Geothermal plant design for no emissions and carbon storage
Radial outflow turbine in ORC set up (source: Exergy)
Alexander Richter
16 Ara 2013
A group of researchers from the Ohio State University are proposing a new design that would use carbon dioxide instead of water in geothermal systems and power plants. This would allow to decrease emissions and provide carbon storage in one solution.
Reported before the weekend, researchers from the Ohio State University have been looking at utilizing carbon dioxide emissions in geothermal power projects.
Traditional geothermal power projects are using hot water from depth, but the design now proposed by the group would replace the water with carbon dioxide or another fluid.
Technically, Carbon Dioxide can extract heat more efficiently than water and would thereby allow plants to generate more power.
The design now proposed by the group, would fill a series of concentric rings of horizontal wells with a mixture of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water. Circulating in the rings, the mixture would derive heat from the subsurface and could then used to power turbines.
So far the design has only computer simulations to showcase that it works. For details see link below.
Source: EcoSeed
