GRC Transactions, Vol.

37, 2013

Optimum Selection of Steam Turbine and Condenser

for Geothermal Power Plant
Toshiyasu Tanoguchi, Shojiro Saito, and Koji Iwai
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Yokohama, Japan

Keyword classified to low level type and barometric type. For geothermal
Geothermal power plant, Plant Performance, Condenser, power plant, turbine exhaust steam is never recycled to a boiler
Altitude, Turbine and a direct contact condenser is usually applied. If both direct
contact and surface condensers are reasonably and economically
designed, performance of direct contact condenser is higher than
ABSTRACT surface condenser and the required cooling water flow rate for
the same condenser pressure is smaller and non condensable gas
Condenser is classified by heat transfer process and water temperature at gas cooling part exit is lower and the required size
level control method. The features of each type of condenser and of non condensable gas extraction system can be smaller in direct
turbine are introduced. Turbine is classified by number of casing, contact condenser. In spray jet condenser, cooling water is sprayed
exhaust direction and output range and features of each type of by spray nozzles and condensing heat transfer occurs at the surface
turbine are introduced. In addition, optimum combination of each of the sprayed water droplets. Spray nozzle requires injection pres-
type of turbine and condenser is discussed for geothermal power sure to generate small diameter water droplets and the pressure
plant where locates at high altitude or low altitude, comparing
plant arrangement and process flow diagram in several combina-
tions. In this paper, steam turbine and condenser applied to flash
cycle for geothermal power plant are discussed.

1. Introduction
There are many kinds of condensers which can be applied to Figure 1. Condenser Classification.
geothermal power plant. Spray type of low level direct contact
condenser is usually used for geothermal power plant because it is
compact and inexpensive compared with other type of condenser,
however if the power plant is located at high altitude and atmo-
spheric pressure is lower than the usual, other type of condenser
such as barometric direct contact condenser or surface condenser
shall be considered to prevent water induction (cooling water back
flowing to turbine) or to design more compact plant arrangement.
If ambient temperature is so low, a compact surface condenser
installed in turbine house is a good option to prevent freezing in
drain lines around condenser.

2. Condenser for Geothermal Power Plant

As shown in Figure 1, condensers applied to geothermal power
plant are classified to direct contact and surface type.
Direct contact condenser is classified to spray jet type (Figure 2)
and tray type (Figure 3) and spray jet or tray type condenser is further Figure 2. Spray Jet Type Condenser. Figure 3. Tray Type Condenser.

771
Tanoguchi, et al.

No. of Casing No. of Exhaust Exhaust Direction holes are machined at bottom plate. Water
Single Casing Single Flow Axial droplets are generated when cooling water
in tray passes through holes and falls to
Geothermal Double Flow Upward lower stage tray. Tray type condenser does
Turbine
Double Casing Four Flow Downward not require injection pressure and smaller
Figure 4. Turbine Configuration. pressure difference between atmosphere and
condenser pressure is required compared
with spray jet condenser and this is better for
the plant located at higher altitude, however
small diameter hole is sometime susceptible
to clogging by foreign material or sulfide
scaling. Low level condenser is installed at
ground level and condenser water level is
controlled by control valve at hotwell pump
discharge with level controller. Barometric
condenser is installed at approximately 10m
high elevation and Warm water (mixture of
condensate and cooling water) falls down
to hot water tank situated at ground level
through barometric leg. Condenser water
level exists at the higher level in baromet-
ric leg than the hotwell tank water level.
The water level in barometric leg is deter-
mined by the pressure difference between
atmosphere and condenser and artificial
level control system is not required. Thus,
condenser water level will never increase
Figure 5. Single Flow Axial Exhaust Turbine. too much in barometric condenser, and
therefore there is no risk on water induc-
tion. In case of surface condenser, only steam condensate exists
in condenser shell and condensate flow rate is much smaller than
cooling water flow rate and there is no risk on water induction and
surface condenser can be installed at the same level as turbine.

