HomeSolutionsGeothermal Power Combined Cycle Units Geothermal Power Plants Combined Cycle Units (GCCU) Geothermal Power Plants Ormat Geothermal Combined Cycle Units (GCCU) are designed to generate power from high-pressure geothermal steam resources.When there are non-condensable gases present in the geothermal steam, our GCCU technology provides higher efficiency, lower maintenance costs and higher electrical output in comparison to conventional condensing steam power plants.Ormat offers GCCU modules in a wide range of sizes in order to accurately match the power plant to the geothermal energy resource.The result is significant savings in well drilling and resource development.The GCCU can be air-cooled so that all steam condensate can be 100% re-injected.Total fluid re-injection sustains reservoir life and provides pressure support.Due to the low profile of the air-cooled condensers and the lack of any plum from the water cooling towers, the visual impact is minimized and the risk of acid rain is minimized as well.

How It WorksFor high-pressure steam-dominated resources, a geothermal combined cycle plant uses both a steam turbine and a binary cycle ORMAT® ENERGY CONVERTER The high-pressure steam from the separator drives a back pressure turbine, the most efficient use of steam at this stage in the cycle.geothermal vaporizerThe low-pressure steam exits the turbine at a positive pressure and flows into the vaporizer of a bottoming ORMATENERGY CONVERTER (OEC).vaporizer food coloringThe heat of condensation of the low-pressure stream is used to vaporize the organic motive fluid and the expansion of these vapors drives the organic turbine.vaporizer fat burning evaporator reviewsThe organic vapors are then condensed and pumped back into the pre-heater and the geothermal fluid is re-injected.

Since the steam pressure in the vaporizer remains positive, the non-condensable gases (NCG) can simply be vented without any loss of power.The steam condensed in the OEC heat exchangers is re-injected as condensate to the reservoir.HomeTechnology ORMAT® ENERGY CONVERTER (OEC) Simple, Flexible, Reliable and EfficientThe ORMAT® ENERGY CONVERTER (OEC) is a power generation unit, which converts low, medium and high temperature heat into electrical energy.A single OEC may range in size from 250 kW to 20 MW.The OECs are designed for the specific conditions of a wide variety of heat sources.Its main components include a vaporizer/preheater, turbogenerator, air-cooled or water-cooled condenser, feed pump and controls.It is designed for outdoor  installations.The OEC is a field-proven, mature commercial product used in more than 75 countries worldwide.Ormat has successfully manufactured and supplied over 2200 MW of power plants based on its proprietary technology, logging millions of hours of operating experience.

The OEC enables geothermal developers to efficiently and economically use the full range of naturally occurring geothermal resources found throughout the world - from low temperature geothermal water to high-pressure steam.How It Works All ORMAT ENERGY CONVERTER (OEC), units are self-contained, fully automatic and produce grid compatible power.The OEC is based on the Rankine Power Cycle but uses organic working fluid which has the advantage of being more efficient than steam when operating on low-to-moderate temperature heat sources.The working fluid is selected to optimize the power output from the particular heat source, temperature and flow.Under production conditions, the working fluid is vaporized by the heat of the stream flowing through the vaporizer and pre-heater.The vapor expands as it passes through the organic vapor turbine, which is coupled to the generator.The exhaust vapor is subsequently condensed in a water or air-cooled condenser and is recycled to the vaporizer by the motive fluid cycle pump.

SVEC is having a rate increase, effective on April 2017 billing.Visit "News and Events" under "About Us" for further information!HomeSolutionsGeothermal Power Binary Geothermal Power Plant Ormat plant configurations are designed to take maximum advantage of the available geothermal energy resources at each site, and provide various binary plants implementations for: Low-temperature geothermal fluid or steam, Separated brine after first or second flash How it works The fluid is extracted from an underground reservoir and flows from the wellhead through pipelines to heat exchangers in the ORMAT®(OEC).Inside the heat exchangers, the geothermal fluid heats and vaporizes a secondary working fluid, an organic fluid with a low boiling point.The organic vapors drive the turbine and then are condensed in a condenser, which is cooled by air or water.The turbine rotates the generator.The condensed fluid is recycled back into the heat exchangers by a pump, completing the cycle within the closed system.

