steam turbine responsive to said steam and producing heat depleted steam, a steam condenser associated with said steam turbine operating at a pressure no less than atmospheric pressure for collecting non-condensable gases and condensing said heat depleted steam and vaporizing organic fluid applied to said condenser, a closed organic Rankine cycle turbine operating on said organic fluid, and a single electric generator driven by said steam turbine and said organic Rankine cycle turbine for producing electric power;
• and
• c) said at least one integrated power plant module further comprises a preheater for preheating said organic fluid before it is vaporized;
• and
• e) means for applying said geothermal liquid to said preheater for preheating said organic fluid.

An integrated power plant unit module for producing electric power comprising:

• a) a source of steam;
• b) a steam turbine responsive to said steam for producing power and heat depleted steam;
• c) means for supplying said steam to said steam turbine;
• d) a steam condenser associated with said steam turbine for receiving said heat depleted steam;
• e) means for indirectly cooling said steam condenser with organic fluid thereby producing vaporized organic fluid;
• f) a closed organic Rankine cycle turbine operating on said vaporized organic fluid for producing power;
• and
• g) a single electric generator interposed between and driven individually by both said steam turbine and said organic Rankine cycle turbine for producing electric power.

An integrated power plant unit module for use with a steam source that produces steam and non-condensable gases, said module comprising:

• a) a steam turbine responsive to said steam for producing power and heat depleted steam;
• b) a steam condenser responsive to said heat depleted steam for condensing the same and collecting said non-condensable gases;
• c) a source of organic fluid;
• d) means for indirectly contacting heat depleted steam in said condenser with organic fluid from said source thereof for vaporizing said organic fluid and condensing said heat depleted steam;
• e) an organic vapor turbine responsive to vaporized organic fluid for producing power and heat depleted organic fluid;
• f) a condenser for condensing said heat depleted organic fluid into a liquid condensate;
• g) means for returning said condensate to said source of organic fluid;
• and
• h) a single electric generator interposed between and driven by said steam turbine and said organic vapor turbine for producing power.

A method for producing power from geothermal fluid containing non-condensable gases produced by a geothermal production well, and inhibiting release of non-condensable gases into the atmosphere, said method including the steps of:

• a) separating said geothermal fluid into geothermal vapor containing steam and non-condensable gases, and geothermal brine;
• b) supplying said geothermal vapor to at least one power plant module that includes a steam turbine coupled to a generator, a steam condenser, an organic vapor turbine coupled to a generator, and an organic vapor condenser;
• c) expanding said geothermal vapor in said steam turbine for producing power and exhaust steam, and indirectly condensing said exhaust steam in said steam condenser using an organic fluid for producing steam condensate and organic fluid vapor;
• d) extracting non-condensable gases from the steam condenser, and compressing said non-condensable gases for producing compressed non-condensable gases;
• e) expanding said organic fluid vapor in said organic vapor turbine for producing power and exhaust organic vapor, and indirectly condensing said exhaust organic vapor in said organic condenser for producing organic fluid condensate which is supplied to said steam condenser;
• f) extracting additional heat from said geothermal fluid without flashing the fluid, and using the additional extracted heat for useful purposes;
• and
• g) injecting the compressed non-condensable gases into a re-injection well.

Apparatus for producing power from geothermal fluid containing non-condensable gases produced by a geothermal production well, and inhibiting release of said non-condensable gases into the atmosphere, said apparatus comprising:

• a) a separator for separating said geothermal fluid into geothermal vapor containing steam and non-condensable gases, and geothermal brine;
• b) a plurality of power plant module each of which includes a steam turbine coupled to a generator, a steam condenser containing an organic fluid, an organic vapor turbine coupled to a generator, and an organic vapor condenser;
• c) means for supplying said geothermal vapor, in parallel, to the steam turbines of said modules whereby said geothermal vapor expands in said steam turbines for producing power and exhaust steam;
• d) means in each of said modules for supplying exhaust steam produced by the steam turbine in the module to the steam condenser in the module thereby producing steam condensate and organic fluid vapor;
• e) means in each of said modules for supplying organic fluid vapor produced by the steam condensate in a module to the organic vapor turbine in the module whereby said organic vapor expands in the organic vapor turbine for producing power and exhaust organic vapor;
• and
• e) means in each of said modules for supplying exhaust organic vapor produced by the organic vapor turbine in a module to the organic vapor condenser in the module thereby producing organic fluid condensate, and means for supplying said organic fluid condensate in the module to the steam condenser in the module.

An integrated power plant unit module for producing electric power from a source of geothermal fluid that produces steam containing non-condensable gases and brine, said power plant comprising:

• a) a steam turbine operating on steam from said source for producing power and heat depleted steam;
• b) a steam condenser for receiving said heat depleted steam;
• c) means for indirectly cooling said steam condenser with liquid organic fluid thereby producing vaporized organic fluid and steam condensate;
• d) a closed organic Rankine cycle turbine operating on said vaporized organic fluid for producing power and heat depleted organic vapor;
• e) an organic fluid condenser for condensing said heat depleted organic vapor into liquid organic fluid;
• f) means for returning said organic liquid to said steam condenser;
• g) means driven by the steam and organic vapor turbines for producing electric power;
• h) a preheater for preheating said organic liquid before it is supplied to said steam condenser;
• and
• i) means for supplying said preheater with geothermal fluid from said source.

A power plant comprising:

• a) a source of high pressure steam;
• b) a plurality of integrated power plant unit modules each having a steam turbine responsive to said high pressure steam for producing power and heat depleted steam at a lower pressure, a steam condenser containing an organic fluid for condensing said heat depleted steam, and for vaporizing said organic fluid, a closed organic Rankine cycle turbine for receiving said vaporized organic fluid and producing power and heat depleted vaporized organic fluid, an organic fluid condenser for condensing said heat depleted organic fluid into a liquid, means for returning the resultant said liquid to said steam condenser, an electric generator connected to said steam turbine and said organic fluid turbine for producing electric power, and a control valve for controlling the flow of steam to said steam turbine;
• c) means for supplying steam from said source of high pressure steam in parallel to the control valve of each module;
• and
• d) control means for controlling the operation of the control valves of said modules such that, under any electrical load on the power plant, the control valve of only one module is adjustable, and the control valves of the other modules are either fully open or fully closed.