Project Title: Surface Treatments for Enhanced Geothermal Power Plants Boiler/Condenser Performance
Scope
These novel heat transfer enhancement techniques are being developed at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) and will help geothermal power plants to be operated more efficiently. In the U.S. alone, geothermal energy produces approximately 2.8 gigawatts of electricity. Nevada has an enormous geothermal power production potential. In particular, the UNR's Redfield campus is located near a significant geothermal resource "Steamboat Hot Springs".
The most important source of irreversibility of the power plant is the heat exchange process. To obtain high thermal efficiency, the irreversibility of the heat exchange process must be reduced. This is especially difficult when one of the streams goes through a phase change as in the condenser or boiler.
The long range objective is to develop surface coatings/additives technologies which can be applied to the condensation of organic fluids as found in geothermal power plant operations. The immediate scope is to:
- Fabricate nano-tailored heat transfer surfaces and selection of potential additives.
- Construction of an organic fluid-condenser facility using a single tube setup.
- Initiate fundamental experiments on condensation of organic fluids.
Objectives
The objective of this project is to develop two novel heat transfer enhancement techniques:
- Surface coating/additives for promoting enhanced condensation and
- Reticulated filament media extended surface matrices for enhancing boiler performance.
The future objective is, in consultation with our collaborators, NREL and ORMAT, design/fabricate a scaleable, cost effective, multi-tube prototype condensers based on surface coating/additive technologies.
Status
| Task 1: | Fabrication of nano-tailored heat transfer surfaces and selection of potential additives. Deliverable: Results of chemistry work for nano-tailored heat transfer surface and selection of potential additives. |
|---|---|
| Task 2: | Construction of a hydrocarbon condenser facility. Deliverable: A documented test facility. |
| Task 3: | Initiate fundamental experiments on condensation of hydrocarbon fluids. Deliverable: Documentation of experimental procedures, measurement accuracy and results. |
| Task 4: | Compile a technical literature bibliography on: RFM media and applications; flow boiling in porous media; and flow boiling from extended surfaces. Deliverable: An e-bibliography with links to summaries of technical papers |
| Task 5: | Complete a parametric thermal analysis to determine most appropriate candidate RFM's for this application. Deliverable: A report documenting analysis methods and findings. |
| Task 6: | Establish a hydrocarbon fluid test facility that supports flow boiling experiments. Deliverable: A documented test facility. |
| Task 7: | Fabricate RFM test articles. Deliverable: Documented test articles. Documented fabrication techniques. |
| Task 8: | Initiate fundamental experiments on flow boiling of hydrocarbon fluids from RFM/ESM's. Deliverable: Documentation of experimental procedures, measurement accuracy and results. |
| Task 9: | Delivery of Final Report discussing the project and the results. |
Learn more about the current status of this geothermal project by downloading a recent power point presentation given at the NSWEP Program Review.
(PowerPoint 5.14 MB)
Contact
Dr. Kwang Kim
University of Nevada—Reno
Bus: (775) 784-7522
E-mail: kwangkim@unr.edu
