The present invention relates to a system and method that simulates the preheater unit in geothermal power plants and collects detailed data for monitoring scale formations (deposit, corrosion, pollution).

State of the Art:

Geothermal means ground temperature. The ground temperature heats the fluids (liquids and gases) trapped in the rocks or circulating with different ways. These heated liquids or gases are called geothermal fluids. The energy obtained from geothermal fluids and hot-dry rocks is called geothermal energy. Steam and liquid fluid with high enthalpy extracted by drilling underground boreholes so as to generate electrical energy in geothermal power plants are given by means of heat exchangers or directly to the steam turbines and thus electrical energy is obtained. While the fluid is stable within the reservoir and under pressure, the gases contained in it are dissolved in the liquid. After the production boreholes are drilled, the gases contained in the fluid brought to the surface through these boreholes are released. As a result of the decomposition of gases with liquid, minerals in the fluid whose physical balance is disturbed, cause precipitation and scale formation in the pump, valve, heat exchangers, separators, accumulators and all other units in the power plant, especially in the production boreholes. Sulfides from these scale forming types can precipitate in all geothermal waters with low, medium, high enthalpy and high TDS (total dissolved substance) amount. Metals such as Fe, Pb, Zn which exist in the corrosive geothermal water or occur as a result of corrosion of the protection pipes in the borehole, precipitate in the form of metal sulfide. They are observed with silica precipitation in high temperature zones. The scaling potential of stibnite (Sb2S3) from the sulfur minerals depends on the antimony concentration, temperature and pH value. It usually precipitates in cooling zones. Therefore, it causes pollution of heat exchangers and loss of efficiency in binary power plants.

The main parameters affecting the scale formation are as follows;

• mineral type and content of the geothermal fluid in dissolved gas, mineral, colloidal and particulate forms,

• with the type and amount of insoluble gas

• process temperature and pressure values formation of each scale type has different mechanism. On the other hand, the amount of scale and the locations where the scale is formed vary depending on the same parameters, therefore, the monitoring of the relevant parameters is important in terms of scale formation control.

Today, testing of new mineral anti-scaling product applications can be carried out in full-scale operating conditions while the enterprise is in operation. In this case, the following factors such as;

• Product type

• Product dosage ratio

• Product application point selection

• Different product test requirement creates a potential for malfunctions that may cause power plant shutdowns in the trial phase.

Today, there is a daily turnover loss of more than 25,000 USD and operating maintenance expenses for the average 10 MW/h power plant capacities in conditions of Turkey. In larger enterprises, for example, 30 MW/h proportionally larger turnover and maintenance losses are foreseen. Under these conditions, enterprises prefer not to take risks considering the theoretically revealed earnings or savings scale. A system integrated into geothermal plants is disclosed in the Taiwan patent document numbered TW202012780A found in the literature research. Said system aims to estimate the production capacity of the geothermal plant. It is seen that the intended use is different from the invention that is the subject of the description.

Consequently, a system and a method so as to observe the scale formation in geothermal plants is required in which the state of the art is exceeded, the disadvantages are eliminated.

Brief Description of the Invention:

The invention is a method and system for monitoring scale formation in geothermal plants which exceeds the state of the art, eliminates the disadvantages and has some additional features.

The aim of the invention is to simulate the preheater unit in geothermal facilities and to present a system integrated into the geothermal facility and an observation method provided by the system so as to observe scale formations.

Another aim of the invention is to present a monitoring system and method that detects silica-stibnite and silica-iron-based scale formations.

Another aim of the invention is to present a scale formation monitoring system and method thereof which collects inlet-outlet pressure and temperature data, differential pressure data and flow rate data by integrating into the geothermal facility.

Another aim of the invention is to present a scale formation monitoring system and a method thereof which allows the analysis to be made by transferring the collected data to digital media with USB sticks and/or wired and wireless data transmission methods. Another aim of the invention is to present a scale formation monitoring system and a method thereof which consists of two lines so as to allow tests, experiments and observations to be made independently of the central system.

Another aim of the invention is to present a scale formation monitoring system and a method thereof which allows simultaneous testing and monitoring of different products and/or different dosages and/or different reinjection temperatures.

Description of the Figures:

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, thus the characteristics of the invention will be understood clearly. However, the aim of this is not to limit the invention with such certain embodiments. On the contrary, it is aimed to cover all alternatives, amendments and equivalents which may be contained in the field defined by the accompanying claims. It is to be understood that the details shown are only shown for the sake of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the present invention and presented for both illustrating the methods and for providing description of the rules of the invention and the conceptual features of the invention to be easily understood. In these figures;

Figure- 1 is a representative view of the inventive scale formation monitoring system.

