138 Geothermal Power Plants: Principles, Applications, Case Studies and Environmental Impact

7.3 Steam gathering system

The connection between the wells and the powerhouse for a dry-steam plant is relatively
simple compared to a flash-steam plant. At the well, there are the usual valves plus a
steam purifier. The latter is merely an in-line, axial centrifugal separator designed to
remove particulate matter from the steam before it enters the piping system. The steam
pipes are covered with insulation and mounted on stanchions, and include expansion
loops to accommodate pipe movement from a cold to a hot condition. Steam traps
are sited strategically along the pipes to remove condensate which is then conveyed by
separate lines to holding ponds and eventual reinjection. See Figs. 7.6 and 7.7.
As the steam line approaches the powerhouse, there is an emergency pressure relief
station. This allows for the temporary release of steam in the event of a turbine trip. The
steam generally passes through a silencer before entering the atmosphere. It has been
found preferable to maintain the wells in a steady open mode rather than cycling the wells
through open and closed positions. At the powerhouse one finds a steam header, a final
moisture remover, typically a vertical cyclone separator or a baffled demister, and a venturi
meter for accurate measurement of the steam flow rate. See Figs. 7.8 and 7.9.

7.4 Energy conversion system

Once the steam reaches the powerhouse, a dry-steam plant is essentially the same as
a single-flash steam plant. The turbines are single-pressure units with impulse-reaction
blading, either single-flow for smaller units or double-flow for larger units (say,

Fig. 7.6 Wellhead pipelines at The Geysers. Note axial separators to remove particulate matter. Several wells are
sited on a single drilling pad to reduce the amount of land needed for well pads. The wells are drilled directionally
to intercept a large reservoir volume. Photo courtesy of Calpine Corporation [17] [WWW].