Method of apparatus for disposing of non-condensable gases present in geo fluid

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1 wherein the contacting of the compressed gases with the pressurized liquid causes hydrogen sulfide to dissolve in the liquid.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 2 wherein the stream of pressurized gases substantially free of hydrogen sulfide is expanded for producing power.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 3 wherein said power is used in compressing said gaseous stream.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 2 including contacting the compressed gases and the pressurized liquid with chlorine.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 3 including contacting the compressed gases and the pressurized liquid with chlorine.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 2 including compressing substantially the entire gaseous stream.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 8 including chemically removing substantially all of the hydrogen sulfide from the stream of non-condensable gases.

Claim 12

A method according to claim 9 including stripping substantially all of the hydrogen sulfide from said stream of non-condensable gases to produce a stripped stream of gases, and compressing only said stripped stream.

Claim 13

A method according to claim 10 including venting the gases remaining after the hydrogen sulfide is stripped from the stream of non-condensables.

Claim 14

A method according to claim 1 wherein said gaseous stream comprises hydrogen sulfide, steam and at least one gas selected from the group consisting of ammonia, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen, including reducing the temperature of the gaseous stream to produce a stream of liquid comprising condensed steam within which a portion of the hydrogen sulfide and said at least one gas in said group are dissolved, and a reduced stream of gases having a reduced amount of hydrogen sulfide and said at least one gas in said group, and compressing only said reduced stream of gases.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 12 including directly disposing of said stream of liquid containing dissolved non-condensable gases in said re-injection well.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 14 wherein the step of extracting hydrogen sulfide from said gaseous stream includes compressing at least a part of said gaseous stream to form compressed gases, and contacting the compressed gases with the pressurized liquid for causing hydrogen sulfide in the compressed gases to dissolve in the liquid which forms an effluent.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 15 including expanding the remainder gases for producing power.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 16 wherein said power is used in compressing said gaseous stream.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 14 wherein the step of extracting hydrogen sulfide from said gas stream includes chemically treating said gaseous stream for producing said remainder gases and for producing stripped gases containing hydrogen sulfide, said method further including compressing said stripped gases, and combining said stripped gases with the pressurized geothermal liquid to form an effluent, and disposing of said effluent in a re-injection well.

Claim 22

A method according to claim 14 wherein said gaseous stream contains steam, and said method includes cooling said gaseous stream before the hydrogen sulfide is extracted for forming steam condensate in which portions of the non-condensable gases are dissolved, and for forming a reduced stream of gases, and combining the steam condensate with said spent geothermal liquid.

Claim 23

A method according to claim 19 including chemically treating said reduced stream of gases to produce said remainder gases, and to produce stripped gases containing hydrogen sulfide, compressing said stripped gases and combining said stripped gases with the pressurized geothermal liquid to form an effluent, and disposing of said effluent in a re-injection well.

Claim 24

A method according to claim 19 including compressing said reduced stream of gases, and directly contacting the compressed gases with the pressurized liquid for producing an effluent which contains hydrogen sulfide, and which is disposed of in said re-injection well, and for producing remainder gases substantially free of hydrogen sulfide.

Claim 25

A method according to claim 21 including expanding said remainder gases to produce power, and venting the expanded remainder gases to the atmosphere.

Claim 26

A method according to claim 22 including utilizing said power to compress said gaseous stream.

Claim 27

Apparatus for disposing of non-condensable gases that include hydrogen sulfide and which are present in geothermal fluid used in a geothermal power plant of the type that produces a gaseous stream that includes the non-condensable gases, and a stream of spent geothermal liquid, said apparatus comprising: a) a compressor for compressing at least a part of said gaseous stream to form a stream of compressed gases; b) means for pressurizing the spent geothermal liquid; c) means for contacting the stream of compressed gases with the pressurized liquid to produce a stream of pressurized gases substantially free of hydrogen sulfide, and to produce an effluent containing substantially all of the hydrogen sulfide dissolved therein; d) means for disposing of the effluent in a re-injection well; and e) means for releasing said stream of pressurized gases to the atmosphere.

