US5671601A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Geothermal power plant operating on high pressure geothermal fluid
Assignee: Ormat Technologies Inc
•
Filing: 1994-10-27
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Granted: 1997-09-30
•
Expires: 2014-10-27
Abstract
Abstract Power is produced from high presser geothermal fluid by separating the fluid into high pressure steam and high pressure brine, expanding the high pressure steam in a high pressure turbogenerator for producing power and heat depleted steam, and separating liquid from the heat depleted steam thereby producing dried heat depleted steam at a pressure and temperature lower than the pressure and temperature of the high pressure steam. The liquid so separated, and the high pressure brine are combined in a flash chamber which produces steam which is combined with the dried heat depleted steam and expanded in a lower pressure turbogenerator for producing additional power. Optionally, some of the high pressure steam is used to reheat the dried heat depleted steam and the steam produced by the flash chamber before such steam is expanded in the lower pressure turbogenerator.
Inventors
- 👤 Lucien Y. Bronicki
- 👤 Gilbert Riollet
- 👤 Nadav Amir
- 👤 Moshe Grassianni
- 👤 Asher Elovic
- 👤 Yoel Gilon
- 👤 Alex Moritz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 03:48
CPC Classifications
F; F24; F24T; F24T10/00; F24T10/20; F03; F03G; F03G4/00; F03G4/074; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/10; Y02P; Y02P80/00; Y02P80/10; Y02P80/15
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
A method for producing power from geothermal fluid comprising the steps of: (a) producing steam using said geothermal fluid; (b) providing a high pressure steam turbine for producing power from steam produced from said geothermal fluid; (c) separating moisture from heat depleted steam exiting said steam turbine for producing dried heat depleted steam and liquid; (d) draining said liquid into a chamber for collecting said liquid; (e) supplying further liquid to said chamber, the temperature of the further liquid being higher than the temperature of liquid draining into said chamber; and (f) flashing liquid in said chamber for producing steam and supplying it together with said dried heat depleted steam to the inlet of a further steam turbine for producing power and further heat depleted steam.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
126 words
A method for producing power from geothermal fluid comprising the steps of: (a) producing steam using said geothermal fluid; (b) providing a high pressure steam turbine for producing power from steam produced from said geothermal fluid; (c) separating moisture from heat depleted steam exiting said steam turbine for producing dried heat depleted steam and liquid; (d) draining said liquid into a chamber for collecting said liquid; (e) supplying further liquid to said chamber, the temperature of the further liquid being higher than the temperature of liquid draining into said chamber; and (f) flashing liquid in said chamber for producing steam and supplying it together with said dried heat depleted steam to the inlet of a further steam turbine for producing power and further heat depleted steam.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of reheating said steam produced by flashing said liquid in said chamber before the reheated steam is applied to said further turbine.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of separating moisture from said further heat depleted steam for drying said further heat depleted steam, and supplying the dried further heat depleted steam to an additional steam turbine.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
A method according to claim 3 further comprising the steps of draining moisture separated from said further heat depleted steam into a further chamber supplied with liquid from said chamber for producing further liquid and flashing said further liquid for producing further steam which is supplied together with the dried further heat depleted steam to said additional steam turbine.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 4 further comprising the step of supplying said further liquid from said further chamber to a still further chamber for flashing it and producing still further steam which is supplied to an intermediate stage of said additional steam turbine.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of producing steam using said geothermal fluid is carried out by separating steam from said geothermal fluid.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of producing steam using said geothermal fluid is carried out by using heat contained in said geothermal fluid for vaporizing water to produce said steam and heat depleted geothermal liquid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 7 further comprising the step of preheating said water with said heat depleted geothermal liquid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
112 words
Apparatus for producing power from high pressure geothermal fluid comprising: (a) means for producing steam using said geothermal fluid; (b) a primary steam turbine for producing power from steam produced from said geothermal fluid; (c) a moisture separator for separating moisture from heat depleted steam exiting said primary steam turbine and producing dried heat depleted steam and liquid; (d) a chamber that collects liquid produced in said moisture separator and flashes liquid in said chamber to produce steam; and (e) means for supplying said steam produced in said chamber together with said dried heat depleted steam to the inlet of a further steam turbine for producing power and further heat depleted steam.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
112 words
Apparatus for producing power from high pressure geothermal fluid comprising: (a) means for producing steam using said geothermal fluid; (b) a primary steam turbine for producing power from steam produced from said geothermal fluid; (c) a moisture separator for separating moisture from heat depleted steam exiting said primary steam turbine and producing dried heat depleted steam and liquid; (d) a chamber that collects liquid produced in said moisture separator and flashes liquid in said chamber to produce steam; and (e) means for supplying said steam produced in said chamber together with said dried heat depleted steam to the inlet of a further steam turbine for producing power and further heat depleted steam.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising a reheater interposed between said means for supplying said steam and said further steam turbine for reheating said steam produced by flashing said liquid.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising a further moisture separator for separating moisture from said further heat depleted steam to produce dried further heat depleted steam and separated liquid, and means for supplying said further heat depleted steam to an additional steam turbine.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising a further chamber supplied with liquid from said chamber and for collecting said separated liquid draining from said further moisture separator and producing further liquid and for flashing said further liquid to producing further steam which is supplied together with dried further heat depleted steam to said additional steam turbine.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus according to claim 12 further comprising a still further chamber for receiving said further liquid from said further chamber and for flashing it and producing still further steam which is supplied to an intermediate stage of said additional steam turbine.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said means for producing steam using said geothermal fluid includes a separator for separating steam from said geothermal fluid.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
12 words
Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said separator further produces geothermal liquid.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said geothermal liquid is supplied to said chamber.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said means for producing steam using said geothermal fluid includes a vaporizer for extracting heat contained in said geothermal fluid and vaporizing water to produce said steam and heat depleted geothermal liquid.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus according to claim 17 further comprising a preheater for preheating said water with said heat depleted geothermal liquid.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the flow rate of water in said preheater is comparable to the flow rate of said heat depleted geothermal liquid in said preheater.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 18 further comprising a control valve for controlling the flow rate of water in said preheater.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said geothermal fluid contains non condensable gases.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus according to claim 21 further comprising the step of injecting said heat depleted geothermal fluid including said non condensable gases into a reinjection well.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus according to claim 9 including means for heating the liquid in said chamber which is collected from said moisture separator.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said means for heating the liquid includes supply means for supplying further liquid to said chamber, the temperature of said further liquid being higher than the temperature of liquid produced in said moisture separator.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
110 words
A method for producing power from high pressure geothermal fluid comprising: a) producing high pressure steam using said geothermal fluid; b) expanding the high pressure steam in a high pressure turbogenerator for producing power and heat depleted steam; c) separating liquid from the heat depleted steam thereby producing dried heat depleted steam at a pressure and temperature lower than the pressure and temperature of the high pressure steam; d) combining the liquid so separated with heated water to form a mixture; e) flashing the mixture for producing flashed steam; and f) expanding said flashed steam and said dried heat depleted steam in a lower pressure turbogenerator for producing additional power.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
110 words
A method for producing power from high pressure geothermal fluid comprising: a) producing high pressure steam using said geothermal fluid; b) expanding the high pressure steam in a high pressure turbogenerator for producing power and heat depleted steam; c) separating liquid from the heat depleted steam thereby producing dried heat depleted steam at a pressure and temperature lower than the pressure and temperature of the high pressure steam; d) combining the liquid so separated with heated water to form a mixture; e) flashing the mixture for producing flashed steam; and f) expanding said flashed steam and said dried heat depleted steam in a lower pressure turbogenerator for producing additional power.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 25 wherein some of the high pressure steam is used to reheat the dried heat depleted steam and the flashed steam before expansion in the lower pressure turbogenerator.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim 25 wherein said high pressure steam is produced by separating the high pressure geothermal fluid into high pressure steam and high pressure brine, and wherein said heated water is part of said high pressure brine.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 25 wherein said high pressure steam is produced by indirectly contacting water with said high pressure geothermal fluid.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
74 words
Apparatus for producing power from pressure geothermal fluid comprising: (a) means for producing steam using said geothermal fluid; (b) a steam turbine responsive to said steam for producing power and wet, expanded steam; (c) a separator for separating said wet, expanded steam into dry expanded steam and separated water; (d) means for applying said dry expanded steam to a further steam turbine; and (e) means for converting heat in said separated water into power.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
74 words
Apparatus for producing power from pressure geothermal fluid comprising: (a) means for producing steam using said geothermal fluid; (b) a steam turbine responsive to said steam for producing power and wet, expanded steam; (c) a separator for separating said wet, expanded steam into dry expanded steam and separated water; (d) means for applying said dry expanded steam to a further steam turbine; and (e) means for converting heat in said separated water into power.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
58 words
A method for producing power from geothermal fluid comprising: a) producing steam using said geothermal fluid; b) expanding said steam in a turbogenerator for producing power and heat depleted steam; c) adding heat to said heat depleted steam to form heated, heat depleted steam; and d) expanding said heated heat depleted steam in a turbogenerator for producing power.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
58 words
A method for producing power from geothermal fluid comprising: a) producing steam using said geothermal fluid; b) expanding said steam in a turbogenerator for producing power and heat depleted steam; c) adding heat to said heat depleted steam to form heated, heat depleted steam; and d) expanding said heated heat depleted steam in a turbogenerator for producing power.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 30 wherein said steam is derived by separating said geothermal fluid into a vapor and a liquid component.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 30 wherein said steam is derived by indirectly heating water with said geothermal fluid.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
68 words
A method for producing power from geothermal fluid comprising the steps: (a) producing steam using said geothermal fluid; (b) applying said steam to a steam turbine for producing power and heat depleted steam; (c) reheating said heat depleted steam for producing reheated heat depleted steam; (d) supplying said reheated heat depleted steam to the inlet of a further steam turbine for producing power and further heat depleted steam.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
68 words
A method for producing power from geothermal fluid comprising the steps: (a) producing steam using said geothermal fluid; (b) applying said steam to a steam turbine for producing power and heat depleted steam; (c) reheating said heat depleted steam for producing reheated heat depleted steam; (d) supplying said reheated heat depleted steam to the inlet of a further steam turbine for producing power and further heat depleted steam.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 33 wherein the step of producing steam is effected by separating said geothermal fluid into steam and brine.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 34 wherein the step of reheating the heat depleted steam is effected using steam separated from said geothermal fluid.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 33 wherein the step of producing steam is effected by using heat contained in said geothermal fluid for vaporizing water and producing cooled geothermal fluid.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 36 wherein the step of reheating the heat depleted steam is effected using steam said cooled geothermal fluid.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-09-29 | 2001-03-31 | 2001-09-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-09-29 | 2005-03-31 | 2005-09-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-09-29 | 2009-03-31 | 2009-09-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |