Improvement of an ejector design using thermodynamic analysis of data from Theistareykir Geothermal Power Plant?

Abstract

The objective behind the Geoejector project is to investigate the feasibility utilizing low-pressure geothermal wells for power generation through ejector technology. An ejector is a static machine where the mixture passes through a diffuser, leaving the ejector at an intermediate common outlet pressure. This device is characterized by a simple structural design, and it does not require an additional power supply, which allows for its easy installation and management procedures, as well as a high degree of reliability and low cost of installation.

Ejectors have variety of applicability, this makes the technology useful in different industries such as the chemical industry; nuclear industry; evacuation, refrigeration, solid powder transportation, modern jet planes for thrust augmentation; and oil and gas industry. Ejectors have also been used in geothermal industry; however, their use has been mainly focused on extraction of non-condensable gases.


Limited information can be found regarding the application of ejectors to recover geothermal fluids from low-pressure wells. This paper will analyze gathered data from an experimental ejector set up by Landsvirkjun in 2021 at Theistareykir Geothermal Power Plant. Those experiments aimed to use the high-pressure fluid from Well ÞG-11 for drawing the low-pressure fluid from Well ÞG -15 into the steam gathering system. The gathered data will be used to generate an improved geometrical parameter of the ejector that reduces the exergy destruction on the system and increases the energy extracted from both wells.