The figures which enable to clarify this invention are enumerated as mentioned in the attached figure and they are given with their names herein below. Description of the References:

100. Scale formation monitoring system

110. First line 111. First line inlet pressure sensor

112. First line inlet temperature sensor

113. First line differential pressure sensor

114. First line outlet pressure sensor

115. First line outlet temperature sensor

116. First line flow meter

120. Second line

121. Second line inlet pressure sensor

122. Second line inlet temperature sensor

123. Second line differential pressure sensor

124. Second line outlet pressure sensor

125. Second line outlet temperature sensor

126. Second line flow meter

130. Control unit

200. Plant platform

210. Evaporator unit

220. Preheater unit

230. Connection line Description of the Invention:

In this detailed description, the inventive scale formation monitoring system (100) system and method is described by means of examples only for clarifying the subject matter such that no limiting effect is created. In this specification, a system and method that simulates the preheater unit (220) in geothermal power plants and collects detailed data for monitoring scale formations (deposit, corrosion, pollution) is disclosed.

In Figure 1 , a representative view of the inventive scale formation monitoring system (100) is given. Accordingly, the scale formation monitoring system (100) is integrated into the connection line (230) between the evaporator unit (210) and the preheater unit (220) located on the plant platform (200) of the geothermal plant, simulating the preheater unit (220). Possible scale formations can be detected by simulating the preheater unit (220). In order to detect scale formations, inlet and outlet temperature values, inlet and outlet pressure values, differential pressure values and water flow rate values are detected by sensors and related equipment via the scale formation monitoring system (100) and these detected values are transferred to digital media and analyzed. The methods desired to be applied to reduce the scale formation are tested on the simulation platform provided with the scale formation monitoring system (100), instead of being applied to the entire geothermal plant platform (200). If the results of the tests are positive, the desired methods can be applied to the entire geothermal plant platform.

Two lines are used in the inventive scale formation monitoring system (100). These lines are also given in figure 1 as the first line (110) and the second line (120). While collecting current data (temperature, pressure, differential pressure and flow rate) of the plant platform (200) in one of these lines (such as first line (110)), current data (temperature, pressure, differential pressure and flow rate) for an alternative application (which may be an alternative method to be tested to remove scale formation) and/or current data (temperature, pressure, differential pressure and flow rate) for a different plant platform (200) are collected over the second line (120). Two different applications can be compared simultaneously with the use of the first line (110) and the second line (120) in the invention, the instant data of the plant platform (200) and the instant data of an alternative method can be compared simultaneously and the current data of two different plant platforms (200) can be collected simultaneously.

In the inventive scale formation monitoring system (100), the inlet-outlet temperature and pressure data of the geo-fluid circulating in the first line (110) and the second line (120), the differential pressure data showing the pressure change between any two points, and the flow rate data of the geo-fluid are instantly collected and transmitted to the control unit (130). The data collected in the control unit (130) can be analyzed by transferring the same to a server in the digital environment via any of the USB memory and/or wired connection and/or wireless connection methods. As a result of the analyzes made, it can be determined whether scale formation is observed or not and the causes of scaling (silica-stibnite, silica-iron) can be determined with the samples to be taken from the removable observation points on the system.

The temperature, pressure, differential pressure and flow rate data used in the invention and how scale formations are determined are explained herein the following.

Temperature data: The inlet temperature of the scale formation in the monitoring system lines (110, 120) is assumed to be substantially a constant value under operating conditions. On the other hand, it is expected that the outlet temperature in the lines (110, 120) will increase proportionally and due to scaling. For this reason, temperature data is used for comparative evaluation of the rate and rate of scaling (silica, stibnite, iron development, contamination).

Pressure value: As the scale formation in the lines (110, 120) of the monitoring system (100) increases, the inlet pressure value and the differential pressure value of the line (110, 120) increase, and the outlet pressure value decreases. For this reason, it is possible to get an idea about the scale formation rates and amounts with the pressure data.

Flow rate data: As the scale formation in the lines (110, 120) of the monitoring system (100), which is integrated cleanly to the plant platform (200) increases at the beginning of the application, the flow rate (flow rate) gradually decreases due to the resistance against the flow. For this reason, the flow rate data is used for comparison in determining the scale formation. In the lines (110, 120) of the inventive scale formation monitoring system (100) there are numerous elements so as to collect temperature, pressure and flow rate data. There is a first line inlet pressure sensor (111) that measures the inlet pressure value of the geo-fluid and a first line outlet pressure sensor (114) that measures the outlet pressure value of the geo-fluid in the first line (110). There is also the first line inlet temperature sensor (112), which measures the inlet temperature value of the geo-fluid, and the first line outlet temperature sensor (115), which measures the outlet temperature value of the geo-fluid in the first line (110). A first line differential pressure sensor (113) is located in the first line (110), which detects the change in the system pressure value. There is also a first line flow meter (116), which measures the flow rate (flow rate) of the geo fluid in the first line (110).

There is a second line inlet pressure sensor (121) that measures the inlet pressure value of the geo-fluid and a second line outlet pressure sensor (124) that measures the outlet pressure value of the geo-fluid in the first line (120). There is also the second line inlet temperature sensor (122) which measures the inlet temperature value of the geo-fluid, and the second line outlet temperature sensor (125) which measures the outlet temperature value of the geo-fluid in the second line (120). A second line differential pressure sensor (123) is located in the second line (120) that detects the pressure value change in the system. There is also a second line flow meter (126) which measures the flow rate (flow rate) of the geo-fluid in the second line (120).