MOISTURE REMOVAL SYSTEMS IN GEOTHERMAL POWER SYSTEMS

Abstract

This work gives an overview of the various types of moisture removal systems (MRS) used in geothermal steam power plants. It will outline covering the general description, separation mechanism and performance of each type.
The study shows that the superficial steam velocity is likely to have a major impact on the performance of all MRS.
The inline vortex separator is less effective in removing water entrainment. Demisters and scrubbers are generally used if the water droplets are in micro scale size. However, the actual performance of those types of MRS is unknown due to the lack of published information.
New MRS designs are also being developed and have been tested under geothermal conditions. Although the testing showed that high efficiency has been achieved in the order of 85-99.9 %, none of these technologies are reported to be in commercial use.
Alternative moisture removal technology from other industries including oil and gas, air pollution control and the nuclear industry with reported 99.75 - 99.98% separation efficiency were also investigated. MRS used in steam generation of pressurized water (nuclear) reactors is a good candidate for use in geothermal power systems, it is proposed for future investigations.