Exergy Analysis Using a Theoretical Formulation of a Geothermal Power Plant in Cerro Prieto, México

Entropy (Basel). 2021 Aug 31;23(9):1137. doi: 10.3390/e23091137.

Abstract

The purpose of this research is the calculation of the exergy destruction of the single-flash and double-flash cycles of a geothermal power plant located on the ladder of the 233 m Cerro Prieto volcano, on the alluvial plain of the Mexicali Valley, Mexico. The methodology developed in this research presents thermodynamic models for energy and exergy flows, which allows determining the contribution of each component to the total exergy destruction of the system. For the case-base, the results indicate that for the single-flash configuration the efficiency of the first and second law of thermodynamics are 0.1888 and 0.3072, as well as the highest contribution to the total exergy destruction is provided by the condenser. For the double-flash configuration, the efficiency of the first and second law of thermodynamics are 0.3643 and 0.4983. The highest contribution to the total exergy destruction is provided by the condenser and followed by the low-pressure turbine.

Keywords: exergy destruction; geothermal energy; net power output; thermodynamic assessment.