Main Considerations in Protection Systems Design for Geothermal Power Plants

Abstract

A proper protection system guarantees reliable and safe operation for a geothermal power plant. It is one of the most important factors during system engineering design and must be carefully selected to avoid equipment damage due to failures. The process design should include the selection of a protection scheme as well as adequate main and auxiliary equipment and installation considerations. An adequate process design guarantees the reliable operation of protection systems and prevents damage to main equipment if an electrical or mechanical fault occurs in a geothermal power plant. The information and data obtained are based on documents from Berlin Geothermal power plant in El Salvador and Hellisheidi power plant in Iceland.