Single and Double-Flash Cycle Design of Menengai Prospect Geothermal Power Plant, Nakuru- Kenya

Abstract

Our study evaluated the possible power output that can be obtained from a configuration of 15 production wells and one reinjection well in Menengai geothermal field by installing a single flash cycle power plant. Once the optimum conditions of the single flash model were determined, the same parameters were used as input for the double flash cycle design to investigate the possibility of obtaining a higher output compared to the single flash model. Engineering Equation Solver (EES) was used to solve the relevant mathematical equations. Results yielded that the double flash model gave more output of 113MW compared to the single flash that produced 108MW. Reinjection temperature for both models of 175 degC and 168 degC show minimal likelihood of there being heavy precipitate of polymer silicate in the brine line and reinjection well. Additionally, reinjection fluid mass for the double flash cycle is about 3kg/s compared to 160kg/s for the single flash cycle, a drastic decrease.