New Concepts for Power Generation Necessary

Abstract

Present geothermal power cycle for low enthalpy geothermal fields (utilizing brine not steam) attain electrical efficiencies far from the ideal carnot factor and therefore are not well utilizing the expensive geothermal wells. This is to a large part due to excessively high exergy losses in heat transfer from the geothermal water to the steam of the turbine process, sometimes visible in a drastically reduced temperature reaching the turbine entrance. These exergy losses could be widely reduced by methods which have long been applied in other heat recovery processes for electricity. Also a new power cycle is presented, which minimizes these losses.
These measures are presented in order to stimulate the awareness for thermodynamics and the development of such improved power systems. Furthermore this would contribute to the reduction of electricity cost.