Magma Geothermal Steam Separation Without Injection Wells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional geothermal systems face inefficiencies and high costs due to the inability to reliably access high-temperature geothermal resources, leading to low power output and significant expenditure, especially with low permeability issues and corrosion from high TDS and gas content in geothermal fluids.
Innovation Solution
A magma-based geothermal power generation system that utilizes a cased wellbore extending from the surface to an underground reservoir of magma, where a steam separator separates gas-phase fluid from condensate, and turbines generate electricity from the gas-phase fluid, eliminating the need for injection wells and reducing parasitic loads, with a slidable casing and draw pipe mechanism to efficiently extract superheated steam.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If conventional geothermal systems are used to access high-temperature resources, then power generation is attempted, but the systems face low permeability issues and corrosion from high TDS and gas content, leading to high costs and low power output
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic well screen and injection well components from the geothermal system. By using a slidable casing that seals against the borehole wall, the system eliminates the need for well screens that clog from low permeability and injection wells that cause thermal shock. The drawn pipe directly extracts geothermal fluid through the slidable casing without requiring traditional well screen filtration.
Solution Approach 2:
The slidable casing acts as an intermediary mechanism between the borehole and the drawn pipe. It provides a sealable interface that allows controlled access to geothermal fluid while protecting the system from corrosion by high TDS and gas content. The intermediary sealing mechanism enables reliable operation without direct exposure to corrosive fluids.
2Productivity
If injection wells are used in geothermal systems, then fluid injection is achieved, but thermal-shock induced earthquakes occur and parasitic loads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent completely removes injection wells from the system architecture. The slidable casing with its sealing mechanism provides an extraction-only system where geothermal fluid is drawn up through the drawn pipe without requiring injection wells for fluid reinjection. This elimination of injection infrastructure removes the source of thermal-shock induced earthquakes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the natural pressure and temperature of the geothermal reservoir to drive fluid extraction through the slidable casing. The sealing mechanism self-adjusts to maintain pressure differential without requiring active injection control, eliminating the parasitic loads associated with injection well operation and thermal shock management.
3Quantity of substance
If well screens with apertures are used to access geothermal fluid, then fluid flow is enabled, but permeability issues cause clogging and reduced efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the well screen component entirely from the system. Instead of using a perforated well screen that is prone to clogging, the slidable casing creates a seal against the borehole wall and uses the drawn pipe to extract fluid directly. This eliminates the aperture structure that causes permeability-related clogging issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical well screen filtration system with a pressure-driven extraction system. The slidable casing seal combined with pressure differential from the drawn pipe substitutes for the well screen's aperture-based fluid selection mechanism, achieving fluid extraction without mechanical filtration that is susceptible to clogging.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves higher efficiency and reduced operational costs by directly harnessing high-temperature magma resources, increasing the ratio of usable energy to entropy, and simplifying the plant design, while avoiding thermal-shock induced earthquakes and corrosion issues.
Implementation Method 1
an increase in pressure within the cavity of the slidable casing causes the SHGF in the cavity to flow into a draw pipe
Implementation Method 2
The draw pipe is configured to convey the SHGF from the underground reservoir towards the surface in response to the slidable casing being slidably repositioned
Implementation Method 3
Heat supplied from the magma causes the liquid-phase fluid to change into a gas-phase fluid conveyed up the cased wellbore
Implementation Method 4
Heat supplied from the magma causes the liquid-phase fluid to change into a gas-phase fluid
Implementation Method 5
The steam separator separates a gas-phase fluid from condensate formed from the gas-phase fluid
Implementation Method 6
The first set of turbines is configured to generate electricity from the gas-phase fluid received from the steam separator
Data Source
AI summary
System, method, and apparatus for harnessing geothermal power from superhot geothermal fluid (SHGF) and magma reservoirs. An exemplary system includes a steam separator connected directly to a cased wellbore extending between a surface and the underground reservoir of magma. The steam separator separates a gas-phase fluid from condensate formed from the gas-phase fluid. The system also includes a first set of turbines connected to the steam separator and a condensate tank fluidically connected to the steam separator and the first set of turbines. The first set of turbines is configured to generate electricity from the gas-phase fluid received from the steam separator and the condensate tank is fluidically connected to a fluid conduit that supplies condensate to a terminal end of the cased wellbore.