# Presentation: 395981

## GEOTHERMAL RESEARCH PROGRAM BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY

**GEOTHERMAL RESEARCH PROGRAM ****BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY**

## BACKGROUND

**BNL has been involved in the DOE Geothermal Program since early 1970’s.**
**BNL’s contributions are primarily in two major areas:**
**Engineering materials for handling corrosive environments and cements for well completion.**
**Treatment of brines and residues for removal of toxic elements and recovery of metals and minerals.**

## RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM STRUCTURE

**ESR&T**

**Drilling & Completion**

## RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM GOALS

**Support programmatic goals of reducing the overall cost of geothermal energy by:**
**Reducing power plant capital and O&M costs**
**Reducing well completion costs**
**Ensuring the integrity and prolonging the life of geothermal wells**
**Using brine as a resource to extract commercially viable products and offset power production costs.**

## OBJECTIVES

**Meet the need for high performance, cost effective materials technology in geothermal applications.  **
**Improve the economics of geothermal power through recovery of valuable commodities from brines.**

## WORK SCOPE

**Synthesis of new materials**
**Better use of existing materials**
**Experimental characterization of material properties**
**Improved techniques for monitoring material performance and assessing integrity of equipment**
**Computational analysis to predict response behavior of complex systems**
**Development of new processes for treating brines to recover metals and silica**
**Field validation in collaboration with industry partners and technology transfer**

## ORGANIZATION

**GEOTHERMAL RESEARCH**

**MATERIALS FOR GEOTHERMAL APPLICATIONS**

**ADVANCED PROCESSES FOR BRINES**

**Materials Engineering and Analysis**

**Materials Chemistry**

## STAFF

**Dr. Marita Berndt (Program Leader, Point of Contact)**
**Dave Elling**
**Dr. Mow Lin**
**Dr. Mike Philippacopoulos **
**Dr. Toshi Sugama**

## RECENT AND CURRENT PROJECTS: Materials

**Heat exchanger liners**
**Protective coatings for variety of applications**
**High temperature polymeric elastomers **
**Clad and thermal sprayed NiCrMo alloys**
**Thermally conductive grouts for use with geothermal heat pumps**
**Remediation of deformed well casing**
**Prevention of microbiological attack of concrete in cooling towers**
**Carbonation resistant cements**
**Structural response analysis of well cements**
**Lost circulation control materials**
**Non-destructive testing of piping**

## RECENT AND CURRENT PROJECTS:Advanced Processes for Geothermal Brines

**Removal of toxic metals including radionuclides from geothermal sludge.**
**Conversion of  geothermal wastes into valuable product: silica fillers**
**Develop biochemical anti-fouling agents to improve cooling tower operations**
**Develop a process for treating catalyst wastes from H****2****S abatement **
**Heavy isotopes to characterize reservoir conditions**
**High quality silica recovery from low-salinity geothermal brines**

## HARD AT WORK IN THE LAB

**HARD AT WORK IN THE LAB**

## FROM THE LAB TO THE REAL WORLD

**SILICA RECOVERY PILOT PLANT TESTED AT DIXIE VALLEY SITE**

**Injection line and 1μ filter cell unit                     Pump units for chemical injection**
**                                                      ****and mixing stages**

## COLLABORATORS AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PARTNERS

## RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

**PPS-based liners for corrosion and scale control in HX tubes.**
**Zinc phosphate primer for protection of steel substrates.**
**Acid resistant cements.**
**Mix 111 thermally conductive grout for GHPs.**
**Coatings for control of MIC in cooling towers.**
**Modelling response of wells to various loads.**
**Recovery of 99.9% pure silica from low salinity brines by precipitation.**

