Optimization of flashing pressure separator and turbine thermal efficiency on mini-scale geothermal power plant at utilization exploration well.

In drilling geothermal exploration wells, sometimes a small capacity is obtained that produces a small amount of electrical energy. In some remote areas, the need for electricity is vital, because the distribution of electricity from the government sometimes does not reach these areas. For this reason, a mini-scale power plant with a capacity of fewer than 10 MWe is needed to meet the needs of electrical energy, especially in these areas. This research tries to make a mini- scale geothermal using two-phase exploration well data with a pressure of 11 bar, the temperature of 180 °C, the mass flow of 100 kg/s, and drought of 23%. In this case study, the optimization of pressure separator flashing was carried out to obtain optimal energy. Based on the calculation results, the optimum separator flashing pressure is obtained at 4 bar where the 7 bar turbine inlet pressure produces 9.96 MWe with a thermal efficiency of 73%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]