Institut für Umwelttechnik und Energiewirtschaft

Renewable Energies
Exercise

Geothermal Energy

Institut für Umwelttechnik und Energiewirtschaft, Technische Universität Hamburg-Harburg (TUHH)

Eißendorfer Straße 40, D-21073 Hamburg, www.tu-harburg.de/iue
 Content

• Task 1: Geothermal Basics

• Task 2: Geothermal Energy for Heating

• Task 3: Geothermal Energy for Electricity Production

Renewables Energies Exercise: Geothermal Energy 2

 1 Geological Basics

Task 1:

The temperature at the bottom of a 985 m deep well is 60.3°C. The well is
situated in an area with an average surface temperature of 8°C.

Task 1.1: What is the geothermal gradient in this area? (in °C/100m)

Task 1.2: Compare the calculated gradient to the earth‘s average gradient.

Task 1.3: What temperature do you expect in 1 200 m

assuming a linear temperature distribution?
(gradient from 1.1 and earth‘s average)

Renewables Energies Exercise: Geothermal Energy 3

 2 Geothermal Heat
A 2 500 m deep borehole provides 100 m3/h thermal water with a temperature of 60 °C. A
heat exchanger cools the thermal water down to 22°C and heats up the water in the
secondary cycle.
The secondary cycle is connected with the district heat grid (95°C/45°C) in two ways. At first
the return stream is heated in another heat exchanger. Then, the stream is brought to 95°C in
a heat pump using the secondary cycle as a heat source. (figure 1).
Assume:
• The minimum driving temperature difference of the heat exchangers is 3 K
• All mass flows are identical return flow from
• Thermal losses can be neglected district heating grid
• cP,water = 4,182 kJ/(kg K)
• ρwater = 1.000 kg/m3 Supply flow for
district heating grid

Heat-pump

Renewables Energies Exercise: Geothermal Energy 4

 2 Geothermal Heat
A 2 500 m deep borehole provides 100 m3/h thermal water with a temperature of 60 °C. A
heat exchanger cools the thermal water down to 22°C and heats up the water in the
secondary cycle.
The secondary cycle is connected with the district heat grid (95°C/45°C) in two ways. At first
the return stream is heated in another heat exchanger. Then, the stream is brought to 95°C in
a heat pump using the secondary cycle as a heat source. (figure 1).
Assume:
• The minimum driving temperature difference of the heat exchangers is 3 K
• All mass flows are identical return flow from
• Thermal losses can be neglected district heating grid
• cP,water = 4,182 kJ/(kg K)
• ρwater = 1.000 kg/m3 Supply flow for
district heating grid

Heat-pump

Task 2.1: Calculate the in- and output temperature and thermal power of the heat exchangers.
Task 2.2: How much heat is exchanged in the evaporator of the heat pump? How much electricity
is needed to provide the heat output in the condenser of the heat pump? Calculate the
coefficient of performance.
Renewables Energies Exercise: Geothermal Energy 5
 3 Geothermal Power Generation
Task 3: There is a geothermal ORC power plant with the following specifications:
• Thermal water mass flow 22.66 kg/s, thigh=160°C, tlow=120°C
• Working fluid R114, maximum pressure 20 bar
• Condenser tcon=35°C, pcon=2.94 bar
• Minimum driving temperature in heat exchangers 15 K
• Mechanical and electrical efficiency of generator and pump ηm= 0.93, ηel= 0.95
• Thermal losses in condenser and heat exchanger can be neglected

Renewables Energies Exercise: Geothermal Energy 6

 3 Geothermal Power Generation
Task 3: There is a geothermal ORC power plant with the following specifications:
• Thermal water mass flow 22.66 kg/s, thigh=160°C, tlow=120°C
• Working fluid R114, maximum pressure 20 bar
• Condenser tcon=35°C, pcon=2.94 bar
• Minimum driving temperature in heat exchangers 15 K
• Mechanical and electrical efficiency of generator and pump ηm= 0.93, ηel= 0.95
• Thermal losses in condenser and heat exchanger can be neglected
Task 3.1: Plot the states 1-6 into the log-p-h diagram

Task 3.2: Calculate the net power generation

Task 3.3: Calculate the thermal power generation efficiency

Task 3.4: Working fluid is changed to water. If the temperature at the condensor stays the same,
the process will change significantly. Explain the differences using the t-s diagrams shown.

Renewables Energies Exercise: Geothermal Energy 7

 For task 3.1

Renewables Energies Exercise: Geothermal Energy 8

 For task 3.2 and 3.3

• Thermodynamic values of the working fluid R114

State t [°C] p [bar] h [kJ/kg]
1 20 427,7
2 90,2 404,23
3 51,5 374,83
4 35 2,94 234,6
5 36,5 236,2
6 65 265,6

Renewables Energies Exercise: Geothermal Energy 9

 For task 3.2 and 3.3
h [kJ/kg]

• Use this steam table for

thermodynamic values of
water

Renewables Energies Exercise: Geothermal Energy 10

 For task 3.4
Task 3.4: Now, the working fluid is changed to water. If the temperature at the condensor stays
the same, the process will change significantly. Explain the differences using the t-s
diagrams shown.

R114 Water
Temperature t

Temperature t

Entropy s Entropy s

Renewables Energies Exercise: Geothermal Energy 16