| Title | Steam Separator Selection for a Geothermal Power Station |
|---|---|
| Authors | L. McLellan, K. Koorey |
| Year | 2021 |
| Conference | New Zealand Geothermal Workshop |
| Keywords | Horizontal Separator, Geothermal Separator, Separator Performance, Separator Design, Rotokawa, Rotokawa Upgrade, Nga Awa Purua, Enthalpy Decline |
| Abstract | Mercury operates the Rotokawa and Nga Awa Purua geothermal power plants on the Rotokawa geothermal field located in the North Island of New Zealand. As part of the Rotokawa Upgrade project, Mercury installed two horizontal steam-brine separators in 2021. The horizontal separator design was a first for Mercury and two of only a few of those installed within the New Zealand Geothermal industry. This paper discusses the analysis and decision-making process undertaken to select the horizontal separator design over a more traditional vertical separator. The separators were commissioned in mid-2021, and the paper presents preliminary results on their performance. |