Geothermal salinity control system

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein said highly saline geothermal brine has a chloride salt content of greater than approximately 250,000 ppm by weight upon being flashed to atmospheric pressure, and said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 50,000 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2, wherein said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 35,000 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 5

The method of claim 2, wherein said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 20,000 by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 6

The method of claim 2, wherein said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 3500 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1, wherein said highly saline geothermal brine has a chloride salt content of from about 300,000 to about 360,000 ppm by weight upon being flashed to atmospheric pressure, and said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 35,000 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1, wherein said non-geothermal water is mixed with said geothermal brine in sufficient proportion to reduce the chloride salt content of the mixture to not more than approximately 250,000 ppm by weight upon being flashed to atmospheric pressure.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7, wherein the chloride salt content of said mixture is reduced to not more than approximately 240,000 ppm by weight upon being flashed to atmospheric pressure.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1, wherein said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 35,000 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1, wherein said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 20,000 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 12

The method of claim 1, wherein said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 3500 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 13

The method of claim 1, wherein heat energy is extracted from the mixture of said geothermal brine and non-geothermal water in said heat extraction means by flashing a portion of said mixture to steam.

Claim 14

The method of claim 12, wherein said steam is used to directly drive steam turbine means.

Claim 15

The method of claim 12, wherein heat energy from said steam is transferred to a power fluid in a binary system, and said power fluid is used to drive turbine means.

Claim 18

The method of claim 15, which comprises protecting a production casing that is cemented in said well from corrosive effects of said geothermal brine by flowing an annular layer of said non-geothermal water against the inner annular surface of said casing, and mixing said non-geothermal water with said geothermal brine and flowing the mixture up to the top of the well radially inwardly of said annular layer of non-geothermal water.

Claim 19

The method of claim 16, wherein said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 50,000 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 22

The method of claim 18, which comprises conducting said non-geothermal water radially inwardly from said annulus into said inner passage through perforations in said liner for mixing with said geothermal brine.

Claim 23

In a geothermal energy system having a production well that provides access to an underground source of high temperature, highly saline geothermal brine and heat extraction means connected to said production well to receive said brine from said well, a system for reducing mineral scaling and corrosion which comprises: a source of non-geothermal water that is much less saline than said geothermal brine, a fluid mixing zone in said system upstream of said heat extraction means, conduit means extending from said source of non-geothermal water to said fluid mixing zone, and means for moving said non-geothermal water from its said source through said conduit means into said mixing zone for mixing with and reducing the salinity of said geothermal brine.

Claim 24

In a geothermal energy system having a production well that provides access to an underground source of high temperature, highly saline geothermal brine and heat extraction means connected to said production well to receive said brine from said well, a system for reducing mineral scaling and corrosion which comprises: a source of non-geothermal water that is much less saline than said geothermal brine, a fluid mixing zone in said system upstream of said heat extraction means, conduit means extending from said source of non-geothermal water to said fluid mixing zone, and means for moving said non-geothermal water from its said source through said conduit means into said mixing zone for mixing with and reducing the salinity of said geothermal brine.

Claim 25

The system of claim 20, wherein said means for moving said non-geothermal water comprises pump means in said conduit means.

Claim 26

The system of claim 20, wherein said highly saline geothermal brine has a chloride salt content of greater than approximately 250,000 ppm by weight upon being flashed to atmospheric pressure, and said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 50,000 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 27

The system of claim 22, wherein said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 35,000 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 28

The system of claim 22, wherein said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 20,000 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 29

The system of claim 22, wherein said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 3500 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 30

The system of claim 20, wherein said highly saline geothermal brine has a chloride salt content of from about 300,000 to about 360,000 ppm by weight upon being flashed to atmospheric pressure and said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 35,000 ppm of chloride salt content.

Claim 31

The system of claim 20, wherein said means for moving said non-geothermal water provides the latter in sufficient proportion to the production rate of said geothermal brine by said well to reduce the chloride salt content of the mixture of said brine and said water to not more than approximately 250,000 ppm by weight upon being flashed to atmospheric pressure.

Claim 32

The system of claim 27, wherein the chloride salt content of said mixture is reduced to not more than approximately 240,000 ppm by weight upon being flashed to atmospheric pressure.

