Hybrid geothermal power plant
First Claim
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1. A hybrid geothermal power plant, comprising:
- a generator,a photovoltaic module for generating direct current electrical power,a direct current motor which is mechanically coupled to the generator and to which the photovoltaic module is electrically connected, all of the electrical power generated by the photovoltaic module being transmitted to said direct current motor to generate torque and to thereby generate alternating current electrical power by means of the generator,a geothermal unit for utilizing heat content of a geothermal fluid extracted from a production well to produce power, wherein the geothermal unit includes a geothermal fluid flow element for extracting the geothermal fluid at a variable flow rate, the geothermal unit comprising an Organic Rankine Cycle fluid circuit in which organic motive fluid is circulated, the Organic Rankine Cycle fluid circuit including a vaporizer for vaporizing the organic motive fluid heated by the extracted geothermal fluid, a turbine for expanding the organic motive fluid heated by the extracted geothermal fluid, a condenser for condensing the organic motive fluid that has been expanded in the turbine, and a cycle or feed pump for pressurizing the condensed organic motive fluid, anda controller configured to control the geothermal fluid flow element so that the geothermal fluid is extracted at a variable flowrate such that the geothermal fluid flow element extracts the geothermal fluid at a reduced flowrate when the direct current electrical power generated by the photovoltaic module is increased beyond a predetermined threshold,wherein the controller is also configured to decrease the flowrate of the organic motive fluid in said Organic Rankine Cycle fluid circuit upon detection that a level of the electrical power generated by the photovoltaic module is greater than a predetermined threshold.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a hybrid geothermal power plant, comprising a photovoltaic module for generating direct current electrical power, a geothermal unit for utilizing heat content of a geothermal fluid extracted from a production well to produce power, and a controller for coordinating operation of the photovoltaic module and the geothermal unit such that the power plant generates a substantially uniform electrical output.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A hybrid geothermal power plant, comprising:
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a generator, a photovoltaic module for generating direct current electrical power, a direct current motor which is mechanically coupled to the generator and to which the photovoltaic module is electrically connected, all of the electrical power generated by the photovoltaic module being transmitted to said direct current motor to generate torque and to thereby generate alternating current electrical power by means of the generator, a geothermal unit for utilizing heat content of a geothermal fluid extracted from a production well to produce power, wherein the geothermal unit includes a geothermal fluid flow element for extracting the geothermal fluid at a variable flow rate, the geothermal unit comprising an Organic Rankine Cycle fluid circuit in which organic motive fluid is circulated, the Organic Rankine Cycle fluid circuit including a vaporizer for vaporizing the organic motive fluid heated by the extracted geothermal fluid, a turbine for expanding the organic motive fluid heated by the extracted geothermal fluid, a condenser for condensing the organic motive fluid that has been expanded in the turbine, and a cycle or feed pump for pressurizing the condensed organic motive fluid, and a controller configured to control the geothermal fluid flow element so that the geothermal fluid is extracted at a variable flowrate such that the geothermal fluid flow element extracts the geothermal fluid at a reduced flowrate when the direct current electrical power generated by the photovoltaic module is increased beyond a predetermined threshold, wherein the controller is also configured to decrease the flowrate of the organic motive fluid in said Organic Rankine Cycle fluid circuit upon detection that a level of the electrical power generated by the photovoltaic module is greater than a predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An energy storage method in a hybrid geothermal power plant, comprising the steps of:
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generating mechanical power from a solar energy source comprising a photovoltaic module producing direct current electric power; using the generated mechanical power from the photovoltaic module to drive a generator; extracting geothermal energy in the form of geothermal fluid; detecting a level of the power generated from said photovoltaic module; supplying the extracted geothermal fluid to a vaporizer of an Organic Rankine Cycle fluid circuit in which an organic motive fluid is circulated, the Organic Rankine Cycle fluid circuit including the vaporizer, a turbine for expanding the organic motive fluid heated by the extracted geothermal fluid and generating mechanical power, a condenser for condensing the organic motive fluid that has been expanded in the turbine, and a cycle or feed pump for pressurizing the condensed organic motive fluid; using the generated mechanical power from the turbine to drive the generator; reducing a flowrate of geothermal fluid being extracted from a production well and decreasing the flowrate of the organic motive fluid in said fluid circuit, while increasing drawdown head of said geothermal fluid when said detected power level of the power from said photovoltaic module is greater than a predetermined threshold; and exploiting said increased drawdown head to generate power when said power level from said photovoltaic module decreases below said predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A hybrid geothermal power plant, comprising:
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a generator, a photovoltaic module for generating direct current electrical power, a direct current motor which is mechanically coupled to the generator and to which the photovoltaic module is electrically connected, all of the electrical power generated by the photovoltaic module being transmitted to said direct current motor to generate torque and to thereby generate alternating current electrical power by means of the generator, a geothermal unit for utilizing heat content of a geothermal fluid extracted from a production well to produce power, wherein the geothermal unit includes a geothermal fluid flow element for extracting the geothermal fluid at a variable flow rate, the geothermal unit comprising an Organic Rankine Cycle fluid circuit in which organic motive fluid is circulated, the Organic Rankine Cycle fluid circuit including a vaporizer for vaporizing the organic motive fluid heated by the extracted geothermal fluid, a turbine for expanding the organic motive fluid heated by the extracted geothermal fluid, a condenser for condensing the organic motive fluid that has been expanded in the turbine, and a cycle or feed pump for pressurizing the condensed organic motive fluid, control means for controlling the geothermal fluid flow element so that the geothermal fluid is extracted at a variable flowrate such that the geothermal fluid flow element extracts the geothermal fluid at a reduced flowrate when the direct current electrical power generated by the photovoltaic module is increased beyond a predetermined threshold, and said control means for further controlling the cycle or feed pump to decrease the flowrate of the organic motive fluid in said Organic Rankine Cycle fluid circuit when the direct current electrical power generated by the photovoltaic module is increased beyond a predetermined threshold.
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Specification