Geothermal plant cleaning system

Claim 2

In a system for utilizing the heat obtainable from a source of geothermal hot water of the type including at least one heat exchanger having internal walls through which heat is transmitted from geothermal hot water to another fluid as said geothermal hot water and said other fluid flow through said heat exchanger, the improved means for removing mineral material deposited from said geothermal hot water on surfaces of said internal walls comprising means for heating a body of water of lower mineral content than the geothermal hot water to a temperature at least equal to the temperature of the geothermal hot water flowing through said heat exchanger, said heating means including heat exchange means for passing the substantially mineral-free water in heat exchange relationship with geothermal hot water, and valve and conduit means for replacing the geothermal hot water flowing through said heat exchanger with heated water from said heating means whereby said heated water dissolves mineral material from said surfaces of said internal walls.

Claim 3

A system as in claim 1 wherein said heat exchange means is connected to receive geothermal hot water from said heat exchanger in which heat is transferred to the other fluid.

Claim 4

In a method for utilizing the heat obtainable from a source of geothermal hot water in a system which comprises at least one heat exchanger, an improved method for cleaning mineral deposits from the surface of an internal wall in the heat exchanger through which wall heat is transferred from a stream of geothermal hot water in contact with said surface to a stream of another fluid, said method comprising: heating a supply of water of loWer mineral content than said geothermal hot water from a relatively low temperature to a temperature at least equal to the geothermal hot water flowing through the heat exchanger by passing the low-mineral content water in heat exchange relationship with geothermal hot water; and dissolving said mineral deposits by replacing the stream of geothermal hot water in the heat exchanger with a stream of the heated low-mineral content water.

Claim 5

In a method for utilizing the heat obtainable from a source of geothermal hot water in a system which comprises at least one heat exchanger, an improved method for cleaning mineral deposits from the surface of an internal wall in the heat exchanger through which wall heat is transferred from a stream of geothermal hot water in contact with said surface to a stream of another fluid, said method comprising: heating a supply of water of loWer mineral content than said geothermal hot water from a relatively low temperature to a temperature at least equal to the geothermal hot water flowing through the heat exchanger by passing the low-mineral content water in heat exchange relationship with geothermal hot water; and dissolving said mineral deposits by replacing the stream of geothermal hot water in the heat exchanger with a stream of the heated low-mineral content water.

Claim 6

A method as in claim 3 wherein the geothermal hot water passing in heat exchange relationship with the low mineral content water has previously passed through said heat exchanger to heat the other fluid.

Claim 7

In a geothermal power plant including a source of geothermal hot water, a power fluid, and heat exchanging means including internal walls through which heat is transferred from said geothermal hot water to said power fluid whereby said power fluid is vaporized, and means through which said vaporized power fluid is expanded to produce power, the improvement comprising a cleaning system including a source of relatively cold water, means for heating said cold water to a temperature nearly equal to or above said geothermal hot water temperature, said means including a heat exchanger in which said relatively cold water is heated by said geothermal hot water, means for removing said heat exchanging means from said geothermal power plant cycle, and means for passing said heated water into and through said heat exchanger when said heat exchanging means has been removed from said geothermal power plant cycle so that said heated water contacts those surfaces of said internal walls which were previously contacted by said geothermal hot water.

Claim 8

In a geothermal power plant including a source of geothermal hot water, a power fluid, and heat exchanging means including internal walls through which heat is transferred from said geothermal hot water to said power fluid whereby said power fluid is vaporized, and means through which said vaporized power fluid is expanded to produce power, the improvement comprising a cleaning system including a source of relatively cold water, means for heating said cold water to a temperature nearly equal to or above said geothermal hot water temperature, said means including a heat exchanger in which said relatively cold water is heated by said geothermal hot water, means for removing said heat exchanging means from said geothermal power plant cycle, and means for passing said heated water into and through said heat exchanger when said heat exchanging means has been removed from said geothermal power plant cycle so that said heated water contacts those surfaces of said internal walls which were previously contacted by said geothermal hot water.