3. Turbine
In this paper, condensing turbine for flash cycle is discussed.
Turbine type can be categorized by number of exhaust and exhaust
direction. As indicated in Figure 4, single flow, double flow or
four flow design is selected considering minimum leaving loss
with appropriate volumetric flow rate per an exhaust flow and
appropriate loading (= mass flow rate / annual flow area) lower
than the allowable.
If we categorize turbine according to exhaust direction, we
have axial, upward and downward exhaust turbine. Axial exhaust
flow turbine rotor is connected to a generator at governor end and it
has an exhaust duct at opposite side and there is no free end to con-
nect to an additional turbine. Therefore axial exhaust design can
be applied to only single flow turbine. In theory, upward exhaust
flow turbine can be applied to four flow turbine as well as single
or double flow design. However, upward exhaust flow turbine is
not actually applied to four flow design because 4 large diameter
Figure 6. Single Flow Upward Exhaust Turbine. (~ 4meter) exhaust ducts connected to condenser shall be installed
on turbine upper casings and these exhaust ducts shall be removed
difference of atmospheric pressure and condenser pressure should to overhaul turbine and this worsen maintainability. Single flow
cover injection pressure at spray nozzle inlet as well as pressure axial exhaust turbine for Hellisheidi #1 to #6 (40~45MW) is shown
loss in cooling water line from cooling tower to condenser. Tray in Figure 5. Single flow upward exhaust turbine for Yamagawa
type condenser has several stages of tray which many cooling water (30MW) is shown in Figure 6. Single flow downward turbine

772
 Tanoguchi, et al.

was applied to Olkaria II #1 to #3(35MW). Double flow down- If your desired output is in the range of single flow turbine, axial
ward exhaust turbine for Darajat #2 and #3 (110MW) is shown exhaust steam turbine is recommendable in view of compactness
in Figure  7. Double flow upward exhaust turbine was applied of turbine and turbine house and higher performance due to pres-
to Sumikawa (50MW). Double casing four flow down exhaust sure recovery in diffuser between turbine and condenser. Figure 11
turbine for PG&E #21 is shown in Figure 8. Figure 9 shows ap- shows the axial exhaust steam turbine with surface type condenser
proximate output range of each flow turbine which is dependent on and crane hook height is approximately 10meter from floor level.
main steam conditions and condenser pressure. Figure 10 shows Figure 12 shows axial exhaust turbine module preassembled in
the comparison of axial, upward and downward exhaust turbines. our factory for Hellisheidi #1~#6 which could minimize assembly

Figure 9. Output Range.

Figure 7. Double Flow Downward Exhaust Turbine.

Figure 8. Double Casing Four(4) Flow Downward Exhaust Turbine.

Figure 11. Axial Exhaust Turbine with Surface Condenser

under Construction.

Figure 10. Comparison of Turbine Exhaust Direction.png. Figure 12. Preassembled Axial Exhaust Turbine.

773
Tanoguchi, et al.

Table 1. Combination of Turbine and Condenser. work and the period for construction
Downward Exhaust Turbine
Axial Exhaust Turbine
at the project site. If low bed direct
Power Plant or Upward Exhaust Turbine
Location
Item contact condenser is used for axial
Recommendable Specification exhaust turbine, condenser shall be
Low level direct contact Condenser installed at lower level than turbine
Low level direct contact Condenser shall
shall be installed at lower elevation than
Condenser type be installed at the same elevation as
turbine to protect turbine from water installation level to prevent water
turbine induction. If your desired output is
induction
Cooling tower in the range of double flow turbine,
Same level as condenser Same level as condenser
Low altitude basin water level downward or upward exhaust tur-
(lower than a) Non return valve a) Non return valve bine shall be selected. Downward
3,000~4,000 Water induction b) Condenser inlet valve auto close b) Condenser inlet valve auto close exhaust turbine is good in efficiency
meter ASL) protection c) Vacuum breaker valve auto open c) Vacuum breaker valve auto open
d) Siphon breaker auto open if required d) Siphon breaker auto open if required and maintainability because exhaust
Hotwell pump Required Required duct is not required which cause
Circulation water pressure loss and should be removed
NOT required NOT required
pump before turbine overhaul. However,
Arrangement
Figure 5 Figure 6
in upward exhaust turbine case,
and Process 10meter tall turbine pedestal can
Barometric direct Barometric direct be eliminated and turbine house is
Condenser Surface Surface
contact contact
very compact.
Cooling tower Lower level than Same level as Lower level than Same level as
basin water level condenser condenser condenser condenser
High altitude Water induction 4. Combination of
(higher than protection Not required Not required Not required Not required
3,000~4,000 Turbine and Condenser
meter ASL) Hotwell or con- Required Required Required Required
densate pump Table 1 summarizes features of
Circulation each combination of turbine and
Required Required Required Required
water pump
condenser. If your power plant is
Arrangement
and Process
Figure 8 – – Figure 9 located at low altitude, low level
direct contact condenser is the most
appropriate one in terms of perfor-
mance and cost and this type can be
combined with downward, upward
or axial exhaust turbine. In case
of downward or upward exhaust
turbine, condenser shell works as a
buffering tank against water induc-
tion and condenser can be installed
at the almost same level as turbine
level as shown in Figure 13, how-
ever condenser shell does not work
Figure 13. Upward Exhaust Turbine with Low Level Direct Contact Condenser at Low Altitude. as a buffering tank in case of axial
exhaust turbine as shown in Figure
14 and condenser shall be installed
at lower level than turbine level.
In above configurations in Figure 13 or Figure 14,
if all hotwell pumps trip, a vacuum breaker (VB) and a
siphon breaker (SB) should open, and a condenser inlet
valve (CIV) and non return valves (NRV) should close
to suppress condenser water level elevation.
If power plant with low level direct contact con-
denser is located at high altitude, it is possible that the
pressure difference between atmosphere and condenser
is not enough to cover pressure loss in cooling water
supply line and injection pressure at spray nozzle inlet
and the design water level of cooling tower basin shall
be elevated (Figure 15) or condenser shall be installed
at lower level. However, civil work for higher cooling
Figure 14. Axial Exhaust Turbine with Low Level Direct Contact Condenser at Low Alti- tower basin or deeper pit to install condenser at lower
tude. level comes expensive and it comes difficult to design

