Preliminary Estimates of Electrical Generating Capacity of Slim Holes - A Theoretical Approach

Abstract

The feasibility of using small geothermal generators (< 1 MWe) for off-grid electrical power in remote areas or for rural electrification in developing nations would be enhanced if drilling costs could be reduced. This paper examines the electrical generating capacity of fluids which can be produced from typical slim holes (six-inch diameter or less), both by binary techniques (with downhole pumps) and, for hotter reservoir fluids, by conventional spontaneous-discharge flash-steam methods. Depending mainly on reservoir temperature, electrical capacities from a few hundred kilowatts to over one megawatt per slim hole appear to be possible.