Kinetics of silica precipitation in geothermal brine with seeds addition: minimizing silica scaling in a cold re-injection system

Setiawan, Felix Arie; Rahayuningsih, Edia; Petrus, Himawan Tri Bayu Murti; Nurpratama, Muhammad Istiawan; Perdana, Indra

doi:10.1186/s40517-019-0138-3

Cited by 34 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Silica species can be present in geothermal systems as amorphous silica, chalcedony, opal-A, and opal-CT [28,34,35]. Several chemical mitigation techniques have been developed for silica scales, many of which involve the modification of specific properties of the brine such as pH, or inhibition of colloid formation through rapid brine cooling [35][36][37]. There are also chemicals which inhibit the growth of silica colloids by adhering to the surface of a particle, thereby slowing further growth [34].…”

Section: Scaling Risk Mitigationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemical Changes Associated with High-Temperature Heat Storage at Intermediate Depth: Thermodynamic Equilibrium Models for the DeepStor Site in the Upper Rhine Graben, Germany

et al. 2021

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The campus of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) contains several waste heat streams. In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by optimizing thermal power consumption on the campus, researchers at the KIT are proposing a ‘DeepStor’ project, which will sequester waste heat from these streams in an underground reservoir during the summer months, when the heat is not required. The stored heat will then be reproduced in the winter, when the campus’s thermal power demand is much higher. This paper contains a preliminary geochemical risk assessment for the operation of this subsurface, seasonal geothermal energy storage system. We used equilibrium thermodynamics to determine the potential phases and extent of mineral scale formation in the plant’s surface infrastructure, and to identify possible precipitation, dissolution, and ion exchange reactions that may lead to formation damage in the reservoir. The reservoir in question is the Meletta Beds of the Upper Rhein Graben’s Froidefontaine Formation. We modeled scale- and formation damage-causing reactions during six months of injecting 140 °C fluid into the reservoir during the summer thermal storage season and six months of injecting 80 °C fluid during the winter thermal consumption season. Overall, we ran the models for 5 years. Anhydrite and calcite are expected mineral scales during the thermal storage season (summer). Quartz is the predicted scale-forming mineral during the thermal consumption period (winter). Within ~20 m of the wellbores, magnesium and iron are leached from biotite; calcium and magnesium are leached from dolomite; and sodium, aluminum, and silica are leached from albite. These reactions lead to a net increase in both porosity and permeability in the wellbore adjacent region. At a distance of ~20–75 m from the wellbores, the leached ions recombine with the reservoir rocks to form a variety of clays, i.e., saponite, minnesotaite, and daphnite. These alteration products lead to a net loss in porosity and permeability in this zone. After each thermal storage and production cycle, the reservoir shows a net retention of heat, suggesting that the operation of the proposed DeepStor project could successfully store heat, if the geochemical risks described in this paper can managed.

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Section: Scaling Risk Mitigationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemical Changes Associated with High-Temperature Heat Storage at Intermediate Depth: Thermodynamic Equilibrium Models for the DeepStor Site in the Upper Rhine Graben, Germany

et al. 2021

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“…In fact, the approach most often used to mitigate silica deposition utilizes the principle of silica solubility as a function of pH, leading to the addition of acids at various points of the system [13]. In fact, many studies reported that the maximum polymerization rate occurs with pH values between 7 and 9: in this range, at a given retention time, silica concentration is closer to equilibrium and, consequently, the maximum quantity of silica has polymerized and deposited [3]…”

Section: Phmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scaling can also be controlled by accelerating the precipitation process through the addition of silica gel seeds. According to the studies reported in [17], silica gel and colloidal silica can accelerate silica precipitation and decrease silica concentration in geothermal brine from 500 to 340 ppm. Silica gel has an affinity to bind with dissolved silica in geothermal brine that therefore reduces the likelihood of silica scale formation on the pipeline surfaces.…”

Section: F Silica Seed Additionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of a scaling reduction system for geothermal applications

Pardelli¹,

Tempesti²,

Mannelli³

et al. 2021

E3S Web Conf.

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The aim of the EU 2020 GeoSmart project relies on the demonstration of innovative solutions to improve the flexibility and the efficiency of geothermal heat and power systems. This specific study focuses on issues related to silica scaling and its deposition on the reinjection wells. A limiting constraint for geothermal plants to fully utilize the thermal energy form well fluids is in fact the need to reinject geothermal brine at a high enough temperature to prevent thermodynamic fouling by silica scale deposition. GeoSmart aims to develop a solution based on retention system technology to control and reduce the silica scale formation before re-injection. Lowering reinjection temperature would strongly increase plant efficiency by providing extra useful heat. Based on silica scaling numerical simulation, the effects of parameters like pH, temperature and brine composition on silica polymerization and scaling deposition rates, the design and optimization of the retention system has been developed. The design aims to promote polymerization phenomena inside the tank so that scaling is consequently inhibited in the reinjection well pipes. Chemical additives and specific coatings have also been evaluated to guarantee the optimal required conditions. The case study is based on real-data referred to operational conditions and brine composition of the Zorlu Kizildere plant in Turkey. The economic and environmental impact of the retention system has been evaluated with positive outcomes. The in-site test and validation at industrial level of the above mentioned technology will be provided during the next activities of the GeoSmart project

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“…However, silica is present as mined mineral sand, and it can be formed naturally in rice husk [8], bamboo leaf [9,10], bagasse ash [11,12], rice husk [13], and coal ash [14]. In various geothermal power plants, silica can also be applied as scale in piping equipment [15]. For example, silica can be released from the geothermal power plant in Dieng generating a huge amount of solid waste.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preparation of Geothermal Silica Glass Coating Film Through Multi-Factor Optimization

2021

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Glass coating films have been developed by many researchers in recent years. However, mass commercialization of this technology is still inefficient, and optimal methods are needed to produce affordable products. This paper introduces a film preparation method through, which a coating film is superimposed on silica glass by utilizing geothermal waste, a byproduct of geothermal power plants. Geothermal waste has been used as a silica precursor and modified using several silylation agents such as methyltriethoxysilane (MTMS), hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and surface-active agent (surfactant) cethyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB). Design Expert 8.0.6 is used for optimization to find the desired product at the concentration of specific precursors and silane agents using contact angle responses. A model that consists of statistically significant variables can be generalized to a broad data range. The results of this study indicate that the glass surface coated with modified silica produces hydrophobic glass with contact angles up to 90° using the MTMS silylation agent.

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Kinetics of silica precipitation in geothermal brine with seeds addition: minimizing silica scaling in a cold re-injection system

Cited by 34 publications

References 22 publications

Geochemical Changes Associated with High-Temperature Heat Storage at Intermediate Depth: Thermodynamic Equilibrium Models for the DeepStor Site in the Upper Rhine Graben, Germany

Geochemical Changes Associated with High-Temperature Heat Storage at Intermediate Depth: Thermodynamic Equilibrium Models for the DeepStor Site in the Upper Rhine Graben, Germany

Design of a scaling reduction system for geothermal applications

Preparation of Geothermal Silica Glass Coating Film Through Multi-Factor Optimization

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