Geothermal Condensers

Superior through experience:
GEOTHERMAL CONDENSERS
Geothermal energy, the heat from inside our earth, is gaining
increasing significance worldwide as a promising option among
the renewable sources of energy. Not least because geothermal
energy can be used to generate base load electricity in an
environmentally sound manner due to its high availability.
As early as the 1990s, Balcke-Dürr started to develop and
produce the first surface condensers for commercial power
generation in geothermal power plants.
Today, drawing on an extensive wealth of experience, we supply
all-in-one geothermal condenser systems: turbine condenser with
tube cleaning system, evacuation system, pumps and deaerator.
In addition, we are the only manufacturer worldwide to offer the
“Cold End” from one single source – from condenser system to
the cooling water circuit right up to the cooling tower. Using a
comprehensive optimization concept, we ensure that all the system
components are optimally dimensioned technically and the capital
expenditure and operating costs are kept to a minimum.
Our cogeneration condenser is a technologically unique product
which was developed for combined heat and power generation. This
innovative type of condenser supplies district heating efficiently in
vacuum operation mode and eliminates the need for a separate
heating condenser.
3D model of a geothermal condenser
PROFILE
■Long-term
experience in the design and manufacture of
geothermal condensers
References in Europe and Asia
Supply of all-in-one condenser systems: turbine condenser with
tube cleaning system, evacuation system, pumps and deaerator
Optimization and supply of the “Cold End” (condenser and
cooling tower) from one single source
Special configurations such as cogeneration condensers for
combined heat and power supply
Condenser design with highly efficient gas extraction involving
minimal electrical power consumption for vacuum pumps
Condenser modules for the 2x50 MW Reykjanes geothermal power plant in Iceland
TECHNOLOGY
Geothermal steam which is condensed in the turbine condensers
is, in most cases, highly corrosive. It contains contamination with a
high proportion of non-condensable gases which are composed
primarily of carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and small
quantities of other gases. The proportion of gas can amount to up
to 10% and is therefore more than 5,000 times greater than in
conventional power plants.
As these extreme operational conditions primarily require a
highly effective gas extraction system, apart from good corrosion
resistance, the design of our geothermal surface condensers
incorporates the following features:
4x40 MW Hellisheidi 1-4 geothermal power plant, Iceland:
The scope of supply includes the complete “Cold End” which can
be controlled to supply power and district heating according to
actual requirements.
COLD END
COOLING TOWER
CONDENSER
■Gas
coolers with a large subcooling capacity to minimize the
extraction volume flow and the power consumption of the
vacuum pumps
Multiple gas extraction ports to prevent any accumulation of
gas within the tube bundle
Thermohydraulic design not affected by influence of
contamination during operation
Shell and support plate structure made completely of stainless
steel
APPLICATION
3x55 MW Salak geothermal power plant, Indonesia:
The three condensers commissioned in 1997 are among the
largest geothermal surface condensers in the world, each with a
structural weight of 207t.
COOLING WATER CIRCUIT
Diagram of “Cold End”
The cogeneration condensers are designed so that during winter
operation a large proportion of the thermal output of the turbine
exhaust steam is used to heat district heating water and only a
small proportion to generate electricity, while in summer electricity
generation has priority. The condensers were each fitted with three
combi tube bundles which can be individually connected in standby
mode as required depending on the mode of operation “winter” or
“summer”.
Combi tube bundle of cogeneration condenser
Stainless steel support structure during the fabrication process
BALCKE-DÜRR GMBH
ERNST-DIETRICH-PLATZ 2
40882 RATINGEN
GERMANY
49(0)21 02 16 69-0
BDINFODE@CTS.SPX.COM
BALCKE-DUERR.COM
Printed in USA | brochure_na_51
As surface condensers fundamentally offer both technical and also
economic advantages in respect of H2S separ­ation which is both
protective of the environment and human health, the power plant
operator decided against direct contact condensers when planning
the plant.