
	Research Journal of Environmental Sciences
	Year: 2015 \| Volume: 9 \| Issue: 2 \| Page No.: 74-87 DOI: 10.3923/rjes.2015.74.87

Energy and Exergy Analyses of Geothermal Power Plants with and without Re-Injection

S. J. Self, B. V. Reddy and M. A. Rosen

Abstract: Growing energy demands and the desire to reduce pollution have increased interest in research on unconventional power plant technologies. Geothermal power plant technology is an important area being explored as a renewable and environmentally benign alternative to fossil fuel technologies. Geothermal power plants have sources of emissions associated with use, including the use of evaporation ponds. An example of a geothermal power generation unit that utilized an evaporation pond to manage spent geothermal fluids during its operation is the Cerro Prieto I plant in Mexico. A theoretical model is developed to retrofit the plant with geothermal fluid re-injection. Energy and exergy analyses are performed for the standard plant, using the evaporation pond, as well as a hypothetical system utilizing fluid re-injection. The plant without re-injection is found to have an energy efficiency of 12.6% and an exergy efficiency of 47.5%. With re-injection the energy efficiency is 16.5% and the exergy efficiency is 51.5%. The greatest loss in the standard system is through direct discharge of the geothermal fluids to the evaporation pond.

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How to cite this article:

S. J. Self, B. V. Reddy and M. A. Rosen, 2015. Energy and Exergy Analyses of Geothermal Power Plants with and without Re-Injection. Research Journal of Environmental Sciences, 9: 74-87.

DOI: 10.3923/rjes.2015.74.87

URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=rjes.2015.74.87

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