A Comparative Evaluation of Simulation of Steam Transport in Pipeline Networks of Los Azufres Geothermal Plants with PipePhase and GeoSteam.Net

Abstract

In the project of CeMIEGeo P14 (Mexican Center for Innovation in Geothermal Energy), the software "GeoSteam.Net" for the simulation of steam transport in geothermal power plants in the Web platform is developed. The simulator is useful to improve (i) design and construction, (ii) monitoring and operation, and (iii) decision making in updating and modifying geothermal power plants Using the GeoSteam.Net simulator, a demo program was written in the Windows platform for the simulation of steam transport in the pipe networks of the Los Azufres geothermal power plants, U-07 and U-13. The first simulation of the entire steam transport pipeline networks of Los Azufres Geothermal Field (LAGF) was performed in 2007 using the commercial fluid transport simulators, PipePhase and Sim.Snet under a project financed by Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE). A comparative evaluation of simulation results, obtained with PipePhase and GeoSteam.Net, of two scenarios: ((a) fixed steam production (flow rate Q) of all the connected wells and (b) fixed pressure (P) of the wells, Az-02A, Az-06, Az-22 and Q fixed of other connected wells, indicates that the measured production parameters (P and Q) of a well influence the production of steam and its transport. In the first scenario (fixed Q), there is a considerable difference between the measured and calculated pressure of the wells, Az-02A, Az-35, and Az-37. Similarly, there is considerable high vapor production if the pressures of the wells, Az-02A, Az-06, and Az-22 are set to fix. It is 17% higher for GeoSteam.Net while it is 9% higher for PipePhase. Thus, the precise measurements of P and Q of each well and the well-opening synchronization with the help of steam simulator are important for better functionality of a geothermal power plant.