Performance analysis of the Chena binary geothermal power plant

In this paper, the IPSEpro model of the Chena Geothermal ORC Power Plant had been developed and validated using the real data. The validated model was used to investigate the effect of variation in the geothermal source temperature on plant performance. The analysis showed that the variation of the geothermal source temperature affects the plant behaviour. Increase in the geothermal source temperature above the design point increases the working fluid flowrate, decreases the working fluid degree of superheat at the inlet of the turbine (evaporator exit), increases the plant net power output and reduces the efficiency while decrease in the geothermal source temperature lower than the design point increases the degree of superheat up to a certain maximum beyond which it starts to reduce. It also causes a decrease in the net power output and an increase in the plant efficiency. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.