Claim 28

Apparatus for disposing of non-condensable gases that include hydrogen sulfide and which are present in geothermal fluid used in a geothermal power plant of the type that produces a gaseous stream that includes the non-condensable gases, and a stream of spent geothermal liquid, said apparatus comprising: a) a compressor for compressing at least a part of said gaseous stream to form a stream of compressed gases; b) means for pressurizing the spent geothermal liquid; c) means for contacting the stream of compressed gases with the pressurized liquid to produce a stream of pressurized gases substantially free of hydrogen sulfide, and to produce an effluent containing substantially all of the hydrogen sulfide dissolved therein; d) means for disposing of the effluent in a re-injection well; and e) means for releasing said stream of pressurized gases to the atmosphere.

Claim 29

Apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said means for releasing said stream of pressurized gases includes an expander for expanding the stream of pressurized gases before they are released and producing power.

Claim 30

Apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said expander drives said compressor.

Claim 31

Apparatus according to claim 24 including means for adding chlorine to said column.

Claim 32

Apparatus according to claim 27 including an interconnector for interconnecting said compressor with said power plant, said interconnector being constructed and arranged so that substantially the entire stream of non-condensable gases is compressed by said compressor.

Claim 33

Apparatus according to claim 24 including an interconnector for interconnecting said compressor with said power plant, said interconnector being constructed and arranged so that less than the entire stream of non-condensable gases is compressed by said compressor.

Claim 34

Apparatus according to claim 29 wherein said interconnector includes an absorption/stripper device constructed and arranged to strip substantially all of the hydrogen sulfide from said stream of non-condensable gases to produce a stripped stream of gases, and means for applying only said stripped stream to said compressor.

Claim 35

Apparatus according to claim 30 wherein the means for contacting the compressed gases with the pressurized liquid to produce an effluent containing substantially all of the hydrogen sulfide dissolved therein, includes means for contacting the stripped stream of gases after they have been compressed with the pressurized liquid to produce a pressurized effluent containing substantially all of the hydrogen sulfide dissolved therein.

Claim 36

Apparatus according to claim 31 wherein the means for disposing of the effluent in a re-injection well includes means for disposing of the pressurized sulfur-rich effluent.

Claim 37

Apparatus for use with a source of geothermal fluid that includes non-condensable gases such as hydrogen sulfide and other gases, said apparatus comprising: a) a geothermal power plant including: a steam turbine for use with steam produced from said geothermal fluid for generating power and producing expanded steam; a heat exchanger responsive to said expanded steam for vaporizing an organic fluid in the heat exchanger and producing vaporized organic fluid, steam condensate, and non-condensable gases; an organic turbine responsive to the vaporized organic fluid for expanding the vaporized organic fluid and producing power and expanded vaporized organic fluid; and an organic fluid condenser for receiving said expanded vaporized organic fluid and condensing the same producing organic fluid condensate; a pre-heater heated by steam condensate; and means for returning the organic fluid condensate to the heat exchanger through said pre-heater; b) a pre-condenser that receives vapor, steam and said non-condensable gases from said heat exchanger and produces a condensate cooler than the steam condensate and which includes dissolved non-condensable gases and NH 4 HS, and a stream of non-condensable gases; c) a compressor for compressing said stream of non-condensable gases to form compressed gases; d) means for pressurizing said steam condensate; e) a column for contacting the compressed gases with the pressurized steam condensate to produce an effluent containing substantially all of the hydrogen sulfide dissolved therein; and f) means for disposing of the effluent in a re-injection well.