Claim 9

In a geothermal power plant including a source of geothermal hot water, a power fluid, and heat exchanging means including internal walls through which heat is transferred from said geothermal hot water to said power fluid whereby said power fluid is vaporized, and means through which said vaporized power fluid is expanded to produce power, the improvement comprising a cleaning system including a source of relatively cold water, means for heating said cold water to a temperature nearly equal to or above said geothermal hot water temperature, means for removing said heat exchanging means from said geothermal power plant cycle, means for introducing said heated water into and through said heat exchanger when said heat exchanging means has been removed from said geothermal power plant cycle so that said heated water contacts those surfaces of said internal walls previously contacted by said geothermal hot water, and means for connecting the output of heated water from said tubes with the source of geothermal hot water.

Claim 10

In a geothermal power plant including a source of geothermal hot water, a power fluid, and heat exchanging means including internal walls through which heat is transferred from said geothermal hot water to said power fluid whereby said power fluid is vaporized, and means through which said vaporized power fluid is expanded to produce power, the improvement comprising a cleaning system including a source of relatively cold water, means for heating said cold water to a temperature nearly equal to or above said geothermal hot water temperature, means for removing said heat exchanging means from said geothermal power plant cycle, means for introducing said heated water into and through said heat exchanger when said heat exchanging means has been removed from said geothermal power plant cycle so that said heated water contacts those surfaces of said internal walls previously contacted by said geothermal hot water, and means for connecting the output of heated water from said tubes with the source of geothermal hot water.

Claim 15

In a system for utilizing the heat obtainable from a source of geothermal hot water of the type including at least one heat exchanger having internal walls through which heat is transmitted from geothermal hot water to another fluid as said geothermal hot water and said other fluid flow through said heat exchanger, the improved means for removing mineral material deposited from said geothermal hot water on surfaces of said internal walls comprising means for heating a body of water of lower mineral content than the geothermal hot water to a temperature at last equal to the temperature of the geothermal hot water flowing through said heat exchanger, valve and conduit means for replacing the geothermal hot water flowing through said heat exchanger with heated low-mineral content water from said heating means whereby said heated water dissolves mineral material from said surfaces of said internal walls, and means for flowing the output of heated low-mineral content water from said heat exchanger to the geothermal hot water flowing from the source to the system.

Claim 16

In a system for utilizing the heat obtainable from a source of geothermal hot water of the type including at least one heat exchanger having internal walls through which heat is transmitted from geothermal hot water to another fluid as said geothermal hot water and said other fluid flow through said heat exchanger, the improved means for removing mineral material deposited from said geothermal hot water on surfaces of said internal walls comprising means for heating a body of water of lower mineral content than the geothermal hot water to a temperature at last equal to the temperature of the geothermal hot water flowing through said heat exchanger, valve and conduit means for replacing the geothermal hot water flowing through said heat exchanger with heated low-mineral content water from said heating means whereby said heated water dissolves mineral material from said surfaces of said internal walls, and means for flowing the output of heated low-mineral content water from said heat exchanger to the geothermal hot water flowing from the source to the system.

Claim 17

In a method for utilizing the heat obtainable from a source of geothermal hot water in a system which comprises at least one heat exchanger, an improved method for cleaning mineral deposits from the surface of an internal wall in the heat exchanger through which wall heat is transferred from a stream of geothermal hot water in contact with said surface to a stream of another fluid, said method comprising: heating a supply of water of lower mineral content than said geothermal hot water from a relatively low temperature to a temperature at least equal to the geothermal hot water flowing through the heat exchanger; dissolving said mineral deposits by replacing the stream of geothermal hot water in the heat exchanger with a stream of the heated low mineral content water; and flowing the output of the heated low mineral content water from the heat exchanger to the stream of geothermal hot water prior to entry thereof into the system.

Claim 18

In a method for utilizing the heat obtainable from a source of geothermal hot water in a system which comprises at least one heat exchanger, an improved method for cleaning mineral deposits from the surface of an internal wall in the heat exchanger through which wall heat is transferred from a stream of geothermal hot water in contact with said surface to a stream of another fluid, said method comprising: heating a supply of water of lower mineral content than said geothermal hot water from a relatively low temperature to a temperature at least equal to the geothermal hot water flowing through the heat exchanger; dissolving said mineral deposits by replacing the stream of geothermal hot water in the heat exchanger with a stream of the heated low mineral content water; and flowing the output of the heated low mineral content water from the heat exchanger to the stream of geothermal hot water prior to entry thereof into the system.