innovation, page-3

Hmmm. My musing would be that geothermal production cost is a function of initial capex, so bringing this down is critical.

Concurrently, as a heat engine, the Cooper Basin system must create as large a differential as possible between the geofluid and the working fluid. This will be achieved via air cooling, as water is the lifeblood of this project and cannot be bled away for purposes such as cooling.


A simple thought (and perhaps just as easily dismissed, if someone better versed in thermodynamics can think of a reason why) - a shade cloth over the cooling fans.

A series of shade cloths over the air cooling fans could assist in bringing down the ambient temperature at the fan, reducing the number of fans required. The cost would be minimal by the standards of such a project, so any decent reduction in capex, even if only 1%, would justify the investment.

For reference, the increase in ambient temperature from 15C to 45C reduces output by over 30% for a system with a production temperature of 210C.

Alternatively, depending on the final economics, the same number of fans could be employed, and the increased cooling capacity could be used to increase the efficiency at the exchange zone.

What do you reckon?

(If you wanted to let your imagination run with the idea, you could envisage a capillary network through the shade installation, allowing a pre-input solar thermal boost for the geofluid before it reaches the surface heat exchanger. Why waste the heat?)




Another thought would be an underground cooling matrix on the way to the fan system. The earth acts as to damp out temperature fluctuations (beneficial as peak demand coincides with the heat of the day), absorbing excess heat during the day, whilst the cold air depletes the heat content at night. Could be too much of a strain on capex, however.