How Raser’s Binary Geothermal Power Generation works

Geothermal Wells
GEOTHERMAL PRODUCTION WELL
Water deep underground is heated by the earth’s
natural heat. The heated water is brought to the
surface and delivered to Raser’s modular power
generation array through pipes.
Production Reinjection
Well Well REINJECTION WELL
After flowing through the system, the well-water, now
Production Reinjection about 70 degrees cooler, is passed to injection wells,
Well Well where it is pumped back into the aquifer. There it is
heated once again by hot rocks deep underground and
circulated back to the surface through production wells,
to repeat the power generation cycle. By reinjecting
the well water back into the aquifer, this renewable
resource can last thousands of years.

Power Generation Units

HEAT EXCHANGE
A In this binary system, the well-
water does not come in contact
with the turbine, but rather, its
heat is transferred to a secondary
working fluid as it passes through
the coils in the heat exchange
tank. Because the working fluid
has a boiling point much lower
than water, the fluid flashes to
steam quickly at temperatures as
low as 57 degrees Fahrenheit, and
moves upward passing through
the steam turbine. The working
fluid and the well water remain
in their own separate closed loop
systems with zero emissions and
virtually no environmental impact.
TURBINE /
B GENERATOR
Pressure from the steam
spins the turbine, which
in turn spins the electric
generator. Each unit
can generate about 280
kilowatts of power. By
combining the power
from all 50 units, 10 to 11
megawatts of net power is
generated in this first phase
of the plant.
COOLING AND CONDENSING
C After leaving the turbine, the steam
moves upward into the condenser tank.
Here, cool water enters the condenser
from the cooling towers and circulates
through coils in the condenser tank and
cools the steam, allowing it to condense
back into a fluid. The cool water enters
the tank at about 67 degrees, but after
cooling down the working fluid, it leaves
the tank at about 87 degrees. In order
to be used again, the water is returned
to the cooling towers where it is cooled
back down to about 67 degrees.

C
REPEAT CYCLE
D The working fluid now flows
down the tank outlet to the
pump where it is re-pressurized
and injected back into the heat
exchange tank to repeat the B
process.

A
It is important to note that the
three fluid systems of hot well-
water, cooling water from the
cooling tower, and system working
fluid, remain in their own separate D
loops and never mix, so there is no
contamination and no emissions.
 How Raser’s Binary Geothermal Power Generation works

Power Generation Network

PURECYCLE™ GEOTHERMAL
POWER GENERATION UNIT ARRAY
The electric power produced by each pod of five power generation
units flows to a power transformer, where the voltage is increased in
preparation for transmission over the power grid. Ten transformers
serve all 50 power generation units. The power travels through
underground power lines to the “switch yard”. Here the power is
sent to the power grid via transmission lines. As future phases of the
plant come online, a substation with additional transformers will be
added to boost voltage to 138 KV to transmit the additional power.

Pump COOLING TOWER

Station The cooling water remains
Transformers in its own closed loop
circulating between the
Power power generation units
Generation
Units and the cooling tower,
propelled by large pumps.

Cooling
Tower

Cooled water from cooling tower

Warm water on the way to cooling tower

Hot geothermal well water

Warm geothermal well water on the way

to reinjection well or bottom cycle.

HOT WELL WATER DISTRIBUTION

The hot well-water is distributed to each of the
50 power generation units in the network in
Warm geothermal parallel via the large pipes, feeding each row of 25
Hot geothermal
water on the way units. Each power generation unit produces its own
well water
to reinjection well power simultaneously from the hot well water.
 How Raser’s Binary Geothermal Power Generation works

Bottom Cycle
Because Raser’s binary power plant uses low temperature
technology, even after generating 10 megawatts of
power in the first phase, in many cases, the well-water
is still hot enough to generate additional power. After
leaving the first array of 50 units, the well-water can be
passed to a second power generation cycle or “bottom
cycle.” In the next phase of the plant, Raser will add a
second array of 25 power generation units on the other
side of the cooling towers. Here an additional 4 to 6
megawatts of power can be generated from the same
well water. Cascading power generation in this way is
highly productive and economical, because 50% more
additional power can be generated without the expense
of drilling additional wells.

1-801-765-1200 1-888-81-POWER
www.rasertech.com