## AWARDS

**1996 Discovery Award by Discovery Magazine**
**Twice the National Awards for Environmental Sustainability for “Advanced Biochemical Processes for Geothermal Brines” by The National Awards Council.**
**1999 award from Eastern Heating and Cooling Council for Mix 111 GHP grout.**
**ASHRAE 2000 Crosby Field Award (Best Paper) and ASHRAE 2000 Poster Presentation Award for research on GHP grouts with S.P. Kavanaugh, UA. **
**2000 R&D 100 award for “ThermaLock****®****” calcium phosphate cement with Halliburton and Unocal.**
**2001 R&D 100 award for silica recovery process with Caithness.**

## MORE AWARDS AND PATENTS

**2001 GRC Best Paper Award for paper on PPS coatings.**
**2002 R&D 100 award for “CurraLon****®****” PPS coating for HX tubes with NREL, Bob Curran & Sons and Ticona.**
**2003 Federal Lab Consortium Tech Transfer award.**
**Biochemical Solubilization of Metals from Residual Geothermal Brines and Sludges.  U.S. Patent No. 5,366,891.  Issued 11/22/94 to Premuzic, E.T. and Lin, M.**
**Conversion of Geothermal Brines and Sludges to Commercial Products. ( Four U. S. patents pending)  to Premuzic, E.T. and Lin, M.**

## FY03 PROJECTS

| Project | Area | PI | Funding ($K) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-Destructive Testing and Piping Integrity Assessment | ESR&T | Berndt and Philippacopoulos | 215 |
| Heat Exchanger Liners | ESR&T | Sugama | 115 |
| High-Performance Coatings | ESR&T | Sugama | 90 |
| High-Temperature Elastomers | ESR&T | Sugama | 20 |
| Processes for Brines and Residues | ESR&T | Lin | 90 |
| Acid Resistant Cements | D&C | Sugama | 150 |
| Structural Response Analysis for Well Cements | D&C | Philippacopoulos and Berndt | 60 |
| Total |  | 2.9 FTE | 750 |

## SPENDING

**FY03 spending to date (2/03) : $306K.**
**Remaining FY03 funds: $444K.**
**Achievement of objectives has been hindered by low funding levels, especially projects funded at <$100K.**
**Restoration of funding to $1200K would enable greater impact and timely application of our research to geothermal industry.**

## FUTURE PLANS: Materials I

**Design electrostatic powder coating apparatus for applying high temperature polymer composites and nanocomposites on HX tubes.**
**Coating process technology for air cooled condensers.**
**Room temperature-curable high temperature polymer coatings stable at >300****o****C.**
**Organometallic polymer coatings (<3 ********m).**
**Continue field evaluation of coatings and liners.**
**Field evaluation of polymeric elastomers for bearings, gaskets and O-rings.**
**Synthesis and field monitoring of alkali-activated, non-calcium phosphate and nanocomposite well cements.**

## FUTURE PLANS: Materials II

**Enhance plant reliability through advanced NDT methods applicable to piping and other systems and components. **
**Apply the results from NDT to integrity assessment/fitness for service evaluations.**
**Investigate innovative methods for evaluating equipment integrity specific to geothermal conditions.**
**Develop and evaluate specific composites for in-situ repair and life extension of corroded geothermal piping systems. **** **

## FUTURE PLANS: Materials III

**Investigate cementitious liners for piping and well heads with improved durability.**
**Quantify direct and indirect costs of corrosion and scaling in the geothermal power industry. **
**Focus on cements, selection tools and performance analysis for future innovative well completion technologies.**
**Optimize the wellbore structural integrity for operational, tectonic and other loads. **

## FUTURE PLANS: Advanced Processes for Geothermal Brines

**Continue work on co-production of high quality silica from low-salinity geothermal brines.**
**Recovery of lithium, cesium and rubidium from geothermal resources. **
**Co-production of advanced materials from geothermal resources.**

## Integrating Experimental Work and Numerical Modelling to Improve Well  Integrity

## SUMMARY

**BNL successfully combines a wide range of capabilities that benefit the utilization of geothermal energy.**
**Materials technologies and recovery of metals and minerals from brines and residues are highly valued, supported and used by industry.**
**Future development of innovative drilling and completion concepts and continued improvement in plant economics and conversion efficiency requires BNL’s expertise.**