Claim 38

Apparatus for use with a source of geothermal fluid that includes non-condensable gases such as hydrogen sulfide and other gases, said apparatus comprising: a) a geothermal power plant including: a steam turbine for use with steam produced from said geothermal fluid for generating power and producing expanded steam; a heat exchanger responsive to said expanded steam for vaporizing an organic fluid in the heat exchanger and producing vaporized organic fluid, steam condensate, and non-condensable gases; an organic turbine responsive to the vaporized organic fluid for expanding the vaporized organic fluid and producing power and expanded vaporized organic fluid; and an organic fluid condenser for receiving said expanded vaporized organic fluid and condensing the same producing organic fluid condensate; a pre-heater heated by steam condensate; and means for returning the organic fluid condensate to the heat exchanger through said pre-heater; b) a pre-condenser that receives vapor, steam and said non-condensable gases from said heat exchanger and produces a condensate cooler than the steam condensate and which includes dissolved non-condensable gases and NH 4 HS, and a stream of non-condensable gases; c) a compressor for compressing said stream of non-condensable gases to form compressed gases; d) means for pressurizing said steam condensate; e) a column for contacting the compressed gases with the pressurized steam condensate to produce an effluent containing substantially all of the hydrogen sulfide dissolved therein; and f) means for disposing of the effluent in a re-injection well.

Claim 39

Apparatus according to claim 33 wherein said column produces a stream of pressurized gases substantially free of hydrogen sulfide, and said apparatus further includes an expander for expanding the stream of pressurized gases and producing power.

Claim 40

Apparatus according to claim 34 wherein said expander drives said compressor.

Claim 41

Apparatus according to claim 34 including means for adding chlorine to said column.

Claim 42

A method according to claim 1 wherein the spent geothermal liquid flows through a vertical distance before it is contacted by said compressed gases thus pressurizing the spent geothermal liquid without a pump.

Claim 43

Apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said means for pressurizing the spent geothermal liquid is a pump.

Claim 44

Apparatus for use with a geothermal plant that operates on geothermal fluid, and produces a gaseous stream comprising hydrogen sulfide and at least one gas selected from the group consisting of ammonia, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and steam, and a stream of spent geothermal liquid, said apparatus comprising: a) means for extracting hydrogen sulfide from said gaseous stream and producing a stream of remainder gases substantially free of hydrogen sulfide; b) means for venting said remainder gases to the atmosphere; c) means for pressurizing the spent geothermal liquid; and d) means for disposing of the pressurized spent geothermal liquid and extracted hydrogen sulfide in a re-injection well.

Claim 45

Apparatus for use with a geothermal plant that operates on geothermal fluid, and produces a gaseous stream comprising hydrogen sulfide and at least one gas selected from the group consisting of ammonia, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and steam, and a stream of spent geothermal liquid, said apparatus comprising: a) means for extracting hydrogen sulfide from said gaseous stream and producing a stream of remainder gases substantially free of hydrogen sulfide; b) means for venting said remainder gases to the atmosphere; c) means for pressurizing the spent geothermal liquid; and d) means for disposing of the pressurized spent geothermal liquid and extracted hydrogen sulfide in a re-injection well.

Claim 46

Apparatus according to claim 39 wherein said means for extracting includes: a) a cooler for cooling said gaseous stream to produce a stream of steam condensate within which a portion of the hydrogen sulfide and other gases in said group are dissolved, and to produce a reduced stream of gases having reduced amounts of hydrogen sulfide and other gases in said group; and b) means chemically removing substantially all of the hydrogen sulfide from said reduced stream of gases for producing said remainder gases substantially from of hydrogen sulfide, and stripped gases gases containing substantially all of the hydrogen sulfide in the gaseous stream.

Claim 47

Apparatus according to claim 40 including means for compressing said stripped gases, and means for combining the compressed stripped gases with the pressurized spent geothermal liquid.

Claim 48

Apparatus according to claim 39 wherein said means for extracting includes: a) a cooler for cooling said gaseous stream to produce a stream of steam condensate within which a portion of the hydrogen sulfide and other gases in said group are dissolved, and to produce a reduced stream of gases having reduced amounts of hydrogen sulfide and other gases in said group; b) means for compressing said reduced stream of gases; c) means directly contacting the compressed stream of gases with pressurized spent geothermal liquid for producing an effluent containing dissolved hydrogen sulfide, and said stream of remainder gases.