Power plant system for utilizing the heat energy of geothermal reservoirs

• US 7,178,337 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tassilo Pflanz
• Original Assignee: Tassilo Pflanz
• Inventors: Pflanz, Tassilo
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOANG M
• Application Number:
  US11/019,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20060137349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 606/412, 606/413, 606/414, 606/415
• US Class Current: 60/641.2
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/16 for storing compressed air
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/045 by producing an updraft of heated gas or a downdraft of cooled gas, e.g. air driving an engine
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/067 Binary cycle plants where the fluid from the solar collector heats the working fluid via a heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/05 Ocean thermal energy conversion, i.e. OTEC
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2210/16 Air or water being indistinctly used as working fluid, i.e. the machine can work equally with air or water without any modification
• CPC Class Codes: F24T 10/20 using underground water as working fluid; using working fluid injected directly into the ground, e.g. using injection wells and recovery wells
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/0052 using the ground body or aquifers as heat storage medium
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/10 Geothermal energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/46 Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

A geothermal power plant system for producing electricity and process heat at least one compressed gas storage device and at least one gas compression device connected to the at least one compressed gas storage device. At least one gas utilization device is connected to the at least one compressed gas storage device. At least one device for utilizing renewable energy such as of solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, ocean thermal energy, ocean waves, ocean current and tidal current, ambient heat or cold is provided.

Claims

1. A geothermal power plant system for producing electricity and process heat, the geothermal power plant comprising:

at least one compressed gas storage device;

at least one gas compression device connected to the at least one compressed gas storage device for supplying compressed gas to the at least one compressed gas storage device;

at least one gas utilization device connected to the at least one compressed gas storage device for utilizing the energy stored in the compressed gas; and

at least one heat exchanging device for returning waste heat of the at least one gas compression device and process heat of the at least one gas utilization device into the geothermal area for recharging the geothermal area.

2. The geothermal power plant system according to claim 1, comprising at least one device for utilizing renewable energy selected from the group consisting of solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, ocean thermal energy, ocean waves, ocean current and tidal current, ambient heat or cold.

3. The power plant system according to claim 1, comprising at least one heat exchanging device for extracting heat from the geothermal area and at least one heat exchanging device for returning process heat of at least one energy-converting process of the power plant system into the geothermal area.

4. The power plant system according to claim 1, installed at the water or on a support structure in the water.

5. The power plant system according to claim 1, comprising connecting lines for exchange and transport of heat from and to the geothermal area, wherein the connecting lines are provided with heat insulation against heat loss when passing through a body of water.

6. The power plant system according to claim 1, wherein the geothermal reservoir is developed by the hot dry rock method.

7. The power plant system according to claim 1, wherein the geothermal reservoir is developed by aquifers or by boreholes or probes.

8. The power plant system according to claim 1, wherein several geothermal areas at one installation site are connected for utilization by at least two supply lines either individually or several simultaneously or alternatingly.

9. The power plant system according to claim 1, comprising a secondary circuit that comprises an easily evaporating working medium for driving by means of a heat exchanger as an evaporator at least one turbine with generator for producing electricity and comprising at least one additional heat exchanger as a condenser and at least one supply pump for circulating the working medium in at least one single-stage clockwise thermodynamic cycle.

10. The power plant system according to claim 1, wherein the same devices, comprised of a turbine with electric machine, a supply pump, and heat exchangers, are arranged for an at least single-stage counterclockwise thermodynamic cycle selected from the group consisting of heat pump operation or cooling device operation.

11. The power plant system according to claim 1, wherein for generating electricity by utilizing the geothermal heat at least one heat exchanger as an evaporator with underpressure devices is provided, wherein in an open circulation water as a working medium is used for driving at least one turbine with generator, at least one condenser with underpressure devices and water pumps for supply operated in a clockwise thermodynamic cycle.

12. The power plant system according to claim 1, wherein at least one Stirling machine in connection with at least one electrical machine is provided between a hot water side and a cold water side and wherein the at least one Stirling machine and the at least one electrical machine are operated in a clockwise thermodynamic cycle for producing electricity or in a counterclockwise cycle as a heat pump.

13. The power plant device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one compressed gas storage device is an underground cavity that in the soil is surrounded completely by sediment, rock or salt or by other materials found in the ground.

14. The power plant system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one compressed gas storage device is a pressure vessel for compressed gases.

15. The power plant system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one compression device is provided with devices for recovering lost heat of compression.

16. The power plant system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one pressure expansion device in the form of a turbine with generator for producing electricity with devices for introducing expansion heat and/or recovering lost heat.

17. The power plant system according to claim 1, wherein, aside from pressure of a compressed gas, the energy content of the gas is utilized by an expansion device with combustion in the form of a turbine with electric generator and with devices for recovering lost heat.

18. The power plant system according to claim 1, wherein devices are provided in order to receive, after gas expansion from a storage device in the high-pressure range, the gas in a low-pressure storage device.

19. The power plant system according to claim 18, wherein for manipulating the different gases individual gas networks for a gas are installed for the low-pressure range and for the high-pressure range, respectively, to which are connected compression devices, expansion devices, regulating devices, and storage devices.

20. The power plant system according to claim 1, wherein for gas production at least one electrolysis device for producing hydrogen and oxygen is provided.

21. The power plant device according to claim 1, further comprising devices for liquefaction of gas such as hydrogen or oxygen or ammonia or air.

22. The power plant system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one fuel cell device in combination with power electronics for generating electricity with devices for recovering lost heat.

23. The power plant system according to claim 1, wherein as an energy sink electrical heaters with heat recovery in combination with simple switching technology or with power electronics are provided for regulating overproduction of electricity.

24. The power plant system according to claim 1, further comprising as very fast storage devices magnetic, electric or magneto-electric components, selected from the group consisting of coils, capacitors, and electric flywheel storage devices, or rechargeable batteries with and without power electronics.

25. The power plant system according to claim 1, further comprising devices for water desalination and water processing by distillation or electrodialysis or reverse osmosis.

26. The power plant system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one cooling water circuit with circulating pumps and with at least one cooling network that is in communication with at least one water reservoir.

27. The power plant system according to claim 26, further comprising a solar chimney power plant for cooling the cooling networks for the required mass flow of air.