| Title | Las Pailas 35 MW (Net) Binary Power Plant, Rincon de la Vieja, Guanacaste, Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Authors | Moya, Paul; DiPippo, Ronald |
| Year | 2012 |
| Conference | Geothermal Resources Council Transactions |
| Keywords | Las Pailas; Costa Rica; well data; binary power plant; cycle analysis; thermal efficiency; utilization efficiency; availability; plant factor; environmental impact |
| Abstract | The Las Pailas geothermal power station, the second field in Costa Rica to achieve commercial operation, is described. The drilling of the wells and well-field layout and constraints are presented. The design of the unique 2-unit binary power plant is discussed in detail. Plant performance is assessed based on the design specifications and on actual operations, from both a cycle and an overall plant perspective. Thermal and utilization efficiencies are calculated. The normal-pentane power cycle is shown to scale in pressure–enthalpy and temperature–entropy diagrams. The analysis of data for the first eight months of plant operation indicates that the average plant (or capacity) factor was 90.1% and the plant was available and generating power 91.7% of the time. So far there are no discernible environmental impacts from plant operations. |