The cooled geothermal fluid is re-injected into the reservoir.Geothermal energy (geo meaning "earth" and thermal meaning "heat") is energy recovered from the heat of the earth's interior.Geothermal heat can appear in the form of volcanoes, hot springs and geysers.The high temperatures in the earth's interior are a result of heat trapped during the formation of the planet, as well as the decay of naturally occurring radioactive elements.Temperatures below the surface can reach 4,200° C, decreasing to 650 - 1200° at depths of 80km-100km.Through the deep circulation of groundwater and the intrusion of molten magma into the earth's crust at depths of only 1km-5km, the heat is brought closer to the earth's surface.The molten rock then heats the surrounding groundwater, which is forced to the surface in certain areas in the form of steam or hot water (i.e.The heat energy close to or at the earth's surface can be utilized as a source of energy.Using modern scientific and engineering techniques, geothermal systems may be sustained commercially for decades.

The Geysers (California) and Wairakei (New Zealand) have produced electric power continuously for 40 years.The pioneering Larderello field in Italy has been productive since 1904.In fact, not a single geothermal field has been exhausted to date, although reservoir pressures and temperatures have declined slowly in response to production.The heat source for geothermal energy comes primarily from large, magmatic systems deep in the earths crust.These are still partially molten or crystallized, but are hot igneous intrusions that yield their heat gradually over hundreds of thousands of years.As the earth cools over time, there is a constant movement of thermal energy that travels outward through highly permeable fracture zones to the surface.Geothermal energy is classified as a renewable source of electricity.It is considered to be a clean, environmentally friendly, sustainable method of electrical power generation.The use of geothermal energy is an established method of electrical power generation with 2,000 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity in the Western United States.

The benefits of geothermal energy are far reaching.A geothermal power plant does not burn fuel; energy production is clean, and renewable.It is a base load source; therefore, geothermal plants are designed to run 24 hours a day, every day with no emissions.The US market demand for electricity is rising, creating a growing dependency on non-renewable non-sustainable resources.Consumption of fossil fuels has produced significant environmental problems including air pollution, smog and global warming.As a result of the environmental impact, rises in the world oil price and thinning reserves the world has looked to other sources of energy that will help alleviate these issues.Geothermal energy is rapidly growing into a $1.5 billion per year industry.There are approximately 12,000 MW of direct use and over 10,715 MW of generating capacity globally.Binary Cycle Geothermal Power Plants In a binary cycle geothermal power plant hot water is produced to a steam piping and gathering system from wells drilled into the geothermal reservoir.

The hot water flows to a heat exchanger called a vaporizer where it vaporizes a secondary working fluid causing the original hot water to become cool.All of the cooled water is then pumped to injection wells where it is injected to help recharge the geothermal reservoir.The vaporized working fluid passes through a turbine which drives an electrical generator that is tied into the electrical transmission grid.Upon discharging the turbine the secondary working fluid is condensed before piping it back to the vaporizer where the process is repeated.Dry Steam Geothermal Power Plants An example of a vapor dominated geothermal system is as The Geysers in central California.Dry steam is produced from wells through a piping system and run directly through a turbine.The turbine drives an electrical generator that delivers power to the electrical transmission grid.Steam discharges from the turbine into a condenser where it is condensed forming hot water.The hot water is pumped to a cooling tower where additional heat is removed.

The cooled water from the cooling tower is recycled back to the condenser to repeat the process.Any excess water from the cooling tower is pumped through a piping system to injection wells where it is injected back into the reservoir which helps to recharge the geothermal reservoir.Flash Geothermal Power Plants In hot water geothermal systems (temperatures greater than approximately 400 degrees Fahrenheit), flash production systems are often used.The hot water is produced from wells drilled into the geothermal reservoir.The hot water from the various production wells is piped to a flash tank where the pressure is reduced.The reduction in pressure in the flash tank causes part of the hot water to flash to form steam and part to remain as water.The flash tank also acts a separator, separating the steam from the water.The hot water separated from the steam is pumped through a pipeline system to injection wells and injected into the reservoir for reservoir recharge.The steam coming off the flash tank/separator is piped directly to a turbine where the process is identical to that used for dry steam geothermal power plants.