| Title | Silica Polymerization and Deposition Trials at the Berlin Geothermal Field, El Salvador |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sa?l R. Molina Padilla, Peter Barnett, Marlon Castro, Emilio Guerra and JosÈ L. HenrÌquez |
| Year | 2005 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | Binary, silica scaling trials |
| Abstract | The Berlin geothermal field has 56 MWe of power generation from single flashed steam at 180 ?C/10 bar abs with full injection of the waste brine. The brine flow represents a substantial source of unused energy with some 250 MWt (thermal) available for further exploitation. But, the concentration of silica in is quite high, making it necessary to run silica trials in order to test the optimum temperature drop for the maximum generation, considering a minimum risk and cost. A series of field trials have been recently carried out to characterize silica polymerization and deposition rates in the brine over a wide range of conductively cooled temperatures, with and without chemical treatments. The conceptual design and methodology for the trial are described in detail. The results of the trial confirm the technical and economic viability of installing a brine binary power plant with a capacity of about 10 % of the main plant capacity. |