774
 Tanoguchi, et al.

Figure 18. Upward Exhaust Turbine with Barometric Condenser at High

Altitude Slope Land.

Figure 15 . Upward Exhaust Turbine with Low Level Direct Contact Con-
denser at High Altitude. If your plant locates at high altitude and atmospheric tempera-
ture is very low, surface condenser installed in a turbine house
is a good option to consider because freeze around condenser is
effectively prevented as shown in Figure 11.

5. Conclusions
In this paper, we discussed the optimum combination of each
type of turbine and condenser for geothermal power plant. Axial
exhaust turbine has only one exhaust flow and output is limited to
approximately 60MW which depends on the main steam condition
or condenser pressure. If your planned output is less than 60MW,
axial exhaust turbine is the best option in view of the compactness
of turbine house and turbine efficiency.
In case of axial exhaust turbine, only a part of the condenser
shell volume can be used as a buffering tank to protect turbine
Figure 16. Upward Exhaust Turbine with Barometric Condenser at High from water induction and condenser should be installed at lower
Altitude Flat Land. elevation than turbine.
If your project site is located at very high altitude, atmospheric
pressure is lower, cooling tower should be installed at much higher
elevation than condenser to keep condenser nozzle injection pres-
sure and this means that the level difference between a cooling
tower and a turbine is not enough and the risk on water induction
comes high. In this case, barometric condenser or surface con-
denser is also good option.

References
Obana, H., 2011. Heat exchanger design hand book, Kogaku Tosho
Figure 17. Axial Exhaust Turbine with Surface Condenser at High Altitude. Saito, S. et al., 2010. Introduction to the features and technology of geother-
mal power plants which contribute to the prevention of global warming,
protection system to prevent water induction if the water level Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd Technical Review Vol.47 No.1
of cooling tower basin is very high. This is the reason why it is Saito, S. et al., 2008. How geothermal power plants help to reduce CO2 emis-
better to apply barometric condenser or surface condenser in case sion, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Technical Review, Vol.45 No.1
that power plant is located at high altitude as shown in Figure 16 Saito, S., 2010. Technologies for high performance and reliability of geo-
and Figure 17. thermal power plant, Proceeding World Geothermal Congress 2010
Above discussion was made based on that plant area is flat, Bali, Indonesia
however if the power plant is on slope land, we can utilize the Fukuda, H. et al., 2009. Development of 3,600-rpm 50-inch/3,000-rpm 60-
slope as an example shown in Figure 18. In case that we apply inch ultra-long exhaust end blades, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
barometric condenser at flat land, condenser shall be installed at Technical Review Vol. 46 No.2
elevated level supported by steel structure as shown in Figure 16 Watanabe, E. et al., 2003. Development of new high efficiency steam turbine,
but in case of slope land, we can install barometric condenser at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Technical Review Vol. 40 No.4
the same level as turbine level by installing hot well tank at lower Watanabe, E. et al., 2001. Development of new advanced low pressure end
elevation, eliminating the steel structure as shown in Figure 18. blades for high efficiency steam turbine, Icope p.862

775
776