A Selection Method for Power Generation Plants Used for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS)

As a promising and advanced technology, enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) can be used to generate electricity using deep geothermal energy. In order to better utilize the EGS to produce electricity, power cycles’ selection maps are generated for people to choose the best system based on the geofluids’ temperature and dryness conditions. Optimizations on double-flash system (DF), flash-organic Rankine cycle system (FORC), and double-flash-organic Rankine cycle system (DFORC) are carried out, and the single-flash (SF) system is set as a reference system. The results indicate that each upgraded system (DF, FORC, and DFORC) can produce more net power output compared with the SF system and can reach a maximum net power output under a given geofluid condition. For an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) using R245fa as working fluid, the generated selection maps indicate that using the FORC system can produce more power than using other power cycles when the heat source temperature is below 170 °C. Either DF or DFORC systems could be an option if the heat source temperature is above 170 °C, but the DF system is more attractive under a relatively lower geofluid’s dryness and a higher temperature condition.