Evaluation of the Effect of Gravity on the Total-Flow Geothermal Cycle

Abstract

Linear Power Ltd. employs a semi-closed cycle gas-lift total flow geothermal process that has the potential to generate more than double the amount of power than is produced by current geothermal cycle technology. The increased power is a thermodynamic result of vaporizing a liquid phase working fluid to a low mass high pressure vapor within a high mass hot water column via direct heat exchange deep within a well bore. High mass water is displaced with low mass gases and the density of the water column is made much lower. Substantial additional power is gained as a result of the change in density of the column of water by the process that lowers its gravitation pull. The force of the pressure at the base of the well exerted by the reservoir is in opposition to the weight of the water. Lowering the water’s density (weight) while the earth’s force is unchanged produces an extremely powerful water pumping force powered by gravity. This gravitational effect is a separate side effect of the thermodynamic process and totally independent from the thermodynamic process, although the result could not occur absent of the thermodynamic process. The total flow of accelerated high mass water and gases produced by the process drives a prime mover with much greater Kinetic energy force than can be attained by conventional geothermal processes that create low density gases via indirect heat exchange to produce power. The energy to pump the liquid phase working fluid to depth into the well does not change to a substantial degree from that of a conventional Rankine cycle performed on the surface as the liquid must be pumped into the high pressure boiler at the surface, which is at approximately the same pressure as the hydrostatic pressure of the water within the well. Engineering proves that the gas-lift total process described herein typically generates more than double the amount of power from the same geothermal heat resource.