Claim 33

The system of claim 20, wherein said heat extraction means comprises means for flashing a portion of the mixture of said geothermal brine and said non-geothermal water to steam.

Claim 34

The system of claim 29, which comprises steam turbine means operatively connected to said heat extraction means to receive and be driven by said stream.

Claim 35

The system of claim 29, wherein said heat extraction means comprises a binary system having power fluid circuit means in which heat energy is transferred from said steam to power fluid means, said power fluid circuit means having turbine means therein which is driven by said power fluid means.

Claim 36

In a geothermal energy system having a production well that provides to an underground source of high temperature, highly saline geothermal brine and heat extraction means connected to said production well to receive said brine from said well, a system for reducing mineral scaling and corrosion which comprises: a source of non-geothermal water that is much less saline than said geothermal brine, a fluid mixing zone in said system upstream of said heat extraction means, conduit means extending from said source of non-geothermal water to said fluid mixing zone, and means for moving said non-geothermal water from its said source through said conduit means into said mixing zone for mixing with and reducing the salinity of said geothermal brine, said fluid mixing zone being down in said production well above said geothermal brine source, a portion of said conduit means extending down through a portion of said production well to said mixing zone.

Claim 37

In a geothermal energy system having a production well that provides to an underground source of high temperature, highly saline geothermal brine and heat extraction means connected to said production well to receive said brine from said well, a system for reducing mineral scaling and corrosion which comprises: a source of non-geothermal water that is much less saline than said geothermal brine, a fluid mixing zone in said system upstream of said heat extraction means, conduit means extending from said source of non-geothermal water to said fluid mixing zone, and means for moving said non-geothermal water from its said source through said conduit means into said mixing zone for mixing with and reducing the salinity of said geothermal brine, said fluid mixing zone being down in said production well above said geothermal brine source, a portion of said conduit means extending down through a portion of said production well to said mixing zone.

Claim 38

In a geothermal energy system having a production well that provides access to an underground source of high temperature, highly saline geothermal brine and heat extraction means connected to said production well to receive said brine from said well, a system for reducing mineral scaling and corrosion which comprises: a source of non-geothermal water that is much less saline than said geothermal brine, a fluid mixing zone in said system upstream of said heat extraction means, conduit means extending from said source of non-geothermal water to said fluid mixing zone, means for moving said non-geothermal water from its said source through said conduit means into said mixing zone for mixing with and reducing the salinity of said geothermal brine, said fluid mixing zone being down in said production well above said geothermal brine source, a portion of said conduit means extending down through a portion of said production well to said mixing zone, said production well having a cemented-in production casing, a production liner removably mounted within said casing, said liner having an outside diameter that is less then the inside diameter of said casing so as to define an annulus between said casing and said liner which serves as said portion of said conduit means, said non-geothermal water flowing down through said annulus protecting said casing from the corrosive effects of said geothermal brine.

Claim 39

In a geothermal energy system having a production well that provides access to an underground source of high temperature, highly saline geothermal brine and heat extraction means connected to said production well to receive said brine from said well, a system for reducing mineral scaling and corrosion which comprises: a source of non-geothermal water that is much less saline than said geothermal brine, a fluid mixing zone in said system upstream of said heat extraction means, conduit means extending from said source of non-geothermal water to said fluid mixing zone, means for moving said non-geothermal water from its said source through said conduit means into said mixing zone for mixing with and reducing the salinity of said geothermal brine, said fluid mixing zone being down in said production well above said geothermal brine source, a portion of said conduit means extending down through a portion of said production well to said mixing zone, said production well having a cemented-in production casing, a production liner removably mounted within said casing, said liner having an outside diameter that is less then the inside diameter of said casing so as to define an annulus between said casing and said liner which serves as said portion of said conduit means, said non-geothermal water flowing down through said annulus protecting said casing from the corrosive effects of said geothermal brine.

Claim 40

The system of claim 33, wherein said fluid mixing zone is within the lower portion of said production liner, said liner having radial perforations in its said lower portion through which said non-geothermal water flows from said annulus into said mixing zone.

Claim 41

The system of claim 33, wherein said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 50,000 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 42

The system of claim 33, wherein said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 35,000 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 43

The system of claim 33, wherein said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 20,000 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.

Claim 44

The system of claim 33, wherein said non-geothermal water has not more than approximately 3500 ppm by weight of chloride salt content.